Dichotomies

Today was the very best and the very worst of Scotland. Beautiful weather greeted me this morning: sunny, if still a bit too cold for my liking. Excited for dry weather I got out as fast as I could, but my buzz was quickly killed off by my ever dysfunctional bike. Even more mechanical issues culminated in a loud blowout while descending towards Pitscottie. I change the tire and get back on my way yet within a mile I run over a thistle branch or some other thorny shrub branch, which quickly leads to a double flat. Despite Andrew and James riding by separately, they only had a tire each. Pitscottie is not a town brimming with services; since the farm store was closed I had no access to cash (the bill I did have was far away in my jeans pocket at home, forgotten in the morning rush) yet someone picking up a large order from there generously gave me what I thought would be ample bus fare back to town. Waiting for 45 minutes with really nothing to do, I adjusted my position...then kept waiting...and waited some more. Finally the bus, and in turn, the worst of Scotland showed up. First off, the driver hassled me about bringing my bike on the bus (legal and allowed, item #6 here) when there were 3 other people on the coach and therefore ample room for my bicycle and I. Secondly, and this I understand a little more, but only just, the fare cost £3.35 whereas I had a grand total of £3. At this point I would like to note two things: a) the other two times I had brought a bicycle on the bus, the drivers didn't bat an eye and b) Stagecoach in Fife might want to rethink their pricing scheme: Leuchars is the same distance from St Andrews as Pitscottie yet it is over a Pound Sterling less expensive to travel from Leuchars. So I was not allowed on the bus, despite explaining that I had few other options if any to get back. For 35p a bus driver would not let me on a bus that was already running; stranding me for even longer. I had to pry my girlfriend away from her studies in order to run to town to pull money out of a cash point so I could call a taxi to take me home. 2.5 hours for 7 miles.