this might have put "paid" to my rain rides

[Stig / Major Tom]

I ride in the dark and the rain out for coffee in Y. Springs -  having never outgrown parts of my childhood.
No problem.
But I won't sit in the rain with my coffee. That's dumb.


I take my coffee from Dino's and sit on the Group W bench under the big awning at Tom's market.
Even in the winter or high winds, it feels good to have the brick at your back.


So, yesterday I rode out in the rain 2 hrs before sunrise - and arrive in town to find this.
The Group W benches have been removed.



I bought my coffee at Dino's - he hadn't a clue either.
An employee in Tom's assured me that this was just "temporary" ....but had no further information.

As my daughter said - "that bench has been like a community couch for decades!"
(and a place to sleep for certain % of village citizens)

Seriously bummed here. Without that bench I have no destination for my rain rides.
Stig

[Neil955i]

Is this because you don’t want to sit in Dino’s in wet gear?

[Iahawk]

my question as well...sit in Dino's?

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yeah, figured someone might ask that.
Ah, hard to put into words - but although I do enjoy the morning banter, for years now, with the morning gang in Dino's - I'd rather spend time out of doors!
For that matter the UnderDog is much larger - has great coffee and a very welcoming vibe - (it's often referred to as the Village Living room) - opens only 15 mins later than Dino's. The number of tables - some right in the front windows - offer a private place to exist, with your laptop, newspaper, etc.
But again, it's indoors!

Before I found a 'good road' ride to Y.S. I used to ride several miles at sunrise to a rural McDonald's and sit outside with my coffee.
Often on winter days - so I never took my helmet off when I went in to order. They got used to it - stopped diving behind the counter!

Well - the good news is - after stewing about it all morning today I called the office at Tom's. The lady there laughed, she said her phone has been ringing with people asking about the benches! She assured me they will be coming back. Maybe refinished, maybe all new. She wasn't sure. But they will be coming back. She acknowledged that they are too important to the village to remove. She also pointed out that that is why they put the nice awning over that whole area.
She said she is telling people that they are welcome to bring their lawn chairs. I explained that I'm the guy on the scooter out front when they unlock at 7AM. "Haven't figured out how to carry a lawn chair." She offered to store one inside for me!

Good people.
Made my whole day!
Stig

[Stig / Major Tom]

And yeah, wouldn't be cool to sit in Dino's or the Dog dripping water. Dino puts down a strip of mats for bad weather, but not by the tables and chairs.
Stig

[randyo]

reading this thread takes me back to 1972, used to meet my boss at Dunkin Donuts in Essex Jct., VT, not every morning, but more often than not, before paper cups for eat in.  Every morning exact same time, rain, shine, snow, a guy pulled into the parking lot with a scooter, come in and have a regular coffee and a plain donut. Don't remember what kind of scooter, I do remember slushy snowy at times, not rain so much cause we didn't meet there on rainy days, I drove right to his home office

[Neil955i]

Thought that'd be it.

Really pleased to learn the absence of the Group W bench is to be only a temporary inconvenience Stig.