Cycling in London #2

A one-day belated post: 

Yesterday (4th Feb 2016): Stupidly tied a bundle of groceries to my bike's handlebar, which caused the front light to detach and go flying onto a road of oncoming vehicles. Couldn't stop near enough to retrieve it due to heavy traffic. When I did stop some distance away, looked back to see cars almost run over it. Then that epic moment when a guy from across the road ran (literally) out onto the road to pick it up and came over to pass it to me, and proceeded to cross back onto the other side of the 2-way 4-lane road.

Today (5th Feb 2016): Back light failing as I left school around midnight. Past midnight and about 6 miles left on journey, back light fails. Stopped at overnight convenience store to have batteries replaced (it's illegal and dangerous to ride without lights, especially the back one). It turned out that the light had decided to self-destruct completely - not battery issue. As I knelt there meddling with the light for some time hoping badly that it'd work, someone asked "Still not working?" Guy had come out of a closed shop, said "Have this. It's cold, better get going." Handed me this.

Many times it's so cold, yet it's possible to feel warm somehow. Thank you, wonderful strangers.

PS. Every so often, anonymous people would come by to remind you that the world is not dreadful and grey, like the little bokeh that dots a darkened scene. It's glaringly beautiful.