Note to self: I need pliers. And bike repair know-how. And a set of tools. How I got to two years of bike commuting without these essentials is beyond me.

There was a time that the tube connected to the wheel's inner tube, where you plug in the bike pump got somewhat stuck inside the wheel's frame. I can't pull it out, so my bike pump couldn't work. I fiddled with it for around 30 minutes, finally gave up, and asked a taxi driver for help. He suggested pliers, and so I borrowed one from a nearby cab driver since the current one didn't have any. I pulled out the tube thing, pumped away, and was off again.

Fixing the bike on my own felt great. I was so tempted to just fold my bike and hop into the cab, but I'm grateful he suggested the pliers thing. So reminder: be prepared, but also recognize when to give up and ask for help.