Now, with the new equipment, I rode back to Sainsbury’s to make some real money, but I still needed a lock for the bike. On the way to Sainsbury’s, I found another messed-up shopping trolley, opposite East Putney station, exactly in the same spot where I had found the previous one as I arrived. Someone had smashed off the small money slot, possibly in a moment of extreme desperation for the £1, but the chain I was after was intact and suited my needs perfectly. With £5 in my pocket, I rushed down to the Garratt Lane shopping centre opposite Sainsbury’s and pushed the bike into the one-pound shop, purchasing a small padlock for £1. Armed with the trolley chain and the padlock, I now had everything I needed to take on those Africans in the trolley fight.
Of course, now I didn’t have to walk around the car park; I could cover and monitor the entire area in just one minute. For those two lads, it took five minutes each to monitor one-half of the car park. This time, I simply rode my bike to the toilet, then pushed the trolley with my left hand while riding the bike. I got the money with ease. Within half an hour, I collected £10, and I went back because, after six, my girlfriend had free time, and we could spend it together.
The next morning, I was back at Sainsbury’s with my bike, but this time I was not very successful. The two guys were more interested in chasing and attacking me on my bike than collecting trolleys themselves. It’s fair to say they were not the sharpest tools in the box, but the fight continued.
The real challenge arose when I tried to pedal the bike and push the trolley on the rough asphalt of the car park. The trolley veered in every direction except straight. When they saw me with a trolley, they would catch up, rip it out of my hands, and kick my bike, leaving me vulnerable. I had to adjust my game and change tactics. My new plan was to ride quickly to the trolley, lean the bike against the wall, and then run with the trolley alone. This made me much quicker than trying to manage the bike and the trolley together.
However, another problem arose when I needed to chain the bike before running with the trolley. Locating a trolley, riding there, dismounting, and chaining the bike was a complicated process. The bike was my most valuable possession; I could not risk leaving it unchained.
Using this new system, I managed to make £12, but the next day, the guys figured out my strategy. They started kicking my bike while I ran with the trolley. This was very dangerous because the bike was a precious commodity to me, and I couldn’t afford to risk anything happening to it. I realized I needed to step up my game again and find a way to end their interference for good.
Those lads were extremely vigilant. It became almost impossible to even take a trolley out of the trolley house, even if I had inserted £1 to unlock it for shopping. They would have ripped it out of my hands without hesitation.