“I hate umbrellas,” the woman behind the counter sighs as she chats up the regulars. “They’re expensive and cheap. They cost money but then break really fast. I actually have a great one that I refuse to use on a windy day.”
I feel the same way. Most umbrellas are crap quality and cumbersome. Could for sure use a redesign.
Until then, I’ve implemented a “take an umbrella, leave an umbrella” policy that seems to be working nicely for me. Umbrellas are forgotten things. We leave them in cafes, stores, buses. If you see an unclaimed one, it’s yours. That’s the policy. Because you know you’ll forget it somewhere sooner or later.
I found this umbrella in the Paris metro, line 3.
I found another umbrella in a taxi cab in San Francisco that I then forgot 2 months later in, yes, a different taxi cab.
The only caution I give to you dear reader is please do not treat the umbrella stand in store/restaurant entries like the penny jar. Those probably do belong to somebody, and it’s pretty sheisty of you to take one of those. Any other umbrella that is forlorn in public space is up for grabs, according to me.
I love that this is in the spirit of the current crappy weather. Maybe this is why Seattlites don’t like to carry umbrellas. They just wear rain gear because as we know they are more concerned with function rather than style…
I agree. Let us all share!