Stealing back my bike

Just returned from stealing my bike back.

Well, sort of my bike. When I picked up my daughter from
college, we took back her roommate's abandoned bike. Her boy
friend works in a bike shop, and had probably informed her she
really could do better than the old rusted Huffy in garish
"little girl" colors, steel rims, and a U-lock locked on the
frame but with the key long lost. My intention was to donate
it to the Working Bikes Coop, for possible use in the third
world, or the more third-worldy parts of Chicago.

Lacking storage space, I put it behind the house. Our back
yard can't be seen from the street, and is difficult to see
from other back yards, yet the bike disappeared in a few days.
Tonight, as my daughter and I were driving by, I saw it out of
the corner of my eye behind a gas station. With the faded
turquoise chainrings, it's not a bike you confuse with another
bike.

Before doing anything rash, I checked with other family
members to be sure they hadn't loaned it. My youngest daughter
even had seen it there, but with the usual knowledge blockade
of teenagers it hadn't occurred to her to tell me.

Why steal back a bike you intend to donate? And do you call
the police? I decide it really is the principle of the thing
(and the mild adrenalin rush), and the police would only
wonder why I was wasting their time. Besides, I had no proof
the bike was actually mine. I put the bike in the back of the
van, then drove over to a collection home for Working Bikes
and donated it on the spot -- partly to have somebody to tell
the story to, which is of course why I'm writing this now.


--
Mike Kruger
Bike Chicago e-mail list info:
http://www.geocities.com/bvonmoss/bikechicago.html

Mike Kruger wrote:
Just returned from stealing my bike back.

Well, sort of my bike. When I picked up my daughter from
college, we took back her roommate's abandoned bike. Her boy
friend works in a bike shop, and had probably informed her she
really could do better than the old rusted Huffy in garish
"little girl" colors, steel rims, and a U-lock locked on the
frame but with the key long lost. My intention was to donate
it to the Working Bikes Coop, for possible use in the third
world, or the more third-worldy parts of Chicago.

Lacking storage space, I put it behind the house. Our back
yard can't be seen from the street, and is difficult to see
from other back yards, yet the bike disappeared in a few days.
Tonight, as my daughter and I were driving by, I saw it out of
the corner of my eye behind a gas station. With the faded
turquoise chainrings, it's not a bike you confuse with another
bike.

Before doing anything rash, I checked with other family
members to be sure they hadn't loaned it. My youngest daughter
even had seen it there, but with the usual knowledge blockade
of teenagers it hadn't occurred to her to tell me.

Why steal back a bike you intend to donate? And do you call
the police? I decide it really is the principle of the thing
(and the mild adrenalin rush), and the police would only
wonder why I was wasting their time. Besides, I had no proof
the bike was actually mine. I put the bike in the back of the
van, then drove over to a collection home for Working Bikes
and donated it on the spot -- partly to have somebody to tell
the story to, which is of course why I'm writing this now.

That's pretty cool, though that you took it and immediately donated it.
There's an ironic sense of satisfaction in that. My neighbor's bike
was stolen from in front of our building, where I parked my bike as
well. A week later she saw the local homeless guy riding it made him
return it. She was surprised he didn't put up an argument. He just
said "okay" as if he was borrowing it!

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 20:47:01 -0500,
1119490897.b2c7c87c7f920fb29912fe7fe6a2f6dd@teran ews, "Mike Kruger"
wrote, in part:
\snip

Why steal back a bike you intend to donate? And do you call
the police? I decide it really is the principle of the thing
(and the mild adrenalin rush), and the police would only
wonder why I was wasting their time. Besides, I had no proof
the bike was actually mine.

I'd repaired a foundling and it was offered as a yellow bike for
anyone in the building. It had some use in that service and I'd
sometimes ride it to the store. After checking with my neighbours, I
determined that was stolen from its indoor storage space.

Now several months later, I've since seen it ridden on the sidewalk by
a twentyish looking guy. On the first occasion I was in disbelief so
hesitated getting on my bike to make a verification. He was gone by
the time I got out there but he couldn't have gone far. The next time
saw him on the bike I was quicker getting out but he was still gone so
he must be near by.

While laid up I've seen the bike go by several more times and have
verified it's Sophie. The guy riding it often wears the same shirt and
it's ugly enough to be a uniform shirt for some business around here.
I've seen him a few times riding one way early in the morning and the
other way in the early afternoon.

I can't prove it's my bike except its history is archived on Google
from the time I found it up to and including its disappearance.
Its pic is still on a server whose service I long ago cancelled.
http://mypage.direct.ca/i/imnot/pix/sophie_01-s.jpg
Some neighbours may recall having seen that bike in the building

If this kid is using the bike for getting to work then the bike is
more useful than sitting around here, why would I want it back?

Perhaps when I'm back to form I'll try out this titanium leg at ass
kicking and trade him my latest Nishiki MTB foundling.
--
zk

Mike Kruger wrote:
Just returned from stealing my bike back.

Well, sort of my bike. When I picked up my daughter from
college, we took back her roommate's abandoned bike. Her boy
friend works in a bike shop, and had probably informed her she
really could do better than the old rusted Huffy in garish
"little girl" colors, steel rims, and a U-lock locked on the
frame but with the key long lost. My intention was to donate
it to the Working Bikes Coop, for possible use in the third
world, or the more third-worldy parts of Chicago.

Lacking storage space, I put it behind the house. Our back
yard can't be seen from the street, and is difficult to see
from other back yards, yet the bike disappeared in a few days.
Tonight, as my daughter and I were driving by, I saw it out of
the corner of my eye behind a gas station. With the faded
turquoise chainrings, it's not a bike you confuse with another
bike.

Before doing anything rash, I checked with other family
members to be sure they hadn't loaned it. My youngest daughter
even had seen it there, but with the usual knowledge blockade
of teenagers it hadn't occurred to her to tell me.

Why steal back a bike you intend to donate? And do you call
the police? I decide it really is the principle of the thing
(and the mild adrenalin rush), and the police would only
wonder why I was wasting their time. Besides, I had no proof
the bike was actually mine. I put the bike in the back of the
van, then drove over to a collection home for Working Bikes
and donated it on the spot -- partly to have somebody to tell
the story to, which is of course why I'm writing this now.


--
Mike Kruger

Mike-

Bring bond money just in case I happen to see you at the L.A.T.E. Ride
this year. ;-)

Regards,
Bob Hunt