Bicycle Karma

[PukingPelican]

Most of us who have cycled have at one point had our bikes stolen.I rode bmx street all the way until my mid/late 20's then my body started feeling as jank as my bike.I recently found a pretty damn good bike on my block.I instantly knew it was stolen.I knew the bike parts and company names.It has sat for a couple weeks,as I pondered what to do with it.Finally,I figured I cooperate with the pigs and hopefully the dude/kid filed a report and will get his/her joy back in their hands.I never have gotten a bike back that had been stolen but to help someone get their bike back would be awesome! Which brings me to the another thought along the same line.I'd been on a hunt for a bike on Craigslist and Letgo.I'm a "Pimp on a Budget" I can't afford a really expensive bike but have noticed several well made bikes that have that cheap price and components jacked just screaming stolen.I end up conflicted about buying it.I genuinely feel as if I stole it myself if I buy it.Thoughts?

 

[Older Than Dirt]

There's also a practical side, even if your morals allow for stealing from individuals: riding that nice cheap, but stolen, bike might lead to catching a beatdown, or an arrest.

I was a NYC bike messenger for many years, and i can tell you that what happens to folks found in possession of stolen messenger bikes ain't pretty. Even if it's just some dentist's pleasure-biking ride, pretty low.

 

[PukingPelican]

There's also a practical side, even if your morals allow for stealing from individuals: riding that nice cheap, but stolen, bike might lead to catching a beatdown, or an arrest.

I was a NYC bike messenger for many years, and i can tell you that what happens to folks found in possession of stolen messenger bikes ain't pretty. Even if it's just some dentist's pleasure-biking ride, pretty low.

That was one of the thought I had.I wasn't to fond of the idea of buying them for two reasons.Bad bicycle karma and buying the bike outright would have the bike in working orde.Or at least close.Hey, Dentist are working class people, could of used a lawyer as an example haha

 

[PukingPelican]

There's also a practical side, even if your morals allow for stealing from individuals: riding that nice cheap, but stolen, bike might lead to catching a beatdown, or an arrest.

I was a NYC bike messenger for many years, and i can tell you that what happens to folks found in possession of stolen messenger bikes ain't pretty. Even if it's just some dentist's pleasure-biking ride, pretty low.

I never said I stole any bike.I said I found one.Crank arm was missing and had a flat.I seen the neighborhood kids pushing it then it was on a trash pile.I also stated that I had seen bikes for sale that may be stolen.Maybe my title was a bad one.I talked to the cops and they are coming Friday to pick up the bike I found.I don't have the balls to steal anymore.I get super nervous stealing from Dollar General.I choose to go without versus stealing.

 

[Older Than Dirt]

Dude , i wasn't accusing you of anything, calm down.

Almost all dentists make way more $ than almost all lawyers, FYI. Ain't no such thing as a Legal Aid dentist. I last practiced law about 25 years ago, but i will admit to owning a sweet-ass Surly Bridge Club.

An abandoned/junker bike is probably cleanish karma, just check frame alignment etc. I have one of those too, an '80s Fuji touring frame i dumpstered in Vermont and put a bunch of junk-box parts on.

 

[PukingPelican]

Dude , i wasn't accusing you of anything, calm down.

Almost all dentists make way more $ than almost all lawyers, FYI. Ain't no such thing as a Legal Aid dentist. I last practiced law about 25 years ago, but i will admit to owning a sweet-ass Surly Bridge Club.

An abandoned/junker bike is probably cleanish karma, just check frame alignment etc. I have one of those too, an '80s Fuji touring frame i dumpstered in Vermont and put a bunch of junk-box parts on.

This is a bmx bike.I really want it to go back to it's owner.Plus those days are done,just too much pressure on the knee.

 

[Deleted member 24782]

Good question. I ride BMX myself, not so much anymore though...

When I was 13 right before I started riding my dad had just got out of prison and he shows up on my birthday with some nice chrome bmx bike for me (think it was a Redline). My mom was suspicious as the whole bike was covered in residue from old stickers, and her friend actually recognized it. I rode the bike once (with flat tires) before my mom was able to find it's original owner (some kid not far from us.)

Moral of that story is POVERTY SUCKS-thanks dad!!!

I'd have no problem buying anything stolen, (I think people would be surprised to know how much of what we buy is actually stolen, especially online) but if was in my own neighborhood my conscious would tell me to find it's rightful owner.

 

[PukingPelican]

Good question. I ride BMX myself, not so much anymore though...

When I was 13 right before I started riding my dad had just got out of prison and he shows up on my birthday with some nice chrome bmx bike for me (think it was a Redline). My mom was suspicious as the whole bike was covered in residue from old stickers, and her friend actually recognized it. I rode the bike once (with flat tires) before my mom was able to find it's original owner (some kid not far from us.)

Moral of that story is POVERTY SUCKS-thanks dad!!!

I'd have no problem buying anything stolen, (I think people would be surprised to know how much of what we buy is actually stolen, especially online) but if was in my own neighborhood my conscious would tell me to find it's rightful owner..

For real,growing up poor sucked!The first house I remember living in was in a nice working class neighborhood.Right across the street from a Catholic school that would have billboards up for fundraising with the goal being at one point $700,000 during the early 90's!Our electric and water constantly was getting cut.But whatever,other kids have and had it worse.

 

[Older Than Dirt]

@Brodiesel710 - After my wife read your essay in the A brief period book, and of course examined all the pics, she said "I love this book! And it so sad about his bike, i almost cry when i read this. I would die if my son pass this." [she is a non-native speaker of english being foreign]

 

[PukingPelican]

I turned in the found bicycle to the pigs.No report was filed.They said they donate them to kids and sell them for money for charity.My heart had been set on hoping to fill someone's heart by having their bmx bike back.This was a huge escape for me in my teens and twenties.It taught me hardwork and gave me a sense of family.I feel like I've failed some kid.

 

[Gypsybones]

The po rarely ever get bikes back to the owners. A lot of times they get a bunch and just drop me off at a co-op or take ‘em home to their kids.

Best thing to do is check bikeindex.org and see if it comes up on there. Alternatively you could look for a stolen bike group on FB or Reddit. I know of a few cities that have a group that hunts stolen bikes and usually recovers them.
down here in New Orleans we have Stolen Bikes Nola which has recovered around 800 or so bikes since 2015.

When you get a new bike you should take a picture and put it and the serial # on bikeindex.org, that way if it gets stolen, you can put out the alert and have a better chance of getting it back.