Wednesday, August 13th, 2003

Leave The Biker

So to expound:

I had what I considered a very good lock – a Kryptonite U-lock that cost me about $55 not more than a month ago. I lock up on a very busy downtown street, in front of an architect’s office where the fellow’s desk is right up front in the plate glass window. I would have thought that these factors, combined with the fact that my bike really wasn’t very expensive and thus, not that appealing to thieves, would have kept me safe. Guess not.

I came out of the office yesterday, walked to where my bike was locked up, and thought, “this is not my bike”. And it wasn’t. It was someone else’s beater bike, leaning against the post, unlocked. (sidenote: that was yesterday at 5pm. IT’S STILL THERE THIS MORNING, UNLOCKED. Talk about a slap in the face). Confused, dismayed, I wandered up and down the block for a few minutes trying to make sense of what had happened. My bike, and all trace of it, was gone. No pieces of the lock, it was like it never was. I had to ask myself for a minute, “did I even ride today?”, but the fact that I was carrying my bike helmet said, “yes, you did”. That was the longest walk to the subway I’d ever taken. Walking is so slow. It’s like I’ve had my wings clipped or something. Blargh.

I am cheesed about my bike being gone barely three months after I got it, and the $400 I had put into it also being gone, with nothing to show for it except my helmet and the headlight and tailight, which I can’t even mount anywhere because the brackets ARE ON MY OLD BIKE (but I can get new mounts, I checked). I’m mostly upset that the new lock which had given me a better sense of security proved so utterly ineffectual. What’s the point? But it’s not like I had grown up with this bike, or I spent the evening weeping over old snapshots of me and the bike in simpler, happier times. I didn’t, really.

So today I will go through the motions, call the local bike stores and tell them to keep an eye open for my bike on the remote chance that some chump tries to sell it. But mostly, go buy another bike. Nothing nice this time. Something used, ugly and functional. I hope that I don’t have to trade off too much comfort and quality for a sense of security, but if that’s what has to happen, that’s what’ll happen. I use it for transportation and as long as it does the job, then it’ll do. Pffft.

Postscript to the guy who stole my bike – I hope the chain breaks and gets your pants all greasy. Fucknut.

np – Fountains Of Wayne / Fountains Of Wayne

By : Frank Yang at 8:27 am
Category: Uncategorized
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  1. 8/13/03 10:36 am

     Valerie says:

    It’s just a week of theft. One of my students had her purse stolen and I had my cd player stolen. We feel your pain.

  2. 8/13/03 11:04 am

     bryan says:

    I too have suffered the slings and arrows of property theft. My apartment was burgled on Canada Day (of all days). All my CDs were gone! (Those things i really DID grow up with)

    Anyway, sorry to hear about your bike being stolen…is it just me or do these incidents appear to be increasing in number?

  3. 8/13/03 4:08 pm

     Kate says:

    these stories are so common. http://…/

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