Crossroad
Hey Bloggy, Guess what! My stolen bicycle was retrieved the day before leaving town on vacation. This photo was snapped a moment before I confronted the young man standing with my missing Trek on the corner of Main at Washington Street. Didn't get his name, but he allowed that if I could open the chain lock it would prove it was my bike. In the end, he walked across the street, but not before advising me to keep my bicycle chained-up in the future.If I were Donald Trump, I say "you're hired" -- as my security adviser.
Anyway, now that I'm back in town, I'm surprised that no one has piped up to claim the gift certificate for lunch and breakfast at Sambucca Joe's in the comments to the previous post. It looks like "Anonymous" wins, if he or she contacts me by email to claim the certificates (which will be sent by email with his or her name on it). Otherwise, Saluki Fan #1 wins by default.
Let's see, what else? Oh yeah. I think I'll take another two more weeks off from posting to this blog, as I try to decide whether to discontue it altogether while I forge ahead on the blook. Maybe 'forge' is the wrong word to use, given the recent trouble along those lines of two current SIU chancellors. "Plod on" would be better.
Meanwhile, Sambucca Joe's is offering another gift certificate for a free lunch or breakfast entree to the third person to comment on this post.
7 Comments:
My bike got taken from the rack at 710. Okay, so i didn't lock it up.. didn't have a lock.
Later, i see the guy riding around. i'm walking. So, i get to have that feeling too! Still don't have a bike, because why? i end up walking back!
i heard that in Amsterdam there are public bikes that anyone can use. Too bad you can't do that here... only thieves get free bikes.
Bikes are available for check out at the Rec Center. They're yellow and gaudy but they can sure get you from Point A to Point B quickly and easily. (Glad you got your bike back, Dave!)
Wow ...what's the chances? Glad to hear you recovered your bike. To be honest, I'm surprised the chain lock wasn't removed via bolt cutter, hack saw, or some other implement. Then you would have had no way to "prove" it's true owner.
Good luck on the blook, Dave.
Hey, I'm blogging up a storm and you are on vacation? Get to work dude. :)
I guess if you are stupid enough to steal a bike that is worth $100 (or something like that), you are lazy enough not to cut the lock off. Imagine, taking a chance of getting being busted for an around town beater.
I think to get a bike at the REC you have to be a student or associated with SIU don't you? I think that Dave and I live on the other side of the moat with the honest citizens and not in the "Acedemic Fortress" of SIU. ;)
Three things:
1) Shawn wins the Sambucca Joe's coupon for a free breakfast entree -- coming soon to an email address near him.
The menu is posted on the ShawneeNet site.
2) Those who complain that my bike was cheap, or the thief lazy or stupid belittle both unfairly. The bike was worth (new) $425 (including shock suspension front end) and it had been further enhanced with a bike rack and a bell and night light -- and it was unchained on an empty sidewalk on a Sunday. So the stupid one was me, not him.
If anything, the thief showed the initiative it takes to make it in the business world: seizing an opportunity to enrich himself at someone else's expense. (Like a business entrepreneur stealing an idea that someone else neglected to chain-up to the wrought-iron fence.)
The bell and headlight and rear rack had been removed, but cutting the chain-lock required a special tool that the thief clearly lacked. So he wasn't stupid or lazy, but under-capitalized.
The reason he got caught was stopping to wait for a red light in the same block as where the bike was stolen.
That, and my 'don't give up hope' mentality, and surprising ability to remember the lock combination after 2 or 3 months. I wish I could do the same thing with computer passwords. ;-)
3. Read Peter's Biz Blog and Shawn's Beer Blog
"Under-capitalized" ... I love it.
Hey, thanks for the certificate, Dave. I can honestly say I didn't try to be the 3rd poster! My reply was in no way coerced or prompted by your offer! In fact, when I initially read your last post I must have missed the offer on the last paragraph altogether. A pleasant surprise!
Hey Peter in Carbondale, I read your blog and am tempted to post comment on it some but you have to have a blogger account to do so, which I don't want to get. Could you add "other" and "anonymous" options? And Dave, I'd hate to see you shut the blog down as it's often a good source of info on local businesses and news.
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