A Portland story
A few months ago, as you'll recall, I did something really stupid. I left my bike out on the front porch overnight and, shockingly, someone stole it. Dumb AnnaRay.A few days ago, two complete strangers did something really nice. They'd read about my dilemma on a local blog devoted to reuniting stolen riders with their bikes, and they spotted one that matched my description outside a local breakfast joint. (In a neat "Twilight Zone" spin, it happened to be one of the two or three places The Boy and I frequent on our Saturday mornings out together. But we've never biked there, so it's sort of an extraneous if interesting detail. Moving on ...)
The bike was tied to a rack with a sign on it that advertised it for sale for $30 -- if interested, "Call Bruce." This kind couple put their own lock on to keep it there, and emailed me. Later, they took the bike home and ditched it in their back yard to await my arrival.
The sad news: Not my bike. The even sadder news: When "Bruce" came back to the rack and saw what our friendly couple had done, he stole someone else's bike.
To my thinking, this is sort of the quintessential Portland story: Well-meaning people doing well-meaningthings, and occasionally leaving the world even more screwed up as a result. It's refreshing, and yet depressing at the same time.
Sigh. I do miss my bike.
posted by AnnaRay at 11:17 AM
17 Comments:
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This reminds me of Beverly Hills Cop when Axle and his lady friend are leaving the police station and she walks over to a Mercedes. He asks if it's hers and she tells him that it's not, and that in L.A. you just pick the closest car.
off topic, yet for the record, y'all are the best!
The "Well Meaning" vigilante couple stole a bike that actually belonged to Bruce? And then accused Bruce of stealing another bike? Thats a screwed up story if I ever heard one.
Dude, Bruce is a bike thief. If you came by a bike honestly, you wouldn't tie it -- rather than, say, LOCK it -- to a rack with a sign offering it up for $30. Especially, as in this case, when the bike is obviously worth a lot more than that.
But yes, that's sort of my point. They were trying to do a nice thing. They didn't necessarily succeed.
Bike thiefs are the scourge of thiefdom. Honestly. The nice couple should have just called the police and let them handle it. If you filed a report, I am sure the Portland police could have handled it. Alas, hindsight is 20/20.
I like the thought V, but I can't imagine the Portland PD would put chasing down a guy selling a bike that's not his for $30.00 at the top of their to-do list.
Yeah, I'm not sure the cops are going to be rushing out after a bike theft in a city where such crimes are as common as, say, rain. I never filed a report for precisely that reason. Why waste their time and mine on a crime they weren't going to solve? Or couldn't?
All the same, we'll be teaching TheBoy that vigilante justice is bad. Repeat after me: We do not take the law into our own hands.
I see what you mean. Still, though, it's disheartening when something is stolen. It erodes one's faith in his fellow man.
But does the bike fit?
Let's go bike shopping!!! I'll go with you. I love to shop for bikes. Shell out some money and treat yourself right!
Ditto Cutsch. And bummer. And thanks for the warning for when I come out to visit.
Is it okay to ride a bike in your condition? That may sound really stupid, but I really don't know.
It's OK for a while longer, because I'm not putting any weight on Beta. But don't think I haven't worried about it!
I worry about everything these days. Can this cup of decaf hurt the baby? Will listening to my iPod damage its tiny developing earbuds? Will typing at the computer somehow ruin it?
Many of our mothers drank coffee and the occasional glass of wine, and I'm pretty sure they ate brie and listened to loud music, and most of us are funcional despite it. Am I advocating bungee jumping while eating raw fish and drinking Ol' Grand Dad? No. Just don't make yourself miserable. I understand your concern, though. You really went through a great deal to make Beta Baby happen. I am rooting for you over here in NY!
Please don't mention raw fish. It's the thing I miss the most.
Well, raw fish and beer.
I love that stuff too. Think how nice it will taste after your "hiatus." You can be a beer-guzzling, sushi eating monster, and it will feel sooooooo awesome!
I shouldn't complain, really. Judybat was good enough to watch me eat sushi once a week for most of her pregnancy, with nary a complaint. I did bring her sushi the night of TheBoy's birth in the hospital, but that doesn't really make up for months and months of raw salmon.
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