An email from reader Cat:
Someone (ostensibly a neighbor, since only they would have access) hopped my fence in the Mission/Potrero area, busted into our garage, and stole a bike from our Canadian friends who had ridden down here from Vancouver, as well as 2 guitars. I spoke to a cop who recommended the Laney Flea Market, by Laney College in the East Bay. Apparently, there are tons of stolen bikes there, and mostly if you show the guys a picture and tell them it’s your [stolen] bike, they’ll give it back to you to avoid trouble. The cop I spoke to was actually really committed to recovering stolen bikes, though he said that they only have about a 10% success rate. Still, better than nothing, right?
Also, the officer told me he recently recovered a Bianchi and a Fuji, so if anyone got one of those stolen recently, send me the details and I can let you know if it matches the description. Attached is a photo of the bike that was stolen. If anyone sees it, there is a reward, as it’s something a friend custom built.
So if you see Cat’s, get in touch, and if Cat’s talking about yours, get in touch!
 hopped my fence in the Mission/Potrero area, busted into our garage, and stole a bike from our Canadian friends who had ridden down here from Vancouver, as well as 2 guitars. I spoke to a cop who recommended the Laney […]</p>
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I hate to be a cynical jerk, but wouldn’t this description and photo enable pretty much anybody to go to the Laney flea market this weekend, see this bike, claim it’s theirs, and show the picture of “their” bike to get the thieves to give it back?
Hmm.. if things worked as magically wonderful as Cat says, then yes. But do things really work that way?
bike thieves grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Yeah, that would suck if someone did that. I don’t know if it will work, as I haven’t actually done it yet. In the meantime, could someone please not re-steal my bike?
Is the Fuji a blue single speed? We had a blue Fuji stolen a while back.
hey greg, sorry it’s not blue.
I retrieved my bike from the Laney flea market. I just walked up and took it.
Oh man that’s brutal. I can imagine how loved that bike must be after that ride. Damn bike thieves.
Funny aside: my girlfriend and I were in Portland Oregon a few weeks ago and we rented a bikes for a few days, and they gave us those flimsy cable locks. We asked if they really work in Portland, and the lady said everyone from San Francisco asks that, and yes they work fine in Portland. I’d be surprised if they worked for an hour in SF, but maybe I’m paranoid.