At 10:30 AM this morning the Bike Index sent an alert that a stolen Mission Bicycle appeared on Craigslist last night.
Less than 2 hours later, thanks to a total stranger and the SFPD, justice was served.
We posed as a potential buyer and asked the seller to meet us in a public spot. Thanks to the SFPD Twitter account @SFPDBikeTheft the police were just around the corner, texting “we see you” (usually creepy, this time helpful). As soon as the seller arrived the police stepped in and took over, confiscating the stolen bike.
This is how it’s supposed to work: citizens using social media for good, technology working for us, the SFPD helping reunite people with their bikes.
Here’s the blow by blow of how it went down.
To register your bike on Bike Index, click here. It’s takes about 5 minutes, it’s free, and it’s worth it.
Well done
I wonder how the massive “snitches get stitches” demographic of the MissionMission readership feels about this.
Fuck those anti-civic responsibility shitheads anyway. Pro-crime is anti-civilization.
On this, we agree completely.
…..and the whole Blogosphere rejoiced.
The whole Blogosphere saw you under our table. Good luck living that down!
What a great first blog post from new contributor Jefferson from MISSION BICYCLE! Too bad he couldn’t include more mentions of MISSION BICYCLE in this story about a MISSION BICYCLE or at least a few more pics of the MISSION BICYCLE in question.
MISSION BICYCLE!!!
Busted. The whole thing was staged as a marketing gimmick. That’s why we didn’t pixelate the the photos.
MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLEMISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE
Hey Jefferson, will you be willing to pose as one of your own typical douche customers trying to buy my stolen JACK SPADE bag off of Craigslist for me?
MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE MISSION BICYCLE
Wait. You bought a $400 Jack Spade bag online? Instead of supporting a local neighborhood business? San Francisco based companies like Chrome, Timbuk 2, Rickshaw, ILE, Freight and Mission Workshop all sell great bags made right here in the USA. No need to go to chain store / China. You’ll save a log of money too. None of those costs $400.
Anyway, there’s actually some risk involved in setting up a sting like this. I can share with you what I learned about how to do this. Feel free to stop by the shop any time – but watch out for our typical douche customers.
Anyhoo…
For all those who don’t know Jefferson here, was a main blowhard fighting against Jack Spade opening up on 16th St.
What makes him a blowhard is the GENTRIFIERS of the Mission are Mission Bicycles PRIMARY customers. It stays open ONLY because of them. Ask any shop/bike person what they think about them.
My bogus Jack Spade post above was a dig at Jefferson and he knew it, but he chose again to advertise for Mission Bicycles by absurdly lumping his lame shop with local businesses that ACTUALLY MAKE SOMETHING.
Mission Bicycles assembles/MARK-up chinese bikes/components in “wacky” colors for techies.
omg thanks for the big expose here, ballseer (how they look btw??)!!
If I had to guess, one ball is in lowercase, and THE OTHER BALL IS IN UPPERCASE. But that’s totally NATURAL and TYPICAL.
Dear anonymous person. I’d like to give you a personal tour of our workshop at 766 Valencia, San Francisco, China. Please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Or just stick around here and post anonymous comments. Either way.
Bravo. It’s been said that the cops generally don’t have the time for theft of anything valued under $500. Though the price of bikes has crept up to that limit and over, bicycles still were seen more in the realm of petty theft rather than loss of transportation.
It’s got brakes.
poser.
Haha. Yep. Not a bad idea for a geared bike with a freewheel to have brakes. It’s a bold idea, but you know, just in case the rider wanted to slow down or stop.
ZZZzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz
Fixies are for posers anyway.
It’s spelt poseur, you git.
That’s how it’s spelled by posers, sure.
Brakes are for Fakes
derailleurs are for failures
If it aint fixed, its broken
^we’re totalllly impressed dude…jackass.
Must every post descend into a catalog of snarky comments about gentrification? Despite the blatant product placement, this this a great article because bike theft is serious problem in this town and affects all classes.
Nice to see someone doing something about it besides whining.
Thanks Jefferson
I did the Bike Index thing because of this article, It was easy. Hope I never need it.