I agree with people that being forced to take part in the cycle of stolen property makes one feel like you are perpetuating the whole deal. I guess there are some key points that are left unclear or unaddressed before I can pass my own judgment on people, actions, or choices that were directly involved in this scenario. 1-how did the original owner become aware that X bought the bike at a swap meet? 2-How did X come to know that the bike was the owners bike? 3-Why did X bother contacting the owner that they had recovered the bike? 4-Why do we assume that X was in on the whole scheme, or why they are a willing part of the cycle of stolen and fenced goods? 5-Yes, it is too bad that the original owner had to pay out money to get their bike back but, THEY GOT THEIR BIKE BACK. True, it was not a complete recovery, and that can add salt to the wound.
Now for my editorial and context: It sounds like the original owner got thier bike back because someone at a swap meet noticed a very nice bike for too little money. They bought it, and then checked the forums etc., to see what was the what. At which point they appear to have contacted the original legal owner of the bike saying they had recovered it. More often than not, when one is forced to recover a bike in this manner, one ends up having to pay out of pocket, and it is a sign of respect and thanks to reimburse the money to the person who again, more often than not, is trying to help. It is far from fair, or perfect, but unless one has the time or privilege/luck to work with the police, then working with a fellow citizen outside of official protocols and reimbursing them for getting your bike out of the hands of a thief or fence is unfortunately what it costs to get reunited with one's beloved bike. Also, don't think that it is easy to physically take possession of a stolen bike either. Unless one is in a position of strength and can safely physically take possession of the bike, then one is back to paying for it. Physical force recovery is exceedingly rare, and quite risky. Imagine doing this in the middle of a swap meet or flea market by yourself or with a partner. >From personal experience, unless the police catch someone in the act of stealing or fleeing with stolen property, then you can't really expect too much help from one's local police force. Recovery of stolen property is low on their list of priorities (regardless of whether it is a bike, car, computer, etc). Again, this is not fair nor right, and generally speaks to the overload and shortcomings of our community police forces. That is a completely different topic that is beyond the purview of this forum. All of this doesn't mean that the original owner cannot be angry about the whole situation. Or that we as a community of cyclists cannot be incensed by the lack of support from the law and police agencies, but there is more to all this than fairness or the law, right or wrong. It unfortunately is not a black and white binary currently. There are some cities whose police forces and cycling communities are beginning to be proactive in dealing with bicycle theft, but there are some pretty big structural issues that need to be addressed first before any real change can occur. In the end, the owner got their one-of-a-kind bike back, which I think is great. Best, Gabe On Friday, August 16, 2013 4:08:31 PM UTC-7, hsmitham wrote: > > Perry, > > Well said and completely the way to handle such things. I wanted to say > the same but was hesitant I didn't want to offend. Still I'm glad she got > her beauty back though in a less than desirable way. > > ~Hugh > > On Friday, August 16, 2013 3:12:04 PM UTC-7, bobish wrote: >> >> If at all possible, I'd have police handle it and not paid. Trafficking >> in stolen goods is trafficking in stolen goods and should not be >> reimbursed, rewarded, etc. I mean, if I suspend all reasonable sense, I can >> get big screen tvs for pennies on the dollar, never ask about provenance, >> and ask for my money back when rightful owner wants them back. But I'm not >> judging you for your decision. We do what can in an imperfect world. >> >> • Perry > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
