So I was looking on craigslist for a new bike to replace the one that was stolen last Friday..

[Omphaloskepsis]

And someone is trying to sell the bike they stole from me. Now I have their name, e-mail, phone #, and address. I'm not really sure if I should go and try to get it back. I bought it at a garage sale for 35$, and it was a total piece of shit.

[zingaro]

1. oh that sucks!

Let the bike go. Find a new one. Try freecycle - you might get lucky!

[Omphaloskepsis]

2. I don't really want to risk getting in a fight for a POS bike.

And I wouldn't mind having a new one with working brakes.

[zingaro]

3. I can certainly see where that'd be helpful!

Forget the stolen one - know that karma will bite that person right in the butt. There's a much better (working) bike in store for you.

[BlueManDude]

23. at least shake this guy up a little

you've got him right where you want him.

[LeftyMom]

4. If you have pics or something to verify it was yours, call the cops.

If not, at least post that it's a stolen bike and leave the person's contact details up so it's established that he's a known seller of stolen goods.

I've bought pretty decent used bikes for cheap on CL (a pretty sweet Marin hybrid for my ex for $20 from somebody who wasn't using it after getting a cruiser) and at Goodwill ($18 for my Giant hybrid, which was a bit of a project but nothing major,) but it took looking at a lot of rusty discount store shit to find them.

[Omphaloskepsis]

7. He is selling it with my lock still attached.. He claims to have lost the key.

I have the key on my desk. I don't think I will bother trying to get the bike back. But I will send a e-mail to craigslist.

[wildhorses]

13. put the key up for sell on craigslist

:evilgrin:

[Omphaloskepsis]

14. Holy shit..

wildhorses wins this thread. Brilliant.

[wildhorses]

15. ---

:blush:....i have my moments *bowing from the waist*

[zingaro]

21. You deserve those bows! Genius. PURE genius.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. My boss found her stolen cell phone for sale on eBay,

My boss had her cell phone stolen going through security at the Seattle airport, and a month later her husband found it for sale on eBay - there was no question about it because it had a custom faceplate.

She reported it to T-Mobile who electronically killed the phone, but it was listed on eBay using an account that belonged to a person who turned out to be dead and the theif was never tracked down.

[JVS]

6. police!

[Omphaloskepsis]

8. I was babysitting for my sister when it was stolen..

If the guy gets busted I doubt much would happen to him. And he knows where my sister and her three kids live. It isn't worth it to put them in danger.

[JVS]

9. how would he know your her sister

for all he knows you're just a sitter

[Omphaloskepsis]

10. I have a penis..

He could take revenge on the house (it isn't worth risking it for a 35$ bike). I think the normal assumption if you stole a bike from a house is that the person who owns the bike lives there. I am tempted to put a flaming bag of dog poop on his porch.

[JVS]

17. ooops, sorry

[China_cat]

11. Even if you don't report the theft to the police

I'd call them anyway and see if they have a bike auction. Here, twice a year, the cops auction off bikes that have been confiscated, left, found, not claimed, etc. You can get some really good deals.

[Omphaloskepsis]

12. Thanks for the tip..

I have money now. I didn't when I bought my last bike. But, I have to buy a new bike tomorrow. I'm going to a show that will end after the last bus leaves downtown. I need to get home and refuse to pay for a taxi. The timing was good, I can go drop a few hundred on a new bike in the morning and not worry about it. The local bike shop has a few for under 200$. I think I want to buy a new one this time. A new bike will motivate me to start locking the damn thing up.

[jobycom]

16. Tell the cops

First, the guy selling it might not be the one who stole it. Second, if the thief doesn't get caught, he will keep stealing stuff, and--you know the story--might one day die while trying to steal a corvette from a mob informant or some such thing. Third, he's not going to go to your house or your sister's house to start trouble. Getting caught isn't personal to a thief--they expect it at some point. He'll blame dumb luck, or maybe decide he's just bad at stealing and give it up. If he doesn't have a record, probably all that will happen is he'll lie his way out of it, claim he found the bike on the side of the road, and have to give up the bike, after getting the fear of The Man lodged in his brain.

You might help him. Doubtful it will lead to anything bad. Cops aren't going to make a federal case over a 30 dollar bike.

[distantearlywarning]

18. I think you should report it.

It's not about the cost of the bike, it's about consequences for the thief. Next time it might not be someone's $35 bike, it might be someone's $500 TV from their living room, or all the cash from a liquor store register. The right thing to do (for society, if not yourself) is to report it.

[RetroLounge]

19. Go steal it back...

:shrug:

RL

[philosophie_en_rose]

20. Step one: call the cops and report the bike stolen.

Give them a detailed description, a picture, and (if you can) a copy of the key. They'll likely just take a report, but will keep an eye out for you.

Step two: get someone unrelated to you to call the police and report the "suspicious bike" with the lock attached that is listed on craigslist. Have that someone "anonymously" forward the link and a suggestion of checking recent reports against the bike. The cops can send someone out to check.

[TK421]

22. You have their name, phone number, and address...now you go to the cops

It doesn't matter if it was a piece of shit or not; if I were you I would be looking to burn the son of a bitch for it

[applegrove]

24. Sorry your bike was stolen. Doesn't feel good. Get a cheap one and they

will leave it alone.