How I stole my bike back

Found it! (Can you tell I was a bit nervous at that moment?)

It’s back! I found my bike and am happy to report it’s right here next to me in my office.

Let’s rewind…

This morning I did something really dumb. I left my bike unlocked and unattended on SW 4th Avenue for several hours. And, not surprisingly, it was stolen. OK, now that I shared that very embarrassing fact, here’s what’s happened since…

After trying to catch my breath and calling Juli sobbing like a little baby at my luck and stupidity, here’s what I did:

I spread the word as far and wide as I could. Facebook, Twitter, and here on the Front Page. I also made a listing on the Bike Index. Thanks to many kind people, the word got out quickly and I felt pretty hopeful that it would turn up. I’ve written about many recoveries over the years and I know that hustling and spreading the word is the best way to get bikes back. I also had a lot going for me in that the bike is very distinctive (one-of-a-kind), I know a lot of people in this town, and I have a fair bit of good stolen bike karma working in my favor.

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After I got the online communication work rolling, I got on my bike and went out to see if I could find it. At first, I did a quick loop through Waterfront Park and found nothing. I was still in such shock and felt too sick at what had happened that I really didn’t feel like riding around. So I went back to the office to fan the online flame and see if any leads had turned up.

Then about one hour later, I rolled out again for a longer loop to see check the eastside. This time I took my camera and was feeling more determined about the search. I headed straight for the start of SE Salmon under the I-5 freeway at the northeast corner of the parking lot at the Hawthorne Bridge. I knew this was a common spot to see people living among lots of bikes and bike parts. It was bustling with activity but I didn’t see my Cielo. So I continued north on the Esplanade.

Then I realized that if I was a good bicycle thief I would not have a freshly stolen bike out in the open. I would stash it for a while. So, as I rode I started looking to my right into the bushes and under the freeway. Eventually I was down on the floating portion of the Esplanade ramps, just north of the Burnside Bridge, and lo and behold I saw a white road bike resting on some rocks underneath I-5!!! I could not believe it.

bikestash

This photo was taken while looking east from the floating Esplanade path after I retrieved the bike.

I stopped to take a closer look but it was dark under the freeway and my eyes are not that great. I needed to get over there. I thought about snapping a photo but didn’t want to attract any attention to myself out of fear that someone would grab the bike and run before I could get to it.

I wasn’t sure how to get across the water and onto the rocks, so I headed north hoping for some access. Sure enough, right at the top of the ramps there was a big cut in the chain-link fence. So, I carried my city bike up the embankment and onto the Union Pacific property ODOT property.

Stole my bike back!-5

A break in the fencing just north of the floating ramps.

It was muddy and rocky and I had no idea what I would encounter under the freeway, but I had to get closer to that bike. Fortunately there were only a few tents around. As I walked over puddles, trash, and sharp rocks I eventually came upon the bike I’d seen from the Esplanade. Sure enough, it was mine. Bastards! I locked up my city bike and walked down to the Cielo to grab it. There was still no one around, except for two people in a tent about 50 feet away.

Stole my bike back!-2

On private railroad property looking toward the Willamette. The bike was stashed just on the other side of those tents.

As I walked closer I could not believe my eyes. There it was, all alone just waiting for me to grab it…

Stole my bike back!-4

The whole time I was nervous and worried that something would go wrong. I just wanted my bike and I wanted to get out of there before things got complicated.

As I grabbed my bike and started to leave, three kids walked up. They had big backpacks and looked as if they lived under the freeway. I told them what happened. They said they knew nothing about it. I snapped a few more photos of the area, made my way back to the Esplanade, and that was that.

Stole my bike back!-6

Part of the encampment where I found my bike.
Stole my bike back!-7

Duct tape residue over the distinguishing logo on top tube.
Stole my bike back!-8

In perfect shape — minus a good set of lights, a frame pump, tool roll, and my GPS unit.

On my way back south on the Esplanade (now ghost riding a bike), I rolled by those encampments at SE Salmon again. I thought it was very telling how many heads popped up and out of tents to stare at me now that I was carrying another bike — because the previous time I rolled through, no one noticed me at all. I started a conversation with two people who were disassembling a Raleigh singlespeed. (Keep in mind there are parts and bike frames everywhere.) I asked if this was some kind of bike shop. One woman was very interested in me. As if she thought I might be there to sell her the bike I was carrying. “You want to drop something off?” she asked.

I have always given these encampments the benefit of the doubt in terms of whether or not they were trafficking in stolen bikes. But after my conversation and experience today, that’s no longer the case. I am convinced there are active bicycle theft operations happening in broad daylight in Portland. It’s really absurd that more isn’t being done about it.

Thank you everyone for the support this morning. It meant a lot. I am extremely lucky this turned out the way it did. I was so sad about it because of my goof-up and — more importantly — because this bike means so much to me. It feels great to have it back and this has been a valuable experience in more ways than one.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Rob Chapman
Rob Chapman
9 years ago

I’m glad you found it!

GlowBoy
GlowBoy
9 years ago

Good sleuthing!

ricochet
ricochet
9 years ago

Death to Bike Thieves. Glad you got it back.

calen
calen
9 years ago
Reply to  ricochet

How about mental health services for drug addicts. Bike thieves don’t do it for fun. They’re desperate. They don’t need death. They need help.

eli bishop
eli bishop
9 years ago
Reply to  calen

THEY NEED TO NOT STEAL BIKES.

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  eli bishop

It’s so simple Eli, I’m really glad you discovered the problem and the fix.

Bruno
Bruno
4 years ago
Reply to  calen

Mental health services are available (through Multnomah Co. & the State) for drug addicts, even if they supposedly can’t afford it.

Belynda
Belynda
4 years ago
Reply to  calen

I don’t care. I agree with you about the need for decent services, but I’m poor and my bike is my lifeline. no one is actually going to start executing bike thieves, but it should be treated at least as seriously as auto theft, maybe with optional knee-capping for repeat offenders.

AdamL
AdamL
9 years ago

Really glad you got your ride back. I’d love to become more involved in community driven recovery – however that might work. I participated in a successful Craigslist recovery a few years ago and it was an empowering experience. Slippery slope, I know. I imagine there a lot of readers here that can relate to that sick feeling in your gut when your bike is stolen. I know there are many good ideas already floating around (revamped bikeindex will hopefully help) and maybe some kind of brainstorming session over beers is in order:)

Jim
Jim
9 years ago

File a complaint with UP about criminal activity on their property. They have their own police force and are used to dealing with bummies.

Adam
Adam
9 years ago
Reply to  Jim

They don’t seem to deal with them very well. I run past that hole in the fence almost daily. It is always there, and there are ALWAYS tons of menacing transients coming and going through it. If UP really cared, they would do a lot more to keep people out. It makes that portion of the Eastbank Esplanade very sketchy in the dark. It freaks me out running past it at times for sure.

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Adam

If you are frightened on Portland streets then I highly encourage you to volunteer somewhere where you can meet some of these people. Your fear leads me to believe you will not approach them on the street so go to the mission or something once a month or a food bank or organize a Food Not Bombs or something. There really is nothing to be afraid of. They are people. Plain and simple. If your privilege has separated you from that simple truth, do whatever it takes to get that understanding back.

F.W. de Klerk
F.W. de Klerk
9 years ago
Reply to  Jim

They are too busy harassing people from Daimler who ride the cement road.

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Everybody knows cops fix nothing. Yard bulls, even less. No need to have a bunch of power abusing small minded people just moving camps from here to there. That fixes absolutely nothing.

Don
Don
9 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Actually, UP has only a couple of Police in the area. Portland Police used to have a couple of officers assigned to the area to deal with that sort of stuff, and those camps got visited often.

patrickz
patrickz
9 years ago

Here’s to you and your ride, Jonathan. I’m glad for you.

Cheif
Cheif
9 years ago

It wasn’t mentioned in the article but I would suggest going out armed for anyone wanting to take part in similar bike return scenarios.

Paul
Paul
9 years ago
Reply to  Cheif

Let’s just assume he was armed – a right one and a left one 😉

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Cheif

Here’s a person that is afraid of everything and thinks one can control situations with threat of harm.

pfft

Todd Hudson
9 years ago

Great ending. Did you inform PPB? Complaints about thieves operating in that are might prompt them to roust the campers out of there. It might be useful to tell ODOT too, as it’s their property….

Paul in The 'Couve
Paul in The 'Couve
9 years ago

Jonathan, Very glad you are back in possession of your bicycle and sorry you lost the accessories. Great work recovering it. Still sorry for the loss of your lights and gps and sundry.

Bryan Hance (The Bike Index)
9 years ago

It’s embarrassing and maddening that we have these idiots/thieves operating bike chop shops in the same places, out in the open, every ***ing day, completely unchecked.

Take a lap around the esplanade any day of the week and you’ll count several of these chop shops. Head down the Springwater and count the frames. Head under the 405, do the same thing. It’s a disgrace.

Given the violence these esplanade guys have been responsible for lately your recovery trip could have taken an entirely different and horrible turn, Jonathan. Rusty screwdriver + angry tweaker, etc. Glad you’re back in one piece, and let’s do that summit soon.

Adam
Adam
9 years ago
Reply to  bryan hance

I don’t understand how they are there. The Portland Police Bureau has police on bikes on the Esplanade pretty much permanently. They never seem to arrest anybody, for anything. They bike right past people smoking illegal substances, shooting up heroin on the steps, and disassembling bicycles, so it would seem.

Cheif
Cheif
9 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Your bike cops actually ride their bikes? That’s impressive.. Seattle bike cops have fully embraced cafe culture, these days you will only see a police bike in Seattle if you are walking past a coffee shop. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a police bike in use.

was carless
was carless
9 years ago
Reply to  Adam

You don’t see them actually on the Esplanade, but just off the Springwater and along the streets next to the Esplanade.

However, to “nail them” the police would actually have to track stolen goods in/out of the camps, which would take some effort. I wonder if they prefer this kind of theft rather than home break-ins, car prowls and robberies? Would the crime shift from one to the other?

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Disassembling bicycles is not illegal. As to open drug use what would you have them do? First of all I do not believe you that cops see drug use and do nothing but give me your scenario on beat cops arresting addicts endlessly and how that would help.

Nicholas Skaggs
Nicholas Skaggs
9 years ago
Reply to  scott

Dude, Scott.

C’mon man, stop being such an apologist. It seems like you’re on every comment thread in this article defending or excusing the behavior of these people. How many times do you have to make your point? We get it, you think the solution doesn’t involve police or law enforcement. Awesome. That’s a nice opinion. Thank you.

scott
scott
9 years ago

Many people have commented multiple times on this thread. Are you mad because of my position, my dedication to my position, or that my argument is solid and informed?

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  bryan hance

Yeah! And one of the tweakers could have been former NFL prospect Brian Bosworth and used his strength and speed to turn the rusty screwdriver into an elven firesword with a +8 to smiting!!! What would Jonathan have done then? Does he even have fire armor???

I think it is weird when people project fear into situations that have not come about yet, but you bryan hance, have managed to project it onto a situation that was resolved with a threat level of zero. Amazing.

Tim Hanrahan
Tim Hanrahan
9 years ago

Oh man, my buddy and I rode by you there on the esplanade a couple of hours ago and said hey, thinking you were doing a photo shoot or something. I saw the two bikes. Dang, if I’d known you were in the middle of a stolen bike recovery I would’ve offered a hand. Well done! Glad you saved your Cielo. I’ve seen another hobo camp just south of the Ross Island Bridge that looked like a bicycle chop shop. Dirty rats. Good save!

wsbob
wsbob
9 years ago

An almost unbelievably lucky recovery. In the daylight, no predators to fight off, bike still in very good condition. You’sa lucky boy, maus. Nice to have that little chapter in your life over, I’m sure.

I suppose even better, would have been to also catch the guys that took the bike. How significant that could have been, depends. Life is bleak for a lot of people today.

RHampel
RHampel
9 years ago
Reply to  wsbob

Life has ALWAYS been bleak for a certain group in ANY society. This isn’t new and there isn’t a cure. The common denominator in the vast majority of cases like the miscreants running these “chop shops” is people who refuse to follow the most basic rules of what is a pretty tolerant society.

RHampel
RHampel
9 years ago
Reply to  RHampel

Oh, I’m very happy that you had a happy ending, Jonathan.

Alex Reed - BikeLoudPDX
Alex Reed - BikeLoudPDX
9 years ago

Oh my gosh, how wonderful and exciting that you got it back! Well done!

My positive spin: it makes me wonder if this whole series of events was somehow fated to take place in order to give even more motivation and a personal story to your already-extant work with the City on bike theft. Let BikeLoud know how we can help! (a few hundred well-timed postcards to the right person, say! 🙂 )

More cynical
More cynical
9 years ago

Or possibly engineered, which would really suck.

Dwaine Dibbly
Dwaine Dibbly
9 years ago

Congrats!!!!

Maybe somebody should organize a “chop shop ride” where 50 of us crash several of these locations and…. I don’t know. I haven’t thought it through, yet.

Alan 1.0
Alan 1.0
9 years ago
Reply to  Dwaine Dibbly

How about an invitation-only ride sort of like the Policymakers Ride? Take key city hall and dept people (PPD, PPR, BOT, DOT) on a 90-minute loop highlighting the most obvious chop shops along popular bike routes. I’ve only seen pictures and those are quite appalling but I bet a real-world glimpse would have even more impact.

was carless
was carless
9 years ago
Reply to  Alan 1.0

And the media…. what a shitstorm it could cause!

I almost feel bad for the people living there, though. I go by them every day.

Bjorn
Bjorn
9 years ago

Moving these people around the city isn’t going to help. It is time for people like Amanda Fritz to realize that coddling drug addict thieves isn’t helping. Something needs to be done to get bike thieves off the street for extended periods of time. I am glad you got most of your stuff back but you still appear to be missing hundreds of dollars worth of stuff. We need sting bikes and real penalties for the people who are doing this. Lets open up some space in our jails by releasing non-violent people who were selling some weed and put these folks where they belong.

Jon
Jon
9 years ago

Portland is far too tolerant of these camps. They need to be cleaned out and the laws enforced. Lawlessness breeds lawlessness. My wife tells me about the things she sees around the camps along the Springwater and they discourage her from riding on that path. Sadly it sometimes seems safer to ride on the streets instead of the path.

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Jon

Where would you have them? Out of sight out of mind? Hidden in Forest Park? Illuminate me with options that don’t include increasing taxes to provide better permanent shelters.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  scott

Scott, I know this is an important topic for you. Are you okay with the status quo?

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  davemess

I am not okay with the status quo. I also think it is absolute folly to think that anything positive will come from going after the symptoms. People doing what they have to to get by is not surprising. Mental health systems and avenues for rehabilitation and reintegration of those living on the streets are the only way to address the problem.

Sam
Sam
9 years ago

I’m glad you and your bike are safe! I knew you were OK because you were justifiably triumphantly writing your blog, but I keep thinking a meth-head you jump at any time as I read it.

Jolly Dodger
Jolly Dodger
9 years ago

Holy hell that was fortuitous! Good rescue story.,,,no disclaimer about not trying this ‘at home’ so to speak? Did you carry any weapons (other than a u-lock)? Be safe where you seek…the most desperate folks are those hungry enough to steal in the first place.

Lee
Lee
9 years ago

Another community driven web service — Nextdoor.com — offers among other things crime reports, lost and found. This would have been another way to get people on the lookout for your bike.

Alan 1.0
Alan 1.0
9 years ago

I know it’ll never happen but I’d sure be interested in a long-term (many months) undercover sting on the full chop shop and fencing scene, not only bait bikes (frame serials) but also carefully marked components (RFIDs? etched?), and coordination with other cities to see where the parts show up. Seems pretty easy to seed via buyers like the woman Jonathan mentioned.

Since that won’t happen, I’d be happy to see some short-term take-downs of the blatant chop shops. If any cops or policy makers are reading this, take note of the numerous sentiments posted about citizens taking things into their own hands, think what that says about how bad this problem is, and get a handle on it before good people do dumb things out of desperation.

Psyfalcon
Psyfalcon
9 years ago
Reply to  Alan 1.0

That would be nice to know.

We know that bikes are easy enough to steal, and even to resell for $20, but if you have people taking bikes apart, there must be a market for the (often low end) components. Who is buying this stuff? Craigslist isn’t exactly filled with a parts list and “meet me under the Hawthorne Bridge.”

Directly sold to shops? Laundered though other people?

lyle w.
lyle w.
9 years ago
Reply to  Psyfalcon

Ebay has a pretty thriving used bike parts section. If you’re not super super desperate for cash immediately, that’s probably the smartest way to go if you’re ripping bikes off on a regular basis. I got my ultegra groupset that way, and wonder if it came from a stripped bike, as the ad was somewhat poorly written and terse.

That’s really actually the only way to get quality used bike components where you can buy from someone who has an established and documented history of being a legit online seller.

Psyfalcon
Psyfalcon
9 years ago
Reply to  lyle w.

But how do the parts go from the homeless along the waterfront to ebay? No computers, no internet?

Is it one person, or several that are buying up the parts? Finding those people might be the quickest way to make the industry a little less viable.

Bryan Hance (The Bike Index)
9 years ago
Reply to  Psyfalcon

Through a series of middlemen, like this guy who’s advertising “cash for bikes” in all the local transient camping spots/chop shops. Or any flea market within 200 miles. Or any number of guys who run their own little markets out of their garages, etc.

Lots of flea market buyers, too – just middlemen who will move bundles of bikes, tires, parts etc. to other sellers and sales outlets. Some of which end up on ebay, CL, or flea markets etc. — and some of which don’t – there are middlemen who buy from flea mkts, PD and college auctions etc and put them in shipping containers and ship them back to their home countries where they can make a higher profit on them. Stuff like that.

There are endless hordes of these guys, and not all of them bad … but most of them are greymarket and at least know they’re getting smoking deals because the bikes and parts are all stolen. But the first part of the chain starts the whole thing rolling – and it’s these esplanade-type guys, basically.

Tim
Tim
9 years ago

I commute on the Esplanade every day and have steadily watched the number of tents under the I-5 bridge near where Jonathan recovered his bike increase. Many of them have been there for weeks or months. Similarly, I’ve seen the chop shops, particularly in the vicinity of Salmon and Water, operating in the open for months on end. And that’s a conservative estimate.

These are ongoing theft operations, and they may well move around in the event of crackdowns, but that’s no reason to allow them to do their thing with impunity. I think this situation has long since ceased to be about homelessness and started to be about allowing lawless thieves to operate in plain sight steps from some of the most heavily trafficked cycling and pedestrian thoroughfares in the city. It’s not acceptable. Compassion for the homeless does not mean you need to suffer every schmuck in Portland, and these people are definitely schmucks.

Tilton Farnsworth
Tilton Farnsworth
9 years ago

Folks are rightly angry about the brazen street thieves and their riverside dens…you can call ODOT, Union Pacific or the Police to try and clear out the camps but you’ll just be squeezing a balloon. They will pop up somewhere else within 48 hours.

Lock your bikes properly (U-locks not cables), take off the lights and accessories and accept the fact that it may still get swiped despite your best efforts. Don’t get too attached to your “stuff” folks…you didn’t make it, you just bought it…it’s doesn’t represent or define you as a person.

Losing a bike to theft is psychologically invasive and perhaps financially painful as well but you’ll likely be “whole, healed and wheeled” in a month or less…the creeper who stole your ride likely has one foot in the grave and a bed under a bridge…nothing we can do short of extended imprisonment or capital punishment will reduce the threat of bike theft…and (fortunately) very few would advocate for those remedies I suspect.

Hats off to Mr. Maus for his deductive initiative and brilliant profiling skills…you deserve a jersey with a big red “B” on the chest…BIKEMAN!!!

esther2
esther2
9 years ago

Its true that our belongings don’t define us. But there is nothing the matter with valuing possessions that we work hard to own for the conveniece they provide us. Mobility is nice and bikes give us that.

Portland doesn’t have to make itself a haven for bike thieves so they come from all over the country to operate here with impunity.

William Henderson
9 years ago

Wow, what a lucky break! Congrats on the find.

I ride by the homeless camps on the east bank Springwater trail every day. There are always tons of bikes, plus piles of parts and frames. Makes me pretty sad, but I’ve never done anything but stare. Should I call the cops? Would they do anything?

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
9 years ago

Great detective work! Glad to hear the good news!

Drew
Drew
9 years ago

Happy to hear you got your Cielo back!
Several years ago I saw a beautiful Mariposa custom touring bike leaning up against a pole outside Woodstock Safeway, unlocked. It was amazing to me that such a valuable bike would be left unprotected. Nobody seemed to be looking like after it. I waited for half an hour, acting like the owner. Finally I had to leave the bike to its fate. Taking it for safekeeping and trying to find the owner did not seem like a good option. I didn’t think the police would be interested. Anybody have an idea on what to do in this situation?

wsbob
wsbob
9 years ago
Reply to  Drew

“…Several years ago I saw a beautiful Mariposa custom touring bike leaning up against a pole outside Woodstock Safeway, unlocked. It was amazing to me that such a valuable bike would be left unprotected. Nobody seemed to be looking like after it. I waited for half an hour, acting like the owner. …” Drew

If you’re honest, it would have involved some effort and risk on your part, but I think if you were prepared for that, you could have taken it. Rescuing it thus, you would have had a number of legit options. There’s a greater chance the bike would get back from a rescuer, to the owner it was taken from, than it would from some thief.

Stevie Dee
Stevie Dee
9 years ago
Reply to  Drew

Drew
I saw a beautiful Mariposa custom touring bike leaning up against a pole outside Woodstock Safeway, unlocked. It was amazing to me that such a valuable bike would be left unprotected. Nobody seemed to be looking like after it. I waited for half an hour, acting like the owner. Finally I had to leave the bike to its fate. Taking it for safekeeping and trying to find the owner did not seem like a good option. I didn’t think the police would be interested. Anybody have an idea on what to do in this situation?

I would have suspected a honeytrap intended for a genuine bike thief and left it alone, as you did.

David Lewis
David Lewis
9 years ago

I am originally from a part of the country where the weather does not support homelessness. Even panhandlers are quite rare.

Then I lived in Germany for several years, and the beggars there kneel with their hands outstretched. They are professionals, and have a combination of pride and humility I have a certain admiration for.

Then I moved to Portland, where there are several distinct subcultures of transients, the first I noticed being the crust punks with their color-coordinated uniforms. There are others.

To be fair, I judge our current socio-political climate for failing to provide shelter and sustenance to the mentally ill equally and fairly. This has created most of the problem.

Additionally, bicycle subculture has a convoluted sense of value in brand names, which perpetuates the problem.

I seems to me that acting on a hunch in a small town like Portland is a good bet.

F.W. de Klerk
F.W. de Klerk
9 years ago
Reply to  David Lewis

That’s right. It’s the victims fault for having something nice they worked and paid for. I guess those who steal these bikes are entitled for some reason.

Ted Buehler
9 years ago

Jonathan — I’m pretty sure your bike was on ODOT property.

The break in the fence is between Portland Parks and ODOT property. There’s another fence between ODOT property and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

FWIW.

Ted Buehler
9 years ago

BTW, the gap in the fence in Pic 3 represents a potential future Multiuse Path “shortcut” between the Steel Bridge and the corner of Water Ave and SE Stark St. It’s a level route, plenty wide, of poorly maintained gravel. Used by ODOT as an access route for freeway maintenance. (Not used by the Union Pacific, as I don’t think there are any breaks in the fence between the gravel road and RR tracks.

This would make travel a couple minutes faster between NW Portland and SE Portland than any of the existing routes. You wouldn’t need to go down the ramps to the floating path, and up again. Wouldn’t need to do the zig zag south of Burnside, wouldn’t need to play chicken with the bollards all over the place.

You could just ride from the lower deck of the Steel Bridge to SE Water St. Bam. Flat level route, wide, direct. And it wouldn’t be attractive to recreational riders and joggers because it would be between the freeway and railroad tracks.

Ted Buehler

Michael Miller
Michael Miller
9 years ago
Reply to  Ted Buehler

Exactly — I’ve long thought this would be a great bike infrastructure improvement. During the warmer months, it also gets you out of the slalom course on the Esplanade. It would make conditions nicer for both recreational users of the Esplanade and transportation cyclists.

Portland’s first bike route bypass?

John Liu
John Liu
9 years ago

On a previous thread, I suggested a city ordinance that would criminalize possession of a large number of bikes or parts not on the possessor’s own property, with exceptions for rides, swap meets, bike shops, etc.

Todd Hudson
Todd Hudson
9 years ago
Reply to  John Liu

Or just enforce the already-existing camping ban on public property. If city runs constant sweeps of these areas, it’ll keep them moving and less able to run chop shops.

Grandpa
Grandpa
9 years ago

Jonathan
Thank you for using your beloved bike as bait to shine light on the pervasive problem of bike theft in Portland. I look forward to seeing how your hands-on journalism is leveraged with law enforcement to address the problem

F.W. de Klerk
F.W. de Klerk
9 years ago

Who is advocating beatings? People just want something done about a big problem in this city. For some people that bike that was stolen from them may be their only source of transportation. Sorry but I don’t subscribe to your “the homeless are holy” ideal.

J_R
J_R
9 years ago
Reply to  F.W. de Klerk

Being tolerant hasn’t worked. Maybe it’s time for a more aggressive approach. I’m tired of having my possessions vandalized and stolen, my home invaded, and being harassed or at least made uncomfortable for my personal safety in public spaces designed for transportation or recreation. I guess you’re just more compassionate and forgiving at this stage of your live than I am now.

Bjorn
Bjorn
9 years ago
Reply to  J_R

Jonathan mentioned that there is quite a list of known bike thieves, I am guessing that file probably also has information on if the thieves have steady addresses or not. Shouldn’t take much to determine if most of these serial bike thieves are homeless, my guess is that if they had a house to break down bikes in they would use it rather than doing it out of a tent down by the river.

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  J_R

Compassion comes with understanding. That is what you need. Educate yourself on the ACTUAL problem and not the symptoms and your understanding will be greater and then compassion will follow.

bobbobberson
bobbobberson
9 years ago
Reply to  scott

Yes bike thieves need to be more compassionate towards the people they steal from. They need to understand that what they are doing is wrong. The cops need to educate people that they are breaking the law.

Dan
Dan
9 years ago
Reply to  F.W. de Klerk

So you don’t advocate a private or a public force? Fascinating. Tolerance of crime has just made it worse. What is your solution?

MaxD
MaxD
9 years ago
Reply to  Dan

The thing that keeps nagging me about the tent-city chop-shops is how impressive they are! These are people who clearly understand the power of bikes! With very little resources few tools, no covered space, no electricity, etc, they build up these pretty sophisticated businesses. If the mental health issue and addiction issues could be worked on, these people seem to possess the skills and initiative needed to launch a legitimate, bike-based business. It seems so expensive and counter-productive to imprison the petty criminals (some of them, yes- but hopefully not all of them!).

On the other hand, I hear rumors of some organized, west coast, stolen bike distribution ring that drives up an down the I-5 corridor with a bus and trailer, buying and selling stolen bikes. For my money, I would like the law to go after these people and lock them up! I can see some similarities to prostitution- go after the pimps and johns, do what you can to protect and support the women.

Psyfalcon
Psyfalcon
9 years ago
Reply to  MaxD

Exactly.

And tearing apart all these bikes isn’t that easy. Would they work if you offered them $20 to plant some roses or something? I guess you have a minimum wage problem then, if the city does it.

wsbob
wsbob
9 years ago
Reply to  MaxD

“…These are people who clearly understand the power of bikes! With very little resources few tools, no covered space, no electricity, etc, they build up these pretty sophisticated businesses. If the mental health issue and addiction issues could be worked on, these people seem to possess the skills and initiative needed to launch a legitimate, bike-based business. …” MaxD

Nice thought. Much tougher though, to run a legit business or hold a legit job. And there’s the adrenalin factor. I wish everyone could be able to have a nice, regular job at a decent wage, that they could be happy doing. A very elusive dream, it seems.

scott
scott
9 years ago
Reply to  Dan

Yeah cuz our use of force in the middle east is paying off big time. We should just invade these camps. Maybe bomb them. Tanks or something. That oughta do it.

Tony
9 years ago

well done! I tried the same a year ago when my Tri cross was stolen, no luck! There is a special place in hell for bike thieves!

Tim
Tim
9 years ago

Hopefully there’s a balance between the two extremes. I don’t want a private security force brutalizing the homeless either, but that doesn’t mean criminals should essentially have free reign to do whatever they want. Those seem like the two most dramatic extremes; there’s a reasonable middle path, I would think.

Letting the Eastbank Esplanade and the Springwater operate as open-air chop shops has real consequences: it sucks for victims like Jonathan, obviously. It sucks for the popularity and mode share potential of bicycling in Portland in general; I work at a large Central Eastside employer and the biggest reason clients and colleagues tell me they don’t ride to work is fear of theft. And when we have bikes brazenly stripped in the relatively early evening hours regularly, it’s hard to blame them. And it sucks for any future potential Springwater-like bike and ped projects. When you don’t meaningfully tackle crime on the Springwater or the Esplanade, you’re giving ammunition to every NIMBY who’s going to fight ambitious future projects like the Sullivan’s Gulch trail. If we don’t care for these bold, person-friendly pieces of infrastructure it’s going to get harder politically to build more of them.

Todd Hudson
Todd Hudson
9 years ago

No, people just want the law enforced (e.g., theft, trafficking stolen goods, camping on city property) and nobody has suggested violence. It’s an uncomfortable fact that these homeless campers drive a disproportionate amount of property crime. Their poor life choices don’t exempt them from consequences of breaking the law. The approach of coddling them has made things worse. It’s time to do something that has positive has results.

Bryan
9 years ago
Reply to  Todd Hudson

To say nothing of the actual stabbings, violent robberies with boxcutters, etc.

Cindy Bernert-Coppola
9 years ago

So glad you were able to retrieve it, Jonathan. I know that bike meant a lot to you. And glad you were safe – that’s a scary area!

Kiel Johnson / Go By Bike
9 years ago

Go By Bike Valet 97,000+ bikes parked and zero bike thefts

Marc Brodehl
Marc Brodehl
9 years ago

Story of the year! Loved it.

Charles Ross
Charles Ross
9 years ago

I have no sympathy for the homeless. Yes, it’s tough to be without a roof over your head. It’s tougher to get up to an alarm everyday and hold down a job that keeps that roof over your head.
Jonathan obviously values his bike and was focused on the simple return of his property but he should have gotten a police officer out there to arrest the person responsible. He should have then followed the process out to its natural end: a court proceeding, a guilty plea and a fine.
Bike theft is more than a simple theft of property worth X amount. It’s really a crime against the community. It undermines us all.
I lock my $1,000 bike downtown and lose it to theft? Maybe I don’t replace it and instead just drive instead.
Who loses? Everybody!!

lyle w.
lyle w.
9 years ago
Reply to  Charles Ross

Even if a cop responded who was actually interested in being proactive and arresting someone on sight, that would have been tough to do with nobody around and the bike abandoned. Let alone, the issue of having to actually witness the bike being stolen in order to charge someone with the theft. Just walking around with a bike, or having it stacked among a dozen others in a chop shop, is not a crime if you can’t definitively link it to an act of theft. A lot of times, all you need to do is claim ‘some guy’ gave it to you, or you found it laying somewhere, and that’s all the cops need to let you go. Maybe you’ll get the bike back, but in order to really prosecute someone for this theft, that would have been exceedingly hard to do at the point where the bike was discovered on the esplanade. Basically impossible, actually.

Psyfalcon
Psyfalcon
9 years ago
Reply to  lyle w.

Receiving stolen property?

I’m sure they’ve arrested people for less.

Anna
Anna
9 years ago
Reply to  lyle w.

When I found my stolen bike on craigslist the cops straight up refused to help me get it back or do anything about it. They said they don’t have the time or the manpower to deal with recovering stolen bikes. I made an appointment with the seller/thief and stole it back myself.

Neil C
Neil
9 years ago

Good karma indeed.

Tom
Tom
9 years ago

I talked to a homeless person that said there was a guy posting signs in that area that he would buy “used” bikes. This means, there are others supporting the thieves and making a business out of it.

Bryan Hance (The Bike Index)
9 years ago
Reply to  Tom

I think you mean this “cash for bicycles” one, which was posted back in October:

http://bikeportland.org/2014/10/03/comment-week-fight-bike-theft-111813

This and others like it have been posted in and around chop shops / transient camps for months now.

TonyT
TonyT
9 years ago
Reply to  bryan hance

I’ve been taking down every one of those things I see.

Cheif
Cheif
9 years ago
Reply to  TonyT

Maybe time to start replacing them with signs offering cash in exchange for the right hands of bike thieves.

Bryan Hance (The Bike Index)
9 years ago
Reply to  TonyT

good! 🙂

Alan 1.0
Alan 1.0
9 years ago
Reply to  bryan hance

If only the cops would get a wiretap on that number like they did in the West Coast Car Crushing case that Russell mentioned

caesar
caesar
9 years ago

Charles Ross
… but he should have gotten a police officer out there to arrest the person responsible. He should have then followed the process out to its natural end: a court proceeding, a guilty plea and a fine.
Recommended 0

I wish it could be that simple. In this case, who would the police have arrested? Who witnessed the theft? Cops must follow legal process.

Charles Ross
Charles Ross
9 years ago
Reply to  caesar

The guy who hops on Jonathan’s bike and rides it one foot is the thief. It doesn’t matter who originally stole the bike . As it sits there under the overpass, the bike still belongs to Jonathan Maus. If the owner of ‘Bike Portland’, a bicycle advocacy blog can’t step up and follow the process through: find the bike, arrest the thief, file a complaint, go to a court proceeding, exact punishment, why should any one else do anything?
His quickly finding his stolen bike is certainly noteworthy and remarkable but the guy who stole his bike is still out there.
Why?

Kristof Roth
Kristof Roth
9 years ago

How did you manage to leave your unique prize-bike unlocked for several hours in the first place? Were you texting?

Please write another entry on the perils of absent-mindedness. 🙂

Ever ride in the Corridor at night? Smoke from fires of permanent camping residents along the shoreline just beyond Ross Island Bridge drifts up over the bike-path. People are moving things down there (big boards and shit) to fortify their camps after dark. It’s weird and makes me wonder about the legality of such settlements.

Editz
Editz
9 years ago
Eric
Eric
9 years ago

LOCK UP YOUR BIKES!!!!

Dan
Dan
9 years ago

I’m imagining a scenario where transient camps are running chop shops for stolen automobiles in broad daylight in the middle of the city. Would the enforcement (or lack thereof) be the same?

Karl
Karl
9 years ago

This reeks of FALSE FLAG. I’m surprised the STORY didn’t include you single -handedly fighting off the purported bike thieves. Don’t ever run for office, I promise to expose you. And yes I have pics.

Karl
Karl
9 years ago

Pics of you daily stalking the homes of people who disagree with you. Making obscene gestures at their prepubescent children.

Self righteous zealots are always thin skinned nut jobs.

OuterSERider
OuterSERider
9 years ago
Reply to  Karl

Third party, uninitiated observation: That last statement seems ironic coming from you Karl.

Chris I
Chris I
9 years ago
Reply to  Karl

Maybe you can write a guest blog post.

John Lascurettes
9 years ago
Reply to  Chris I

Yes, Karl. Please, by all means, write a guest blog post. And as Jonathan invites you to – expose him. This should be [a] good [waste of text].

Paul
Paul
9 years ago
Reply to  Karl

Broadcasting accusations in the comments of his blog isn’t exactly noble either.

Bjorn
Bjorn
9 years ago

I have known several people who realized their bikes were stolen shortly after they were taken that were able to recover them by quickly scouring the usual suspects. In fact one of them was able to recover his touring bike on two separate occasions. I have no doubt that although he was lucky to find it that this story is accurate.

jonno
jonno
9 years ago

I agree with the commenters who point out that this is not an issue of homelessness, it’s an issue of lawlessness. It’s everywhere and the level of aggression and menace is like nothing I’ve seen in my 15+ years in Portland.

Case in point: heading home over the Burnside bridge eastbound late this past summer, I saw a guy brazenly stripping a bike in the bike lane just east of SW 2nd, adjacent to the unwelcoming stretch of sidewalk where groups of what look like heroin addicts hang out all summer long. Even against that backdrop this guy was so shockingly blatant that I had to get him on video. The group reclining on the sidewalk started shouting at me that I had to have permission to film (ha!) and one guy got up and started coming at me with his hand in his pocket like he was holding a weapon, so I quickly fled the scene.

I got threatened by gutter punks for documenting criminal activity on a public street in downtown in broad daylight.

The status quo has gone way too far in the direction of looking the other way. At least now in the rainy weather, maybe some of the worst will wash out to sunnier climes, but what happens come springtime?

Bald One
Bald One
9 years ago

Jonathan, l think you must be the king of karma. And damn fine detective work on your own. You deserve this favorable outcome. Congrats.

TOM
TOM
9 years ago

>> ” I left my bike unlocked and unattended on SW 4th Avenue for several hours without realizing it was even there. And, not surprisingly, it was stolen.”

I don’t understand that statement. If you didn’t “realize it was even there” , how did you know it was missing ? sleepriding ?

Ben McLeod
9 years ago

These chop shops have gotten much more brazen over the course of the last several months. I ride the Springwater most every day, and work in the Eastside Industrial District. These camps are up and down the Springwater, taking over picnic tables and benches with their tents, tarps and many, many bikes and bike parts. It’s totally crazy. Anybody looking at the scene knows that these people are trafficking in stolen bikes – in broad daylight.

I’ve been riding the Springwater between Sellwood and OMSI for five years and, until a few months ago, never felt unsafe. Over the summer, I’ve seen what was a few scattered camps along the river turn into a pretty continuous camp, filled with trash, (stolen) bikes and really sketchy people. If this activity keeps up, the Springwater will no longer be the family-friendly, safe place to ride.

I want to be compassionate of the homeless. I really do. But frankly, I also question whether these people are truly destitute and homeless, or just criminals who have found a new angle.

When such rampant crime is occurring right in front of our faces, what are we to do?