Serially Found

It was one of the hottest days of summer but perfect enough for a cruise around the city.  I had borrowed my friend’s trek mountain bike for a couple of weeks and was really enjoying it. I was able to maneuver through traffic around the city without having to take the usual mode of underground transportation.  Riding along the Hudson from Battery Park was my favorite bike path. I had made plans to have lunch with a friend in the meatpacking and enjoy a few cocktails on the roof of the restaurant. We weren’t there long but decided to head to another location as the place began to fill up. When we exited the restaurant I noticed the bike was no longer attached to the scaffolding bars I had it locked to. Someone had taken the pricey bike and left the remnants of the broken chain on the sidewalk. I was furious. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing as I searched for any sign of a surveillance camera. I looked up the nearest precinct and walked to the W. Village police station to file a report. They weren't much help but they took my information and said they'd call me. When I asked about the camera they said it didn't work. I walked out hopeless. I end up phoning my friend with the horrible news and promised to repay him.  He ended up consoling me. He hadn't rode the bike for years and it was clear that my attachment to it was greater than his.

Determined to replace the bike, I spent the next couple of days searching craigslist with the hopes of finding something similar. Exactly one week after losing the bike, I saw a posting for a mountain bike with similar specs. The ad said that it was $65 but they believed that the bike had been stolen. They wanted to find the rightful owner, if they could describe the bike, and just get back the money they had paid for it. I called the number on the ad and told the gentleman the exact description of the bike, along with the cherry lip balm I had left in the pouch underneath the seat. A few hours later I was on the way with a friend of mine to pick up the bike in the lower east side. The man from the ad answered the door with his toddler by his side and welcomed us in. My face lit up as I saw my friends bike leaning against the wall as we walked in. There were about five to six bikes parked on a rack at the far side of the room. The man said that he had purchased the bike from a sketchy looking guy on the street, just a few blocks from where he lived. He said that he knew that the bike was stolen because it was worth much more than what he had paid for it. I gave him the $65 and thanked him for his kindness. I was just happy to find my bike!