Pittsburgh Stolen Schwinn Collegiate (recovered!) - Help from Pee-wee Herman

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Tacomancini

Member
Mar 18, 2010
163
0
16
Pittsburgh
Well today started out awful. They broke into my backyard and cut the lock that was attached to my side porch. I'm in the lawrenceville area of pittsburgh. I'm pretty bummed. I hadn't even completed the build. I had just got a beautiful tank from Pat, cool throttle from SBP. It was running very good.

Here's some last seen picks: MobileMe Gallery

I'm a lucky guy, I have a good life, In perspective I know its sometimes the way things go.

In a happier note, Pee-wee herman is helping with the investigation, putting a major smile on my face:
Links on "Pee-wee Herman" | Facebook

If anyone's in the burgh, please keep an ear out.

best to all

Dave M
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Sorry to hear about your loss, Dave. There are some low life people out there. Good that you can put things into perspective however. I find it helps when something lousy happens to remind myself of all the good stuff which comes my way. Hope you get your bike back.
SB
 

reb1

New Member
Aug 15, 2010
116
0
0
CALIFORNIA
Bicycles theft motorized or not is increasing at an alarming rate. People are going into porches, balconies and backyards to steal property. They are steeling them at gun point also. One child was killed and another wounded in the LA area a few weeks ago. I keep my ride inside. I know how to manipulate the proper math also. EI/R PI/E
 

Tacomancini

Member
Mar 18, 2010
163
0
16
Pittsburgh
Bikes are becoming very popular in the pittsburgh area, and vintage stuff is becoming recognized as valuable. We just started getting bike lanes, and ironically I live very close to the Bike PGH organization that tries to combat stuff like this. I guess this is just the way it is.

What is disconcerting is that they must have staked me out. The bike was on the porch that hangs off the side of my house. I live on a busy street. The cut was very clean on the lock, and nothing was disturbed. Just the vacancy. Not sure my dog even noticed. So I'm still shocked. I'm still trying to get the word out on all channels.

Assuming they keep the bike as is and actually figured out how to ride it, well that would be one very recognizable bike. And this is a small city. I hate to think they'll do the classic idiot move, try to put gas with no oil in there and kill the engine.

Maybe they are going to try to ditch the engine and sell it as a vintage bike, it still seems a bit hard to flip. And the fenders aren't on, the chainguard is off, and there's a repop springer on the front.

Worst thought is that they don't appreciate what it is at all, and they'll just rip it apart.

I was really looking forward to removing the stock gas tank, switching to Pat's beauty tank, putting the chrome fenders back on, polishing everything up and removing all the build grease. Getting an SBP expansion. Didn't get to finish the build... I was close.

Thanks though guys for all the good sentiments, this is a great place.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
I've owned some fantastic bikes in my time. And had some of them stolen (well, and one wrecked too). Many hundreds of dollars that I won't see again. About all you can do is keep it out of sight, and as secure as you can make it. You have all my sympathies, for what it's worth. I hope, wish, and even pray, that somehow that bike comes back to you. You don't deserve to have to start over.
 

reb1

New Member
Aug 15, 2010
116
0
0
CALIFORNIA
Growing up my brother and I had several bicycles stolen. We also had several serious incidents that could of turned deadly if it had not been for good neighbors. The incident I remember the most was of a less troubling nature. We had made a trip to the market one morning and when we arrived home the back door was open. My dad looked worried and motioned for us to stay back. He carefully walked in to find a man sitting at our table eating some food he'd grabbed out of our kitchen. What was really strange was our dog who weeks earlier had torn up an attacker was sitting next to him like he was his best friend. At this point my dad just laughs and says if the dog thinks this is ok than who am I to judge. Dad surprised us and did not call the police. Instead he sent us to see a neighbor for help who spoke the mans language. I miss those days. My parents did not fear letting us pedal around and have fun. Interaction with the police was not always a bad thing.

Tacomancini: Take care and don't let the dogs get you down.
 

Tacomancini

Member
Mar 18, 2010
163
0
16
Pittsburgh
reb1 I love that story! I showed my gf, she thought it was great too. Thank you!

EliteFr, thanks for looking out! Man, I was getting all into the idea of getting some pittsburgh rides going. There are some cool guys out there on the motorized bikes now.
 

Tacomancini

Member
Mar 18, 2010
163
0
16
Pittsburgh
So the guy is riding it around my neighborhood. Someone called me to say that they saw him cruising on 41st street and butler in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. Not sure what to do.
 

Kevlarr

New Member
Jul 22, 2009
1,628
4
0
Mi
A few years back I'd had a dumpster bike I'd fixed up stolen off my porch. It pi$$ed me off more then anything since I had an even better dumpster bike just waiting for new tires. That weekend (about 4 days later) the family went shopping at the local mega mart and as we pulled in there was my bike leaning up against the fenced in area of the garden department.

Around here people just seem to steal bikes to keep from having to walk, when they get to where they're going the bike just gets dumped.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
I feel kinda bad that I have an advantage most others don't have: I work in a government building and know cops on a first-name basis. I kept the serial numbers and description of my bike typed out on a paper in my wallet. I've had enough bikes stolen off me that there would have been h&ll to pay if anybody took (or tried to) my motorbike.
 

Tacomancini

Member
Mar 18, 2010
163
0
16
Pittsburgh
Man,

So last night, the guy was at a local bar called New Amsterdam in my neighborhood. Some friends of mine spotted the bike, and called the cops at 1 am. The cops came, didn't call it in and let the guy go. My friends told the cops that the bike was reported stolen, I called the station, and they confirmed that the cops didn't check on it.

So close.
 

Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
Man,

So last night, the guy was at a local bar called New Amsterdam in my neighborhood. Some friends of mine spotted the bike, and called the cops at 1 am. The cops came, didn't call it in and let the guy go. My friends told the cops that the bike was reported stolen, I called the station, and they confirmed that the cops didn't check on it.

So close.
If you didn't live so far from me...well, there's stuff I'd better not go into detail about. But hypothetically speaking, If I were close at hand, odds are good you'd be riding by now.
By All That's Holy: the bike's reported stolen, the cops catch the perp, and they let him go. AND (if I read this right) you STILL didn't get your bike back?!?!? Oh man, somebody should catch it for that mistake.
 

NunyaBidness

Active Member
Jun 29, 2008
1,062
2
38
memphis tn
...By All That's Holy: the bike's reported stolen, the cops catch the perp, and they let him go. AND (if I read this right) you STILL didn't get your bike back?!?!? Oh man, somebody should catch it for that mistake.
I would definitely be talking with whoever was in charge of those officers and letting that person know how they had let a criminal go free. When I was done talking with that supervising officer I would then ask him if i could speak with his supervising officer and continue up the chain of command if I felt like they weren't taking me seriously.