A Canadian woman recently got her stolen bike back when a friend of hers alerted her that an ad for the bike appeared on Craigslist.
So she set up a meeting with the would-be thief, offering to buy it. She wrote about stealing back her bike on Monday.
I called the guy up and made arrangements to meet him in half an hour at the main street McDonalds. (McDonalds, yes, McDonalds) When I pulled into the parking lot I still had no plan of attack. I got there and saw the guy with my bike. He was wearing board shorts, a raggy tank top and dark sketchy glasses. I noticed that it was my bike right away because of the RIDE ON stickers on the frame and the fact I have a silver handle bar plug on the left and a black one on the right. A description I gave to the police already. Here is where I started thinking on my feet.
I asked the guy if I could take it for a ride around the parking lot. He was weary and said "yeah but don't take off…" I said not to worry that I would even think of it! My heart was pounding and I had no idea what to do so I just got on the bike and was like fuck this guy and started to ride. As I was riding away, I called my friend who was driving to meet me as backup. I rode to the adjacent parking lot where she was pulling into as I was riding. We watched the guy start to look for me and he got super freaked out and he suddenly just took off running.
She, also, then posted the identity of the alleged bike thief on Facebook.
And explained to her friend on Reddit how she knew it was her bike in the first place.
She says she also double checked the serial numbers on the bike to make sure without a doubt she stole her own bike.
