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SFAppeal has word that the above (alleged!) bike thief was caught cutting bike lock cable thingies on Market near Fifth Street yesterday. And just who caught him? Members of the SF Bike Coalition who were frolicking about during their "Ice Cream Sunday Ride."
Oops.
Naturally, the SFBC folks were none too thrilled when they came across a bike theft in progress, giving way to a chase and some great shots of the unidentified man. According to Appeal, Program Manager Marc Caswell noticed the guy using "2 foot long bolt cutters attacking the cable locks on some bikes parked in front of the [Westfield Mall]." OMGs and WTFs were exchanged, a cigarette was spit at someone, brows furrowed, and a chase ensued. The guy wasn't caught, but you should keep an eye on your cycling mechanism of choice if you see his glamorous mug nearby.
Grab some popcorn, and check out more pics of the chase.
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That guy could probably cut through the locks with his bottom jaw!
best joke of the thread.
waitaminute - isn't that Rob Anderson?
It's Tommie Lee Jones portraying Rob Anderson.
It's Tommie Lee Jones portraying Tim Redmond.
Nice ponytail.
I noticed a cut lock on the sidewalk midblock on Ashbury between Haight and Waller this weekend - I guess now I know what went down.
By all appearances, he seems like the happy-go-lucky type to me.
Then again, I could be wrong.
Make spoke cards with his photo on them. I really hope I run into the guy.
that is brilliant.
sfist photoshop contest !!
I've seen him around the TL and Civic Center area.
Once again, I hate to be racist, but you cannot deny that whitey, thug chomped upward cigarette, Johnnie Walker-blanched-cum-newbie- meth look. It's so uber 90's!
Maybe we can hook him up with the asshole nutjob who keeps dropping trou all over town.
They be pretty together and raise nice, happy babies.
I'm certain.
"No arrests have been made."
How did an old guy who smokes, and is likely on drugs get away from a group of cycling enthusiasts?
Meth-Jedi wins every battle not involving oral hygiene.
He didn't really "get away."
They did the typical, passive-aggressive, cycling enthusiast thing in their Garneau bike pants, tiny packages tucked neatly against their 120lb frames and admonished him from a safe distance with their iPhones clicking away.
That's how they roll.
To respond to all the would-be-vigilantes in these comments: I didn't physically restrain him since that would be 1) dangerous and 2) illegal. Risking my life running through 30MPH traffic / violent offender status (assault & battery/unlawful detention) to catch someone for a misdemeanor isn't worth it to me. If it is to you, more power to ya- you can patrol the streets at night and do just that, if you really wanted to, but the SFBC isn't endorsing that kind of behavior.
My bike was stolen in front of Westfield Mall last summer.
Shame on those SF Bike Coalition motherfuckers for not kicking the shit out of him!
It's called a citizen's arrest -- you "Ice Cream Sunday Ride"-having pansies.
Hey SFBC, what's the point of getting 45 new bike lanes approved WHEN THERE'S NO PLACE TO SAFELY PARK A BICYCLE OUTSIDE!
Real SF cyclists carry their fixies on their backs everywhere they go!
METH the SAN FRANCISCO Treat
This guy has a serious case of bike-thief-face.
how disappointing that these pussies didn't kick his ass.
WTF?
Disappointing??? That's entirely expected and par for the course for the average whiny, annoying SF bike sissy.
They ARE a bunch of pussies who bitch and moan and when confronted whip out their little cameras and click away over their shoulders while wetting their pink lacy Speedos.
Even outnumbered 5:1, or 20:1, not a damn one of them would have had the sack to tackle old that decrepit junkie. Not one.
Because, despite him being a massive douche bag for doing what he did, most likely drunk and high on dope, he would have whipped their puny, weak, celery toting asses and they all knew it before anyone stepped up.
Jim Beam and a few bumps of crank have a certain bravado and certitude of purpose that a handful of Kashii with Stonyfield and a double soy mocha latte while riding your ASC fixie simply do not possess.
Truth.
bring back crufixions for bike-thieves.
Here's the rundown:
"Yesterday, while on the Westfield Mall area stretch of their Ice Cream Sunday Ride, members of the SF Bike Coalition "noticed this asshat chopping a cable lock."
The SFBC's Operations Director, Frank Chan started taking the photos you see above, as another SFBC employee, Program Manager Marc Caswell gave chase while calling 911.
We gave Caswell a call, to get the scoop. He told us that there were about 150 people riding on the Ice Cream Ride, and he was bringing up the rear. They were just passing the Westfield Mall (this is on Market just past 5th) when Caswell witnessed the man in the slideset with black, about 2 foot long bolt cutters attacking the cable locks on some bikes parked in front of the mall.
Caswell dropped his bike and took off toward the guy, who spit his cigarette at him and started yelling profanities as he fled the scene. Caswell followed, on the phone with 911, until they reached 5th and Bryant, at which point the alleged, attempted bike thief darted across on red.
The 911 operator told Marc not to endanger himself by jaywalking in pursuit. So, he went back to the site of the cable cutting, where two SFPD officers were there with the two bikes. The officers said they'd wait for the bikes' owners to return, since they were now unlocked and even more vulnerable to theft.
"Cable locks are basically like using a shoelace, you gotta use an u-lock" Caswell told the Appeal. "You can cut a cable lock in a single stroke, and be gone in under a minute.""
http://sfappeal.com/news/2009/07/photo-gallery-the-face-of-bicycle-theft.php
Long story short: the SFBC Operations Director only took pictures, while the Program Manager uselessly dialed 911 and "took off" on foot toward the thief but couldn't be bothered to cross against a red light to continue to follow him, well enough catch him. Two SFPD officers chose to babysit the unlocked bikes rather than search for the thief. The SFBC employee who couldn't be bothered to jaywalk then lectured the bicycle-owning public to use better locks.
Great work all around!
I think the mistake was listening to the 911 operator, since they are always going to advise taking the lowest risk steps. But I wouldn't blame the 911 caller that much - we don't know how much traffic there was, for example.
No surprise at all that SFPD did nothing to catch the perp.
That guy could probably cut through the locks (Mesa locksmith) with his bottom jaw!