chapel

So, this somewhat beat up looking Fuji has been left at the train station for at least a week now. Rear tire is flat.
What do you do when you see an "abandoned" bike?
I was thinking of pumping his tire up for him and see if it disappears after. Maybe the guy just doesn't have a pump... I was thinking of maybe putting a note on it with my number, see if the guy wants to get rid of it.

if it's there tonight, I'll snap a photo of it
Most bikes that get left at the station for more than a month get vandalized, unlocked parts stolen and eventually it's cut free and thrown away by the lot management.

I certainly don't have the tools to 'steal' a bike, nor am I advocating for that... but I'd hate to see it thrown in the trash

jimmuller 

Put a note on it. Offer to fix the flat.

chapel

yeah, I think I'll start with that. I actually don't have a 'next step' idea anyway

Phil_gretz

Offer assistance. Might be a commuter or infrequent traveler who didn't have a way to deal with the flat. If locked, it's less likely the product of theft. Being helpful is always the best first course.

rumrunn6

fuggetaboutit ... Boston streets are full of them and many are several years old. it's a municipal problem now

chapel

this is actually in the suburbs.
What's the best way to put a note on a bike?
I know when people park their bike somewhere they shouldn't, notes get zip tied to the top tubes.

randyjawa 

Put the note in a plastic baggie and attach to the handlebars with string. Done this a few times and I always include my phone number, name and shoe size in the note.

rumrunn6

re: "this is actually in the suburbs"

still city rail-line property right? the guys who sweep the streets and shovel the snow are gonna have to deal with it and they probably have a policy about it.

nice of you to want to help though, good luck

noglider 

I've had a fantasy of fixing bikes that are locked up outside. Some people's V brakes just need their cables reconnected. Hmm, the Phantom Bike Mechanic strikes again!

oddjob2

Wear your Park shop apron backwards and you'll look like a Superhero!

chapel

I was actually thinking of just pumping his tire up tonight and seeing if it flattens out tomorrow. It's been super cold out so it's possible it just lost air from the temp... but I think the front tire was good.
I'll try to leave a note tomorrow.

non-fixie 

Made me think of this thread from a while back. One of my favorites.

gaucho777 

A cheap, modern schwinn (Voyager?) sat for months outside my office. It was locked up with only a cable lock to the frame and rear wheel. It had a milk crate basket that slowly filled up with trash. Then the front wheel disappeared. Soon thereafter the rear rack and milk crate were gone. Next a piece of paper was added by the police identifying it as an abandoned bike. That sign soon disappeared but the bike remained. Then the bike sat for another couple months without its front wheel or racks. I kept expecting it to get stripped, but the parts were very low-end. Finally disappeared for good last week. I think some people turn happy hour into happy evening, and simply forget where they parked their bike.

chapel

still there.


also, this Miyata 710 had both wheels at 5am...

jon c. 

We've had an old Peugot abandoned in the bike rack where I work for over a year now. Took about 6 months before someone took the rear tire. After a while the front was removed as well. Apparently no one wants the seat. I took a good look at it when it was in it's early abandonment stages and concluded it was likely just a UO-8 or similar bottom end model, so it didn't seem worth trying to rescue. Now I'm just curious as to how long it will take before management finally removes it.

Darth Lefty 

Don't mess with other people's stuff.

eja_ bottecchia

I like this idea...

JPZ66

So if it is a city problem, contact the city and see what dept deals with it, then offer to set up a contract for bike removal at no cost to the city and get some official paperwork...kinda like a repo man....they can text, email or call, or you can stop by weekly to pick up a list of abandoned bikes due for removal and then hit the streets and take care of business. Get a nice safety vest and stencil it with CITY BIKE REMOVAL and you will look nice and official......just my late night rambling......

chapel

I always wonder where the owners went. When you take a train you normally come back eventually.
That miyata is sad though. I'm pretty sure he had a rear yesterday morning. The 710 is a pretty good bike? Has a Suntour cyclone RD
im surprised someone took the rear wheel. The bike is locked with a cheap chain. I wonder if it's a sting bike or if the guy just really doesn't care. Glad I double lock my bike. I'm going to leave notes on both of these bikes with offers.

Maxturbo

Hey Salem! Sad to hear of the neighboring teacher loss in Danvers. Ex-Hamilton guy here.

GO SOX!

chapel

yeah... very weird ****.

Here's another shot of the Miyata and Fuji from today



what do you think I should put on the note?

noglider 

It is odd. I'm in one of the most bike-dense neighborhoods in the city now. There seems to be at least a dozen bikes locked up on each block (and 20 blocks make one mile). Some are in current use, with inflated tires as the evidence. Some haven't been moved in a long time. I wish I could reap some of the components off them, but my conscience wouldn't allow me to take even one bolt off a bike that's been there for over a year.

I know there's an official procedure for having the police remove an abandoned bike. I don't remember what it is or where I read it, but it's long and involved. Maybe I should research it. I won't benefit from it directly, i.e. they won't let me pluck the good bits off, but it would be good for the public to have the bike clutter removed. Bike parking space is becoming valuable.

ScottRyder 

The whole North Shore has been shaken up by that tragedy.

and go Sox is right ..

Gloucester here!

Scott

chapel

This is also a private lot (MBTA) so I don't think the city would do anything about it.
I'm gonna try a note and I'll keep an eye on them.

oddjob2

Just form a North Shore bicycle rescue sanctuary, like this one for animals. Leave a laminated business card for contact.

https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...=2013310170035