Oh Joe, Van Sweringens are a good choice to escape in Amsterdam, you can hide in a cluster. Try it like Danny MacAskill or Martyn Ashton, you will get rid of chasers in urban ambience, but will be found on the long run because of your skills.
That’s usually the case. These kinds of thefts are usually done with the intent to grab something and quickly turn it into some money, which then gets spent on either drugs or alcohol.
However, a bigger problem is that there are too many people who are willing to close their eyes to what is more-than-likely a shady deal and buy the stolen items, whether it’s bikes, big-screen TVs, iPhones, or whatever. I’m not exonerating the thieves, but if they couldn’t sell hot items quickly they might not be so likely to rip them off in the first place.
Yup, if the price is too low, it’s probably stolen. Should one turn a blind eye? Well if you think “yes” let me tell you a reason to help the rest of us combat thievery.
Every time someone discovers a theft, whether it’s theirs, their employers, or a stranger’s goods that were stolen, they add another lock, fence, gate, inspection to your world. Another rule goes up. This applies even when the discovery is a first person story, so everyone a victim tells also puts up another ward against the thieves. Inevitably this results in a world filled with locked walls and passwords, searches and scrutiny. The distrust and closed faces, doors, and walls, become our prison, for us all, not just the thieves whose actions caused it.
So fight theft, please, in yourself, in others, in our world. Fight it by sharing freely, even as you fight it by refusing to aid it.
True that. I bought a beautiful racer from a St. Vincent charity on ebay from the other side of the country… When it arrived, I couldn’t believe what someone had decked it out with, and 1 minute later, I was at the computer going through the stolen bikes list trying to find a match for it. Thankfully, no matches, so I assume it was from an estate or someone just got a much nicer bike and decided to get rid of the old racer.
Kind of an inside joke for those of us with pasts or presents intertwined with things Cuyahogan, but yes the KickStand’s Van Sweringen bicycle line is named after Cleveland’s own Van Sweringen brothers.
They will now, but who would think, in a small town, that they had to lock things up INSIDE the store? See my earlier comment about how theft degrades the quality of our world.
Maybe it could have been worse Rick. looking at some of what Hurricane Sandy has wrought!
Quote: “With all the planning, and all the predictions, planning big was not big enough. Superstorm Sandy went bigger — a surge of 14 feet.” In New York of course…
I am sure that nobody minds waiting. We have this excellent strip to talk about – Theft… One of the most controversial bike themes I guess?
Stay safe, Rick. Don’t worry about the Kickstand, it can handle a little wind!
I have a mental image of Yehuda dancing on a hilltop – the Van Sweringen laying nearby – cheering the storm as it blows down the City Council building and flattens Nanny State! Or Yehuda and Thistle coming to the rescue by ferrying supplies around town with a couple of Bakfiets as people look at there cars with flooded electrics or crushed under trees…
It’s still pretty windy here in Michigan too, but at least we still have power. I’ll say this for Sandy, at least she interrupted the barrage of political news for a bit. Happy Halloween everyone, jello shots all around!
Speaking of Hallowe’en — I went to a Hallowe’en costume party Sat night as Lance Armstrong. I wore my USPS kit, took the bladder out of my Camelbak, labeled it “EPO, PEDs, etc.”, hooked it over an IV stand and used an ACE bandage to attach the hose to my forearm. Took second place…..
That’s funny – I went to a costume party as Lance also. I wore my replica yellow jersey from ’99, had an IV cart, a blood bag filled with red gelatin labeled with a barcode and “TYPE O L.ARMSTRONG” with a line to my arm, and a large syringe with nefarious green liquid labeled EPO.
Thanks everybody – hope everyone is well and getting things in order post-Sandy. Power company is saying power might not be restored here until the weekend so look forward to the possibility of no new comics until next Monday, the 5th of November.
Rick, you’ll know that we will all miss the updates – but you’ll know that we all understand. Don’t let yourself get frustrated in what I guess could be a frustrating period – take time to relax and chill out!
News sources can be so cruel. They are so hung up on people whose homes and businesses were damaged and stories about cold and hungry children that Mr. Krishna’s cartoon deprivation ennui is being totally ignored.
Aw Rik, I am sorry. We miss you, ok, ok, we miss Yehuda, but are glad you are safe. I work in a veterinary lab and we get samples from the Cleveland area, we’ve been keeping close tabs on your area. Wish we could help.
How bad was it in the Cleveland area? From what I get from the local media Sandy ceased to exist once it got past the Palisades. Lots of talk about the Jersey shore, and all the problems with NuYawk (bicycles are the only personal vehicles allowed in Manhattan), but AFAIK the entire state of OH and most of PA are under a news blackout.
Just because it was no longer “Hurricane Sandy” doesn’t mean that it just magically disappeared entirely. When a hurricane/tropical storm downgrades and starts to fall apart, there is still high enough winds (50-60 mph gusts) to do some damage, plus all sorts of rain (or snow if it gets cold enough) that got brought in with the system. And that’s what I think Ohio/western PA/parts of Appalachia were getting Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ohio power companies sent resources east to help other states worst hit and so outages (like the one at my house) are taking a week to resolve instead of a day or so. It’s very frustrating.
There had been a story about blackouts in U$A on german TV some time ago. It said (AFAIR), blackouts over there are much more seriously compared to Europa, because the distributing-system is so bad. As soon as there is a blackout somewhere there’s a chain-reaction to pull down other regions and problems are multplied.
Sorry you’re still in the dark, Rick. In SW Ohio, we were without power for over a week back with Hurricane Ike. Not fun at all. Hang in there, we’re all thinking of you.
Always the jibe Joe… Always the jibe
Oh Joe, Van Sweringens are a good choice to escape in Amsterdam, you can hide in a cluster. Try it like Danny MacAskill or Martyn Ashton, you will get rid of chasers in urban ambience, but will be found on the long run because of your skills.
Or use Sweet Roll’s van withe the man hole.
Good one HCA
So the thieves were unschooled in the value of bikes?
Or maybe they took what was nearest the exit?
That’s usually the case. These kinds of thefts are usually done with the intent to grab something and quickly turn it into some money, which then gets spent on either drugs or alcohol.
However, a bigger problem is that there are too many people who are willing to close their eyes to what is more-than-likely a shady deal and buy the stolen items, whether it’s bikes, big-screen TVs, iPhones, or whatever. I’m not exonerating the thieves, but if they couldn’t sell hot items quickly they might not be so likely to rip them off in the first place.
Well said Bill
Yup, if the price is too low, it’s probably stolen. Should one turn a blind eye? Well if you think “yes” let me tell you a reason to help the rest of us combat thievery.
Every time someone discovers a theft, whether it’s theirs, their employers, or a stranger’s goods that were stolen, they add another lock, fence, gate, inspection to your world. Another rule goes up. This applies even when the discovery is a first person story, so everyone a victim tells also puts up another ward against the thieves. Inevitably this results in a world filled with locked walls and passwords, searches and scrutiny. The distrust and closed faces, doors, and walls, become our prison, for us all, not just the thieves whose actions caused it.
So fight theft, please, in yourself, in others, in our world. Fight it by sharing freely, even as you fight it by refusing to aid it.
That is the best article on theft I have seen I think.
Well said Yolanda
You are a very wise lady Yolanda!
I would wote for you!
What i find scaryest are the people who love locks and rules.
True that. I bought a beautiful racer from a St. Vincent charity on ebay from the other side of the country… When it arrived, I couldn’t believe what someone had decked it out with, and 1 minute later, I was at the computer going through the stolen bikes list trying to find a match for it. Thankfully, no matches, so I assume it was from an estate or someone just got a much nicer bike and decided to get rid of the old racer.
van sweringen wont get blown away in a hurricane.
oh snap…
At first I thought he was referring to the prominent Shaker Heights family, so of course the gag made no sense.
Kind of an inside joke for those of us with pasts or presents intertwined with things Cuyahogan, but yes the KickStand’s Van Sweringen bicycle line is named after Cleveland’s own Van Sweringen brothers.
Ahahahahhaaaa!
Couldn’t lock down the bikes on display or move them from the display window after closing?
They will now, but who would think, in a small town, that they had to lock things up INSIDE the store? See my earlier comment about how theft degrades the quality of our world.
… the quality of our world??? That is just the beginning of an endless discussion.
Oh and discussions are supposed to be finite?
No comic today – we haven’t had power for days and artwork is sitting on my home computer. Will publish as soon as we can!
stay safe, Rick! we can wait.
We’re patient, just stay safe.
I was wondering….thanks for the explanation. As the others said — stay safe.
Maybe it could have been worse Rick. looking at some of what Hurricane Sandy has wrought!
Quote: “With all the planning, and all the predictions, planning big was not big enough. Superstorm Sandy went bigger — a surge of 14 feet.” In New York of course…
I am sure that nobody minds waiting. We have this excellent strip to talk about – Theft… One of the most controversial bike themes I guess?
Hang in there, Rick! Goddess Bless!
Yes, be safe Rick. That’s the most important thing.
Stay safe, Rick. Don’t worry about the Kickstand, it can handle a little wind!
I have a mental image of Yehuda dancing on a hilltop – the Van Sweringen laying nearby – cheering the storm as it blows down the City Council building and flattens Nanny State! Or Yehuda and Thistle coming to the rescue by ferrying supplies around town with a couple of Bakfiets as people look at there cars with flooded electrics or crushed under trees…
Sorry, *their*.
It’s still pretty windy here in Michigan too, but at least we still have power. I’ll say this for Sandy, at least she interrupted the barrage of political news for a bit. Happy Halloween everyone, jello shots all around!
Speaking of Hallowe’en — I went to a Hallowe’en costume party Sat night as Lance Armstrong. I wore my USPS kit, took the bladder out of my Camelbak, labeled it “EPO, PEDs, etc.”, hooked it over an IV stand and used an ACE bandage to attach the hose to my forearm. Took second place…..
Bicycle Bill
Awesome!!!
That’s funny – I went to a costume party as Lance also. I wore my replica yellow jersey from ’99, had an IV cart, a blood bag filled with red gelatin labeled with a barcode and “TYPE O L.ARMSTRONG” with a line to my arm, and a large syringe with nefarious green liquid labeled EPO.
I wore my USPS Yellow Jersey and a pair of bike shorts and one kid thought I was an “Olympic Runner”.
Nice! http://yehudamoon.com/20091031/
And it kept Obama out of Cincinnati!
Thanks everybody – hope everyone is well and getting things in order post-Sandy. Power company is saying power might not be restored here until the weekend so look forward to the possibility of no new comics until next Monday, the 5th of November.
You could mount the computer on a bike, hook it up to the hub generator, and ride around and around in your living room…
Rick, you’ll know that we will all miss the updates – but you’ll know that we all understand. Don’t let yourself get frustrated in what I guess could be a frustrating period – take time to relax and chill out!
Rick – if you ride around in the house with the generator hooked up, make sure you have a helemt on…. Cake!!!
ya wear your helmet, cuz Nancy state might get after you! lol.
New theory… the windows were smashed by Sandy, and the bikes taken by the storm too.
Hope things are going well for you and yours Rick.
The post-storm looting has begun…
this is getting tiresome
So is sitting in the dark.
I wish you the best… And I am glad my country is so boring when it comes to natural desaters…
Re: ‘So is sitting in the dark.’ – It is good to note that your sense of humour still works Rick. Good luck with the power repairs etc.
its not boring when cleaning up here in Jersey (fortunately my home is undamaged) but we have family on the islands.
News sources can be so cruel. They are so hung up on people whose homes and businesses were damaged and stories about cold and hungry children that Mr. Krishna’s cartoon deprivation ennui is being totally ignored.
Aw Rik, I am sorry. We miss you, ok, ok, we miss Yehuda, but are glad you are safe. I work in a veterinary lab and we get samples from the Cleveland area, we’ve been keeping close tabs on your area. Wish we could help.
Yes, I figured the missing comics were due to the storm. Glad you are safe.
How bad was it in the Cleveland area? From what I get from the local media Sandy ceased to exist once it got past the Palisades. Lots of talk about the Jersey shore, and all the problems with NuYawk (bicycles are the only personal vehicles allowed in Manhattan), but AFAIK the entire state of OH and most of PA are under a news blackout.
Just because it was no longer “Hurricane Sandy” doesn’t mean that it just magically disappeared entirely. When a hurricane/tropical storm downgrades and starts to fall apart, there is still high enough winds (50-60 mph gusts) to do some damage, plus all sorts of rain (or snow if it gets cold enough) that got brought in with the system. And that’s what I think Ohio/western PA/parts of Appalachia were getting Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ohio power companies sent resources east to help other states worst hit and so outages (like the one at my house) are taking a week to resolve instead of a day or so. It’s very frustrating.
There had been a story about blackouts in U$A on german TV some time ago. It said (AFAIR), blackouts over there are much more seriously compared to Europa, because the distributing-system is so bad. As soon as there is a blackout somewhere there’s a chain-reaction to pull down other regions and problems are multplied.
Sorry you’re still in the dark, Rick. In SW Ohio, we were without power for over a week back with Hurricane Ike. Not fun at all. Hang in there, we’re all thinking of you.
Given my experiences with DP&L, I’d say this sounds like business as usual.
Hope they get your lights back on soon. I’ve done the extended power outage thing. It’s no fun.