To The Person That Stole My Bike In Southeast Boise

Three weeks ago, I set a fitness goal to ride my bike to work at least twice a week. I live three miles from the office, and my apartment is right on the greenbelt, so it's an easy ride in. The first week of my plan, my schedule didn't allow it, so it never happened. The second week, I hopped on the bike to find that the tires were flat. I filled up the tires and decided to try again. After riding five minutes towards the office, one of my pedals fell off, and I had to walk it back home and drive-in. Tonight, I walked downstairs to where the bike was parked to put the pedal back on, only to find that my bike was gone. Stolen from the parking garage of my apartment complex.

I have to take some credit for my loss here. I didn't lock it up. I was too trusting that it would be safe amongst the other bikes, some locked, some not, in the complex garage. I believed that things don't get stolen in Boise. My experience living here so far has been so positive that I just didn't think it would happen. I also thought that with only one pedal, it was even safer, but I was wrong. After being upset for an hour or so, I decided to look at this more positively:

Perhaps it wasn't stolen. Maybe, my complex has a resident maintenance person who took my bike to fix it up like Mr. Miyagi did in Karate Kid.

Maybe someone's water broke, and they came downstairs to the garage to find that their car wouldn't start. She saw my bike and decided that she could borrow it to get to the hospital.

Another thought that ran through my head was that someone may have needed the bike because they were financially in a tough spot. By taking my bike, they were able to sell it and afford groceries for the month.

To the person that took my bike, I hope that you make good use of it. The weather is going to be great this weekend for riding around Boise. As you've probably noticed, it is missing a pedal. I am leaving that pedal in the same place that you found the bike. If you want it, you know where to go.  You taught me a valuable lesson to always lock up my stuff, even in a place as safe as Boise.