Rocket Talk: Can Sunday Subway Service Start Sooner?
Newsstand: November 19, 2009
Gender Studies Coming to a High School Near You
Please Insert Station and Try Again
The Art of Not Knowing
Cameraphones aren't just for snapping incriminating photos that unwittingly end up on the internet anymore! Oh, wait—we guess this still applies: at 2:10 on Friday afternoon in front of 110 Spadina Avenue, this man was witnessed allegedly stealing the rear wheel of a bicycle belonging to Torontoist reader Dean Perlmutter. According to the witness, when the man was asked if he was stealing the wheel that he just removed, he allegedly threatened the witness and rode off. Perlmutter continues:
Undeterred, our nameless hero got on his own bike and rode after the [alleged] thief and pulled out his iPhone. He tried to grab some shots of the villain as he rode, even managing to get in front of him. He finally got off a shot of the man's face.
The event was discovered when Perlmutter returned to his bike, enraged to find that the wheel was missing. A note was secured to the handlebars with the Good Samaritan's phone number, and after calling the witness and meeting up, Perlmutter obtained the photos. A police report was filed today.
It's pretty clear that the stolen wheel isn't likely going to return to its owner, and we're continually frustrated with the low priority the Toronto Police seem to put on petty bicycle theft, so props to the camera-wielding vigilante for thinking quickly. According to Perlmutter, the witness approached a nearby police cruiser within minutes of the alleged theft, but the officers were dismissive—however, he counters that the police were interested and extremely helpful when filing the report, probably because there was solid evidence.
Anyone with further information can contact 14 Division and cite incident #3539431.
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Apparently, the guy was also spotted this morning on Carr Street, near Queen and Bathurst, riding a seatless bike, sitting backwards on the handlebars and pedalling forward, looking over his shoulder. What?!
Someone else emailed me to say that the backwards-riding-guy and this guy are not the same, and that the backwards-riding-guy is actually pretty great.
Pure Toronto.
"Excuse me, Sir... is that your bike? You're not a thief, are you?"
And, for contrast, a Gothamist story:
http://gothamist.com/2009/09/08/video_bike_thief_gets_beatdown.php?FORM=ZZNR2
Can this guy's alias be Igor Jr. (as in Kenk) at least until we get his real name?
Thank goodness he's wearing a bike helmet!
I live @ King and Bathurst.
I'm on the street with my bike every day and I will look for this guy, grab pics and report if I can.
Thank you for the person that took the photos.
TAR
I wonder if the bike he is riding is stolen too?
I am in Kensington market daily and see this lowlife almost everyday.
He goes from bike shop to bike shop trying to sell off pieces of I'm guessing stolen bikes.
now that there is some actual evidence that he is in fact stealing bike parts, I will keep my eyes open for when he has some parts on him and I will take a picture incase.
Can we get his picture printed and posted along with accompanying text around Market and area?
Here are three possible ways of trying to get out of being accused of stealing the wheel:
1. claim that it's your bike, and you're taking the wheel for some valid purpose.
2. threaten violence.
3. enact violence.
Foolishly, this guy jumped straight to step 2. I'd probably start at step 1; I'd be a smart criminal, like in Ocean's 11.
Another person replied to this post on Facebook who recognized the guy as the person who's (allegedly) been stealing bike wheels outside her store at Bloor and Spadina. It's kind of amazing how he seems to be notorious and recognized and ubiquitous, yet he hasn't been nabbed, which is probably more of a reflection on the ineffectiveness of reporting stuff like this to the police rather than people not caring.
Also, Bruce McCulloch has something to say about it.
Speaking of bike thieves: I worked a little bit on a really good new documentary about Bikes, the world and Igor Kenk that's going to be on
CBC tv at 8 this Thursday Sept 24!
Glorious! Feel free to hiss at this guy on my behalf if anyone ever sees him on the street.
that wheel he's holding looks just like mine that was stolen months ago. 8pm, right on bloor near bathurst in front of my apartment and everybody outside (which seems to fit his profile).
i hope he gets bagged, i bet it was him.
Actually, it's my wheel - I'm the one who reported it. It was a 700C Alexrims DA-[number forgotten]. Naturally the most expensive item on my bike - I had to go replace it today finally. Thanks for all the responses though! I will try to put posters up in the area over the next week.
may I ask if the wheel was a quick release hub, or if the thief took the time with wrenches to remove it?
...just curious, hard to tell by the photo
Yes - quick release [sigh]. Next time, the front wheel comes off and gets locked to frame and back wheel. That, or I will just start driving. Everywhere.