Wednesday, Aug 28 2013 9AM 16°C 12PM 16°C 5-Day Forecast
- Vancouver bartender, says she had no time to call police when she saw her $1000 stolen bike being sold
- 'Don't take off' man told her as she asked to try bike in parking lot
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A Vancouver woman who answered an ad for her stolen bike on Craigslist, turned the tables on thieves by asking to take it for a test ride and then pedaling off with it.
Kayla Smith reported the theft of the $1,000 bike to police on Wednesday after it went missing, along with its heavy duty lock, at the Olympic Village.
But she took justice into her own hands as soon as she saw it being offered for $300 the next day.
Bike justice: Kayla Smith saw her stolen bike for sale on Craigslist, so she asked to see it and then stole it right back
‘THIS GUY IS SELLING MY BIKE RIGHT NOW!!!’ she wrote in a post to Reddit. ‘I am not missing this opportunity waiting for a call. So I jump into action.’
‘I called the guy up, totally played super sweet,’ the bartender told the Globe and Mail. ‘Was like, “Hi, how are you? You know, I have the day off today, why don’t I come meet you?’”
The alleged thief agreed and they set up a time to meet at McDonalds so she could see the bike.
As soon as she laid eyes on it, she knew it was hers. Ms Smith had added distinctive custom features to her bike, including special brakes.
Daring: Kayla Smith asked to try the bike, then pedaled away
Back on the road: Kayla managed to get her $1,000 bike back
Distinctive: The bike had several custom features Kayla had added to it
‘I noticed that it was my bike right away because of the RIDE ON stickers on the frame,’ Ms Smith wrote. ‘Here is where I started thinking on my feet.’
She told CBC News the man claimed to have bought it from his housemate, which made her think: 'No you didn't. You stole it from me last night, you liar.'
When she asked the alleged thief if she could take it for a ride around the McDonald’s parking lot she said he seemed hesitant before finally caving in and telling her: ‘Yeah but don’t take off…’
‘My heart was pounding and I had no idea what to do so I just got on the bike and was like f**k this guy and started to ride,’ Ms Smith wrote.
She said the thief began to look for her, but that she called a friend to drive to meet her as back up.
‘We watched the guy start to look for me and he got super freaked out and he suddenly just took off running,’ she wrote.
Ms Smith returned to the thief’s original ad and realized he was selling several other bikes, as well as iPhones. She took down his number and reported it, along with her own amusing tale, to Crime Stoppers.
Vancouver police spokesman Constable Brian Montague told Mail Online they have been unable to make an arrest so far in this case, adding that it was easier to prove a theft when someone was still in possession of the stolen goods.
'That is one of the reasons we would like anyone who sees their stolen property for sale on line to call police. We can work with the victim to facilitate a meeting with the seller to get their property back,' he said.
'I can't believe I just stole my bike back': The Vancouver bartender, who has made a hobby of doing splits in cities all over the world, said she was terrified as she met the thief and then started to ride away
'Not only can we help get the property back, but also ensure the safety of the victim, immediately identify the person responsible and request criminal charges if there is evidence to support those charges,' he said.
When CBC News contacted the number for the seller on Craigslist, the person they spoke to denied the allegations.
Constable Montague added: 'You don't know who you are meeting when you make these arrangements. You don't know how desperate these people are so there is a bit of a risk.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2402502/Vancouver-woman-Kayla-Smith-gets-stolen-bike-seeing-sale-Craigslist.html#ixzz2dFMzB5Vf
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