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The Girl Who Outsmarted a Bike Thief and Rode Away

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Kayla Smith Recovered Masi Road Bike

Bike thieves suck. Vancouver resident Kayla Smith recently learned this lesson the hard way when her Masi road bike was pinched by your typical dimwitted low life bike stealing jerk.At first, she proceeded to do all the right things by sharing the news with her facebook friends, calling her LBS for the bike’s serial number, and reporting the incident to the police, but this is where things begin to go awry.

Shortly after sharing her story via social media a friend called to notify her that the bike had been posted for sale on the internet. She immediately called the police and asked for help in recouping the stolen property, but was told by dispatch that the police would not be able to follow up till at least the next day. Like anyone who loves their bike, Kayla decided to embarke on her own cape crusade.

She arranged a meeting with the thief and after inspecting the bike to verify it was hers, she took it on a test ride – and never looked back.  Hop past the break to read about the incident in her own words. 

Hey Reddit,

I’m the girl who had her bike stolen in Vancouver, and met up with the guy selling it online and took it for a “test ride” and never came back. Since so many people said they wanted gone wild, and tits or GTFO I thought you guys might appreciate an album of my splits around the world. I wish I knew a site like this existed and I would have documented all of my splits around the world. But here an album of the ones I’ve got. Hope you like.

That said, I got a lot of flack for my Facebook post and the fact I didn’t involve police in getting my bike back. This is actually how the event went down. This isn’t a sob story. Stop reading now if you’re not interested. Bothers me that so many people had negative things to say but all the love and positivity was amazing.

First this is how it happened. I had my bike stolen from my friend’s house on Wednesday night. I posted on Facebook that I was disappointed and sad because I had worked so hard for the bike. I absolutely love love love my bike. So needless to say I was choked. I woke up the next morning and made two calls. The first one was to the police to make a stolen bike report. The lady I spoke with told me I would receive a call later from an officer who would be doing a follow up report. The second was to the bike store RIDE ON to get my serial numbers.

An hour later my friend calls me and says “dude I think I found your bike craigslist” she gave me the number and I looked at the post. He has posted from an address that was 2 blocks from where it was originally stolen. Immediately I called the police again and told them the information I received from my friend. The lady told me that someone would call me back and it might not be today. THIS GUY IS SELLING MY BIKE RIGHT NOW!!! I am not missing this opportunity waiting for a call. So I jump into action.

I called the guy up and made arrangements to meet him in half an hour at the main street McDonalds. (McDonalds, yes, McDonalds) When I pulled into the parking lot I still had no plan of attack. I got there and saw the guy with my bike. He was wearing board shorts, a raggy tank top and dark sketchy glasses. I noticed that it was my bike right away because of the RIDE ON stickers on the frame and the fact I have a silver handle bar plug on the left and a black one on the right. A description I gave to the police already. Here is where I started thinking on my feet.

I asked the guy if I could take it for a ride around the parking lot. He was weary and said “yeah but don’t take off…” I said not to worry that I would even think of it! My heart was pounding and I had no idea what to do so I just got on the bike and was like fuck this guy and started to ride. As I was riding away, I called my friend who was driving to meet me as backup. I rode to the adjacent parking lot where she was pulling into as I was riding. We watched the guy start to look for me and he got super freaked out and he suddenly just took off running.

Three construction workers who had watched the whole thing go down, made comments like ‘we knew something was up, there is no way a guy like that owns a bike like that.’ They watched me walk up and then just ride away. To be honest I was shaking and freaking out. I hands down couldn’t believe what the fuck just happened.

I posted my pic on Facebook with a comment. But everyone wanted to know what happened. So when I wrote that story my adrenaline was still pumping and obviously my phone auto corrected McDonalds to McDonalds because of a friends last name in my phone. I obviously know how to spell McChicken, McRibs, McFREAKING MCDONALDS!!! 🙂 (Sorry for the rant, I spent some time reading comments last night. There were some harsh comments. My friend who posted it for me just laughed.) I probably shouldn’t have called for justice and posted his #, but, I was still amped up.

I looked at my bike after my girlfriend took the picture of me grinning ear to ear and noticed he’d pimped it out for me by putting on some extra lights. (for those who thought it was a fake story because they couldn’t see the lights, there is a green light on my seat post and a small blue light hanging from my right handle bar. They are tough to see in the picture but they are there. )

After that I called him and personally left him a message apologizing for not sticking around to pay him for the bike HE FUCKING STOLE FROM ME!!! (insert a bunch expletives.) I went home and checked my serial numbers, which of course matched. I looked his phone number up on craigslist and noticed that he was selling a bunch of bikes and iPhones as well. I called crime stoppers and gave them all the information I had, and I called the police back to let them know I didn’t need to file that report after all. The lady and I had a great laugh about the day’s events.

So that’s what actually happened. Full story. For those of you that supported me thank you so much. It was amazing to get my bike back for those of you that didn’t and ripped me apart; you can kiss my ass. ☺ (NSFW)

Via Reddit

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38 Comments
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steveo
steveo
10 years ago

Now, contact the prosecutor’s office, meet with them, lay out all of your information and put this a55hole in jail.

Good job by a very brave girl!!

patrik
patrik
10 years ago

Not worth it. Do this in Oakland, get popped by a 12-year-old with a gun, then we’d be having a conversation about how someone’s life is not worth a piece of metal (or carbon) with two round things that spin on it.

Of course, the desire to be an internet phenomenon and gain the backing of all SF hipsters has a certain cachet to it.

“I’m going to catch this guy, then chronicle it all over the web. I’ll be a celebrity!”

She might be brave, but she’s also dumb. I wouldn’t condone it, and I’m buffed, all cut up. In fact, I’m kind of a big deal.

stratosrally
stratosrally
10 years ago

Easy for you to call her dumb. Sh*tty of you, as well. If she had three construction workers witnessing the whole thing I think she was relatively safe. [deleted]… and even better sense of humor.

Rain
Rain
10 years ago

If my son brought her home to meet me I would approve.

Yetiman
Yetiman
10 years ago

She’s brave and hot.

Nick
Nick
10 years ago

Yeah, I’d say the average gang bangers don’t list bikes on craigslist…

Hamid
Hamid
10 years ago

Good for you. That’s simply awesome. Getting your bike stolen sucks.

MB
MB
10 years ago

Yeah, your also expecting a 12 yo gang banger to hit a fast moving target at a distance once they figure out what happens…right.

Good for her. Glad he didn’t key her car etc while he waited….

tw
tw
10 years ago

Bike theft is an epidemic in this town, and she handled it a well as possible. The problem frankly is that the thief enjoys a no consequence outcome….which is why theft happens so often here in Vanouver.

The only thing i would have done differently: I’d tear an Arm off the sob and beat him with it.

Limba
Limba
10 years ago

Good for her.

[deleted]

Kark
Kark
10 years ago

The smile in that pic is gold. pure gold. Great story, bravo.

Le Piou
Le Piou
10 years ago

Great story.
I’m still kind of uncomfortable with the end of the story. The jerk is still out there, selling stolen bikes and iPhones… and cops say they can’t do anything “before tomorrow”…
Something’s f*@ked up…

Bikemonster
Bikemonster
10 years ago

The area she is talking about in vancouver is junky town. Its no wonder her bike got stolen.

Corsham
Corsham
10 years ago

Also remember this was in Canada not the USofA so your chances of being shot are way less.

greg
greg
10 years ago

she called the police with all her new info, and also Crimestoppers. unless shes planning on starting a local chapter of a Superheroes Club or becoming a private detective, i’d say she has already gone the extra mile.
good for her, by the way.

The Conductor
The Conductor
10 years ago

I’m Glad she got it back.

BUT, I agree with patrik, it could have ended up bad. Construction workers were not “with” her, only there not really knowing what was going on.

Mr fn’lowlife-thief could have had a pal or 2, hanging around the perimeter with baseball bats (or worse). If someone is a scumbag, you just don’t know. Think you can out-sprint a 9mm?

“had my bike stolen”….I wonder if it was locked.

muddy
muddy
10 years ago

Le Piou, maybe the cops didn’t go after the thief right away because they probably have to wait 48hrs like a missing person. I’m surprised the RCMP didn’t arrest her for stealing his bike!
Anyways, I would have not been as kind as this girl was to the thief.

Watchtower
Watchtower
10 years ago

I dig it, I’m happy for her.

I noticed that Yahoo picked this story up too:

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/woman-steals-own-bike-back-from-thief/

rico
rico
10 years ago

[deleted].

WHo the hell doesn’t try to track down their stolen bike? [deleted]

Raspberry
Raspberry
10 years ago

Who are these idiots who don’t have the balls to take back their own sh*t because they are *scared*. A big [deleted] to this girl!! I had a bike stolen from me as a little kid. I [deleted] LOVE THIS STORY!!!! Keep tellin’ it and forget about all these wimpy *ss internet jockeys!

Ilikebums
Ilikebums
10 years ago

This “bum” that you speak of – where is it?!? All I see is a front. I would like to see this bum being spoken of.

You go girl! Takes a set of kahunas to do what she did – mad props for sticking it to the thief!

Ajax
Ajax
10 years ago

You go girl! Don’t let these fools bring you down. You are a superhero! Boo on that thief! He’ll get his one day. He’s actually lucky you were a girl and not some angry biker dude who got his bike stolen.

cj gordon
cj gordon
10 years ago

Great story with a good and justifiable ending plus the bonus of a [deleted]. Made my day. Having lived in the area she’s talking about I’ll have to throw in this comment.–It’s one of the worst sh*tholes this country (Canada) has.

Ryan
Ryan
10 years ago

I’d love to read his play-by-play story as well. Thieves suck. Bicycle thieves = guitar thieves = pet thieves = scum.

Robo
Robo
10 years ago

Sure, it COULD have gone badly. It didn’t, of course, but even if it had, at some point, you’ve got to stand up for yourself. Good on her.

Jim
Jim
10 years ago

Her bike recovery skills are a lot better than her writing coherently skills.

ccolagio
ccolagio
10 years ago

reddit – giving the world its news, one website at a time

patrik
patrik
10 years ago

Lot of armchair “You go girls!” Real easy to sit here at the comfort of our computers and brag about how we’ll go Rambo on some meth-enhanced homeless person who steals your bike.

Keep it, dude. I’ll go buy another without turning myself into a newspaper headline.

“Dumb Guy Loses Life Over A Bicycle. Yes, A Bicycle. Yea, We Shook Our Heads Too. Not His Child; A Bicycle.”

Robo
Robo
10 years ago

sweet! free bikes at patriks house!

Eric NM
Eric NM
10 years ago

I’d have to say, I’m in agreement w/ patrik. Cool story, until I think about leaving my three kids fatherless over an object. Even if it is a sweet Masi. ; )

In the end: Awesome story. Brave woman. Super happy for her. Not worth it.

…still makes me smile, though, since the outcome is so choice.

cody
cody
10 years ago

That’s awesome someone who will step up and do something about the scumbag that steals her bike. If she just rolled over and cried about what happened that would reinforce the scumbags behavior. She was smart, she did as much as she could to find the bike, when she found the bike she tried to get help from the police, when that did not work she stood up for herself. We need more people like that.

DRC
DRC
10 years ago

Oh the internet bad*sses.

Bravo to this chick. I had a $2k mountain bike stolen from me last year and if I found it online, you’re d*mn well sure I would have done the same thing. Especially easy if meeting in a city. What’s the dude going to do, chase you down when he realizes you’re actually not coming back? Shoot wildly into the air?

[deleted]

Brian in Hawaii
Brian in Hawaii
10 years ago

I am in love with you, Girl from Vancouver. Well done!

Ale
Ale
10 years ago

Well done. a beat up will nice too tho.

MikeM
MikeM
10 years ago

Kayla! If you read this, great work. You did the right thing. You thought on your feet and made it happen. Crooks are stupid, that’s why they are crooks. You outsmarted him. Good job.

DaleC
DaleC
10 years ago

Patrik – I tried to do what this woman did, but I did it in downtown Atlanta. I didn’t get the bike back back, but the cops raided the pawnshop where the fence was an employee. Five guys caught criminal charges for other goods.

MORE citizens should get inviolved.

Except for punks like you, Patrik. You stay home, surrender to the bad guys and let the rest of us do your fighting for you.

pepe
pepe
10 years ago

well done!

in argentina she would go to prison as she robbed him and he had witnesses, plus, she would be prosecuted for discrimination as she said ‘a guy like that wouldn’t have a bike like that’, plus once she recovered her bike, she would have to explain to IRS how she bought the bike, and justify how she won the money and got the dolars… finaly,she would get a demand for causing psicological damage to the thief.

those are the facts of the country that as our presidenta says ‘is better than canada and australia’

DaleC
DaleC
10 years ago

Kayla – I love your story, but my girlfriend love your link. Well, I do too, but….

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