We hope you never have to experience the gut-wrenching moment when you realise your bike has been stolen. For those of you who can relate, then you know exactly how Jenni Morton-Humphreys felt after her blue Cube road bike was stolen in Bristol.
Jenni rode into Bristol city centre for a bunch date and after securing her bike behind the Watershed, she thought nothing of it. She returned to find her lock had been cut and her bike had been stolen. So, she did what any of us would do, turn to social media for help.
After posting photos and details about her Cube that had been taken, and local stranger reached out to Jenni after spotting the bike on an online market place being offered for £100. The good Samaritan and Jenni devised a plan to arrange a meeting with the thief acting as a potential buyer, but before doing so alerted the police with a time and meeting place with the hopes that they would take over.
However, the Bristol bobbies didn’t seem too interested and while they wouldn’t help Jenni out, they advised her not to get involved either. So Jenni went to meet the thieves acting as the interested sister of the Good Samaritan who had arranged the meeting. With a friend looking on in support, Jenni approached the guy holding her bike and asked a series of novice questions to gain his confidence. To get the thief to let go of the bike, Jenni handed him a set of keys and a cigarette packet.
Once Jenni realised it was indeed her bike, she told the ‘seller’ she wanted a little test ride to make sure it fit, and with that, she was off pedalling as fast as she could. The guy was left holding an empty cigarette packet with a broken lighter in it, and the keys to the bike lock he had cut through just hours earlier – delicious irony.
Lesson to thieves – don’t mess with the cycling community.
