Living Car Free - Cool Roadside Finds

Found a nice hachet on the side of the road today. Made for great execution of my turns with left hand, seemed to get a little more respect on the road on the way home. So what are some of your finds?

A very nice set of binoculars and a $20 bill.

Nice tools and $20.00 bills. I was riding with a friend one day and on the trip out to the restaurant she found a $20.00 bill and then on the way home she found another. I don't know why 20 seems to be the popular denomination to loose.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Mirth/Moose.jpg

I found a 20 pound sledgehammer yesterday, but since I was 15 miles and 4000 feet from my destination, I left it there :p

Last winter I scored a nice bike multi-tool in a snowy parking lot.

I found a cell phone in the snow and got a 20$ reward for returning it. Also found a 20$ bill. And a baby ground hog and several baby birds which i left alone for their parents to reclaim.

And a baby ground hog and several baby birds which i left alone for their parents to reclaim.
That reminds me, last year I saw a dead mother possum on the side of the road, and two babies and thought how sad. Until I got closer and realized that baby possum was eating the other baby possum, nature is bizarre.

I love this thread, I'm always find cool stuff on the road. One week I found 2 different folding knives, I've found money, tools, wallets, purses, stray dogs, full packs of gum, books, coolers, unopend soda bottles..I'm sure there is lots more but that's all I can think of for now.

Last week I found a whole bunch of baby bunnies cycling through the grounds of a local nuclear power plant (Darlington).

They didn't have glowing eyes or three heads though (images of The Holy Grail are going through my mind right now:eek:)

Found a nice hachet on the side of the road today. Made for great execution of my turns with left hand, seemed to get a little more respect on the road on the way home. So what are some of your finds?

Found a bayonet one time. Otherwise, just porn. Lots of porn.

A few odd tools, wrenches, screwdrivers, and a $5. Thats it.

I love this thread, I'm always find cool stuff on the road. One week I found 2 different folding knives, I've found money, tools, wallets, purses, stray dogs, full packs of gum, books, coolers, unopend soda bottles..I'm sure there is lots more but that's all I can think of for now.

Yeah, I found a wallet once on the bridge going into DC. When the owner's phone was finally not busy she said she had been mugged out in the far suburbs in front of her home just a few hours earlier. Her phone was busy from her calling the credit card companies and what not. I arranged to meet her to return the wallet but a detective showed up in her place using trick questions to try to poke holes in my story of biking home at night.

I arranged to meet her to return the wallet but a detective showed up in her place using trick questions to try to poke holes in my story of biking home at night.
What a lame detective, why on earth would a mugger try to return a wallet, try to do something nice and get a hard time over it, sad.

What a lame detective, why on earth would a mugger try to return a wallet, try to do something nice and get a hard time over it, sad.


it wasn't a lame detective. He was looking out for the woman who had her property stolen. How would you feel if your mom or sister got mugged and the guy went out spent all the cash then wasted a bit on the C.C's then decide to call back and say "gee nice lady I found this wallet meet me at such and such and I'll return it" She shows up thinking a nice person is trying to help and it turns out to be the mugger and now the mugger is turning into a ******. Your right thieves don't/won't want to return the wallet, they'll want to get something else on top of that.:(

OP it was nice of you to return the property even if you had a bit of a hassle:thumb:

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Mirth/Moose.jpg

Cool pic. Why the hell does it have murderous red eyes, though? Creepy plastic moose.

Cool pic. Why the hell does it have murderous red eyes, though? Creepy plastic moose.

It's cause he's been down to the moose lodge throwin' back a few with the fellas:p

He also has a Napoleon complex. Angry little thing.

He also has a Napoleon complex. Angry little thing.

Yeah well looks like he's gonna be road kill in a few minutes.

I've found tools including a level, needle nose pliers, vice grips and an adjustable wrench. I've picked up plenty of bungee cords, most in good condition. Even the torn ones are useful as I can attach the ends to an old inner tube and make my own cords. I've found a bit of money, a few cassette tapes and CDs and a small plastic tarp which became a tent fly.

it wasn't a lame detective. He was looking out for the woman who had her property stolen. How would you feel if your mom or sister got mugged and the guy went out spent all the cash then wasted a bit on the C.C's then decide to call back and say "gee nice lady I found this wallet meet me at such and such and I'll return it" She shows up thinking a nice person is trying to help and it turns out to be the mugger and now the mugger is turning into a ******. Your right thieves don't/won't want to return the wallet, they'll want to get something else on top of that.:(

OP it was nice of you to return the property even if you had a bit of a hassle:thumb:
I agree with Texas hermit that the detective was watching out for the woman. She sounded older over the phone and told me they busted her arm. I assume she told him about me. He was taking the story I told her and twisting it, jogging instead of biking, to see if I'd tell two different stories. Since he was from the 'burbs he didn't know the bridge well- or again was trying to trip me up as to where I found the wallet. Between us we figured the perps drove to a drug market in DC and were driving back home to the 'burbs when they wanted to get rid of the evidence by tossing it into the water not knowing that there is a multiuse path on that side of the bridge. Anyway, it was an interesting find.

If anybody finds my bike computer on the roadside, please return it--no questions asked. It fell off last winter when I was jumping over a 4 foot snowbank to get away from the snowplows.

And I'd like my damn plastic moose back too!

I never find anything. I just lose stuff so the rest of you can find it. :mad:

I have found and returned a couple of wallets
I found and returned a high school kids back pack with mid term papers in it. After talking to the kid I found out that bullies tossed his bag out of the bus window.
I found a really nice knife that I kept. no way to return it.
I have also found a few tools as well.

Two leather coats, one still in the dry cleaning bag.

Yeah well looks like he's gonna be road kill in a few minutes.

That was at the top of a hill, gotta admit that I was a little nervous laying in the middle of the street to take that image.

ipod nano 4 years ago

That reminds me, last week on a ride I found a drivers license. I got her # offline and when I called her parents answered. Her car had been stolen the night before. I guess they just dumped her stuff by the side of the road. Damn crooks.

This doesn't count, but I was riding down a steep hill at about 60km/h when I hit these huge ruts/bumps in the road. I nearly flew over the handlebars but managed to keep the bike upright. About 2km later I made it to my destination and noticed that my mini-pump had fallen out somewhere along the way. I assumed that it must have been at the bottom of that big hill. I rode back there and looked all around, in the grass and such. I looked down the road for a couple hundred feet or more, assuming the damn thing could have skidded for a long ways at 60km/h.

A few minutes later an SUV pulls up alongside me asking if I needed a hand. I told him that I had lost my pump and was looking for it. He then pulls out the pump and hands it over to me, saying he had found it in the middle of the road and nearly ran it over.

Nice enough guy, but I'm 95% sure he was actually behind me when the pump flew out and pulled over to get it (I remember seeing him when looking over my shoulder). I think he was just going to keep it but saw me when he was driving up the road about 15-20 minutes later and probably felt bad. Maybe I'm a pessimist but at least he was classy enough to give it back :)

So why would he be hanging around there for 15 minutes?

Hmmmmmmm. The moose pic represents to me what is going to happen in the future if things go on as they have been. Imagine the moose being of normal size, and then look how big the road seems. (I know...you think I am smoking pot.)

I've found a couple free bikes and a 1948 Philco radio so far this summer




after pics of the bikes


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/jjpistols/bike/PICT0579.jpg


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/jjpistols/bike/PICT0594.jpg




and the radio



http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/jjpistols/PICT0611.jpg

It's like this here in the Great Sh__ Lake Salty,, I got this thing called huntin, I get on my bike ,,, the one with the trailer, and I go slow, at very least a $4.00 Craftsman wrench, will land in my load.
I got these one $400.00 crimper's, I use them at work a lot, they were laying in the middle of a very busy 6 lane intersection,,, that asphalt was hot too. Cell phones up the ying yang,,,,usually broken but batteries can be useful.

I found tranquility.

My best find just occurred a few weeks ago out in the affluent suburbs. A Sony Cybershot 4.1 megapixel.
The body is scratched up and bezel is missing but it works just fine. I had been hoping to find some racy pictures of a local politician and his mistress on it ,but the memory stick was damaged. A very cool employee at Office Depot allowed me to test a new memory stick(before purchasing it,$25) to see if the camera still functioned after the rough treatment. Merry Christmas in July!!!! TYG

a small wrench, a bungee cord, also found a pair of wire snippers but left it.

Also, I saw a pair of keys in the shoulder once, but was in a rush so I left them. (plus i figured the owner would probably look for them)

I once found a half-full bottle of Mello Yello. For some strange reason it was in a Coke bottle.

bf

i trash-picked the laptop i am typing this on.

THAT was a good day
the guy was just putting it on the curb when i rode by and i asked him if it worked and he said, yup, it's yours

Ah, roadside treasures, cycling's unintended perk. I've found lots of great stuff, including:

Cellphones. Dozens. Some are still active. I use 'em until they get shut off. (Nah, I return most)

Digital cameras. Two, one was a nearly new 12MPx in a protective case. Got it with me right now.

MP3 players. Three. Sandisk, Cre8tive, Lexar. 2GB Sandisk works fine.

Tools. You name it, Leatherman multis, pliers, screwdrivers, a sledgehammer (tossed it in the weeds, came back later for it with the company truck)

Found a nice gas powered weed trimmer, way to big to carry on a bike. Gone when I went back for it.

Knives. Many, many pocketknives. People must leave 'em on pickup bed sides and drive away.

Guns. Two. A nice .357 S&W revolver, and a beat-up .40 auto, missing clip. (Kept the S&W, left the other right where I found it)

CDs. Who throws a whole CD wallet out the window? I've found 20, 30 CDs at a time that way.

DVDs. Rental movies. Fell off the roof of the car as you drove? Who knows. Nothing really great. I watch & return some of 'em. People who lose movies have crappy taste.

Fishing tackle. Rods, reels, whole tackle boxes. Inexplicable. I don't fish, but I guess I should start.

Clothing. Okay, I leave most of that alone I don't even want to know why there's a pair of pants in the street . I find great ball caps, knit caps, scarves, and a Nike starter jacket.

Liquor. Mostly unopened beer cans now & then... I guess kids toss 'em when they see the blue lights come on. I found a full bottle of Tequila once when I was sixteen. Me & the guys partied that weekend. (Never found any recreational drugs. Just as well. I'm way too old for that stuff now...)

Wallets. If there's ID inside, I Mapquest the address on the license, then ride to that address and leave the wallet in the mailbox. No note. Creepy, huh?

Car keys. If there's a grocery store shopper's card attached, I drop 'em off at that store. Otherwise, well... Need any remote locking fobs? Got Ford, GM, Chrysler, Volvo, and BMW.

One key ring had a police whistle on it, engraved with the name of the adjacent county's sherriff. I didn't get that back to him...

Money. Now we're talking. Usually it's just a stray dollar on the roadside, but I found $100 on this past Memorial Day... a rubber-banded roll of soaking wet $20 bills.

In 1997, I was working/commuting in Paris. Early one November morning I came upon a bank deposit bag lying in the gutter. It was one of those locking kind, but the zipper wasn't under the lock... I easily got it open with my apartment key. Inside was 2,000FF, small bills, no paperwork. I was overjoyed, until I realized that it equalled about $300 at the time. Ah, but still...

I still dream of finding a paper bag with, say, half a million bucks in it. That'd be nice. Otherwise, I'll be working until I'm 65.

Happy hunting to all.

Guns. Two. A nice .357 S&W revolver, and a beat-up .40 auto, missing clip. (Kept the S&W, left the other right where I found it)


You know, one of the reasons why someone would toss a gun on the side of the road is just screaming out in my mind.

It sure doesn't sound like a gun I'd want in my possession if the police were to ask questions about where and when you acquired it.

I thought that'd get some comments. Good thing I didn't mention the hundred or so porno mags I've found over the years...

First of all: Yes. I know. The weapon was either used in a crime and tossed out, or stolen, used in a crime and tossed out. The 55 year old me of this afternoon knows that I did a VERY VERY bad thing. (The 40-something year old me, on the other hand, left the Glock in the tall grass along Stevens Creek Road. It's probably not still there.)

NOTE: 18 when I found the Smith, 40 when I found the Glock (but knew better by then not to touch it) and 55 & 3 weeks right now. I'd say that I'm just a little bit wiser than I was 37 years ago... but not much. After all, I'm a grown man who owns four bicycles and zero cars.

I was 18, just out of high school, and it was 1971. The whole world was coming apart back in those days. There was a war on, there was a draft on, there were violent riots in many U.S. cities, including the one where I lived.
The USSR and the Chinese had nuclear armed missiles pointed at us, we had a hateful, incompetent thug in the White House... etc.

At the time, it just didn't occur to me to A) not pick up the .357, or B) turn it in to the cops (yeah, they'd have taken one look at me, and SLAM woulda went the greybar motel doors.) Instead, I thought it was just about the coolest thing I'd ever come across. I took that sucker home and hid it in my stuff... It seemed at the time to be a pretty good last-resort thing to have. I bought a box of shells for it at K Mart, no ID required. I never fired it.

Years later, I traded it to a coworker for a Pioneer AM/FM/Cassette deck car stereo. What he ended up doing with it is none of my business. I no longer have the stereo or the '68 Pontiac I put it in.

I do ride with a pistol. A much more legal one This is, after all, yee-haw GA.