Originally Posted by comradehoser
re: unattended bikes. is it bike theft to take home and fix up an abandoned, non-functional bike that is going to get junked anyways? I'm not so sure I like your insinuation that I'm on the prowl to grab up bikes on porches, etc., or any other place attaching ownership. If this was the case, don't you think I probably would NOT be posting on a cycling bulletin board about an ethical dilemma regarding an abandoned bike?
If anyone has a good line on cheap, good quality second-hand fixie-compatible frames in the DC area, I'd love to hear it. Value Village in College Park is not cutting it; College Park bikes is mostly super high-end; Goodwill is totally hit-and-miss and usually crap; shaw ecovillage has like 4 bikes.
Herein lies the quandary. Here in NY, and I suspect D.C., you can find crappy old frames that others have picked up at suburban garage sales for $20 posted back on Craig'sList for $100. You could have turned around and done the same with the components.
Not a strange story, and not really dubious to be on the lookout for throw-aways. The east coast urban environment is highly competitive when it comes to rummaging and scavenging: if you don't want to miss out on the best deals around, you keep your eyes peeled. Doesn't mean you're trolling for potential easy larceny, I agree. One point about this: because of the possibility of people snatching things off of the street, most people I know here are pretty conscientious about watching out for their things: usually, if it's just lying on the street, no one around, it's been abandoned. I'm actually surprised the guy in the van didn't try and make a quick buck off of your honest question: "uh, yeah, that's mine, you wanna buy it?"
Originally Posted by comradehoser
Anyways, no sh*t I have a notion it could stolen, was I not clear about that? The question is: what should I do about it? How do I go about finding its owner if it is?
Seems that this is the ethical approach: since you suspect that it's stolen or something else kind of sketchy, but you have no way to ask the owner directly, you just have to try and locate the owner. I'd say that a post on Craig'slist with a general description of a 'found bike with components' and an offer for the owner to identify themself and the bike is a good one, along with maybe some postings in your local bike shops. Maybe ask around in the shops if anyone happens to know. You could also go post a little note with a ph. or email address on a tree or pole near where you found the bike. Obviously, you've already put a little effort into this.
Wait a little while, maybe a couple weeks, a month or more; if no responses, you could use the components and ultimately, if dude just contacts you out of the blue, be prepared to return them. I'd say that a certain extended period of time would make the bike yours. Heck, that's what the police do.
Maybe the bike was attached to a stolen vehicle? Just another theory.