I never really understood this "young offender" thing. If you're 14 year old and you murder someone, you should be shot along with all the other wackos. Why should kids be able to get away with it? Besides, if they're commiting crimes at so young of an age, they're probably going to grow up to be hardened criminals anyway, so what the point of protecting them?

I hope you never get your bike back and I hope (know) you'll fail in life.

On another note, I support tree huggers, because whatever the seemingly negative consequences of their actions, I know that ultimately, they're working to save the environment so my kids don't have to abandon Earth and move to Mars.

FTC - while I understand you think the punishment is harsh, I reckon in 20 years time you'll be thankful you were caught and punished.
Shoplifting is a buzz, I know, but it comes with consequences that can **** your life up forever. These days I repo cars instead, same buzz, but legal.

Ever seen Jackie Brown?

jesus christ.
he stole 9$ grips
not that big a deal
he shouldnt "fail at life"
he should make up for his mistake.
and even if he cant make up for his mistake, stealing 9$ grips when your 15 is no basis to judge the rest of your life on.

thats why your republican...and im smart

Beerman - Yeah

Good man.

I'm not making the Jackie Brown connection.

He needs to trade in that repo man job for something a little more bountyhunter-esque.

1. Jesus Christ did not steal grips. It's not in his nature. ;)
2. The value is irrelevant. Theft is a big deal. He deserves whatever punishment is coming his way.
3. We aren't saying he should "fail at life", rather that if he fails to understand why what he did was wrong, he will fail at life. Cause and effect.
4. The punishment should hopefully serve as a wakeup call so he gets his shizz straight, before he really f's up his life. Losing a bike, while tragic at 14y, is really not the end of the world in the big picture. But I bet it will make a very clear point that he'll remember for a long time.
5. That's why you're a Republican, and I'm smart. English is a great language. You should learn it sometime.

-Paul

I do my fair share of process serving, and that's plenty hairy enough for me thanks.

i feel like being over the age of 20, you should...
a) be in class (college)
b) be doing schoolwork for class (college)
or...
c) have a job
d) be doing that job
e) have somthing better to do than correct the english of a 15 year old online
f) realize the price actually does matter, although i dont steal, i would be much more open to stealing a 50cent candy bar, rather than a 500+ bmx bike

That's sad correcting his English, it is called slang...

Also, the price does matter, as Mude said, if you stole one penny sweet from a Pix'N'Mix counter, it means nothing compared to stealing a 10grand car... But stealing is bad, and you need to commit the crime before you realise what you have done.

Overall, the origional poster has learnt his lesson, he deserves his bike back, and he has learnt a valuable lesson that he will not forget in the future, you commit a crime and break a law, you will eventually, someday, get punished for it.

don't nick grips, nick a frame!!

(i know its not actually possible!)

I am well over 20, I have a job, I don't do said job at 1am and you're missing the point. The value doesn't matter. Wrong is wrong, and I doubt FTC will ever learn that without a really ugly lesson. I'm not saying I'm lilly white either. When I was a little kid, my parents busted me stealing a handful of marbles. Retail value, maybe $1. My parents drove me back to the store, returned the items AND paid for them, made me apologize to the manager in person and again in a written letter and I lost my allowance for a month. Harsh? Yes, but I haven't stolen anything since! That lesson was seered into my mind at a very young age. Had my parents said "you can keep them, but don't do it again, okay?", my value system would be vastly different today. Honestly the sad part is that FTC's parents aren't making the punishment 10x worse than the authorities. Parenting is best left to parents. Too bad too many of them choose not to succeed at the most important task they'll ever do!

-Paul

Yet another great post, Paul!