Cambridge group reunites bikes and owners
New citizen-led online group adopts peaceful approach to help get bikes back
In a continued bid to address a growing number of bicycle thefts in the city, a group of Cambridge residents has tapped into a noncombative way to reunite bikes with their rightful owners. And although the initiative is in its infancy, it already seems to be making an impact when it comes to returning stolen wheels.
A citizen-led Facebook group, dubbed Where’s My Bike Cambridge, was created a week ago by Cambridge resident Pablo Astesiano, a specialist in information technology and digital marketing. Although he doesn’t own a bike himself, he has been paying attention to a significant increase in online discussion about stolen — and found — bikes on local social media sites, particularly when it comes to a shift toward vigilantism, shaming and blaming.
“Day after day, I started seeing more and more and more,” said Astesiano. “I started seeing the comments, full of anger, and taking bikes back by force.”
The Cambridge husband and father decided to do something different, aiming to leave the antagonism and politics behind. In founding the new public Facebook group, Astesiano saw an opportunity to create a connection solely founded on reporting lost and found bikes, educating bike owners on how to document their bike ownership and how to report stolen bikes.
“Let’s have a more positive approach. Let’s be proactive and find out how we can prevent the bikes from being stolen, what to do when they’re stolen and how we can recover them.”
Working in tandem with Cambridge resident Julie Currie, who has been documenting bike crimes in the city, Astesiano wanted to provide a platform for community engagement to resolve issues without attaching blame.
“We avoid the talking and blaming and trying to do the witch-hunting thing, and just focus on resolving people’s problems.”
The positive premise of the group is catching on like wildfire, with the group gaining members exponentially.
Judging by recent posts, efforts appear to be reaping good results as bike owners share posts expressing gratitude for helping to get their bikes back.
That includes local resident Dustin Siminoski, who had tried to spread the word about his stolen bike through social media, calling bike shops and searching “buy and sell” groups.
“A week ago my bike was stolen from my garage ... I was very disheartened,” he stated in his post on the group. “A member of this group saw my post and sent me a pic of what looked exactly like my bike. Sure enough, it was. The bike community never fails to impress me.”
Another woman, Ali Burke, shared her story with the online group, saying she was able to get her bike back by offering a noquestions-asked cash reward. The bike, which she used to ride from Alaska to Argentina several years ago, was stolen recently from west Galt.
“(The) $100 dollar reward worked, even if it’s pretty crappy to buy your own bike back,” she wrote. “It was so worth it in this case!”
Another Cambridge man, Doug Boyd, has also been doing his part by recovering bikes and bike parts from local waterways using a magnet device capable of lifting items up to 350 pounds. One of his posts depicts a collection of bikes found in the Grand River, under the Main Street bridge. Boyd, who said he often spends his Friday nights “magnet fishing” in local rivers, pledged to post photos of recovered bikes.
Meanwhile, many others are showing their goodwill spirits by offering to donate bikes to replace stolen bicycles.
The co-operation displayed by local citizens, including those who aren’t in desperate search for a stolen bike, has left Astesiano with a feel-good experience.
“We actually have this community engagement, even when it’s something that hasn’t touched them directly. They feel better by contributing and doing something about it.”
The Cambridge self-described “techy guy” aims to use the online group for more than just a platform for sharing lost and found stories, however. The Where’s My Bike Cambridge Facebook group’s administrators are also willing to help people track their own bike serial numbers and descriptions in case they need help to identify a stolen bike later but will also track data on bike theft. With help from Currie, Astesiano aims to compile data on where bicycles are being stolen and found, as well as dates and times.
“As soon as we get enough information we are going to do a hot spot map or something like that to be able to identify the areas,” he explained.
Plans are underway to share evidence and anecdotal information with local authorities.