What to do (if anything) about person walking two bikes at once
This is a variation on an older chibike thread about legit reasons for ghost riding. The general consensus is to mind your own business but I’m wondering if I missed an opportunity to flag an obvious theft in progress yesterday.
Context:
While biking the lakefront trail around 9pm yesterday, I crossed paths with someone walking in the northbound bike lane. I was headed south and had noticed from a distance that they were walking a bike on their left side (with bike lights on). Was considering asking if they needed any help. When I got closer I saw that this man had a second bike on his right side, missing its front wheel.
We made eye contact bc I had slowed down and I think it was obvious I was checking the second bike out. My brain switched gears from “this person might need help” to “noooope probably nothing good going on here” and I rode past without saying anything.
I started thinking about how much that sucked for whoever must have locked up their bike through its quick release front wheel - in the wrong place at the wrong time.
On the rest of my ride I looked out for an abandoned locked wheel on the racks I passed. I didn’t see anything obvious and talked myself out of thinking the second bike was stolen. By now I’ve talked myself back into it and feel like a dummy who didn’t do the right thing.
Question:
What would you have done? Should I have tried to take a picture? Called 311 or 911 to report suspicious activity?
I’m struggling to come up with an explanation here other than theft. I would like to know that I’m acting appropriately if I ever find myself in a similar situation.
Edit: Thanks all. We can agree that bike thieves suck and also that I am overthinking this. I do try to assume the best of people but yesterday my solo night riding hypervigilance won.
The answer to “What to do?” here is: nothing.
As u/steak5 pointed out there isn’t really anything you can do to affect the outcome if it is a theft. And if you must play the hero with a stranger maybe ask if they need help before assuming anything. There are lots of reasons people might find themselves in this situation.