Let's Go Get Your Bike
How Elon Musk and a P.I. helped me get my stolen e-bike back
This was my first post on Substack, one year ago, when I had zero subscribers. I decided to refurbish and re-post it because it is a unique and true story.
In 2022, I moved to New Hampshire. Theft is relatively common in our city, which is not something I’m used to.
As a side hustle I set up an e-bike rentals and tours operation out of my garage. In September I invested $4,000 into an Intense Tazer Pro for my small fleet.
A month after getting the bike, I left the garage door open and it was stolen. No tracker, no insurance.
I filed a police report. I asked my neighbors if they saw anything. I informed the internet. I called bike shops and pawn shops. I asked people who had cameras in the area. I showed pictures to every cop I saw. I even gave my phone number to vagabonds and told them “cash prize for info leading to a recovery.”
Nobody knew anything.
A shred of doubt is the first step of giving up. You gotta believe 100%.
I read a story of how Elon Musk caught an employee who was leaking confidential Tesla emails to the press.
Tesla sent identical looking emails to all employees. But each email was different because an extra space was added in a different spot for each employee receiving the email. When the email was leaked to the press, the extra space was a digital signature of the leaker, who was then invited to further his career elsewhere.
That story inspired me to go on the offensive. I baited the thief.
My e-bike was on the charger when the thief grabbed it. Next to the bike was the battery door cover which they didn’t take. Whoever has my bike will want this battery door cover. This is a part that’s specific to the bike and happened to be out of stock. I listed the part for sale on eBay, posing as a seller from North Carolina.
Three days later my phone made an unusual sound. It was an eBay order, for my battery door cover, from a local address.
It worked. I called the cops. I was ready to go to the house and get my bike.
The police said they’ll send an officer to my address. 6 hours later, at 11pm, a rookie cop showed up. I gave him the information.
“We don’t know for sure who has your bike. We’ll give this information to a detective,” the officer said. Then he left.
The next day, Saturday, there was a homicide in my area.
On Sunday, I called the police department to request that someone go with me to the eBay address to ask for my bike back. The department operator spoke like I was a crazy person:
“No. We don’t do that. We can’t help you when you want us to. Your case will be assigned to a detective.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you have an estimate?”
“NO!”
“Is there a detective assigned now?”
“No.”
“Will there be one tomorrow?”
“I don’t know!”
“Ok, well I’m supposed to ship this part to the buyer tomorrow. If I don’t ship it he might realize his mistake and move the bike.”
“There was a homicide last night! We have other priorities!”
“Ok. I’ll call back tomorrow.”
“Ok, bye.”
At work, I discussed the situation with my co-workers and friends. We concluded that hiring a Private Investigator is the best move.
I went to Google Maps and began calling private investigators in Manchester.
*Kids screaming in the background*
“Hey be quiet,” said the potential P.I.
I explained the situation.
“I can watch his house and see if I can see the bike in his garage. If I see it I’ll call the police.”
“How much per hour?”
“85.”
“Ok I’ll shop around and call you back.”
I called another P.I. and repeated the story.
“Wait what?! The police won’t help you?” said Will the P.I.
“That’s right. There was a homicide last night and they said they can’t help me.”
“Okay, I’ll go to the house and see if this guy knows where the bike is.”
“I’d like to meet you there, get the bike, put it on my rack and go home. Bang bang done.”
That night at 6:40, Will the P.I. and I met around the corner from the eBay address. The plan was I would wait in my car but I couldn’t resist following him on foot to the house. Will knocked on the door. I crouched behind a car in the street. I could hear them talking.
A car with one headlight was running in the street.
Will and the residents talked for a long five minutes. Then a Hispanic man got out of the one-headlight car and went to the door.
The voices grow louder. Will said "I'm not the police, if he gets his bike back I think it could be over."
Both Will and the mysterious Latino go back to their cars. They drive back to my car. I run back and say what's going on?
Will rolls down the window and says "Let's go get your bike. Follow us."
We’re following the sketchy one headlight car.
I'm buggin. I call Will as we’re caravaning to the unknown location.
"Hey what's up,” says Will.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"We're going to meet them at a public place to get the bike.”
"I'm just trynna make sure we don’t walk into a crazy situation.”
"I told them I wasn't comfortable going to a house so a guy will bring it to a public place. I'm in the lead."
"OK.”
We pulled up to an auto body shop. Chop shop? The Latino and Will got out of their cars and another Latino approached. I parked and didn’t get out. The Latinos are looked at me then went behind the building.
Will is pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. He walks behind his car. Then back on the sidewalk.
THE MEN COME AROUND THE CORNER WITH A BIKE. MY BIKE.
I jump out. The guy holding my bike is speaking Spanish.
“Is that your bike?” Will says.
“Yup.”
I take my bike back while the Hispanic man says, “A homeless guy walked up to me and said hey wanna buy a bike? I looked it up on the internet and I’d be crazy not to.”
"Okay, take care, I say, and we push the bike back to my car.
As we load the bike, Will says “Let’s get out of here! Follow me to the CVS.”
At CVS I get out and shake his hand.
“Good work,” I say.
“You too.”
“How did that play out? You guys were talking for five minutes.”
“At first they denied denied denied. I formed rapport and disarmed them. Then I explained that we got their address when he ordered the part from eBay. The wife was pissed. Diego's hands were shaking. That's when Mike walked up and they decided Mike will bring us to the bike.”
I went home and laughed. I cancelled the eBay order. Diego got a full refund.
(Fall 2022) Criminals know the police are overwhelmed. Theft is rampant. Car alarms are a regular background noise. Most people in my neighborhood, which is a relatively nice neighborhood, have been robbed.
Locks, cameras, floodlights and trackers are just the beginning. We need Neighborhood Watch teams. We will stop criminals. Stealing from our neighborhoods will not be profitable! Criminals and desperate people must understand: When you commit crime, bad things happen.
Thank you to the friends, neighbors and business owners who helped recover the bike. Big thank you to Freyler Investigations Group for professionalism and courage.
Epilogue
I purchased $15,000 of renters insurance for $144 / year. I bought four Apple Airtag trackers for $90 and embedded them in my bikes. They notify me if a bike leaves my address without my phone. I also installed a garage camera and door controller that links to my phone. Last but not least we put up a Neighborhood Watch sign and flood lights in the alley.
Manchester Police Department never called me back.
Have a pleasant day
Ive always wanted to call a PI for something. 🤣 Im glad my home has an alarm system. Good reminder to use it. People are cruel when desperate.
That’s a story! Way to go. I had a bike stolen in junior high; the school found the thief with security cameras, a couple of kids from my class, one of whom had been a friend. Both made appointments with their parents to come sit in my living room and apologize. Bike theft makes for quite the stories!