In a roundabout way, I got robbed

[HackersTotalMassLaser]

I effing LOL'd

I would say; "Not enough cash!...stranger."

[Valiere]

More wonderful news. My bike got stolen.

[fruckert]

>:{

EDIT: Gorram smilies.

[Bluhman]

You're happy, on fire, and holding a bow and arrow backwards?

Ahem. Anyway, make sure you lock that **** up. How much did they steal? I've heard of some people taking the wheels off of bikes to take the body, especially if only a wheel is locked to a rack.

[Zerlina]

Believe it or not, something similar happened to me too. I think it has to be a common scam.

(FYI if there's anyone in Toronto, this was at Broadview station, so look out for this woman).

I was going to the subway and there was a woman there who said she was pregnant and she lived in Hamilton (a bus ride out of the city). She said she was stranded and her mother couldn't wire her money until Friday (the next day), so she asked if I could give her money for lunch. I told her I could get her something from McDonalds. I figured if she accepted me just getting her a hamburger, she probably was just stranded and hungry. So we walked up, and then she started asking me for $20 for a bus tickets back to Hamilton, and I kept turning her down. She told me some story about how a guy wanted her to do stuff to him in exchange for money, and how she's pregnant etc (she didn't look pregnant but she kept saying she was...). So we got to McDonalds, then she changed her mind and asked if I could get her a sandwich instead because it was healthier...it's more expensive but I felt obligated to get it at that point. She said "If you'd just give me the money for the bus ticket I wouldn't need the sandwich" and she got ruder. So we got to the store, and again she kept asking me for $20. When I wouldn't do it,  she ordered two expensive sandwiches, a side, and a fancy drink without even asking ($20 worth of stuff). I think she did it out of spite because I wouldn't just give her cash Couldn't believe it. I left the store right after so I don't know if she returned them, but after reading your post Val, I guess she did. Probably why she wanted to go to the sandwich store (that sold sandwiches and salads wrapped up and returnable) rather than McDonalds.

Another time had this woman tell me she just needed $5 for a ticket home (this time to Brampton). So I gave her $5. The next day, I was at the same place, and she came up to me and told me the same story. I told her she hit me up yesterday, and she went "Oh ok." stopped crying and walked away.

I hate people so much.

[Cerebus]

I can't count the things that that got stolen from me. Some in my own house!
Getting stolen by a total stranger is one thing, but by someone in your family it's another one... however, no matter who steals you, getting stolen is of course never fun and I sure hope they die a painful death.

[Valiere]

Ahem. Anyway, make sure you lock that **** up. How much did they steal? I've heard of some people taking the wheels off of bikes to take the body, especially if only a wheel is locked to a rack.

I did lock it up. They took the entire thing, and the lock is still there (and intact), so my best guess is they took the bike apart.

And that's ridiculous, Zerlina...Christ, it seems like none of them subscribe to "Beggars can't be choosers." You MUST give them something, and it has to be the BEST, you rich jerk!!

[SaiKar]

You actually got a bike stolen? I've lived in some pretty seedy areas lately and nobody ever touched my bike. Probably because it sucked and if you were going to steal a bike you sure as hell wouldn't steal mine, but maybe that's the secret!

[Valiere]

That's probably the problem. Everyone keeps telling me it got stolen because it was so pretty.

[Zerlina]

You actually got a bike stolen? I've lived in some pretty seedy areas lately and nobody ever touched my bike. Probably because it sucked and if you were going to steal a bike you sure as hell wouldn't steal mine, but maybe that's the secret!

Bike stealing is really lucrative in big cities. A friend of mine brought his bike out, realized he forgot his house keys, went inside, came out, and his bike was gone.

Just look at these statistics:

"Toronto police figures show that more than 50,000 bikes have been reported stolen in the city since 1997. Last year alone, 4,585 bicycles were reported stolen. But police said the numbers don't even come close to the real figures because most people don't register their bikes — and victims don't always report the crime."

(source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/07/17/bike-theft.html)

[Valiere]

An Austin Chronicle article helpfully informed me of who probably stole my bike: a crackhead.

So nice to know more of my money/property is going to support the local crackhead community.

[X_marks_the_ed]

Yeah, Val, thanks for the bike.

[Darkfox]

Chicken man stole mah bike!

[HackersTotalMassLaser]

Oh, hah, lol

exactly how I pictured it too

[Apex]

Yes, you did get scammed; but don't worry about it too much, because if she had been legitimate, and you called her out for it, you'd probably be feeling much worse about yourself right now. Just be grateful you weren't hurt; and remember that this sort of thing happens to the best of us.