Just Bring Her Bike Back

Stealing a bike from anybody is bad enough.  But stealing it from an 11-year-old girl takes a particular kind of depravity.

Whenever I hear about someone stealing, I want to believe--or at least hope--that the thief was desperate.  There is,  however, no room for such hope when the thief steals a bike that is way too small for him, or any other person over the age of 14, to ride:  Small-wheeled bikes for young children have very little, if any, resale value.  

Still, those bikes mean everything to the kids who ride them.  "I learned how to ride a bike on it,"  Brianna Jiminez recalled, as tears streamed down her face.  She has "lots of memories" on it, she said.



At least there is some chance the the thief will be caught:  His image was captured on a surveillance video from her family's front porch, where he took her bike.  The bike burglar also took wallets, purses, jewelry and other items from the Jiminez's neighbors in Houston.

Her father, Pablo isn't "looking for trouble".  All he wants is for the thief to "get the items back."  He won't press charges and has this message for the crook:  "If you need somebody in your life, let me help out."

If You Had This, Would You Care About The Super Bowl?

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.

It's been years since I actually paid attention to what happens between commercials and performances by has-been entertainers--I mean, the game.  (That I haven't referred to it as The Game should tell you something.)

It's in Houston this year.  I have to admit it's been a while since I've been there, so it might be very different from my memories of it:  a city that seemed to be bigger than a few states and countries I've visited, hotter and more humid than the most brutal summer days in New York and with less mass transportation than on one block of the Big Apple.  In fact, it reminded me of the stereotype of LA in that everything was connected--by freeways.

Anyway, I see they have a bike share program, called B-cycle.    For the past week, shares have been free for those who reserved.  After the Super Bowl, it will offer "Bike Share Free Fridays" through February and March.

Now, if you could go for a ride and see this, why would you want to watch the performances--of the athletes or the entertainers?