AirTag

We can hear the beeping from “FindMy” inside the other dogs stomach….

Just like most of you all I purchased a couple of AirTags on release day to put on my keys, bag, bike, etc. I always hoped that I wouldn’t have to use them but today they saved me from losing my roadbike.

I go to a very large public university and usually bike to my classes from my apartment. I frequently participate in a ride called “Ragbrai” which involves cycling 500ish miles in a week so I have a rather expensive bike. Today I rode to my classes and then after leaving one of the buildings I found that my bike was stolen and the cut right through. I immediately checked the Find My app to see if hopefully the I had hidden under the seat would be able to tell me where my bike had gone. I saw that it was around 5 minutes walking distance north of me on campus and figured that whoever had stolen it must’ve just left with the bike. I tried running to catch them but they started cycling on a major in town so I gave up trying to catch them and just called the campus police. I was able to update them with the location of the bike every couple of minutes as it was pinging off of the assailant’s phone and they were able to find and arrest him for grand theft. I thankfully got my bike back which wouldn’t have happened without my AirTag :)

Today, while at my office, my Trek Domane bike was stolen from the locked bike rack on the back of my car in the middle of the day! Then the guy road the bike to the pawn shop 3 miles away, while pedaling on Whaoo Speedplay pedals. He fell once apparently. However, his plan was quickly fooled when I showed up at the pawnshop with law enforcement. I have a hidden Apple AirTag on my bike, and followed his ass all the way there. When I walked in, I played the sound on the AirTag and watched them all look for where the sound was coming from. Fortunately, he nor the pawnshop employees knew what he had, and they gave him $100 for the bike. He also tore off my cadence sensor probably thinking it was the tracking as it is into the frame. The cadence sensor alone was almost $100.

Side note: when someone steals from you and then pawns it, you have to give the pawnshop the equivalent of what they gave the person, so they do not become the victim of the crime. I live in Florida, where you have to fingerprint and ID to pawn anything. With the bike being over $750, it made it grand theft.

Nothing worse than working your ass off/saving to purchase a good bike then some POS steals it and only gets $100.00 from it! If I did not have the AirTag, it may have been gone, a $29 AirTag saved me thousands of dollars.

Edit: For Clarity:

1. The guy was no longer in the pawnshop, by saying I quickly fooled his plan, meant that he did not just get to steal a bike, pawn it, and get away with the crime. The AirTag actually did what it was designed to do.

2. Yes, in Florida, the Pawn Broker Act states law enforcement officers cannot take the victims goods and return them without giving the Pawnbroker a hearing.

3. No, you do not have to pay; however, to get the items back without paying you have to take it to Civil Court, prove the item is yours, if the judge agrees, the Pawn Shop has to give you your property and may also get the legal fees for both parties. Make sure to document your goods, including photos. The $100 was simply not worth my time, if it were more, absolutely.

4. Hypothetically, the guy who pawned the bike would be responsible for the restitution of the $100, plus any other damages, like destroying my lock, removing my speed/cadence sensor, etc. I am not sure if the Pawnbroker plans on doing any legal action.

5. Yes, the pawnshop stated to the officer they had the pawnbroker transaction form on file, thumbprint, and video.

6. I am a real person and also acknowledge I am an idiot for leaving my bike locked, in a bike rack, on the back of my car, 10’ from the front door of my office.

7. More information pertaining to Pawnbroking can be found in Chapter 539 of the Florida Statutes.