So I've had my track bike on the classifieds here for a few weeks. Tonight I gave in and put it on craigslist. It had been on there for about 5 minutes when the crackpots started to write to me... here is one example of how I spent the past twenty minutes:
To: sale-908672418@craigslist.org
Subject: Panasonic Track Bike 56 lugged, original decals - $500
Crackpot: Hey, pretty sure this bike is stolen.
Me: Are you f**king insane? I've had it for years and unless the 80-year-old guy I bought it from in PA was a retired cat burglar... I am not a bike thief. Thanks for your concern.
Crackpot: ok, if i'm wrong i'm wrong, just saying. pretty sure it was stolen in manhattan
Me: You are mistaken. I am a cyclist, just like you. I wouldn't buy or possess a stolen bicycle. The bike looks nothing like it did the way I picked it up. That day it had fenders, a battered brooks saddle, brake levers with tatty cloth tape and two brakes. The way it looks in the crappy pictures I posted is the way I MADE IT LOOK. Your email was offensive even if your intentions are good.
Crackpot: The way you described it is EXACTLY how it would have looked when stolen. I bought it from a guy on staten island, and gave it to my friend, it was stolen from a subway stop in manhattan. It had two brakes a f**king shitty as saddle and some crappy cloth wrap. Don't be irrational, i am obviously not trying to offend you. I am not going to get in some argument. We'll end it with that.
Me: Holy s**t really?! Maybe it IS your bike! Was the guy a white guy in his 70's? With a beard? If so, he took the bike to a farm in Bethlehem PA and sold it to me at his estate sale... We'll get to the bottom of this racket!
To: sale-908672418@craigslist.org
Subject: Panasonic Track Bike 56 lugged, original decals - $500
Crackpot: Hey, pretty sure this bike is stolen.
Me: Are you f**king insane? I've had it for years and unless the 80-year-old guy I bought it from in PA was a retired cat burglar... I am not a bike thief. Thanks for your concern.
Crackpot: ok, if i'm wrong i'm wrong, just saying. pretty sure it was stolen in manhattan
Me: You are mistaken. I am a cyclist, just like you. I wouldn't buy or possess a stolen bicycle. The bike looks nothing like it did the way I picked it up. That day it had fenders, a battered brooks saddle, brake levers with tatty cloth tape and two brakes. The way it looks in the crappy pictures I posted is the way I MADE IT LOOK. Your email was offensive even if your intentions are good.
Crackpot: The way you described it is EXACTLY how it would have looked when stolen. I bought it from a guy on staten island, and gave it to my friend, it was stolen from a subway stop in manhattan. It had two brakes a f**king shitty as saddle and some crappy cloth wrap. Don't be irrational, i am obviously not trying to offend you. I am not going to get in some argument. We'll end it with that.
Me: Holy s**t really?! Maybe it IS your bike! Was the guy a white guy in his 70's? With a beard? If so, he took the bike to a farm in Bethlehem PA and sold it to me at his estate sale... We'll get to the bottom of this racket!