Rusty Antique Scooter Stolen in Broad Daylight

I am sorry to see a story like this, and hope the bike is found soon. So easy to hide something this small.

I live partime in Baja, as my monicker indicates. And many people are led to believe the worst about Mexico, the cops and the crime. Believe me, most of it is overblown media hype and the victims are usually in places where they should not be, or involved in dealings that they should not be in.

We had an interesting experience a year ago here involving our son's rusted 61 buick Skylark. He drove into town , El sauzal, near Ensenada, one night for tacos, and then his car did not start--dead battery. Took a bus or walked- it was only two miles.

Returned the next morning, and no Buick. Someone said they had seen someone driving it earlier, and it would probably be taken apart soon for parts. So my son came home and said,"Well that's the end of an era." (The Buick , tripped out with surf racks,had been in the family for our kids for almost 30 years, still with less than 70K miles.) It had served well, but constant restoration had cost a fortune, so saying good-by was not hard.

But my husband got on his cell and alerted all his friends, workers and chief of policia. Within the hour, a worker on a bike spotted the car being driven, alerted our police friends and was advised to follow it. My son was also alerted.

Then the car stopped in front of a house and and a few went into a house, leaving one fellow by the car. My son showed up, (with his pink slip) and went to the car and watchman told him to get away from "his " car. (The police and biker are nearby but unseen as yet.)

Son says it is his car. Watchman says he will be paid $100 to watch car, and so wants $100 from my son. Police then come on scene, Man tries to run. My son says, "Can I just pop him in the nose? " The cop said OK, but then just get in the car and GO. If you pop him we cannot press charges,. But if we take him, it will take a long time and court appearances and costs to get your car back. So do it and go. Done.

The robbers were in a house known for other problems and were all jailed anyway.

Now, the great part. The robbers had put in a new battery, but left the old one, and had repaired a part that had always been faulty.

Maybe this scooter will return without the rust.

Not sure what the moral to my story is, but I guess we never know when it will hit the fan.

Wow. So who do you have to screw at the Independent to get such an article published. Anyone see my missing Meerkats?

Human interest stories have always been the forte of the Indy. And the up to date news. Living in another country, I have found the Indy has kept me more up to date than any other news from either Santa Barbara, Los Angeles or San Diego.

if you really lost some meerkats, I am sure it would make a good story. They are so cute.

So, McDermott,why knock a story and plea like this ? Are you just one of these guys who has to find fault with everyone and everthing?

The meerkats reference is to "The Santa Barbara Five" meerkats that got hijacked to Texas in 2002... The NewsPress went on a crusade and wrote a bunch of articles, eventually landing the creatures back at the SB Zoo where they belonged.

I remember the meerkats, their plight and their return. Just can't figure what that has to do with a stolen bike. Media coverage did help in the return of the meerkats. Maybe this will help the scooter owner too.

1. Hope you get the bike back
2. Hope they publicize and prosecute who did it

There ya go...

I'm with Don on this one. This is someone at the Independent writing a "news story" as a favor to their buddy.

Who CARES if they want to publish a story like this...it's not like we PAY to read the Indy! Sheesh!

Good! I'm sorry to say but one less lame scooter on the street. Get a real bike. Really? You would give your kid a scooter as a first vehicle?