"i am deeply concerned that various nyc enforcement departments lack concern for the property of citizens. there seems to be no centralized system to retreive confiscated bicycles, while there are countless departments which each have their own form of police force out on the streets with (apparently) legal rights and interest in the confiscation of bicycles of unaware citizens.

last night my bike was taken while locked to a signpost at 14th street and 4th avenue, the corner of union square (monday dec 6th, 5:40pm). it is not the most attractive bike, i've left it on the streets for over 3 years and i've had no real problems, as nobody takes interest in my bike. for that reason i was surprised to see it gone. my lock was cut and still on the ground and i asked a man standing nearby if he saw anyone take my bike. ""some officers took bikes along here earlier"" he told me. this made more sense to me than a robbery, as i already mentioned that the bike is not so attractive.

so, since that time, i've contacted dozens of phone lines for nypd's local office and south manhattan task force, transit police, nyc parks, nyc parks police, sanitation police, and i've yet been able to get through to the dot or traffic dept. my request to get my confiscated bicycle seems to boggle everyone i reach, as if i were the first person to call looking for my bike. or if they know about bike confiscations they asked, ""were you in the critical mass rally this past saturday?"". ""no"" i responded (i really wasn't, but i'm beginning to have more sympathy and interest for the organisation thanks to the officers i spoke to ).

when i was at the precinct office i was told that park services have had to start confiscating bikes around union square because ""it's become a real problem"". Apparently, all bicyclists in general are ""activists and radicals"" according to an officer at the 13th precinct.

a park officer explained to me that a bicycle tied to a post on the street at the edge of a park is officially ""abandoned"" and may be taken by parks police. i mentioned that the parks have no signs stating that this may occur, and his response was, "" in our parks we have up to almost 60 rules, if we posted all 60 rules it wouldn't look like a park anymore, but more like a billboard"". but then he kindly took my information and called me back later to inform me that his group was not confiscating bikes in union square that night, but in the east river park instead. he recommended that i try a couple of other numbers, and they gave me a couple more numbers.

has anyone had a similar problem. are there any central bike depositories that i can check other than the one an officer told be about on kingsland ave in greenpoint? i appreciate any help in trying to relocate my bike which is currently lost in an incomprehensible system.

thanks.

"