Sheesh ok guys, everyone blew a simple post fairly out of proportion. I felt like I didnt need to write down the whole story because I was just doing the dutiful thing here and if anyone was missing a bike like this then they could contact me and I'd lead them in the right direction. Next time I post a simple sighting I'll be sure to follow it up with a complete report. (Although that will likely open me up for even more comments about every action I took as im sure there will be no end to the comments after this report) So no Im not a cyclist, my brother is and he has had 2 bikes stolen from him at R60k and R100k so I thought Id just make a post and possibly help someone. I took a few photos and as you can see I posted the pics where you could see the bike but not his face. As one person commented that I have now defamed this person but I have not as was very careful in what pics i posted. No I didnt just look at his skin colour and make an assumption. I noticed he was pushing the bike on a fairly gradual incline (easy enough to ride without effort) so I wondered why he wasnt riding the bike. I looked at the tires specifically and concluded they definitely weren't flat as they bumped up and down pavement and were properly pumped. I then wondered why this guy was commuting in jeans that would clearly get caught in the chain. I drove away wondering these things then circled back to have another look. For the duration of 2 blocks he kept looking back as if he was either waiting for someone to catch up or worried about being seen, still pushing the bike. Yes sure all these things individually would be fine but all added up seemed suspicious to me so I called our security company and they said they'll just chat to him. I then saw him walk the bike down a long driveway and ring the bell. He kept looking backwards behind him (Sure its SA so we all have to be aware of our surroundings if thats what someone was going to comment). He saw my vehicle parked on the road (roughly 35-40m away) and went inside and kept looking back. Security arrived almost as soon as the gate had closed and they walked down the driveway to chat to him. Within one minute he had completely changed into a black sleeveless top, black shorts and different takkies. Considering he wasnt walking up the road with much haste it did seem unusual that he changed within 60sec. The security company was super relaxed when questioning him and im not sure what was said because I didnt understand but the security guy was smiling and not yelling so it didnt seem like a forceful interrogation to me but of course there must have been questions about what I saw. The guy was on the other side of the gate the entire time so I dont see how he would've felt so intimidated that he would be shaking. I mean if he wanted to he could've just walked inside the house and there's nothing more the security could've done. He phoned his boss and she arrived within 3min and said that the bike was his, that her husband gave him the bike. I instantly felt embarrassed by the whole situation and apologised to both of them personally and left almost instantly. Only after walking back up the long driveway chatting to the security. The guy that was questioning him said that his answers were all over the place and he was shaking and really nervous. He said that the guy was wearing those sports-like clothes because he just went for a ride. So I showed the security guys the pics that he was just wearing when i saw him (jeans and a shirt) to clarify what I had seen and they stopped and looked back and said "look theres nothing we can do if his boss says they gave him that bike". But since the lady said she had given him the bike we just left it. Yes I should've asked him these questions myself to get clarity but I didnt because I didnt know what had already been asked and I was nervous and embarrassed and well I've never stepped out of my comfort zone like this so I basically just ran away. Overall my conclusion and the reason why I posted the sighting afterwards is because: • When I got close to the bike I saw it had those fancy small cleat pedals. Im no expert but looked like that coz I obviously know what a normal pedal looks like. • He was pushing a bike where he could've been riding a bike. • As he got home he instantly changed within 60sec as if he was rushing out to go for a run but if was in such a rush that he'd change suspiciously quickly then why didnt he ride the bike back to the house? • I found it strange that he was wearing jeans that would clearly get caught in the chain and if he had just hopped off the bike mid cycle then surely his jeans would still be tucked into his sock? • He claimed he had just come back from a cycle in the current black clothes he is wearing so clearly lied and why would he lie. I.e. I couldnt go back and question the guy coz he had someone vouch for him but I then instead just posted here. Yes there is an alternative to every point I have mentioned here and all could be innocent but all these points added together in a country like SA and a city like Joburg. Well I acted on my instincts and tried to do the right thing even though it made me very uncomfortable doing so as my mother actually raised me to look the other way and let everyone else deal with everyone else's problems. At the age of 35 I thought I should maybe be more proactive in this country rather than just complaining about the crime. Now that you have all the facts and the blow by blow I hope you'll understand why I did what I did in the moment when having to act quickly and not having hours to look at all rational possibilities of everything I saw. I still feel I did the right thing in this situation but if you feel I didnt and didnt have enough evidence to go on, to handle this in the well mannered way I felt I did, then let me know, I can easily go back to being the person I was and do nothing while the country falls apart around me.
