Work Wonder: Volume 1: Bike-a-pa-looza

Preface: I work for Transportation Services at Texas A&M University as a Customer Service Representative. Any qualm about parking, lots, bikes, etc, goes through me. Once a year, all the bicycles that are left on campus are relocated to a surplus lot. Students who did not move their bike, after being notified repeatedly through email, can make appointments to come and look for it. Today, one girl in particular stood out from the pack. Here is her story...

Britney and I left the office around 8:45 AM to go out to surplus to meet the 13 people who had appointments. Everyone forms a neat line and checks in (so we know they have given us a description and aren't just trying to steal a bike). Most of the appointments showed up and went on their way to look through the 1550 bikes.

Britney went inside the building to help customers and I stayed outside, helping a particularly confused young man. After 50 minutes, everyone had left and we started to head back.

While driving on Olsen Blvd., I noticed a girl from the appointment walking a bike on the side of the road. I turn to Britney and ask,"hey, that girl found her bike?"

Britney replies, "No... SHE STOLE IT! What should we do??!?!?"

"Pull over!" I yell.

We pull the car over into Lot 67, and Britney gets out to talk to the girl. I pull out the appointment sheet and confirm she did not sign for taking a bike as well as nothing in her description except the color. Britney comes back and tells me that the girl is claiming it may be her bike, but she isn't sure and is unable to remove the lock.

[When there is a lock on a bike, we require the customer be able to remove it before taking the bike.]

The lock is a numerical, not key lock, and she doesn't not the combination. She says its not her lock. At this point, we call back to the office and ask what to do. Our supervisor says if she can't remove the lock, to take the bike away from her.

So, as kindly as possible, we requsted she give us the bike. She did and walked away. BP (Britney) and I loaded the bike in the Taurus and drove, with the trunk ajar, back to surplus.



This is why I blog, and this is why I spend an hour by myself when I get home.