VIRGINIA BEACH
If there is a lesson in Violet Blanton’s bike ordeal, it’s that you can’t keep a low profile stealing a pink, three-wheeled bicycle.
They draw a lot of attention.
A s Dave Evans pulled up in a van to Blanton’s Acredale home Wednesday night, a news media crew awaited the moment of truth. Was it her bike?
“That is my bike – really!” Blanton, 84, proclaimed as it was pulled from the van.
On April 17, Blanton’s bike was stolen from her carport. It was an easy heist: Blanton had sworn off the cantankerous lock.
The revelation of the theft in a newspaper article spurred offers of help.
A coffee shop raised hundreds of dollars. A woman offered to donate her late mother’s tricycle, this one purple. The author of an inspirational book on her own three-wheeled bike said she’d donate proceeds from her book’s sale.
All that was for naught, though, when Evans called a newspaper reporter and said he may have unwittingly bought Blanton’s hot bike for $44 near his Euclid Road home. That led to Wednesday’s reunion.
“He said it was his friend’s mother’s, and that she had died,” Evans said of the seller Wednesday as Blanton pedaled her bike around her driveway.
“Here I am, pretty much alive,” Blanton said.
It was, Evans said, with a “mixed reaction” that he bid the bike goodbye.
When Blanton insisted she reimburse him for his $44 investment, he accepted. He’s warmed up to the idea of a man-sized tricycle. “But I didn’t know they cost $600,” he said.
Blanton plans to immediately resume her daily two-mile bike ride, with one small dog in the front basket and another in the rear basket. Some folks still insist they’re going to give her money, Blanton said. If she gets any, she said, she’ll give it to the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .
As for the previously shunned lock: “The bike is going behind the house and getting locked up,” Blanton said. “They’ll have to pull the back of the house down to get it next time.”
John Warren, (757) 222-5114, john.warren@pilotonline.com
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In Agreement! (Kind of) Not arguing The Figures Here...LOL
But I do find it funny(odd, strange, peculiar, etc) that someone would say the figures/statistics lie, & then use figures/statistics from the same ("lying figures/statistics) to prove a different point. In any event thanks! I will consider myself lucky I do not live in Norfolk, Newport News, & an even greater degree Atlanta..(per capita) crime leading citizens, in their various "subdivisions"..LOL
Awesome web site!!!
Alpharetta (Metro Atl - 11M from heart of DT)
Murder-0.36 the Nat Avg. Rape-0.46 the Nat Avg. Robbery-0.31 the Nat Avg.
All violent crime-0.52 the Nat Avg. Burglary-0.62 the Nat Avg. Car theft-0.61 the Nat Avg. Arson-0.00 the Nat Avg. All property Crime-0.95 Nat Avg
Norfolk
Murder-2.16 the Nat Avg. Rape-0.98 the Nat Avg. Robbery-1.35 the Nat Avg.
All violent crime-0.96 the Nat Avg. Burglary-0.86 the Nat Avg. Car theft-0.99 the Nat Avg. Arson-0.31 the Nat Avg. All property Crime-1.30 times the Nat Avg
Norfolk....what a cesspool.
Crime stats. Figures lie, liars figure
Nice stats. Too bad they only take into account the imaginary "city limits" line which in Atl is the inner city core where "that" population lives and is hardly a representation of the metro area. That is fairly hilarious. Unless you would like to believe only roughly 240K people live in Metro Atl. Actually has a tad more than the population of the innter city limits...uh....like 5.5M more. Just a slight difference to offset your numbers. Go back and look at the crime rates for Atl metro vs Hampton Roads area and get back with me. Yeah, exactly.....now you see why the Tidewater continues to loose population. It is actually much safer in Atl metro....not to mention cheaper to live, higher wages, etc. etc. Kennesaw has lowest crime rates in the NATION. Alpharetta, my new home, is close behind. I've lived in both Tidewater and Atl Metro. I know the difference. My doors....unlocked. My yard, free of ugly NO TRESPASSING SIGNS. My car insurance cut in half when I moved here do to lower property crime rates.
Nice Neighborhoods
Cityrating.com ----Atlanta, Ga ---crime statistics.. Norfolk, Va.--crime statistics...Even Newport News looks like Paradise...in comparison...(Qty & per Capita)..Atlanta...What a Cesspool! LOL
Happy Ending
I am happy that the lady was able to have her bike returned by a honest citizen. It appears that her pooches were glad to get their ride back also. Shame on the low-lifes who steal and take advantage of our senior citizens.
Wow
"I'm glad she got it back. In my neighborhood, when someones' bike gets stolen, it's pretty much a goner."
Sounds like a nice neighborhood.
Stupid criminals
Why the heck didn't he paint it blue or green?
Most people are basically good
Thanks Pilot:
Thanks for the heartwarming story and the resulting outpouring of concern and care from the people for this dear lady and her pets.
Currently the media is focused on the sensationalistic, negative and punitive aspects of reporting the news. This story is a nice change and reminds us all that WE ARE ALL CONNECTED TO ONE ANOTHER.
It also reminds us that the majority of people are kind and caring.
It also reminds us of the power of this newspaper to bring out the best, most loving and uplifting aspects in people.
Isn't it better to light a candle then to curse the darkness?
In these crazy times it reminds us that we are all in the same boat - let's keep it a float!
Let's see what the Power of the Newspaper can do in helping us all thru this journey called life.
Bike
Her sweatshirt matches her bike. What fashion sense! I saw that she loads her pooches in the baskets. One of my most prized antiques is a bike that looks just like the one Elvira Gulch rides in the Wizard of OZ. My dog/s will not fit in the basket. Every now & then I take it for a spin whistling the theme music played in the movie while Elvira rides hers...of course. I'm glad she got it back. In my neighborhood, when someones' bike gets stolen, it's pretty much a goner.
Three-Wheeler
A hearty thanks to an honest man...Dave Evans. Unfortunately, they're hard to find.
I think
I think Evans should get the other bike that was being donated. The purple one! They were going to donate it anyways and obviously he needed this bike for a reason. Besides, the article made it sound like he was bummed about losing this bike. He deserves a reward for his good deed.