Mark J. Ginsberg

sigh.

mensch is Yiddish, in German it literary means man, but to be a mensch is to be
a n upright citizen, someone who does the right thing even when others are not
looking.

my grand father always told me to be a mensch, it does mean man, but in a
positive, proper way.

try this:
what a mensch that mikey goldfarb is! he helped your grand mother across the
street when he wasn't even going that way!

or for the PNW and obra
boy, that chief official/Kenji/Candi is really a mensch, I was complaining that
they placed my 57th, when I was clearly 54th, and they just smiled and never
even mentioned my wind vest covering my number! They just gave me some coffee
and said they'd fix it!!

Mark J. Ginsberg
Berkshire Ginsberg, LLC
Attorneys At Law
1216 SE Belmont St.
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 542-3000
Fax (503) 233-6874
markjginsberg@yahoo.com
www.bikesafetylaw.com

________________________________
From: eric aldinger
To: eric939@redshift.com
Cc: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Sat, February 26, 2011 9:43:08 AM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Stolen Bike - Found!

We do not use Yiddish as much in the Northwest. From the way it was used where I
grew up it means roughly salt of the Earth, or righteous dude.

It is always hard to know where intervention is going to help or aggrevate the
situation. The outcome speaks for itself.

On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 7:48 PM, wrote:

>Some years back, my classic Paramount track bike was stolen. Two years
>later, some guy tried to fence it at a local bike shop. The owner knew
>this was fishy, called a friend of his, who recognised it and called me.
>I got there when the guy was still there, and to make it simple I bought
>it back for $50.
>
>When I got it back, the "Schwinn Paramount" decals had been removed, and
>there was a freewheel on the rear wheel. No way to stop!
>
>But I still have it.
>
>== Eric
>
>
>
>> Maybe I missed a discussion on this, but since you had a lock, I would
>> have opted to lock the bike to something (or even just the rear wheel
>> to the seat tube) and then called the owner or authorities.
>>
>> In my youth (mid 20s), I once recovered my best friend's stolen bike
>> in Washington DC during my lunch hour. I had cycling shoes on at the
>> time and opted to snatch and run (ride) as I just didn't think that a
>> scuffle in tap shoes was the best idea. This was also at the tail end
>> of the late 80's crack wars, and I didn't want to get shot either.
>> _______________________________________________
>> OBRA mailing list
>> obra@list.obra.org
>> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
>> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>OBRA mailing list
>obra@list.obra.org
>http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
>Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>

--
Eric Aldinger

Russ Rainforth

That's awesome man- way to go!
You definitely "walk the walk".

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 25, 2011, at 5:30 PM, Benjamin Barber wrote:

> I spotted it in possession of 2 black guys, who were wearing the gangsta sort of clothing, as i left my tutoring job. As i was leaving the indigo i saw them walking it along the sidewalk, and I followed them scoping it out, and told them how "thats a pretty nice bike you got there". They proceeded to the roxy as i turned the corner, thinking they were suspicious but I couldn't pin them yet. I flipped open my phone and went to obra to find the description, then locked up my bike and doubled back, and found it inside of the roxy unlocked. I showed showed the waiter the obra post, and told him that I was taking the bike, the person who stole it got pissed off. I told him that if he resisted that I would beat the shit out of him and call the cops, and not only was I a bike racer, but used to teach kick boxing and ju-jitsu. I then took it and carried it back home, and emailed him telling him that I got it back for him.
>
> I mention this because I was criticized for calling myself a "mensch" by this community, and in the same day I tutored math to a high-schooled bike racer, and recovered a stolen bike from thieves. I received an awful lot of criticism for being so bold in action, in defending what I thought was ethical behavior, and was also slandered for it. I just want to remind you all, that vigilance is not a easy, but essential in creating a just society. And to encourage that active citizenship, and not criticize vigilantism unfairly, because people take alot of risk doing it for the right reasons. Had I called the cops and not intervened myself, he would have left with the bike, and the cops would have shown up 1 hour later.
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org

eric aldinger

We do not use Yiddish as much in the Northwest. From the way it was used
where I grew up it means roughly salt of the Earth, or righteous dude.

It is always hard to know where intervention is going to help or aggrevate
the situation. The outcome speaks for itself.

On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 7:48 PM, wrote:

>
> Some years back, my classic Paramount track bike was stolen. Two years
> later, some guy tried to fence it at a local bike shop. The owner knew
> this was fishy, called a friend of his, who recognised it and called me.
> I got there when the guy was still there, and to make it simple I bought
> it back for $50.
>
> When I got it back, the "Schwinn Paramount" decals had been removed, and
> there was a freewheel on the rear wheel. No way to stop!
>
> But I still have it.
>
> == Eric
>
>
> > Maybe I missed a discussion on this, but since you had a lock, I would
> > have opted to lock the bike to something (or even just the rear wheel
> > to the seat tube) and then called the owner or authorities.
> >
> > In my youth (mid 20s), I once recovered my best friend's stolen bike
> > in Washington DC during my lunch hour. I had cycling shoes on at the
> > time and opted to snatch and run (ride) as I just didn't think that a
> > scuffle in tap shoes was the best idea. This was also at the tail end
> > of the late 80's crack wars, and I didn't want to get shot either.
> > _______________________________________________
> > OBRA mailing list
> > obra@list.obra.org
> > http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> > Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>

--
Eric Aldinger

eric939@redshift.com

Some years back, my classic Paramount track bike was stolen. Two years
later, some guy tried to fence it at a local bike shop. The owner knew
this was fishy, called a friend of his, who recognised it and called me.
I got there when the guy was still there, and to make it simple I bought
it back for $50.

When I got it back, the "Schwinn Paramount" decals had been removed, and
there was a freewheel on the rear wheel. No way to stop!

But I still have it.

== Eric

> Maybe I missed a discussion on this, but since you had a lock, I would
> have opted to lock the bike to something (or even just the rear wheel
> to the seat tube) and then called the owner or authorities.
>
> In my youth (mid 20s), I once recovered my best friend's stolen bike
> in Washington DC during my lunch hour. I had cycling shoes on at the
> time and opted to snatch and run (ride) as I just didn't think that a
> scuffle in tap shoes was the best idea. This was also at the tail end
> of the late 80's crack wars, and I didn't want to get shot either.
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>

jonnyg48@comcast.net

Good for you, Benjamin! That shows some cojones. ;o) You're a good man! From someone who's been the victim of theft numerous times in his life, I applaud you.

Jon Gornick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Benjamin Barber"
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 5:30:05 PM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Stolen Bike - Found!

I spotted it in possession of 2 black guys, who were wearing the gangsta sort of clothing, as i left my tutoring job. As i was leaving the indigo i saw them walking it along the sidewalk, and I followed them scoping it out, and told them how "thats a pretty nice bike you got there". They proceeded to the roxy as i turned the corner, thinking they were suspicious but I couldn't pin them yet. I flipped open my phone and went to obra to find the description, then locked up my bike and doubled back, and found it inside of the roxy unlocked. I showed showed the waiter the obra post, and told him that I was taking the bike, the person who stole it got pissed off. I told him that if he resisted that I would beat the shit out of him and call the cops, and not only was I a bike racer, but used to teach kick boxing and ju-jitsu. I then took it and carried it back home, and emailed him telling him that I got it back for him.

I mention this because I was criticized for calling myself a "mensch" by this community, and in the same day I tutored math to a high-schooled bike racer, and recovered a stolen bike from thieves. I received an awful lot of criticism for being so bold in action, in defending what I thought was ethical behavior, and was also slandered for it. I just want to remind you all, that vigilance is not a easy, but essential in creating a just society. And to encourage that active citizenship, and not criticize vigilantism unfairly, because people take alot of risk doing it for the right reasons. Had I called the cops and not intervened myself, he would have left with the bike, and the cops would have shown up 1 hour later.
_______________________________________________
OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org

Michael Medina

Maybe I missed a discussion on this, but since you had a lock, I would
have opted to lock the bike to something (or even just the rear wheel
to the seat tube) and then called the owner or authorities.

In my youth (mid 20s), I once recovered my best friend's stolen bike
in Washington DC during my lunch hour. I had cycling shoes on at the
time and opted to snatch and run (ride) as I just didn't think that a
scuffle in tap shoes was the best idea. This was also at the tail end
of the late 80's crack wars, and I didn't want to get shot either.

johnfforbes@comcast.net

If someone called you a mensch he gave you a compliment.

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

-----Original message-----
From: Benjamin Barber
To: obra@list.obra.org
Sent: Sat, Feb 26, 2011 01:30:05 GMT+00:00
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Stolen Bike - Found!

I spotted it in possession of 2 black guys, who were wearing the gangsta
sort of clothing, as i left my tutoring job. As i was leaving the indigo i
saw them walking it along the sidewalk, and I followed them scoping it out,
and told them how "thats a pretty nice bike you got there". They proceeded
to the roxy as i turned the corner, thinking they were suspicious but I
couldn't pin them yet. I flipped open my phone and went to obra to find the
description, then locked up my bike and doubled back, and found it inside of
the roxy unlocked. I showed showed the waiter the obra post, and told him
that I was taking the bike, the person who stole it got pissed off. I told
him that if he resisted that I would beat the shit out of him and call the
cops, and not only was I a bike racer, but used to teach kick boxing and
ju-jitsu. I then took it and carried it back home, and emailed him telling
him that I got it back for him.

I mention this because I was criticized for calling myself a "mensch" by
this community, and in the same day I tutored math to a high-schooled bike
racer, and recovered a stolen bike from thieves. I received an awful lot of
criticism for being so bold in action, in defending what I thought was
ethical behavior, and was also slandered for it. I just want to remind you
all, that vigilance is not a easy, but essential in creating a just society.
And to encourage that active citizenship, and not criticize vigilantism
unfairly, because people take alot of risk doing it for the right reasons.
Had I called the cops and not intervened myself, he would have left with the
bike, and the cops would have shown up 1 hour later.
_______________________________________________
OBRA mailing list
obra@list.obra.org
http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org

dacrizzow

yeah!

Benjamin Barber

I spotted it in possession of 2 black guys, who were wearing the gangsta sort of clothing, as i left my tutoring job. As i was leaving the indigo i saw them walking it along the sidewalk, and I followed them scoping it out, and told them how "thats a pretty nice bike you got there". They proceeded to the roxy as i turned the corner, thinking they were suspicious but I couldn't pin them yet. I flipped open my phone and went to obra to find the description, then locked up my bike and doubled back, and found it inside of the roxy unlocked. I showed showed the waiter the obra post, and told him that I was taking the bike, the person who stole it got pissed off. I told him that if he resisted that I would beat the shit out of him and call the cops, and not only was I a bike racer, but used to teach kick boxing and ju-jitsu. I then took it and carried it back home, and emailed him telling him that I got it back for him.

I mention this because I was criticized for calling myself a "mensch" by this community, and in the same day I tutored math to a high-schooled bike racer, and recovered a stolen bike from thieves. I received an awful lot of criticism for being so bold in action, in defending what I thought was ethical behavior, and was also slandered for it. I just want to remind you all, that vigilance is not a easy, but essential in creating a just society. And to encourage that active citizenship, and not criticize vigilantism unfairly, because people take alot of risk doing it for the right reasons. Had I called the cops and not intervened myself, he would have left with the bike, and the cops would have shown up 1 hour later.

Adrian Richardson

Obra, i just wanted to let you all know that the bike was found and returned
because of the post I wrote earlier.

Its amazing - seriously, within 12 hours of the time i noticed it gone i got
an email stating that the bike was recovered from the thieves and I can come
and get it this afternoon. I feel incredibly lucky to have a community like
OBRA to go to in moments like this.

So thanks everyone for all the help. I'm certain after today that Portland
is definitely the best bike city in the world.

-Adrian

To end on a more humorous note, my bike was cleaned pretty well by the punks
who stole it; and now its looking better than i had ever seen it in years.
:)