Stealing bike is one thing

I am trying to remain magnanimous about thievery, believing that perhaps the thief needs the article that they stole more than me. I recently had a bicycle stolen from the bike common room at my apartment. “Serves me right not to have locked it,” one part of my brain says. “It was old and heavy and needs replacing,” another says. Still a third part informs me, “Perhaps it will be used to ferry a needy person to and from work.”

My magnanimity was stretched to its snapping point though when a thief pinched my morning paper from my doorstep two days in a row last week. I called the circulation desk, which scolded the carrier for forgetting. It turns out she remembered delivering it, particularly after the first pilferage.

Clearly, the thief is educated (can read), has good taste (The Spokesman-Review), but is seriously lacking in the ethics department, depriving me of my morning news and forcing me to read the cereal box back panel.

Shame on you.

I can tolerate my old bike being swiped, but draw the line at getting the poor paper carrier in trouble.

Gregory Clark

Spokane Valley