Bike stolen? Check Sun Tran lost and found

July 27, 2011 • Posted by: Michael McKisson

This Benotto was recently reported stolen.

Are you one of the many people who have sent in their stolen bike reports to Tucson Velo, Craigslist or StolenBicycleResigstry.com?

If so, you might want to give a call to Sun Tran’s lost and found office because they might have your bike.

According Bill Hutten, a Sun Tran customer service representative, his office gets numerous bikes turned in that were left on the rack.

He says only about 10 percent of the bikes are ever picked up, the other 90 percent are held at the lost and found for 30 days and then they are turned over to the city, which auctions them off in large lots.

The fact that so few are claimed led Hutten to believe many of them may have been stolen and the thieves just left them on the bus when they were done with them.

Sun Tran doesn’t have the time to document all the serial numbers for each bike brought into their system, but they do take a photo so that when someone calls the customer service representative can look at the photos and try to match the description of the bike.

To find out if your bike is there, call, 520-792-9222 and ask for the lost and found department.

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7 comments

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Bryan Hance

FWIW This is actually the case with a lot of police departments, too. Unless there's a huge glaring ID sticker on the frame that they can see without any extra labor, they don't bother to flip them over and look for a serial. They just pile them and warehouse them and then eventually auction them off. -bhance -SBR

Red Star

If only 10% of the bikes are picked up, why should Sun Tran record serial numbers for 100% of the abandoned bikes? Seems the photo and description should suffice as a first hurdle. Serial numbers (and receipts) can be discussed at the second hurdle. In any case, Red Star suspects few cyclists write down and save the bike serial number or save receipts...unless the bike is a pricey road bike, which you'll never see on a bus. Props to the Sun Tran guy who got the info out there!

Ted Graf

I just made a few calls, and it turns out these bicycles are all listed on a website called www.citysurplus.org - which redirects to publicsurplus.com - they are auctioned as lots, and all bicycles in a lot must be purchased and picked up together. Auctions take place solely online (registration required).A representative told me to check back weekly to see what's come in.I'll be keeping my eye on this site in the near future.T Thanks for the info TucsonVelo!

3wheeler

That's great information to have, Mike. Thanks!

Koma28

So there is someone at SunTran that has time to take the bike from the bus to the lost and found, find the camera,take a picture, and put that picture some place that a customer service rep can find it. Then there is time for customer service reps to look thru the pics EVERY TIME they get a call about a bike. BUT there isn't time to get the serial number??? There is something wrong with this picture!

Martha Retallick

And it's not like the serial number is hard to find. (Psst, SunTran, look on the bottom bracket! Or on the bottom of the chainstay!)

Frank Tellez

Sun Tran doesn’t have the time to document all the serial numbers for each bike brought into their system, Wait, what? Seriously? But the city checks them before they auction them off right?