Penny Farthing Theft

TRANSCRIPT
Penny Farthing Theft

NARRATOR:
Staying safe from crime is important, especially in busy cities like London. Here, thousands of people use bikes to get around, but unfortunately, bike theft often happens. Cyclist Robert Torto rides a penny farthing — a rare type of bike you’d think would be difficult to steal. His bicycle was stolen outside of a barber shop. 

SOUNDBITE - Robert Torto:
“So I just finished having my hair washed. We're just having a conversation. She washed my hair and I went to look and the bike was gone. I was in shock, because why would someone steal a penny farthing?”

NARRATOR:
Robert reported the theft to the police. But after waiting almost a week for action, he decided to take matters into his own hands.  He found CCTV footage of the crime scene and tracked down the thief.

SOUNDBITE - Robert Torto:
“So I knocked on his door, told him, you stole my bike. Here's the CCTV footage of you pushing the bike along. And he was quite shocked and he was quite surprised, you know, but he'd already sold the bike on.”

NARRATOR:
Then came the strangest part: Robert and the thief went on a search across London together to find the person who had bought his bike. They had no luck that day, and Robert thought he would never see it again, but soon after, the buyer got in touch and decided to return the penny farthing.

SOUNDBITE - Robert Torto:
“I was quite sad when it was stolen, so i’m happy to have it back.”

NARRATOR:
It was a happy ending but bike theft is still a big problem and Robert believes stronger action should be taken to stop it. For now, he’s just happy to be riding his penny farthing again. Crimes like theft can happen when you least expect them. Staying aware of your surroundings and taking simple steps to protect your property are the best ways to stay safe.