After his bike was stolen, a Philly man devised a plan to get it back
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - When a bike is stolen, most people would first call the police. But, for one local man, that was the second thing he did. First, he tracked down the guy who stole his bike, after he found it for sale online.
"I use my bike for, pretty much, everything. It’s my main mode of transportation," Peter Mazza stated.
The bike is how Mazz makes a living. The 37-year-old using it for over 3,000 food deliveries for Grubhub, Uber Eats and Door Dash during the pandemic. So, when it was stolen off his porch in South Philadelphia a week ago, the bike courier was devastated.
"This bike is real special to me, so I decided to do something about it," Mazza commented.
Peter started scouring online marketplaces, on the off chance whoever stole the bike might try to sell it. Lo and behold.
"I saw it. As soon as I saw it, I was completely shocked," Mazza described.
The person wanted $400. Peter immediately reached out, offering cash and to meet up. He also turned to two Philly bike cops, he just happened to run into, for help.
"They told me as soon as they give me a place to meet them, just go a couple of blocks away and call 911 and have them dispatch an officer to me," Mazza explained.
While he waited nearby with that officer, he says two other officers in an unmarked car went to a gas station at Delaware Avenue and Spring Garden to meet up with whoever had the stolen bike.
A half hour later, he had his prized possession returned.
"To have it back, I can’t believe it, especially in Philadelphia. Everybody I talked to said that no one ever gets their bikes back and it seems everyone I know has gotten their bike stolen," Mazza added.
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