Distraught sophomore’s $450 bike stolen from Fortuna road
Give the girl her bike back
Last night, a bike belonging to Karla Songbird, a second year Pharmacology major here at UCSB, was stolen from her home on 6835 Fortuna Road.
Karla first noticed that her bike was missing this morning around 10 a.m. when she was about to ride to the beach and realized her bike was no longer where she left it the previous night.
Karla, who bought the bike in Sacramento, claims that her white Giant Hybrid, which retails between $400-$450, is her “life blood,” given that she takes a 21-unit course load and works two different jobs near campus. “Being able to get around quickly is crucial for me,” Karla states.
In addition to the fact that the bike would be incredibly expensive to replace, Karla says her bike has more personal value to her than anything.
“I have a full course load and work in a lot of research labs to be able to pay my way through college,” Karla says, “so having that easier and quicker mode of transportation is a life saver.”
Many students can attest to how important a quicker mode of transportation is here at UCSB. When you only have 10 minutes to get to your next class, which of course happens to be at the other end of campus, you rely on your bike to make the seemingly impossible possible.
Karla said: “I’m pretty upset that someone would do something like that without thinking of the personal and financial consequences for the owner of the bicycle, but no amount of malicious words against the stealer isn’t going to solve the issue.
“I can only hope that the person has the heart to realize his/her fault, and how it’s affecting a complete stranger.”
Access to a bike can also alter your whole day’s schedule. Instead of having to leave your house in IV at 12:30 to make it to your 1:00 class across campus in Chem 1179, you can spend an extra 20 minutes finishing that homework assignment, or snoozing your alarm one more time, or watching one more episode of The Office, and rest assured that you can casually leave your house at 12:50 and your bike will still get you to class on time.
Luckily, Karla has great friends who are generous enough to lend her their bikes in the mean time, but she feels bad for “inconveniencing them when they don’t deserve it.”
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Karla still manages to keep a sense of humor and requests that, “if anyone happened to see an inebriated partygoer or curious creature of the night hop on a white Giant hybrid bike and ride off, please let me know!”
If you have any information about this incident, you can message The Tab UCSB on Facebook or email [email protected] anonymously
Basically, don’t be a douche. Give this nice girl her bike back.