Ghost Bikes: Turned into scrap
Anyone living near Bucktown/Wicker Park or Lincoln Park will recognize the scrap trucks. These are pick up trucks loaded to overflowing with anything metal that their drivers can find. The reputation of these guys (well-deserved) is already pretty bad. I've heard reports that they'll go so far as to tear gutters off the sides of houses. These drivers port their finds over to Finkl & Sons for easy cash.
While walking my dog yesterday morning, I saw the lowest of the low. A scrap metal truck passed me by. Perched on top was a ghost bike.
While walking my dog yesterday morning, I saw the lowest of the low. A scrap metal truck passed me by. Perched on top was a ghost bike.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on
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I've had reports of Ghost Bikes spotted that turned out just to be white bikes.
Was there anything about it that identified it as a ghost bike apart from the color?
Personally, I think it's great when they last a long time where they're placed, but if a Ghost Bike only stays a few months before the city reclaims it, I can live with it, and will help replace it if the family desires.
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Permalink Reply by Marco Rayos on
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Yeah I've never heard of any scrappers messing with ghost bikes to be honest, however it's possible and I too would be willing to help replace it as well.
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Permalink Reply by Len Krietz on
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Just some clarification, Finkl & Sons doesn't buy street scrap. General Iron and the other scrap yards along the river do.
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Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on
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Because I'm sure these scappers are well-versed in fringe bike culture and know what a ghost bike is other than an apparently abandoned bike.
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Evan,
Do you know of any ghost bike in Chicago that is not clearly marked with a sign?
envane x said:Because I'm sure these scappers are well-versed in fringe bike culture and know what a ghost bike is other than an apparently abandoned bike.
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I stopped and checked the one ghost bike around me that I know of, at Lincoln north of Irving Park, and it had no sign or handlebars.
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And the scrappers are welcome to it, although it would be much better if the people who placed it would remove the remains.
In that particular case the family asked to have the sign removed so Matt's "spirit could go free."
Perhaps someone reading would take the initiative to remove the remaining piece.
Oddly, the condo owners nearby have complained about the bike much less since the sign was taken down.
envane x said:I stopped and checked the one ghost bike around me that I know of, at Lincoln north of Irving Park, and it had no sign or handlebars.
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Permalink Reply by Bicycle Poet on
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While biking north Tuesday night on Ravenswood, my friend and I noticed what appeared to be a Ghost Bike graveyard permanently installed into a greenspace on the north-west corner of Ravenswood and: I'm not sure of the E-W cross street, but it was definitely a main corridor street and between Addison and Foster. If someone regularly takes this stretch of Ravenswood and carries a camera, it would be nice to get a photo of it. My brief web-search prior to posting this revealed no story or pic on the web.
A Ghost Bike graveyard such as the one I saw would seem to be resistant to scrapers. Of course, it also requires greater effort to receive appropriate permissions to break ground.
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Hi Kevin,
1,000 Ghost Bikes has been featured on John Greenfield's "Vote with your Feet" and the subject of a thread or two here, and was also the ending point of this year's Ride of Silence (across from the Lil Street arts center).
http://www.rideofsilence.org/chicago/
http://votewithyourfeetchicago.blogspot.com/2009/06/kat-ramsland-un...
Would be great to see you and some of the other BTG-ers check in here a little more often-- I otherwise probably never would have heard of this myself.
bicycle_poet said:While biking north Tuesday night on Ravenswood, my friend and I noticed what appeared to be a Ghost Bike graveyard permanently installed into a greenspace on the north-west corner of Ravenswood and: I'm not sure of the E-W cross street, but it was definitely a main corridor street and between Addison and Foster. If someone regularly takes this stretch of Ravenswood and carries a camera, it would be nice to get a photo of it. My brief web-search prior to posting this revealed no story or pic on the web.
A Ghost Bike graveyard such as the one I saw would seem to be resistant to scrapers. Of course, it also requires greater effort to receive appropriate permissions to break ground.
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