 This is the story of how my bike got stolen and the wild roller coaster ride I went on to try to get it back. I had a feeling it was going to be quite the adventure So I decided to film the search for my bike, but I never ever expected it to turn out like this Hey everyone Rob Greenfield here and most of you know me as a pretty good news guy a very positive guy Well today I have some not so good news and that is that last night my bamboo bicycle was stolen I was nine o'clock on a Friday night and decided to sit on the beach and watch the full moon So I set my bike on the bike rack about 20 feet away I'm sitting there for five minutes or so and I hear a noise behind me And then I see my bike's gone. So then I start just running after him But the bike was gone This is the bamboo bike that I've used a bike across the United States doing good deeds for others And here it is stolen. It's one of the very few possessions that I have I have only about a hundred possessions to my name and this is basically one of the most important ones So it's pretty soul-crushing Instantly I had to ask myself how can I turn this Misfortune of mind into someone else's fortune. How can I turn this bad situation into something that's good That's what I want to do in the world. So I came up with an idea last night Here I am this morning to share with you and ask for your help There's a lot of kids out there who have their bikes stolen that live in low-income scenarios where they can't get another one So what I'm gonna do is raise funds to buy 10 bikes for kids who have had their bikes stolen Have had their souls crushed and make my bad day into their good day So please if you want to help you can donate at the GoFundMe to buy 10 bikes for kids who have had their bikes stolen And if you want to help me find this bike you can share this video with everybody that you know so that we can find this bamboo bicycle I love you all. Thank you The next morning after setting up the fundraiser I borrowed a bike from someone on social media and set out in search of my bike I've been working for hours talking to the bike shops and the pawn shops and the thrift stores I just talked to three guys that were sitting on the street and said hey have you seen a bamboo bike and One of the guys says matter of fact I have but I'm like you got to be kidding me. Is this a joke? I asked him to describe it. It's the bike. He tells me it's down at the Pelican at the end of Grand sitting in the bike rack. I mean Sitting in the bike rack. This is the first sign. This is the first sign All right. I'm down here. There's bikes everywhere. I've been looking around for a little while At all the racks so far nothing yet So the person who had it is definitely on the move And not here But man, I must be somewhat close. I'm here. There's bikes around I'm just about to pass a rack see Bike racks all over the place. So I'm gonna keep on looking Not here So close so close All right, I got more good news I went to print out some flyers that you got right here So that I could pass them out to the people that I meet with a hundred dollar reward so that they can find it They'd actually feel the contact me So I went back to that to get it printed and I talked to that same guy who had seen it this morning He told me that he got some intel the guy's name who has the bike is guitar Johnny So he's a skinny white kid So and he told me where he hangs out Guitar Johnny and he hangs out by Belmont Park and by the bathrooms by Grand So I'm heading there now guys name is guitar Johnny and he has the bike You guys happen to know guitar Johnny my chance. No, this is a flyer. It's got my phone number on it and And Yeah, it's bamboo so you'll know it if you see it and all right. Well if you see it you got my number Thanks a bunch. All right. Oh I'm a peaceful guy On I continued and then I met a man who said he knows Johnny and more importantly. He said he knows where my bike is I do want my bike All right, do you want to tell me where it's at? Okay San Diego motel and the bikes there. Absolutely. Wow. Okay, sounds good. So I'll go there right now Off to San Diego motel. This is a little scary going to a motel. We're supposedly my stolen bike is Here's the hotel I just met a guy who knows guitar Johnny and he said he stays here and he saw him with the bamboo bike So I'm definitely on the path Hello, have you seen this bike around by chance a couple people have seen it? Apparently a guy named guitar Johnny Yep stole it and apparently he stays here Oh really, okay, do you know where I'd find them Yeah Okay Yeah, apparently he's been around with it That's none of those and this is where he stays On the door it said do not knock call like these people live in this hotel, but I knock anyway Hi, I'm looking for a bike that I was told might be here. It's a bamboo bicycle Really Okay, I just all I do is I do so I've been talking to people today three people said they've seen the bike Apparently guitar Johnny has it. It's our Johnny support. Do you know who guitar Johnny is? I'm sure you find out. I know I know it's our Frank That's funny. Yeah, I don't know the time Johnny. Like I said, I should work on it But I do see my bikes you do see a lot. Yeah. Well, now you know it. I've got a hundred dollar reward You got my phone number if you find it else Yep, all right sweet brother anytime. Thanks a bunch. Thanks brother. Bye It was really dark by now and I really wanted to give up But I knew that the longer the bike was out there the less likely it was that I would find it So I decided to keep on searching Greenfield When I walked up to this group and said hey, it was guitar Johnny, they were all like, oh Guitar Johnny not again So so guitar Johnny's kind of like just he always steals bikes or what So what age was Johnny when he started living on the street He's good guy, yeah He's got a good heart very sensitive Yeah He doesn't know doesn't know other way Yeah, he's good real good. He's never needed that guitar. It's always on it. He's ready to make it stolen. Yeah If someone just take the time to believe in him, you know, you can sing man and he can play You know what I mean, and he just needs a little direction, you know, and he hasn't had it in a long time How long have you lived here? You're from here too, no, we're all are this would give me a good state Wow, it's sticky on the ones you don't know the longest you feel comfortable safe around you. Yeah Different stories are different how we got here, but We've known each other No, it's like family are like family basically 40 years Nice to meet you as well I really appreciate it After hanging out for a while a really nice woman named Chrissy told me that she knows where guitar Johnny hangs out A wild goose chase, I don't know Thanks for the help, brother. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, you got my number All right, cool All right. Yes, we shall Chrissy took me to a McDonald's nearby and sure enough Johnny was there Don't don't lie to me because that doesn't my sister's do they'll put it back Actually, they said that they saw it at the bathroom this morning. Okay No, no, he didn't know someone saw it there. He's telling me what's going on. Okay. All right So what did they sell it to you? I mean, what did they buy? No, just tell me nothing. I dropped it off So they don't owe you nothing Okay, after a few minutes Chrissy got him to admit that he stole it But the problem was he didn't have it anymore He said he gave it to a woman named Michelle and say your sorry to this man So here's the deal. I I know that you stole the bike I'm not going to call the police but the thing is I would like you to Do a good deed in return for Doing, you know being doing something that was really unfair like for me. That's my bike. That's my livelihood I only have a hundred possessions to my name. I have like 700 bucks just like us dude, but he's in a home So it's really Been a bad thing for me But the thing is I'm not going to call the police because how is jail or things like that going to help No That's the thing what we need to do is we may need to make the world a better place You know like you see a bounty and the jail's not going to do that. He's a good kid. I understand. He's a good kid Stop getting in trouble Hey, here's a here's the thing johnny. Here's a good thing. I actually did a go fund me I made a go fund me where people could donate and then I would buy bikes for kids who have had their bikes stolen Which means you're actually You're actually part of something that's actually really good right now in this scenario. It's a good thing We're gonna make this a new a good thing. So you don't even know johnny. You're lucky right now. You know, thank you johnny It's gonna handshake There you go. Good handshake. Where is the thing? There it is. All right, brother johnny Johnny give me a hug too brother I was pretty flustered with my words with johnny I wanted to act with complete compassion But I'd never been in this situation before standing right in front of the person who just stole my bike But I knew that Guitar johnny had probably been through some really rough times and most of those rough times may have been at no fault of his own The night was slipping away. So I couldn't stay for too long We were on a hot search for the bike and we had a new lead. We had to find christie's friends ski beach clear out to south mr. Johnny Where did you say they are? I don't well, I know who they are. It's not where they are because like I said, we all Nobody stays at the same spot more than two days. Oh because of the police. Yeah, so we're constantly moving but we all stay in Somewhat, you know familiar territory if you will. Yeah, you have a window of time to get them back. Okay But who he sold them to They usually hold on to this stuff. I'm showing them how to have the bike. I'm just trying to track them down They'll give it back. I know they will But like if you see them or see the bike, could you just please call them? All right, thanks, man All right, we'll see you later. Thanks brother. Have a good one So I just parted ways with christie. She's been helping me for the last couple hours Taking me to all the spots looking for this woman michelle who's the one who bought the bike from guitar johnny I'm feeling a little Like I don't know if the bike's gonna come back. I've just had one lead after another after another after another I'm not sure if I'm gonna get it back, but I'm gonna keep on going She gave me some spots to check out some bathrooms some fire pits Um, so I'm gonna keep on working through and searching for the next You know probably a good couple hours if I have to and See what happens I just met this guy who's staying right here and uh It sounds like michelle's inside the women's bathroom the woman's bike. She was here this morning with it So I found her. I don't know if the bike's here, but I found her sure Did you have any idea of where michelle might be michelle is here? Well, I'm just saying it jinxed up. It's up in my face. Could you maybe just come out here and talk christie sent me over here Well, christie threw you up under the bus and the boss is here. He said he was just willing to no problems He just wanted shit back. I appreciate your help. Can I come in and talk to you or do you want to come out here? Yeah I'm cool. You don't have to don't be worried or anything. I just wanted to get my my bike back and And I'm not getting the police involved or anything like that. I know that johnny Uh, you know guitar johnny stole the bike. I already met him and no one's getting any trouble. It's just my kind of my precious bamboo bike and Right outside the door here You hear me? Come on Is the bike in there? Yes, it is. Okay. Well, I can just get the bike, you know, and Oh, yeah, I see it there Yeah, can I just Michelle get up Get the bike The guys here owns a bike Are you awake? I see the bike You hear me the orange tape because you own the bike It's not a big deal. You know things happen. I'm just happy to have it back I'm just your friend. Okay. I'm Cheryl Cheryl. Oh, that's my girlfriend's name and my mom's name. Oh, okay. All right. Thank you I really appreciate your help and so there it is Oh, man, it's got some tape over it. Yeah Yeah, he just got me to thank him. But that's it So glad to have it back There it is We got the bike back I just spent the last 24 hours tracking it down. I've been riding over for I've been riding around for the last like seven hours or something So but what I'm doing is I started a campaign I'm doing I raised funds and I'm buying bikes for kids who have had their bikes stolen So that my bike theft gets turned into something good So it actually is working out pretty well. Okay. Here. I want to give you five bucks to donate to the campaign. Okay. Cool No, thank you This is great that really touched my heart because she was homeless herself and obviously going through her own hard times But yet found it within herself to give to something greater than herself I'm grateful for it because I'm overwhelmed Not it's paying it forward. But honestly, I'm just glad he's got his bike back Actually, I'm very grateful for this because I don't spend much time with homeless people And this is forced me to really get to know some people today. There's been amazingly helpful people And uh, it's actually for me been a really wonderful experience with the humanity today Not only did I get my bike back, but when I got home after a long night I went on the internet and I looked at the go fund me campaign and it had raised almost $5,000 More than enough to buy 10 bikes for kids New at six a man who had his bike stolen is now turning his loss into someone else's gain Now I'm at the boys and girls club in san diego We picked up 10 bikes to give today to kids that are about nine or 10 years old I'm gonna pass me one knowing the feeling of having a bike stolen I decided I wanted to give bikes to kids who have had their bikes stolen and can't afford a new one This is so exciting We're excited to see their reaction and their excitement from getting a new bike. I know I would have been excited myself He's teaching these kids About compassion. So when I found Johnny, I gave him a hug Because I believe that compassion can help each other I can crowd out the bad with lots of good So one bike was stolen so I can give away 10 bikes and in that way it just wipes that bad deed out Before I got the bike back There was part of me who wished my bike hadn't been stolen, but then it came back So now kids are getting bikes and I have my bike back. So it really worked out great. All right. We're ready Over the next few months I used all of the funds that I had raised to buy bikes helmets and locks for 50 kids And I even got a new bike for Chrissy, the woman who helped me find my own I went back to spend a little more time with Johnny before I left San Diego Victoria said please tell him I can only see gorgeous and potential in his face Please help change the direction of this guy's life. He still looks so healthy and damn cute Said I thought that too. He has a good heart and a good conscious to get it back to Rob There's always good that comes out of the bad onwards enough where it's a guitar job So, you know people are rooting for you. They're happy that the bike's back Johnny was emotional throughout the entire experience. I can't say for certain that my Compassion towards Johnny changed his life or will change his actions in the future But what I can say with near certainty is that being unkind to Johnny or being cruel to him Wouldn't solve the problem either The problem runs much deeper in society and the solution has to come through compassion and caring for one another Through Johnny stealing my bike an opportunity was created for 50 kids to get new bikes We truly have Johnny to thank for that I hope that my compassion touched Johnny and will stick with him throughout life And I hope that my compassion today touched you and will inspire you to act with more compassion Kindness and understanding in your everyday life