Posted on 10/17/2009 7:09:17 AM PDT by Loyalist
An opportunistic thief can recognize their state-of-the-art shock absorbers, rugged wheels, plush bucket seats and shiny chrome finishes from a city block, even a playground, away.
As their price tags have climbed beyond $1,000, an increasing number of luxury baby-transporting apparatuses have been vanishing from the front porches of family homes.
Police are cautioning parents to lock up or conceal their wheels, especially in 11 Division, the west end of the city, where six stroller thefts have been recorded so far this year.
The geography of the thefts hints that there could be a more maternal version of Igor Kenk prowling the streets, but police say it's still too early to tell.
“It's just something that somebody's twigged onto, that these things are expensive, and a lot of people look for secondhand children's equipment,” said Constable Wendy Drummond, a police spokeswoman.
Earlier this year, a couple was charged after they posted two of the stolen strollers for sale online.
(Excerpt) Read more at theglobeandmail.com ...
(Obscure Toronto reference: Igor Kenk ran a bicycle shop in Toronto. And a bicycle theft ring that stole more than 2,000 bikes off the streets.)
Six stroller thefts? That doesn’t exactly sound like a crime wave to me.
In Soviet Canada the government pays for strollers anyway.
Today’s strollers look like fricking mini-SUVs. I mean seriously, whatever happened to those $9.99 strollers at Wal-Mart that were just as effective? More keeping up with the Joneses crap that society pushes.
You rule!
Things are so damn big they need their own garages.
We got just a few months use out of it before the oldest girl discovered she liked the freedom of walking and helping mama push her little sister. Then #3 came and we got just a few more months use out of it before girl #2 decided she was too big to ride in a baby stroller and wanted to help daughter #1 push daughter #3.
We tried to sell it, then trade it in on a single stroller, then finally gave it away. I figure we maybe got nine months total use out of it where it rode two girls.
Meanwhile, the $50 "umbrella" stroller which was supposed to be our spare was used until #3 got too big for it-- five years total use!
When our kids were little, we mostly carried them until they could walk. None of those gigantic baby carriers. We liked the ‘bonding’ feel of being in physical contact with the little ones.
Isn't it the truth? We got lots of use out of our 2nd hand umbrella stroller purchased at a church rummage sale. It traveled to Europe with us, and could be tossed into the back of the car at a moment's notice.
Yep, a serious scum bag, he was married to a rich woman and lived in a condo in Yorkville. I think he also sold drugs to minors, but don’t quote me on that.
What’s next.. Kid Kart Chop Shops?
The theives are packing them up in containers and shipping them back to their homes in Yemen, Pakistan, etc...
I saw one this summer at a garage sale that I wished I had bought. It was made in England (late 40’s-early 50’s), had chrome bumpers, shock absorbers, rubber tires with hub caps and a Royal Blue cloth hood. It seriously wouldn’t have looked odd with turn signals. Built like a Rolls Royce.
The brand to buy is the one that kid in Australia was in when the train ran over him and came out with a small bump on the head. Check out the video if you can.
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