Bogus Bicycle "Wheel-Locks" Sold To Incoming Stanford Students



N

Nomen Nescio

Guest
The service manager of the Campus Bike Shop at Stanford University, Christian
Parker, may be headed for big trouble. He was given permission to include
marketing literature in the university's mailing packet to 1500 incoming
Stanford freshman.

He promised if students purchased his 'Security Package' they would receive
'wheel locks'. For the second consecutive year, all he gave them were the
Trans X skewers which can be opened by a few turns of a #5 hex wrench. At
least several hundred students and parents purchased the 'package'.
Bicycle theft is a big problem at Stanford.

An article appeared in the Stanford Daily on September 29th. It revealed
the distress of the school administration that was caught off-guard.
Unwritten in the article was an effort to protect the job of the Carolyn
Helmke, the university's high-paid bicycle coordinator who uncritically
endorsed Parker to the school administration.
 
>Trans X skewers which can be opened by a few turns of a #5 hex wrench.

Thanks for the tip! I'll tell my buddies there to be on the look out.
 
> Unwritten in the article was an effort to protect the job of the Carolyn
> Helmke, the university's high-paid bicycle coordinator who uncritically
> endorsed Parker to the school administration.


Bicycle coordinator? Are they just making up jobs to fill?
 
Nomen Nescio <[email protected]> writes:

> Bicycle theft is a big problem at Stanford.


But mostly among students who don't securely lock their bikes to
fixed objects. I've heard of a few saddles and seatposts stolen
off locked bikes, but I don't hear very often of securely locked
bikes being stolen. Every day here, I see hundreds of bikes
"locked" with a U-lock or cable lock between front wheel and
frame and otherwise propped up with the kickstand.

(More bike racks would help. In some places on campus there is a
severe shortage.)
--
Ben Pfaff
email: [email protected]
web: http://benpfaff.org
 
Nomen Nescio wrote:
> The service manager of the Campus Bike Shop at Stanford University, Christian
> Parker, may be headed for big trouble. He was given permission to include
> marketing literature in the university's mailing packet to 1500 incoming
> Stanford freshman.
>
> He promised if students purchased his 'Security Package' they would receive
> 'wheel locks'. For the second consecutive year, all he gave them were the
> Trans X skewers which can be opened by a few turns of a #5 hex wrench. At
> least several hundred students and parents purchased the 'package'.
> Bicycle theft is a big problem at Stanford.
>
> An article appeared in the Stanford Daily on September 29th. It revealed
> the distress of the school administration that was caught off-guard.
> Unwritten in the article was an effort to protect the job of the Carolyn
> Helmke, the university's high-paid bicycle coordinator who uncritically
> endorsed Parker to the school administration.


Not only is it a little difficult for me to summon up too much sympathy
for anyone that buys something sight unseen but also if this is the
full story I have to wonder just how smart one must be to be admitted
to Stanford and how easily distressed the Stanford administrators are.

Regards,
Bob Hunt
 
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In article <[email protected]>,
Larry Bud <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Unwritten in the article was an effort to protect the job of the Carolyn
>> Helmke, the university's high-paid bicycle coordinator who uncritically
>> endorsed Parker to the school administration.

>
>Bicycle coordinator? Are they just making up jobs to fill?
>


_ Not really, due to local political considerations, the
university can't develop the land it owns until it gets
less people driving to campus. It's just one minor offshoot
of the long running battle between Stanford and the surrounding
communities.

_ The high-paid part is pretty amusing as well.

_ Booker C. Bense

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"Bob" wrote: Not only is it a little difficult for me to summon up too much
sympathy for anyone that buys something sight unseen (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The offer was included with the University's admission packet. Doesn't that
tend to create confidence that the offer is legitimate? My question is,
"What business does the University have doing an endorsement and free
advertising/mailing to a local bike shop? And, I wonder how the other bike
shops in the area feel about it. Do you suppose there might have been a
little hanky-panky going on?
 
"Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]> writes:

> The offer was included with the University's admission packet. Doesn't that
> tend to create confidence that the offer is legitimate? My question is,
> "What business does the University have doing an endorsement and free
> advertising/mailing to a local bike shop? And, I wonder how the other bike
> shops in the area feel about it. Do you suppose there might have been a
> little hanky-panky going on?


The Campus Bike Shop is the only bike shop actually on campus at
Stanford. It is mainly staffed by students, I believe. It is
undoubtedly leasing its space from the university. That's
something of an endorsement in itself. The next nearest bike
shops are a couple of miles away (although one can easily get to
them via the university's free bus service). I'm not surprised,
therefore, that the Campus Bike Shop would have a special status.
--
"A computer is a state machine.
Threads are for people who cant [sic] program state machines."
--Alan Cox
 
Larry Bud wrote:
>>Unwritten in the article was an effort to protect the job of the Carolyn
>>Helmke, the university's high-paid bicycle coordinator who uncritically
>>endorsed Parker to the school administration.

>
>
> Bicycle coordinator? Are they just making up jobs to fill?
>


I would think that for an institution the size of Stanford, a bicycle
coordinator would be an important post. Supporting students in the use
of bikes around campus communities is a very good thing. It could be
very cost-effective for the university, too.
 
Peter Cole wrote:
>
> I would think that for an institution the size of Stanford, a bicycle
> coordinator would be an important post.


You clearly have never worked in a major research university. Such a
position at a place like Stanford ranks along side the towel boy at the
pool.



Supporting students in the use
> of bikes around campus communities is a very good thing.


True!


It could be
> very cost-effective for the university, too.


Could be but probably not. Parking is usually a full cost+ recovery
center. Although that may not be the case at Stanford, it's been a
while since I looked at their budget.
 
gds wrote:
> Peter Cole wrote:
>
>>I would think that for an institution the size of Stanford, a bicycle
>>coordinator would be an important post.

>
>
> You clearly have never worked in a major research university. Such a
> position at a place like Stanford ranks along side the towel boy at the
> pool.
>
>
>
> Supporting students in the use
>
>>of bikes around campus communities is a very good thing.

>
>
> True!
>
>
> It could be
>
>>very cost-effective for the university, too.

>
>
> Could be but probably not. Parking is usually a full cost+ recovery
> center. Although that may not be the case at Stanford, it's been a
> while since I looked at their budget.
>


I was thinking in the broader economics. My wife works for a large urban
university here in Boston and parking/traffic is a huge issue, it
heavily impacts community relations and often limits university
expansion. More cities, whether under the Clean Air Act or not, are
limiting autos.
 
Peter Cole wrote:
> I was thinking in the broader economics. My wife works for a large urban
> university here in Boston and parking/traffic is a huge issue, it
> heavily impacts community relations and often limits university
> expansion. More cities, whether under the Clean Air Act or not, are
> limiting autos.


And I am tired and just being obnoxious. Sorry! Certainly the thrust of
your argument is a good one.
 
In rec.bicycles.misc Ben Pfaff <[email protected]> wrote:

> (More bike racks would help. In some places on campus there is
> a severe shortage.)


Hmm. Maybe Stanford should get a Bicycle Coordinator.


Bill (GD&R)


------------------------------------------------------
| Eighty percent of the people in the world are fools |
| and the rest of us are in danger of contamination. |
| -Walter Matthau (Hello Dolly) |
------------------------------------------------------
 
On Fri, 14 Oct 2005 12:54:28 -0700, Ben Pfaff <[email protected]> wrote:
>"Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]> writes:
>
>> The offer was included with the University's admission packet. Doesn't that
>> tend to create confidence that the offer is legitimate? My question is,
>> "What business does the University have doing an endorsement and free
>> advertising/mailing to a local bike shop? And, I wonder how the other bike
>> shops in the area feel about it. Do you suppose there might have been a
>> little hanky-panky going on?

>
>The Campus Bike Shop is the only bike shop actually on campus at
>Stanford. It is mainly staffed by students, I believe. It is
>undoubtedly leasing its space from the university. That's
>something of an endorsement in itself. The next nearest bike
>shops are a couple of miles away (although one can easily get to
>them via the university's free bus service). I'm not surprised,
>therefore, that the Campus Bike Shop would have a special status.


Besides, having local businesses put fliers in your admissions package for
critically important stuff like bike repair, pizza delivery, and the like,
is a service to the students. When you sit there in your dorm room after
your parents have driven off, knowing who to call for pizza surely is
critically important, anyway.

Jasper
 
Leo Lichtman wrote:
> "Bob" wrote: Not only is it a little difficult for me to summon up too much
> sympathy for anyone that buys something sight unseen (clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> The offer was included with the University's admission packet. Doesn't that
> tend to create confidence that the offer is legitimate? My question is,
> "What business does the University have doing an endorsement and free
> advertising/mailing to a local bike shop? And, I wonder how the other bike
> shops in the area feel about it. Do you suppose there might have been a
> little hanky-panky going on?


My answers to your questions depend on many factors such as your
definition of "hanky-panky" and on whether or not the advertising
included in the admissions packet was indeed free. Lofty sounding
commencement speeches and cap and gown ceremonies sometimes cause
people to forget that universities are *businesses*. I'd be very
surprised if the LBS hadn't paid Stanford for including the advertising
in the informational packet.

My utility bill often contains advertising for local HVAC companies.
Those companies paid the power company to include their ads with my
bill. If I were to pay one of those companies $99 for "a complete
furnace inspection and service" without *knowing* exactly what services
were included only to find that the "complete inspection and service"
consisted of making sure the thermostat worked and changing a $1.15 air
filter then shame on me.

Regards,
Bob Hunt
 
On Fri, 14 Oct 2005, Ben Pfaff wrote:

>
> The Campus Bike Shop is the only bike shop actually on campus at
> Stanford. It is mainly staffed by students, I believe. It is
> undoubtedly leasing its space from the university. That's
> something of an endorsement in itself. The next nearest bike
> shops are a couple of miles away (although one can easily get to
> them via the university's free bus service). I'm not surprised,
> therefore, that the Campus Bike Shop would have a special status.


No, it is not staffed by students, nor for that matter by former Stanford
students. There are some hired but only occasionally. It has been on campus
for ages under different owners. The business itself has been owned
privately. Yes they do lease the space from the university.

The bicycle coordinator uses Parker to do free 'bicycle safety checks' in
White Plaza when she sets up her table there for students to register with the
police. Parker had his employees strip the rear reflectors off of many new
bikes sold to students in order to make room for a non-reflective red flasher
that he sold to them as part of his "Light Package".
 
Nomen Nescio wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Oct 2005, Ben Pfaff wrote:
>
> >
> > The Campus Bike Shop is the only bike shop actually on campus at
> > Stanford. It is mainly staffed by students, I believe. It is
> > undoubtedly leasing its space from the university. That's
> > something of an endorsement in itself. The next nearest bike
> > shops are a couple of miles away (although one can easily get to
> > them via the university's free bus service). I'm not surprised,
> > therefore, that the Campus Bike Shop would have a special status.

>
> No, it is not staffed by students, nor for that matter by former Stanford
> students. There are some hired but only occasionally. It has been on campus
> for ages under different owners. The business itself has been owned
> privately. Yes they do lease the space from the university.
>
> The bicycle coordinator uses Parker to do free 'bicycle safety checks' in
> White Plaza when she sets up her table there for students to register with the
> police. Parker had his employees strip the rear reflectors off of many new
> bikes sold to students in order to make room for a non-reflective red flasher
> that he sold to them as part of his "Light Package".


Personally, I wonder about both the accuracy and the motives of their
posts of any poster as committed to anonymity as this poster apparently
is. A google search reveals that the bulk of their usenet posts appear
in alt.anonymous and alt.hacker groups. Does this person even own a
bike?

Regards,
Bob Hunt
 
On Oct 14 2005 Bob Hunt wrote:

> if this is the full story I have to wonder just how smart one must be to be
> admitted to Stanford and how easily distressed the Stanford administrators
> are.


They were distressed here because the Stanford Daily was catching them doing
something very stupid. They actually panicked when they learned the Daily was
going to interview them about it, and got together (with Helmke and Parker) to
decide who would be interviewed and what to say.

Leo Lichtman wrote:

> The offer was included with the University's admission packet. Doesn't that
> tend to create confidence that the offer is legitimate? My question is,
> "What business does the University have doing an endorsement and free
> advertising/mailing to a local bike shop?


The admission packets are aimed at parents and new students who were under-age
high school grads. It is not a simple question whether the 'offer' is
legitimate - it is more like the Stanford administration abusing their
academic authority over these kids by instructing them what to buy and from
whom. It is almost like coercive marketing in the same packet in which the
university is demanding their payments from them. The students might feel
like they're 'offending the gods' if they don't buy a bicycle from Parker.
Their parents are still very protective of them and therefore vulnerable to
the sales pitch "Security Package", "Wheel Locks", etc.

Peter Cole wrote:
> I was thinking in the broader economics. My wife works for a large urban
> university here in Boston and parking/traffic is a huge issue, it
> heavily impacts community relations and often limits university
> expansion. More cities, whether under the Clean Air Act or not, are
> limiting autos.


The Stanford campus has long been unfriendly to cars. Ticketing is ferocious.
Permits and parking meters are expensive. Gasoline prices are skyrocketing to
the point that people are indeed looking at alternative means of
transportation. This has made the 'bicycle program coordinator' a 'plum' job.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Bob" <[email protected]> writes:

> Personally, I wonder about both the accuracy and the motives of their
> posts of any poster as committed to anonymity as this poster apparently
> is. A google search reveals that the bulk of their usenet posts appear
> in alt.anonymous and alt.hacker groups. Does this person even own a
> bike?


"Nomen Nescio" is a trolling entity of great notoriety.
Killfiles should come with his/it's monicker as the
initial, default entry.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
On 15 Oct 2005, Bob wrote:

> Personally, I wonder about both the accuracy and the motives of their
> posts of any poster as committed to anonymity as this poster apparently
> is. A google search reveals that the bulk of their usenet posts appear
> in alt.anonymous and alt.hacker groups. Does this person even own a
> bike?


Yes I own a bike and I am an employee or a student at Stanford. I wish
that I could be safely non-anonymous but there would be certain
retaliation that I do not want to experience. The first thing that people
like Helmke want to know is "Who is the snitch?".

The information that I have provided here is accurate. The only thing
that I would qualify is that after the Daily contacted them, they may have
merely phoned or e-mailed each other instead of physically getting
together and deciding who would say what.