'Karmacycle': Stolen Bicycle Leads To 'Little Acts Of Kindness' In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- If you walked down Clinton Street in Caroll Gardens in early March, chances are you noticed the 8-foot by 3-foot sign making a plea to whoever stole a bicycle:
"I hope you need it more than I do. It costs $200 used and I need it to get to work. Please bring it back."
The sign was created by the bike thief's victim, Amanda Needham, whose bicycle didn't even last a day locked up outside her home.
"I was left with a wheel and a lock and a very sad heart," she told CBS2's Marc Liverman.
So Needham decided to do something about it.
"I figured a sign is a fun way to get people to at least see me and hear me," she said. "And also maybe the thief would see it himself or herself and feel a little bad."
The sign was up for a week, but while her original ride never came back, what happened next is something she said she would never forget.
"Two gentleman stopped by and gave me a kid's mountain bike thinking I might be able to use it," said Needham. "A young Hispanic woman gave me a huge hug. One guy named Steve paid me $200 for my sign cuz he saw that I needed that much for a bike."
Eveyone's kindness inspired Needham so much, she took the kid's bicycle to her local bike shop to tune it up for someone else.
Joanne Nicolosi, owner of "The Bike Shop," offered to do the job for free.
"Bicycles get stolen every day, so I know people really hurt, but it's really nice that someone had an extra bike and was willing to donate their bike," Nicolosi said.
"I hope that more people do little acts of kindness that results in small moments for other people to feel good in our crazy world," said Needham.
It's a movement the pair are calling "Karmacycle," a chance to take something bad and make it good.
The bike shop's owner says she plans to give away the tuned-up bike to someone in need at the end of March and keep the wheel of kindness turning.