AAN Association of Alternative Newsmedia

Willamette Week Films Intern Stealing Bikes, Posts Video on YouTube

By AAN Staff

august 23, 2006 12:28 pm

Inspired by a popular YouTube video in which a man "steals" his own bicycle in broad daylight to see if anyone will stop him, Willamette Week sent 22-year-old intern Josh Silverman onto the streets of Portland, Ore., to investigate residents' reaction when a man uses bolt cutters to hack through a bike chain. According to Ian Demsky's Aug. 23 cover story, Silverman stole his own bike in public at seven different locations, and the only person who interfered actually helped him operate the bolt cutters. Willamette Week also posted the video below of the "thefts," complete with music and intertitles, on YouTube.