Batman, according that line from one of the Christopher Nolan movies, is "the hero Gotham needs, but not the one it deserves." But Bike Batman, a guy who uses Craigslist to track down stolen bikes and return them to their owners, is the hero that Seattle both needs and deserves. Here are six facts about Bike Batman, from an anonymous interview that he recently granted to The Guardian:
- The first time he confronted a bike thief, he claims to have told him, "You’ve got two options. You can wait until a cop gets here, or you can just beat it," which is pretty okay superhero dialogue if it was spur of the moment.
- He has returned 22 bikes since he started in 2015.
- He is not interested in physically fighting anyone.
- When he was a young boy, he watched his parents get their bikes stolen before his very eyes while they were leaving the Tour de France. (He doesn't mention this in the interview; we're just speculating.)
- He was trained in the art of mountain biking by the legendary League of Bike Shadows. (Also not verified.)
- He is afraid of bats. (Come on, who isn't?)
• Meet 'Bike Batman': Seattle's vigilante reuniting stolen bikes with their owners [The Guardian, via Inhabitat]