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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 27m

we already got it stolen once by locking it with an absolute trash cable lock, but the thieves just rode it for 15 minutes and then ditched it in the woods for a week, after which I went and got it back. What I really want is to figure out where there's *organized* bike theft, but ...

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 30m

my bait bike locked up alewife has gotten no action, i guess i should just leave it in your backyard instead. (I think the reality is that a 6mm chain is sufficient to prevent theft by these folks, but I'm attempting to capture *sophisticated* thieves!)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 3h

just barely enough bike storage, i think you mean.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 4h

for what it's worth, it seems like another bystander witness report suggested that the bike *was* traveling in the bike lane; the Boston Globe witness only saw things after the crash happened. It doesn't matter, but it reinforces why that tidbit of reporting is even more useless than it seems!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 7h

hard to build really big on a lot that size, I expect. 2,258 sqft, without single stair you're not able to build much there. I think there's a reasonable claim that it's higher social value to the city than to a typical owner, but at that price, I expect it to sell quick for reno/flip.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 8h

fair enough; I think that it's clear that the City does not want to issue this building permit without agreeing to the inclusionary housing requirements (whether that's valid or invalid); I am unsurprised at the idea that they are being unreasonable. Doesn't feel like petitioner presented that well.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 10h

I feel like the city is basically just saying “follow the process”; they have no motivation to make things easier, and plenty of reason to want them to be slower. The developer story is much stranger to me.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 15h

the developer's point in response is: "This is stupid, everyone agrees we will get a denial, why are we playing this game?" But the answer to that is "Because that's the law."; You can't sue over something that you think is *going* to happen!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 19h

City's summary of developer's actions so far: "Don't ask? Don't care": they haven't followed the process for actually *requesting* a building permit (and getting a denial), only had conversations which make it clear that they would get one, so they can't sue over the denial (yet).

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 30/09/2026

amused that the lock has an apparent attempt at a cut on it, and amused at the idea thief tried to destroy the u-lock before going on to just abandon the wheel and steal the bike.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 30/09/2026

nod; you were also in a role where it was your job to try to prevent some bad things happening (either intentionally or unintentionally), which is a thing that at the moment I've been able to mostly avoid. "helping more people put solar panels on roofs" feels harder to find fault with!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 30/09/2026

yeah, i just meant Ariely being hired on for a while. You being basically the first person I met when I started working at Google will remain a cool thing forever! (though your departure while I'm still there makes me regularlyquestion if I'm fucking up on Ethics(tm))

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 30/09/2026

The thing here is that as an organization, Google’s majority shareholders are committed to Class A shares having zero effective voting power forever.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 30/09/2026

Two types of shares that hold no practical voting power due to the ownership structure explicitly disempowering them, so in practice, the value difference is very small, as the market recognizes.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 29/09/2026

fwiw, I read this as "We tried so hard to help my idiot brother, and then he had to go and fuck it all up, thereby obviating our help", rather than it being a defense of the brother. This whole post and all their comments has the air of a Very, Very Tired relation to me.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 29/09/2026

something something locktober

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 28/09/2026

Are you looking for a project to fix or something fun to ride? (I have some of each!)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 27/09/2026

yeah, this was a weird conversation, dunno what this dude was so upset at!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 26/09/2026

Looking at the crappy weather today and don't know what to do with your life? Come by my house! We'll be hosting a party from 2pm to 8pm or so and I'd be happy to meet any of my local BlueSky friends! If you don't know where I live, shoot me a DM, and I can send you details.

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Reposted by Christopher Schmidt

Community Pedal Power @communitypedalpower.org · 26/09/2026

RAIN DATE! RAIN DATE! RAIN DATE! We know you’ve got cargo-curious neighbors, friends, and colleagues. Invite them to our last Test Drive of the year! Register ahead of time at www.familybikeride.org/testdrive

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

Yeah, I would also worry about longer storage time windows (like winter break, etc) without dedicated maintenance and storage facilities and staffing.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

> Diesel fuel begins to cloud and "gel" (crystallize into wax) around 10°F to 30°F, which can clog fuel filters and starve the engine or heater unless anti-gel additives or tank heaters are used MPLS gets noticeably colder than Boston; propane means you don't need block heaters on the busses.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

lol, "invest in an effort". dumb keyboard

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

Same distance as last time it was stolen, about 200’ from the nearest. (But they’re all inside the cages, so they probably don’t have good vision of the bike.)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

Next test: how long Will it take for an e-bike locked with a 6mm chain, parked at the alewife station bike racks, take to be stolen? This test has a maximum duration of 10 days.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

I have tried on at least 5 occasions to learn how to use Blender well enough to complete a task, and have failed every time. Each time, I had a goal *other than learning Blender*, and had I accomplished those goals instead of failing, I'd have been happier. I am a very outcome oriented person!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

The zoning we have still often feels like it is worse than "no zoning at all".

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

If you were going to invest in a short to better understand bike theft in your area, what would you do? What questions would you ask, and how would you try to answer them?

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 25/09/2026

this is because democrats picked "bikes" in the "bikes versus cars" culture war. (Not that it's a universal choice. If it was, we'd be even higher up.)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

"seriously? this is what's on their sandwich board? do they really have that?" goes in, eats there, finds out that the sandwich board is just a lie, never returns. Sure, it gets you some business, but it might not be building lasting success. (Again, this is a specific subset of AI food images.)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

I'm not going to get into a "discourse" fight, and I don't really feel strongly about people using AI art that helps their brand, but the AI slop images used for food stuff are genuinely off-putting to me in many cases, and I'm not sure this might not be a "short term win, long term loss" thing.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

Yeah, it's said that since they closed it initially. I'm very dubious, and expect to be very angry when it doesn't happen.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

Or like the entire section between Davis and Trolley Square being closed the entire time, which afaik is because of ... one half block of land that is in Cambridge? Maybe two, if we count the bus depot? Why is that even closed? What are they even doing?!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

If it was closed for 18 months and at least *looked busy the entire time*, at least it would feel understandable. But there has been activity on that path maybe 25% of the time if I'm generous. It is such a fucking failure of capacity that they couldn't do anything better than this.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

sure, and in my city, about 85% of packages are delivered by DSPs operating out of Budget rental vans with out of state plates, or some beat up 2012 Corolla with a backseat full of packages, with an Amazon surveillance package installed to monitor the drivers.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 24/09/2026

your shit today is delivered by noisy-ass trucks that are festooned with cameras, 'noise' and 'privacy' are silly complaints. (the fact that it's a stupid idea to do home delivery with drones, on the other hand, is reasonable.)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 23/09/2026

(this is based on prior reporting that only "about half" of the f-35s delivered are actually operational at any given time. It's about 16 delivered F-35s per big dig)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 23/09/2026

that is a ratio of approximately 8 operational f-35s per big dig.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 23/09/2026

When I rode it 8 weeks ago, it was still under construction but I had not realized how terrific that last stretch was going to be; i expected crappy flex post protection and am so excited about the broad, curb protected lanes they’re putting in!

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 23/09/2026

there were, very briefly, at least flex posts along the highway. they were lost as part of Wu's heel turn on safety, and every time I ride that route I curse her for it that choice.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 22/09/2026

one of the few stretches of good bike infrastructure in Everett is in front of the casino.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 21/09/2026

this morning, I saw a deer in the wetlands north of Alewife brook.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 20/09/2026

Bikes are more useful than cars in cities, so I’m not sure why I’d spend more on a car than I would on a bike.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 19/09/2026

Yeah, I have a spreadsheet of 17 bikes we've helped recover back to their owner since July of last year, with a total value of around $80k in bikes. (Also another half dozen clearly-stolen bikes that we would have been able to get back to people if they had registered on bikeindex!)

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 19/09/2026

Next Saturday, we're hosting a house party at my place in Somerville! Over the past couple years, I've made a lot of new local friends that I haven't stayed as connected with as I'd like. If we haven't met in person, you're still invited, just shoot me a DM! Party is Sep 26 from 2pm-8pm or so.

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Christopher Schmidt @crschmidt.net · 19/09/2026

not superstition at all: The best way to have a chance at recovery is for people to be able to know "Hey, that bike isn't the same as all the others." Usually we're recovering bikes because someone can recognize them at a distance! I helped get back a stolen pink retrospec *because it was pink*.

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