Biking trash scores

[thereserve]

I recently started biking to work

I've since biked past (and picked up):

- a black plastic pot with a $39,90 sticker still on it - now the host of my zuchini pot plant which is about a week old
- an adjustable wrench, good as new, and badly needed for my bicycle ( i have no tools... i know! )
- ear plugs which i threw out and won't use, but still amazed they were new in packet just left on the ground
- about 5 free things from Maccas monopoly (McDonalds competition) including 2 fries, 1 smoothie and some odds and ends. I also threw away the McDonalds packaging they were attached to (left unpeeled)

I'm surprised what valuable things you can just happen upon, this has become a running joke in my family that I pick up good stuff while on my bike or walking and take it home :)

[BTDretire]

I recently picked up a flat panel 26" TV next to someones garbage can. My background is electronics, so I that maybe I could fix it. I got it home plugged it in and it came right on. I checked the functions that I could, and they all worked. I thought maybe when it warms up it quits, nope, I ran it 2 days no problem. I ordered a remote from ebay for $11.
I just mounted it in my boat (floating store) and it works great. It replaced a 30yr old 17" CRT TV.
  I often pickup used wood, that people throw out, pull a few nails and it is very usable.
  I have a nice recline seating exercise bike that had a broken display mount. I found a new display online for $26, installed it and it has worked great for at least 5 years.
  I saw a pair of Pioneer HDM700 speakers a neighbor had thrown out. I picked them up, the woofer foam surrounds had deteriorated, I had never rebuilt a woofer, so I wanted to try it. I ordered the foam surrounds for $20 and watched a few youtube videos. The speakers came out great. Took a little work to get the cigarette smoke smell out of them.
 My wife often brings home stuff, she's convinced I can fix anything :-), I can fix a lot, but sometime it's just not worth the time.

[Rubic]

Mostly tools and sunglasses.  Once a $5 bill.

I used to ride with a guy who could skillfully reach down and pick up
loose change from the road while coasting.

[techwiz]

I picked up a old steak knife on the side of the road once.  I didn't want someone's tire getting cut and it was also near a school so also wanted to keep it out of little hands. It ended up putting a small hole in my backpack (no good deed goes unpunished), using it now in the garage as a miscellaneous cutting tool.   

I have seen alarming amounts of nuts, bolts and even trailer hitch pins on the road. I am usually in too much of a hurry to stop and pick anything up. I don't have the skill to reach down and pick up something while coasting.  That sounds impressive.... however not something I will likely be trying in the future.

[BCBiker]

Found a $50 bill (deposited in my wife's Roth)
Ear buds (threw away and replaced part that goes in ear), favorite pair of headphones I have
Adjustable crescent wrench (gave to father in law)

The $50 more than paid for an entire year of bicycle commuting!

[thereserve]

I'm so glad I got all these replies


For a while there I thought I was the only person who would be crazy enough to scavenge perfectly good stuff like this.


Still acclimating to the whole principles of mustachianism.


In other news my Zuchini plant is now doing well due to milk+water poured on its powdery mildew spots... leading to hilarious lines such as "I need to milk my zuchini" learning this 'n that and just making sure its fun and creative first is my own tactic for badassity. Thank you $39 planting pot trash score.

[Rubic]

While riding my bike yesterday, another road find: 

Insulated Camelbak water bottle, $12 retail value.

[kendallf]

I used to take pictures of my roadside "finds", which have included an entire couch on a bridge, several sex toys, money, screwdrivers, wrenches, a very nice folding knife, and more.  I didn't pick all of those items up.. I swear.

[bigalsmith101]

I found $1 the other day, and wifey picked up an R.E.I branded 32oz. Nalgene water bottle just yesterday. A nice framing hammer before that, and many other things.

My most outrageous find happened 2 weeks ago. It was a blue women's clutch purse, just off the shoulder towards an on ramp to the interstate. I was hauling ass at 25mph but noticed the blue color was out of place. I always on the lookout for awesome stuff, so I doubled back and picked it up.

I opened it up and found, $200 in twenties and a $1 bill from 1928, the 21yr old females driving license, her social security card, her university student ID card, a gift card, a prepaid visa debit card, her bank debit card, and miscellaneous rewards cards for different stores. I looked her address up on my phone, saw it was 1.2 miles from me, and pedalled off to find her.

I checked on facebook to see if I could find her and send her a message. I did find her, and saw photos of her and friends. I'm glad I did. When I knocked on her door to ask for her by name, her roommate answered. Her roommate was in the photos on facebook. I felt comfortable handing over the wallet to the roommate, and was able to get the college student most of her life back to her. Her roommate called her immediately, as I stood there and told her to come home from the DMV, a guy had just returned her wallet!

Success!

[stashgrower]

I've picked up plant pots too!

bigalsmith101, well done on your big save!

[druth]

Not a biking find but a dog walking find; we recently picked up a crash pad/tumbling mat.  I can't find an exact match online but I'm guessing 150-200$ originally.  4" thick and very high quality.  It will be great for outdoor climbing/bouldering.

[frugalcanuck]

On another forum I used to be active on, there is a guy who finds about a pound of scrap metal per mile of biking.  I also know of people who find money on a regular basis.  I used to be one of them but I don't think I am looking as much anymore.

[Hotstreak]

What sort of roads or pathways do you find the most stuff on?  The route I ride is well traveled by the homeless & patrolled by park staff & local police, so it stays clean most of the time.  I have found a few water bottles though, and riding by the sports fields has yielded balls that were left there the night before.  These are in plain view & obviously the teams just didn't go look for them (littered them), and practices or games finished many hours prior, so I don't feel bad about picking them up.

[thereserve]

Hotstreak i get what you mean littered them. yeah its carelessness.

I bike on low vegetation barely frequented areas that are next to a highway, as well as some bike path sections. theres a lot less traffic (& trash) on the bike path area. It's the people throwing shit out of their cars or losing it out the back of a pickup that give you scores.

Also I'm in Australia where we are currently lucky to have a much lower rate of homelessness, also I'm out in the 'burbs, it's much easier to eke out a living for people in trouble in the CBD, where I luckily don't have to work.

[AngryOcean]

My city is a goldmine for sidewalk stuff. summer alone netted me a working table saw and blade, glass carboy, corking press, misc wine making material, reverse osmosis machine, a bike and the biggest score of all was a relatively new pair of raybans! Most items had been posted and sold in under a weeks time. Making some good money for a little effort.

[BTDretire]

I found $1 the other day, and wifey picked up an R.E.I branded 32oz. Nalgene water bottle just yesterday. A nice framing hammer before that, and many other things.

My most outrageous find happened 2 weeks ago. It was a blue women's clutch purse, just off the shoulder towards an on ramp to the interstate. I was hauling ass at 25mph but noticed the blue color was out of place. I always on the lookout for awesome stuff, so I doubled back and picked it up.

I opened it up and found, $200 in twenties and a $1 bill from 1928, the 21yr old females driving license, her social security card, her university student ID card, a gift card, a prepaid visa debit card, her bank debit card, and miscellaneous rewards cards for different stores. I looked her address up on my phone, saw it was 1.2 miles from me, and pedalled off to find her.

  I have two purse stories, years ago I found a purse outside our apartment, I researched and ended up calling her
at work, I brought the purse to her, I didn't get a thanks or any acknoledgement, I think she thought I stole it from her.
  The second purse, I was walking and went past a public trash can, I noticed a small purse laying on top.
  I picked it out and opened it, it only a had one thing in it. A dainty pair of womens underwear. I put it back in the trash and found a place to wash my hands!

[thereserve]

@ the purse in the trash

wow fantastic story. Lesson: its in the bin for a reason. haha.

Wonder what the heartbreak story was behind those knickers though...