Someone robbed us on Tuesday. Here’s the story, what we plan to do about it, and how you can help out (if you want.)
When we came into work yesterday our fleet coordinator started one of our buses. Bang bang bang: Super duper loud.
Of course every Detroiter knows this means you’ve had your catalytic converter stolen. On a car these cost about $600-900 to replace, on average. On a bus they’re $2,500-4,500. Drats.
We walked around the yard and noticed they had hit most of our active vehicles. Tools were strewn everywhere like they left in a hurry. Sawz-all blades, pieces of pipe, a jack. One-by-one they went down the line and cut out the “cat” from each car, truck, or bus.
On reviewing the camera footage they were at work from about 1AM ’til 7AM going down the line. All in the damage is around $10,000 so far and climbing. Plus, our fleet is down with a busy weekend coming up so we have to rush and make these emergency repairs. We’re hard at work this moment fixing the buses we can fix.
We called the Detroit Police and they came right out. The officer took a report and we’re supposed to hear from a detective soon. He said there’s nothing they can do since this is happening all over the city. Our cameras show a blurry couple of guys hacking away.
Aside from the five figure damages, it’s really the kids that lose out here. Our non-profit bus services, Ride for Ride, and our motorsports education program, Detroit Student Racing Team, rely on the bus company for existence. Using up all this time and money to fix these damages vehicles just comes out of their resources ultimately.
In summary, it’s easy to feel “that’s Detroit” or that we’re somehow special victims here. This stuff happens all over not just in Detroit but in every major city. There are enormous amounts of poverty and wage disparity out there making people desperate. Nobody wants to break into a bus yard at 2AM and get arrested — or shot. This is not a “first option.”
This city has taken some things from us, but it’s also given me everything. It’s given me the opportunity to start and grow my business in the first place. It’s given me our great team, our customers, and our depot. It’s also my personal home as a resident and Detroit native.
In the words of Brian Blessed: “GO FOR YOUR DREAM AND DON’T LET THE BASTARDS GRIND YOU DOWN!”
Here’s what we plan to do: Today we’re adding more cameras, fixing the holes in the fence, and moving as many vehicles as we can out of the yard. We’re adding lights, we’re adding alarms, and we’re making it far harder to take from us again.
How you can help, if you want:
— Join us and lend a hand. We can’t do this alone. If you’d like to help us with fixing up the depot we’re having a “pitch-in” day this Friday and Saturday 9AM ’til 5PM. We need help with: weed cutting. tree removal. fence fixing. camera installation. networking. fixing/moving vehicles. general hardening and cleanup. If you want to lend a hand drop me a message to [email protected] or send a message to me.
— Go on a bus tour. Rent a bus. We don’t want hand-outs, but this is going to be very, very expensive to fix. Check out our current tours at https://thedetroitbus.com/tours/ — Drunks of Antiquity and Scofflaws and Speakeasies is very popular. We have a ton of Halloween/Holiday tours coming out too so if you’d like to get a giftcard you can do so here: https://thedetroitbus.com/dbc-gift-cards/ with bus rental information here: https://thedetroitbus.com/rent/
— Buy a t-shirt. Our new project, Mutiny/THE CREW, has a webstore with great shirts we’re making right here in our factory. They’re on USA-made quality blanks and printed by our very own staff. Details at www.CrewDetroit.com. We also have DBC tees, of course: https://thedetroitbus.com/product/art-bus-smile-t-shirt/
— Get some sanny. We still have tons and tons of hand sanitizer and surface spray from our big manufacturing project in 2020/2021. Our 2oz Mint sanitizer is very popular: https://arsenalofclean.com/collections/personal-size-hand-sanitizers/products/aofc-x-green-dot-stables-mint-hand-sanitizer?variant=32296085422135 — as is our Warp One isopropyl alcohol-based electronic-safe surface spray: https://arsenalofclean.com/products/warp-one-electronic-safe-surface-disinfectant-spray?variant=32173765787703
— Donate directly to the Detroit Student Racing Team. We take Detroit kids all over the Midwest go to race real cars and go-karts. They learn how to weld, how to wrench, and how to work on a team. Any donations to the team stay in the 501c3 and only get used on team purposes. It’s an entirely volunteer-run organization. Team details with donation link at the bottom: https://thedetroitbus.com/detroit-student-race-team/
Thank you everyone. We’ll get through this as we always do.
PS: instead of photos of all the carnage and damaged stuff I’m choosing to post some of my favorite images from the last year of us doing our thing.
Dawn T
Love your positive outlook and all you do to support others. Good will overcome evil. Through the generosity of others, you should be up and running at full speed again in no time!
Tim Reade
Deja vue all over again
Tony M.
You know some bright, area lighting on either a dawn to dusk or on a motion sensing switch might help as a deterrent for any future would be criminals that love to be shadowy. I am a licensed electrician and really would mind donating some of my time to help y’all out. I wouldn’t do it for free but, at a seriously discounted amount I’m sure you’d be happy with both the results and me. If your at all intrigued to take me up on the offer I can come by and give you a idea as to the material costs and ideas.