Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Dec 7, 2011 at 10:03 pm

Why is this news?

Because of the race of the perpetrator? Because the victim was a bicyclists? Because it was a theft of $25?

Can someone please explain.

Posted by member, a resident of Menlo Park, on Dec 7, 2011 at 11:32 pm

If you lived near Ringwood, you would consider this important news!

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Dec 8, 2011 at 12:08 am

@member,

Yes, maybe I would, but why?

Posted by danos, a resident of another community, on Dec 8, 2011 at 12:13 am

Are you questioning why someone who lives in the area would consider this news? Is that a serious question?

Or are you looking to make some sort of "oh you people are all racists" statement?

Posted by b, a resident of another community, on Dec 8, 2011 at 7:50 am

Why, because if you walk on that bridge you want to know if there are crimes happening so you can decide if its safe to use or to use an alternate route.

Posted by JustMe, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Dec 8, 2011 at 9:01 am

The fact that it is not important to you does not mean that it is not important to anyone else. Could we have a little less egocentricity please?

Posted by PLC, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Dec 8, 2011 at 10:41 am

It is my opinion that we (the public) should always be alerted to crimes in which a person is robbed or otherwise accosted "at knife point." I would assume that this is of interest to anyone using that footbridge.

Thank you, Palo Alto Weekly, for reporting it.

Posted by Scott, a resident of Menlo Park, on Dec 8, 2011 at 10:49 am

These sorts of incidents are, fortunately, rare enough that when they happen they are considered newsworthy. And, I agree that it's worth knowing which areas may be more or less safe.

Posted by night walker, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Dec 8, 2011 at 10:50 am

It is always a personal safety issue when events like this occur.

I for one want to know if people in a particular area are being accosted. Not that we shouldn't always be vigilant. As far as reporting on the race of the perp, race is part of one's physical description. Would Outside Observer have complained if it were a white male, or Asian male, in a hoodie with a bandana over his lower face?

Maybe it *was* a white male in blackface? Get a grip!

Posted by when?, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Dec 8, 2011 at 11:06 am

The Mercury-News said the robbery occurred at 6:35pm on Monday evening. Palo Alto Online says it happened early Tuesday morning. What is the truth? I suppose it is more disturbing for street robberies to happen during commute hours than after midnight. How much light is there on the bridge?

Facebook is supposedly encouraging employees at their new campus to ride their bicycles. That means a lot of them should be using this bridge to get to the Menlo Park Caltrain station.

Mercury-News: Web Link

Posted by longtime resident, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Dec 8, 2011 at 11:24 am

Despite the first questioning post, it is clear why this story is news. Knife-point holdups on bike bridges are not common. Perhaps one should reflect on the various Occupy movements and how little serious response they have generated. There are many desperate people among us for whom $25 is significant; with Facebook now in Menlo Park the inequities will be all the more obvious in neighboring communities. It is instructive to read about the riots in London last August; see Guardian on line Reading the Riots.

Posted by danos, a resident of another community, on Dec 8, 2011 at 11:52 am

Violent crime is ALWAYS news. It is important that the public be made aware of such incidents. Including the scumbags's physical description is also critical, as it could help in apprehending him/her/it.

'Outside Observer' is clearly inferring that the paper only reported the crime because a black male was involved. Give it a rest already!

Posted by Outside Observer, a resident of another community, on Dec 8, 2011 at 8:01 pm

Actually, I thought it was because the victim was a bicyclist.

Robbed of $25 - happens every second in PA

Robbed by a young Black man - commonplace

Robbed a bicyclist - very unusual and perhaps newsworthy.

Posted by Alan, a resident of Menlo Park, on Mar 26, 2012 at 5:14 pm

I was looking to see when the new bridge was going to be finished ... "when?" got it right: with Facebook encouraging bicycle commuters, this bridge is the only nearby alternative for dangerous 101 crossings at Willow Rd and Marsh Rd. A crime incident on this bridge may hurt those efforts, putting Facebook's traffic estimates in question - which is a contingency for them expending their campus as much as they desire. Also: the "Flood Park" neighborhood on the west petitioned to keep this bridge from being replaced, due to fears about crime crossing over. This incident plays into those fears.

Maybe people will forget about this incident - but there's a lot more politics behind a simple bridge than people realize ...

Posted by new bridge, a resident of the Adobe-Meadows neighborhood, on Mar 26, 2012 at 6:09 pm

How many people have been robbed on this bridge? This is the only incident that I can think of, and I have a very good memory. Much more common are pedestrians getting robbed on city streets, including in downtown Palo Alto.

If you've been out there recently, the new bridge looks like it is almost done. I expect they have to coordinate the final touches with the construction on the highway underneath.

And the fear mongering that "Alan" is talking about doesn't sound like "politics".