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Deals on wheels

If you’re a student tired of plodding around on your own two feet, Western’s Campus Community Police Service may have just the solution.

For the first time in recent memory, the campus police are putting together a winter sale of the bicycles they collect around Western. Similar to the annual spring bike sale, Wednesday’s silent auction aims to get rid of abandoned bicycles while donating money to a good cause.

“These bikes have been left on campus for three months — sometimes longer,” Elgin Austen, director of campus police, explained. If the police are unable to find the owner of the bicycle, they put it into a storage facility where it stays until the annual sale.

But with only limited storage space and because so many people have decided to ride their bikes later on into the year, the police decided to free up some room.

“Once the snow hits, there will be bikes left behind on campus,” Austen said. “We want to make some space, while at the same time making some inexpensive bikes available.”

“It’s really hard to tell [what the turnout will be like],” Austen said. “Right now with the LTC strike and if the weather stays good for a few more weeks, there may be a lot of people looking for an inexpensive bike.”

Austen confirmed the proceeds of the silent auction would be donated to the United Way, though he cautioned the dollar amount won’t break any donation records.

The silent auction will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2 inside Sommerville House. There will be a preview of the bikes at 11 a.m. followed by the auction at noon.

—Mike Hayes

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