“Help! My Scooter is Stolen!” A Man’s Scooter Was Stolen During a Sale to Raise Money for His Daughter Hospital Bills

A video reshared on X is drawing attention after a Canadian man said a prospective buyer rode away on his scooter during a test ride and never returned. Many commenters expressed sympathy for the seller. According to the video's caption, the man was trying to sell the scooter to help pay his daughter's hospital bills.

Others on X are also calling the seller naive to allow the buyer to "test drive" the scooter without collecting a down payment, at least.

According to the video's creator, the incident occurred near Toronto's Jane and Finch neighborhood. Public Safety Canada has identified the area as facing socioeconomic challenges, though the agency does not characterize every incident there as representative of the community.

The video began with the seller meeting the buyer, apparently for the first time. The buyer, who was wearing all black and could pass for a teenager, immediately asked to test ride the electric scooter. The seller agreed to it, which was his first mistake. And that's exactly what one commenter wrote, "First mistake was not getting cash in hand before the test drive. At least a deposit."

He allowed the boy to mount the scooter without asking for the cash up front as insurance, or at least a down payment. Several commenters said the seller appeared to place a great deal of trust in the buyer.

This individual suggested, "People really need to stop selling on Facebook marketplace, etc. At least meet in a public space. It’s suggested to meet at a police station."

Why Didn't Anyone in the Video Help as The Man's Scooter Was Being Stolen?

Once the man realized that the "test drive" would last longer than expected, he began chasing the thief. He chased the thief on the scooter out of the parking lot, across a pedestrian crossing, and continued running for over 90 seconds while shouting, "My scooter! My scooter was stolen! Help! Help!"

The video appears to show bystanders continuing on while the man chased after the scooter. The video appears to show him attempting to call 911.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the video's caption, including that the scooter was being sold to help pay the seller's daughter's hospital bills. The video captures only part of the encounter and does not show what happened before or after the alleged theft.