In 1970, it was right before my last year in high school and for my summer job, I took a position with C. Itoh in the mailing room. As part of my job I distributed mail, learned about the Pitney Bowes postage machine, filed away stock and made one trip each day to the main post office in Downtown Manhattan. Samples of stock would be on display for the big wigs' consideration... T.V's, stuff I don't remember, and oh of course, the famous C.Itoh Bicycle. I was only paid $75 a week, so I thought that maybe someone would just sell one of these gems for like half price, but as I remember, they never made it easy or fun for me to work there. All the C. Itoh bikes that I saw were 10 speed and blue. It was kind of a baby, bright, rather childish blue that I thought cheapened the overall impression.
I was not the best employee, and during one of my runs to the post office, I would walk the three or so blocks carrying a bunch of small packages on an old broken down mail cart. One day, I think I left the thing on the C. Itoh loading dock and apparently when the garbage truck came by, they thought it was garbage and took it. They dragged me in front of a tribunal of well dressed Japanese and Japanese American businessmen, and asked me to make a full confession and apology. I did both, but when one of them asked me if "I was really really sorry.", I just responded... "Well it's not as though someone died." I was fired instantly, but to this day, I believe that one "I am very sorry" should have sufficed for a 16 year old. They never did give me one of those blue bikes, but I would love to see one just to bring back some memories.
Garth Libre in Miami Fl.