hey, folks, i don’t care how bad the lettering is. i have Melanie back! that was the goal of this whole thing and I thought the day would never come!

hey, folks, i don’t care how bad the lettering is. i have Melanie back! that was the goal of this whole thing and I thought the day would never come! I’m so grateful for the help of Lora Pabst and Jim Gehrz of the Star Tribune, for the help of the mpls and stp police, and for the help of my family and friends. I could not have done it myself.

(and while I was hoping for a dark blue color instead, I agree with kn_mpls and reptile: the green does look really nice with the clear coat over it. I bet Dominick could make a good living doing basecoating of frames once he gets the communications side of his business improved. maybe using plastic reproduction decals as graphics would be the answer for him instead of trying to replicate them free-hand...)

He Just Wants His Life Back

(A response to Lora Pabst’s Star Tribune column, Whistleblower, title “He Just Wants His Bike Back” 7/11/10, sent to Star Tribune)

Dominick Austin Hautamaki doesn’t know if Kyle Torfin will ever get out of his life. On March 30th, Mr. Torfin contracted a paint job for his bicycle, “Melanie,” from Mr. Austin. Kyle heard that people loved the paint jobs they received on their bikes and Vespas (photos avail. on Facebook and Flikr) and wanted to spruce up his ’84. Things have been a little strange—correction, surreal in the past couple of months.

Due to personal and financial circumstances, things took longer than planned to complete Kyle’s bike. Sometimes things happen, and you do what you can to please your customer, and that’s that. This was not acceptable in the eyes of Kyle Torfin. Kyle has been Hell-bent on bringing down Dominick’s corporation of one ever since.
It began with a few contacts from Kyle insisting that his bike be returned and his $280 refunded. (Joe Bell of CA would charge more than double for this service.) Dominick explained to Kyle that once his custom color had been purchased, it was no longer refundable. Most of the bikes Dominick paints are of less monetary value that the paint he applies. He must get the money up front (especially if in the form of a personal check, as from Kyle) to ensure his not being stuck with a freshly painted bike, and no money. (This is common practice in businesses which personalize items, such as engraving.)

The contacts from Kyle immediately became psychotically obsessive numbers of phone calls, text messages, unannounced visits to Dominick’s studio at all hours, emails, Facebook posts, and bike forum posts.

“Torfin went online and started appealing to Austin on local bike message boards,” quotes Lora Pabst of Whistleblower. Last I checked with Merriam-Webster’s, slander, threats, and harassment are not an appeal. (Time to check your sources, Lora.) But, it’s ok because Kyle says, “I don’t have any ill feelings for the guy.” Geez, I’d hate to see the result if he did. Dominick finally had enough and told Kyle to stop contacting him. Kyle did indeed stop. It is for this reason that Kyle “… has not been able to reach him in over a month.”

Then came the harassing emails, calls, and posts from Kyle’s friends and family. Marie Clore, Brad & Michelle Jones, Lisa Ann Benson, Benjamin Monseth, and Nicole Clark (of H.R. at HGA Architects and Engineers) are some of the concerned friends and family of Kyle’s who made it clear with each email how “unfair” Dominick was being. Last I checked, a group of underinformed people performing a viscious verbal assault on a person is unfair.

They were also repeatedly clear about threatening Dominick with police, lawyers, and slander. And they made good on those threats. Additionally, Kyle created a facebook page for his bicycle. Without stopping to think about how much energy that took, check out the video he posted on the page. Pay special attention to the dramatic faces he makes and what I think was a vain attempt to conjur up tears at one point. What a maroon.

On this “Save Melanie” page, Kyle spouts slanderous statements about Dominick which provoked numerous threats of physical violence against him from it’s readers.
Dominick began to fear for his personal safety and would only work in his studio at night when the doors automatically lock. He took his name off his home mailbox (He has no mailbox at his studio.), and had an eye out for Kyle showing up at his day job.
Officer Dave Tschida (not Jesse Garcia), the policeman assigned to “Melanie’s” case, was unable to contact Dominick on 7/8 as he was out of town at his shop. Dominick contacted him upon his arrival home the next day and the two have spoken since.

It is a shame that Dominick missed his alleged appointment with Whistleblower. It is a bigger shame that Lora Pabst had nothing more exciting to write about, and thusly published her column with a lazy, one-sided story. Lora told Dominick that she “…write(s) a column which helps people resolve their conflicts.” I don’t think it worked, Lora. Journalist Fail.

Also, diving into Dominick’s affairs with his rental company was unrelated and a transparent attempt at sensationalism. Tsk, tsk. Deceptive, un-researched, and sensational journalism belongs on TMZ. Anyone with a fresh 2007 degree in journalism from the U of M should know irresponsible journalism when they write it. Look out for headhunters from the National Enquirer!

I guess the squeeky, entitled, spoiled, educated, white collar, middle class, caucasian, male wheel with a persecution complex gets the grease. Unlike the attention-starved Kyle, whose free time is evidently not booked with social engagements, philanthropy, or romanic encounters with his wife, Dominick has a day job, bikes to paint, guitar pedals to design, etc. and doesn’t have time to spend answering urgent phone calls from gossip columnists and creating Facebook pages for inanimate objects.

Apparently Lora believes that no one cares about the opinion of a lone, blue-collar boy hailing from a generationally poor family. The haves have, and the haves get, right? Working class people form the backbone of our society. (We should all take a lesson and treat our hairdressers and telephone cleaners with respect.) We struggle to make ends meet each day. There are no vacations, no health insurance, no child care, and no mercy from people like Kyle Torfin of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage if you can’t make your payments.
Now there’s a real story, Lora.

“Melanie” has been painted (with gratis graphics) and returned and she looks gorgeous. I’m personally excited for the face I will never see Kyle Torfin make, as each stranger asks, “Where did you get that sweet paint job?”
Checkmate, Kyle.

ARRRRGGGGGGGGGg why does the name "Melanie" vex me so?!?

Kyle Torfin finally has his prized Trek bicycle back after waiting more than three months for a $280 paint job to be completed by a custom artist. Whistleblower reported on the case of the missing bike in Sunday’s paper.

Dominick Austin Hautamaki, the Minneapolis painter Torfin hired in March, returned "Melanie" Wednesday after arranging a local bicycle shop as the drop-off point. Torfin said a Minneapolis police officer told him that Hautamaki did not want Torfin to be there when he delivered the bike.

Torfin said he is happy to have Melanie back, but he’s not satisfied with the turquoise paint job. Melanie also reminds him of the ordeal.

"After seeing it, I’m not sure if I even want to ride it," he said.

ARRRRGGGGGGGGGg why does the name "Melanie" vex me so?!?