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'Vigi-plante': Fishtown couple says they tracked down stolen potted plant using Apple AirTag

Published  July 31, 2023 10:47pm EDT
Philadelphia
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Fishtown couple says they tracked down their stolen potted plant using Apple AirTag

A Philadelphia couple frustrated by the recent theft of their outdoor potted plants devised a scheme to track down their plants if they ever go missing again.

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia couple frustrated by the recent theft of their outdoor potted plants devised a scheme to track down their plants if they ever go missing again. 

Jennifer and Kevin Bagby said they placed Apple AirTags in each pot after two of their plants were swiped from their front stoop on York Street in Fishtown.

The Bagley's got the idea after asking a Fishtown Facebook group for ways to prevent their outdoor plants from being stolen following the theft in late June.

Jennifer said at first the idea to use AirTags - which can be tracked using an iPhone -  "seemed like a bit of overkill for a plant." 

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"I was like ‘if you think about the cost of the pot, all the plants, and the time, the love and care, and yeah, the principal' it was like ‘we’re doing this'," Jennifer said. 

When Kevin noticed a pot missing on Sunday morning, the Bagbys excitedly pulled up its location and tracked it roughly a mile and a half away at 3rd and Cambria streets.

There, the Bagbys circled the block and talked to some neighbors, then saw a man wheeling a cart full of plants down Orianna Street. They suddenly heard the faint ping of the AirTag.

"Honestly, it was such a quick interaction, we were like ‘Thanks, bye!’ and [the person with the cart] was like ‘I didn’t steal it!' and I was like ‘Ok?’ and we just went on our merry way," Jennifer said. 

She posted about the ordeal in a Facebook group and garnered praise. While Jennifer encourages other plant lovers to try the AirTag trick, she cautioned safety about confronting possible thieves.

"I think it's just one of those stories we'll have in our pockets for when we're sitting on the porch when we're 90, we're going to laugh about this," Jennifer said.