"Stolen Bike - Beware of Rider"

[Dauntless]

That's the sign I want to put on MY bike, which I feel strongly that I've located. A women's frame beach cruiser, old blue paint going to power, the same tattered seat, bars, odd colored tires. It didn't have pedals when they STOLE it but I'm sure these came off someone else's bike while it sat locked somewhere. Didn't have the odd black splotches the fool sprayed on it to mark it as "HIS," either.

Right now I really, REALLY wish I'd gotten a receipt for buying a piece of junk, with the serial number, even a picture. This cocky fool parks the bike in a bike rack in plain view, not only disfigured with his markings but a battery is wired to the frame, ironically he's hoping to keep his ill gotten gains from being stolen from him. Or should I say restolen. The joke is on him, that battery goes dead HOW quick? I'm not sure how he thinks he rides it without getting shocked but it'll stop his fellow thief.

How I wish I could bring the police down, identify whomever has parked it there and have him carted away. I didn't bother reporting it stolen, not only did I have no way to identify it but what difference could it make? Or so it seemed. Right now I have no way to prove that bike is mine, or even that it IS the same bike, though I can't imagine another looking just like it. They become rather unique as they get old, eh?

How many bikes have I had stolen in my life? Recently, even, it's been at it's worst. Here was my one chance to take it ALL out on this one bike thief. How many do you suppose he's stolen in his life? Maybe he took my moped. Hell, maybe he took ALL my bikes, dating back to the first one stolen while I was at the Boy's Club.

As much as I'd like to just cut the lock and take it back, funny how I feel constrained by my lack of real proof. How do I explain this to an innocent bystander who might object? Still, I want to at least go put an uncuttable lock on it, plus a sign that says "Stolen - Beware of Rider." Let's see if he has the nerve to step up to it again.

 

[flat tire]

If you're confident enough to go mess with the bike why not go the extra mile and steal it back? Actually, don't do that.

 

[amberwolf]

You should keep in mind that the present "owner" may not be the thief, and might have no idea it's stolen.

It might be someone that bought it as a used bike, as far as he knew legitimately (might even have paid a high price for it).

It is possible that if you contacted them (preferably with police at hand or on standby around the corner ) then you might be able to find the actual thief, if isn't them.


You and I and probably a fair number of people would be able to guess that something is stolen and being sold to get rid of it, but there are a lot of people out there that dont' have a clue this sort of thing goes on like that. Or they have a clue but it didn't occur to them that it could be the case in this instance. :/



EDIT: You could still put the sign on it, then stick around and watch to see if the rider comes up to it and gets mad for someone messing with his bike because he doesn't realize it really is stolen, or panics because he realizes the original owner has found it....


You could also add to the sign: "to the thief: Please be aware that the police have been tracking the GPS built into this and other bikes, and will be arriving at your location soon. "

 

[Dauntless]

It would take a fool to pay a "High Price tag" for that tattered thing. Then turn around and deface it with the black splotches.

I'm thinking I could put the one sign, then a few days later one that says "BIKE THIEF: Remove your stupid lock and return this bike to the home you stole it from." It'll start becoming stressful. I'm assuming he lives in the apartments over the stores there as I go down there and the bike is always there. But I suppose If I went in the middle of the night it might not be there, he might work in a store. That would be better, as people who go there would get to realize he's riding the stolen bike. OOOOOOOOHHHHHH, STRESS!

 

[Ianhill]

Confront him, if he is apologetic sniff his story like a blood hound if he shoves a big F u in your face then it's time for retribution.either way your gonna have more of an idea if he is the mark.

I wouldn't let him have the bike even if I had to destroy it, people need respect and have to learn the lesson be it the easy way or the hard way, to many seem to walk over people not giving two F for anyone only one type of lesson sorts their head out.

I'm sure there's no need to tell you now to be more vigilante trust no one to keep your stuff safe but yourself, It's a damn shame that communal bike racks are such a target it's about time something is done to at least combat it and give some sort of defence.

 

[Dauntless]

So I was trying to manage to catch the guy getting the bike, but he wasn't coming off work after 9pm, etc. Just as I figured I'd go ahead and put a sign on it, he changed frames. That's still my wheels, but he went from a blue woman's frame to a black men's.

And then? 'POOF!' The only thing left was the front wheel, the part with the lock on it. You know that one, right? So the bike thief got MY rear wheel stolen from him. I'm sure the rest of it was stolen too. Poetic justice, anyway. So far he's left the wheel there, but I should go put a lock of my own on it. Come to think of it, in the future as I start to keep BETTER records of even my junk I suppose I'll put a krypton lock on MY missing bikes when I encounter them.

This one has just left me mad enough to REALLY go after bike thieves in the future, any way I can.

 

[slacker]

someone need's to grow a pair and stop posting about what they should do and just go do it. good thing you are not defending anything important. good luck.

 

[Dauntless]

That was a little much. I can't catch him without actually catching him, now can I?

 

[dogman dan]

Hard to believe it was not ugly enough to sit there unlocked, instead it got stole twice.

Whoever was riding it, he was not the thief. The thief does not want a bike, he wants drugs or booze.

 

[TheBeastie]

All this talk about this bike and its over now but we never got a picture?
I want to see a picture of this bike we will never see again. Or else an aneurysm will build up in my head or something.

 

[TheBeastie]

Woops.. looks like I found some video of your bike being stolen :lol:

 

[maanebedotten]

It always makes me laugh when i see bikes with a lock on the quickrelease front wheel only. :lol: I have even seen bikes with the lock around the seatpost. I really wonder what goes through some peoples heads when they "lock up" their bikes.

Dat wheelie doe...