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Where do stolen bikes go?

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Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#61

Post by BurningFrog »

denton-scratch wrote: post #30

I had a £2,000 electric bike stolen in Oxford. No worries - it had a GPS tracker, and I could see it heading to Birmingham up the M40. Also, my neighbour had CCTV footage. You couldn't make out the faces or number-plate, but you could see it was a black Mercedes. It was taken at about 3AM. So they had "liberated" the bike (it was locked up), and immediately headed out of town. I'm sure it was scouted, then they came…

I'll take the cops at their word:

They have limited resources, and can not go after every criminal, even if it's a slam dunk case.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#62

Post by bombcar »

denton-scratch wrote: post #30

I had a £2,000 electric bike stolen in Oxford. No worries - it had a GPS tracker, and I could see it heading to Birmingham up the M40. Also, my neighbour had CCTV footage. You couldn't make out the faces or number-plate, but you could see it was a black Mercedes. It was taken at about 3AM. So they had "liberated" the bike (it was locked up), and immediately headed out of town. I'm sure it was scouted, then they came…

This is why cell phones just disable themselves when stolen even though infinitely traceable they have GPS and cell service after all). Nobody cares.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#63

Post by ch4s3 »

nerdponx wrote: post #48
denton-scratch wrote: post #30

I had a £2,000 electric bike stolen in Oxford. No worries - it had a GPS tracker, and I could see it heading to Birmingham up the M40. Also, my neighbour had CCTV footage. You couldn't make out the faces or number-plate, but you could see it was a black Mercedes. It was taken at about 3AM. So they had "liberated" the bike (it was locked up), and immediately headed out of town. I'm sure it was scouted, then they came…

Good reminder that the assertion "police exist to protect private property" is incomplete. They protect certain private property, but in general not your private property.

Police in the US seem to exist to perpetuate the institution of policing and secondarily to prosecute the drug war. Everything else seems to compete for priority 3.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#64

Post by JALTU »

There is something about the Venn diagram of this e̶x̶p̶e̶r̶i̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ business that is perfect (at least in Seattle). I need help summarizing it: low COGS/resale value of parts/utility to channel partners/favorable legal conditions/favorable government policy... I'm missing the buyer side of this equation, but it has to be seriously compelling.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#65

Post by jimnotgym »

denton-scratch wrote: post #56
maximinus_thrax wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They weren't interested - they told me to contact West Midlands police. So I rang them. No, they were not going to investigate: "Don't you realize how many Porsches are stolen in this city every day?" Also, they said they can't just walk in and have a look around (I guess they need a warrant, which is fair enough; but then why not get a warrant?) I've seen/heard this numerous times. Cops really don't give a shit ab…

> I mean you can prove they're in possession of your property. To be pedantic, I can only prove they're in possession of the GPS tracker. That cost about £250. Yes, we have small claims. I think it costs about £50. I'd love to have (partially) got my own back; but I was very much conscious that these people might not be very nice people, and they knew where I lived. I could have hired thieves to steal it back, I supp…

IANAL but you don't have to prove 'beyond reasonable doubt' in civil cases, just balance of probability. If you fought this case I think you would have a very good chance of getting a judgement. Whether that gets you any actual cash is another matter.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#66

Post by adamrezich »

my uncle bought a stolen bike from a bike-stealer-and-then-reseller in Taiwan in the 90s, brought it home with him when he went back to the US, and gave it to me when I moved to Redmond. I used it for a bit until the seat broke, after which it remained on the porch of my apartment, seatless, until someone stole it, apparently unperturbed by the lack of seat—I just figured it was karmic justice.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#67

Post by Gh0stRAT »

jackmott42 wrote: post #42
quacked wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Almost made me feel like I was the bad guy in the situation. Many people who choose to live outside square-lawed society rely on people remaining docile and sticking to principle in order to prey on them, or at least to live a lifestyle where they don't have to collaborate with larger society to reap its rewards. It took me years to un-program "assume good intent and empathy" with people I didn't know that were try…

Yeah, every homeless person I have ever talked to has had some bullshit story. Its almost as if the impulse to spew bullshit is the primary cause of homelessness. Or some inevitable consequence of most mental health problems. Its so reliable that it makes me question the idea that housing costs are the primary cause of homelessness, but perhaps that just pushes more people on the mental margins over the edge.

Humans are narrative creatures. We literally think in stories, so it's not surprising to me that homeless people have a sad story that explains their homelessness.

We all tell ourselves stories (whether true or not) to process our actions and their consequences. For people who have been victimized, they sometimes become a slave to the story they tell themselves which can lead to learned helplessness.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#68

Post by JALTU »

In Seattle, they're on Craigslist. The thieves don't even bother to change the background of the photo (because heck, they don't need to!), but hey you can buy from a dealer who carries a wide variety of kids/road/mountain/etc.

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#69

Post by londons_explore »

_Wintermute wrote: post #55
londons_explore wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Write your phone number all over every part in permanent marker. Nobody will buy something covered in phone numbers without at least calling the number. The thief can't be bothered to repaint the whole bike to cover it. Hence, the bike is now worthless to a thief, so it won't get stolen.

I doubt that would deter them, they'll either spray-paint the frame it it's a cheap bike, or just strip it for parts if it's high-end.

I've tried it... It seems to have reduced by ~75% the number of thefts I've had. (I used to have a bike stolen every 3-4 weeks, and now I only lose one every 3-4 months)

Re: Where do stolen bikes go?

#70

Post by denton-scratch »

denton-scratch wrote: post #56
maximinus_thrax wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They weren't interested - they told me to contact West Midlands police. So I rang them. No, they were not going to investigate: "Don't you realize how many Porsches are stolen in this city every day?" Also, they said they can't just walk in and have a look around (I guess they need a warrant, which is fair enough; but then why not get a warrant?) I've seen/heard this numerous times. Cops really don't give a shit ab…

> I mean you can prove they're in possession of your property. To be pedantic, I can only prove they're in possession of the GPS tracker. That cost about £250. Yes, we have small claims. I think it costs about £50. I'd love to have (partially) got my own back; but I was very much conscious that these people might not be very nice people, and they knew where I lived. I could have hired thieves to steal it back, I supp…

On reflection, I guess I could have sued them for the value of the bike; it would have been a civil case, so it wouldn't have depended on proof, just on the balance of probabilities.

I doubt they would have contested it; it would have been an easy win. But they might have paid me a visit and set fire to my flat.

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