What a bike thief looks like

Mark Alexander · June 2007

how big must the market be for dodgy bikes be for him to sustain this volume of tefts. The only good thing to come from this (other than th bugger gtting caught) is maybe we have some more cyclists on the trails. Then again, who'd want them around if they use stolen bikes. I doubt he has a shop.

my elephant has more memory than my PC

Oldknees · June 2007

Posted - 02/06/2007 : 07:40:12

You obviously haven't seen my battered old Claud Oldknees, so unattractive to villains I hardly need to worry anyway.

A bicycle is for life, not just for Christmas.

Somebody has stuck a settee to it. That should fox the thief, he'd sit down for a rest, fall asleep and then NABBED.

slow is good too

CometGirl · June 2007

Much as it pains me to agree with Joe...

The "cause" of this crime is a market in cheap, second hand bikes, where the purchaser doesn't want to check the origins too carefully.

The availability of bikes for this crime is due to criminals wanting to steal things (well, durr) and people not locking things up properly. Anyone who thinks they can leave valuables lying around unlocked and uninsured is asking for trouble. It's not 1950 any more, and to be quite frank there was never a crime-free golden age.

And anybody who thinks that dismembering other people for petty crime is acceptable... well. That's just plain ignorant, or psychotic, depending on whether you've thought the viewpoint through or not.

billsters · June 2007

I lock my bike even when I leave it in the hallway of my house, as we had a spate of thefts from hallways in my neighbourhood last year and my Marin went. Most galling, I was actually IN at the time, and thought I heard some noise but didn't occur to me someone would be cheeky enough to slip the front door lock and nick my bike.

I have it "alarmed" with a windchime at the moment(!), I keep meaning to fix a bracket on the wall. I do leave it locked up in public places, but use 3 locks and try not to leave it for too long.

Cycle thieves are bastards, but it's dog thieves I hate at the moment(yes, yes, obviously I hate child thieves too but they're not as usual in my area).

The Bosscp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by billsters

Cycle thieves are bastards, but it's dog thieves I hate at the moment(yes, yes, obviously I hate child thieves too but they're not as usual in my area).

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It goes without saying that you should always lock your dog up when leaving it outside a shop.

Brock_71 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

Much as it pains me to agree with Joe...

The "cause" of this crime is a market in cheap, second hand bikes, where the purchaser doesn't want to check the origins too carefully.
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Receiving stolen goods is another crime that should be subject to harsher punishment. It's trickier though because ignorance is hard to disprove I guess.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
The availability of bikes for this crime is due to criminals wanting to steal things (well, durr) and people not locking things up properly. Anyone who thinks they can leave valuables lying around unlocked and uninsured is asking for trouble. It's not 1950 any more, and to be quite frank there was never a crime-free golden age.
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Ah yes, it's the victim's fault. They were asking for it. Reminds me of the rape arguments this. Women should of course be free to go out in mini skirts without it effecting the culpability of an attacker in a subsequent rape. Similarly I feel I should be free to take my bicycle down the shops without needing to carry a two kilo krypto tungstenite diamond grade lock with me and then being blamed for not having insurance when it gets nicked anyway.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">

And anybody who thinks that dismembering other people for petty crime is acceptable... well. That's just plain ignorant, or psychotic, depending on whether you've thought the viewpoint through or not.
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I think I've thought it through, and I'm probably ignorant AND psychotic [:)]
The only problem I can see with removing a finger from such criminals is that the nasty little street muggers and antisocial subcultural crime glamourists would start to 'wear with pride', reducing the deterrent factor of the punishment.

How about tattooing 'I STEAL' across their forehead?

<hr noshade size="1">A bicycle is for life, not just for Christmas.

CometGirl · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Brock_71

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

Much as it pains me to agree with Joe...

The "cause" of this crime is a market in cheap, second hand bikes, where the purchaser doesn't want to check the origins too carefully.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Receiving stolen goods is another crime that should be subject to harsher punishment. It's trickier though because ignorance is hard to disprove I guess.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Indeed. At the moment it's socially acceptable to say "Guess what I paid for this, it was only thirty quid - don't want to know where he got it..."

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
The availability of bikes for this crime is due to criminals wanting to steal things (well, durr) and people not locking things up properly. Anyone who thinks they can leave valuables lying around unlocked and uninsured is asking for trouble. It's not 1950 any more, and to be quite frank there was never a crime-free golden age.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Ah yes, it's the victim's fault. They were asking for it. Reminds me of the rape arguments this. Women should of course be free to go out in mini skirts without it effecting the culpability of an attacker in a subsequent rape. Similarly I feel I should be free to take my bicycle down the shops without needing to carry a two kilo krypto tungstenite diamond grade lock with me and then being blamed for not having insurance when it gets nicked anyway.
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No, that's not what I said. It's not the victim's fault if their bike gets nicked. This is why I deliberately separated out "cause" as above. However, there are things you can do to minimise your chances of a criminal stealing your possessions - lock your car, lock your bike, lock your house, don't leave your stereo in plain view with the windows open. None of this affects the culpability of the thief, it's just sensible.

Joe Sacco · June 2007

Exactly, it is sensible to lock your possessions and also sensible to insure them.
As for cutting off fingers, what if that doesn't reduce the crime numbers, cut off whole hand? If that doesn't work cut off arm? Before we know it you will be hanging someone for stealing a bike...

Dickie · June 2007

Hes an arsehole with a capital A.

Joe please forgive me but I like the idea of hanging thieves.

top_bhoy · June 2007

This guy is taking from stations so it is a fair assumption that the vast majority are locked up - the owners doing their best to protect their property. Do you allow this kind of crap to continue and say, its not acceptable but it would be draconian to lock you up for any length of time??? Dickie has the right idea.....the tied bag trick works wonders for kittens so no reason to doubt it's effectiveness against bike thieves :-)

This is my bike:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p66/ ... ure001.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p66/ ... ure002.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p66/ ... ure003.jpg

Brock_71 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Joe Sacco

As for cutting off fingers, what if that doesn't reduce the crime numbers, cut off whole hand? If that doesn't work cut off arm? Before we know it you will be hanging someone for stealing a bike...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Probably at some point between 'hand' and 'arm' bicycle theft would become extremely rare, and the world would be a happier place. Hooray!

<hr noshade size="1">A bicycle is for life, not just for Christmas.

Brock_71 · June 2007

Just did a quick search to see what sentences are actually handed down for bike thievery and found this article from a newspaper in The Gambia.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
Bicycle Thief Sent to Jail
Tuesday, 1st November 2005

By Nfamara Jawneh

Magistrate Amina Saho-Ceesay of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court last Thursday convicted and sentenced one Ousman Sonko to three years in prison or an option of D1, 000 fine.

Narrating the facts of the matter, the police prosecutor adduced that on 28 September 2005, the convict went to the carpentry workshop of the complainant in Serekunda, where he shared lunch with him (the complainant), and asked him to lend him his bike. However, the prosecutor went on, after the convict was lent the bicycle, he never returned to hand it back till after a week when he was spotted by the complainant's brother at West Field.

"He was later arrested and taken to Serekunda Police Station, where he was interrogated and detained," the prosecutor explained.
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Three years for maliciously borrowing a bike for a bit too long! Now that's more like it, I'd go and live there if sun cream was cheaper.

<hr noshade size="1">A bicycle is for life, not just for Christmas.

urbanfatboy · June 2007

We should all print out a copy of that pic and make a poster with Thieving Bastard written across the top and post them everywhere.

Dickie · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by urbanfatboy

We should all print out a copy of that pic and make a poster with Thieving Bastard written across the top and post them everywhere.
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[:D][:D]

Bigtallfatbloke · June 2007

I know thta th epolice are on this around here as well. My 17 year old nephew was 'hanging out' at Billericay station a few weeks back with his mate waiting for some friends to arrive on a train. He was standing around where the bike racks are. He was pulled over and questioned by a plain clothed copper (not much older than him) in a baseball cap. He explained that there had been a lot of thefts and that they should 'move along' as they were out to catch any bike thieves.

I think that is good to know.

Doesnt stop the last train from Liverpool street drunks weeing on the bikes though [:0]

stelvio · June 2007

crime-free golden age.And anybody who thinks that dismembering other people for petty crime is acceptable... well. That's just plain ignorant, or psychotic, depending on whether you've thought the viewpoint through or not.
[/quote]

Hmm; whilst I might agree with this comment as a generalisation, nicking my bike was definitely not "petty" theft.
Perhaps minor mutilation for a first offence, progressing to dismemberment for repeat offenders ?

babyjebus · June 2007

The villain that started this thread has been re-arrested today in Catford according to the BBC website, so he's probably in the nick there before he serves some time in Belmarsh. The lucky lad.

dondare · June 2007

Let's form a lynch mob.

This sig is under construction.

llanberispass · June 2007

Not one mention of car boot sales?

How much are they responsble for the recycling (!) of stolen goods.

The cops in our cycling club hate them....

ankev1 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

Much as it pains me to agree with Joe...

The "cause" of this crime is a market in cheap, second hand bikes, where the purchaser doesn't want to check the origins too carefully.

The availability of bikes for this crime is due to criminals wanting to steal things (well, durr) and people not locking things up properly. Anyone who thinks they can leave valuables lying around unlocked and uninsured is asking for trouble. It's not 1950 any more, and to be quite frank there was never a crime-free golden age.

And anybody who thinks that dismembering other people for petty crime is acceptable... well. That's just plain ignorant, or psychotic, depending on whether you've thought the viewpoint through or not.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

That's a debatable point of view. If everybody knew that petty crime would attract that punishment and if the public approved of it, it would be hard to make a logical case against it.

FWIW I think dismemberment would be over the top. The key thing is the word "petty". Yes it is small time stuff in the bigger scale of things but that is the problem; the crook thinks he's doing nothing really bad and the police have got bigger fish to fry. The pain caused though can be considerable (imagine if something of little intrinsic worth but of great sentimental value gets nicked) or there can be just a lot of inconvenience. I think these people should be nicked but petty crime should attract a straightforward punishment: in this case a severe and extremely painful flogging preferably delivered in public at the scene of the crime. This would demonstrate society's contempt for scum and would probably deter reoffending.

babyjebus · June 2007

Excellent parody of an idiot there. Are you Craig Brown?

ankev1 · June 2007

You are of course free to regard that as idiocy. I regard crooks as volunteers who are parasitic on the innocent and would like to see them treated accordingly. I don't subscribe to the current "aw diddums it's all the fault of society" view.

2191flint · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by road-runner

I can't help but feel sorry for him. What sort of upbringing did he have? What are the chances that he will be able to sort his life out and hold down a legitimate job and stay out of trouble with the law in future?
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I hope that was intentional irony? Just looking at him the 'scroat-o-meter' goes off the scale. He is a worthless piece of sh*t who would steal anything, no doubt to feed a drug habit.

He is not alone, many, many criminals fail to appear (at Court) there will be a warrant out, and he won't be able to help himself, as a persistant offender, he will go back to what he knows best, stealing your bike.

I cover the Brookwood area and will bear him in mind, I have had several bikes go missing from my patch, there are hundreds of labourers in the area on a large building project, so maybe I'll get lucky, as I delight in telling turds like him " you need to be lucky all the time, I only need to be lucky once"

A turkey is just for Christmas, not for life.

Me and my bike- http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/galleries/flintosaur9/

Joe Sacco · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by 2191flint

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by road-runner

I can't help but feel sorry for him. What sort of upbringing did he have? What are the chances that he will be able to sort his life out and hold down a legitimate job and stay out of trouble with the law in future?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I hope that was intentional irony? Just looking at him the 'scroat-o-meter' goes off the scale. He is a worthless piece of sh*t who would steal anything, no doubt to feed a drug habit.

He is not alone, many, many criminals fail to appear (at Court) there will be a warrant out, and he won't be able to help himself, as a persistant offender, he will go back to what he knows best, stealing your bike.

I cover the Brookwood area and will bear him in mind, I have had several bikes go missing from my patch, there are hundreds of labourers in the area on a large building project, so maybe I'll get lucky, as I delight in telling turds like him " you need to be lucky all the time, I only need to be lucky once"

A turkey is just for Christmas, not for life.

Me and my bike- http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/galleries/flintosaur9/
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

And how does imprisoning/cutting off fingers help? He will continue to commit the crimes as the issue is not being adressed, whatever the issue is. That is why there are so many re-offenders.

top_bhoy · June 2007

Who cares if cutting of his fingers helps or not - it would be retribution, not for a singular criminal act but continuous criminal acts over a relatively short time period. I've no doubt he and his ilk would mug you for a few quid just as easy as stealing your bike! Its not just about the bike!!!

This is my bike:
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p66/ ... ure001.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p66/ ... ure002.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p66/ ... ure003.jpg

Brock_71 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Joe Sacco

And how does imprisoning/cutting off fingers help? He will continue to commit the crimes as the issue is not being adressed, whatever the issue is. That is why there are so many re-offenders.
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The only 'issue' is that he doesn't have as much money as he wants. He sees stealing bikes as a reasonably risk free way round that problem. He's not wrong. Especially if he's in a society that believes the way to deal with such issues is to call it petty and make him paint a couple of walls to 'repay his debt', while criticising his victims for not locking their bikes up properly or having inadequate insurance.
The reason there are so many re-offenders is because the deal is a good one.

<hr noshade size="1">A bicycle is for life, not just for Christmas.

What a bike thief looks like

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