Forgotten Bike Etiquette

ChillyGetsTrilly
ChillyGetsTrilly Posts: 75
edited October 2009 in Road beginners
I'm sure you've all seen it before. A locked up bike with flat tires or rusty parts, left behind or forgotten by someone....

I'm wondering the etiquette on taking this bike, by force, and setting it straight. There's a particular one i pass near my flat everyday that just sits there looking sad. Tires flat, digging into the old soil that its clearly been sitting in for months (years?). Is it wrong to take the bike and rehab it to give to a family member? It's just rotting away anyways....

What do you guys think?

Comments

  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    It's theft.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    theft
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • Squillinossett
    Squillinossett Posts: 1,678
    Its theft, but like you said, its just an old forgotten bike, no one is going to come chasing it for you.

    Save the poor thing and fix it up.

    Legal = no

    Anyone care? = NO
  • sods_law
    sods_law Posts: 161
    Meh, just make sure no-one sees you take it. Hope you polish it up nice :)
  • Piersy Boy
    Piersy Boy Posts: 60
    I have thought of this too. I would like to think I could take it cos it would be a great project to rebuild it, but a part of me still thinks it is stealing to some extent. I would also be interested in what people think.

    You could always "nick" it when its dark and you are sure no one is watching.

    Let me know how its goes!!!

    Piersy Boy
    www.pierscunliffephotography.co.uk
  • rogerthecat
    rogerthecat Posts: 669
    Hand it into the Police station, if it is not claimed then..... any coppers on here?
  • northernneil
    northernneil Posts: 1,549
    yup - sounds like a job for nap d
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Handing it in at a police station would mean "unlocking" it.

    Criminal damage.
  • rogerthecat
    rogerthecat Posts: 669
    oh come on, work with me here,
  • mattbass789
    mattbass789 Posts: 355
    contact the police saying its been abandoned, or lost. they'll take it in, if its not claimed in thirty days its yours. Legally. only thing is getting the police out to remove it.
    “If you worried about falling off the bike, you’d never get on.”

    @mattbeedham
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    I would think that if you contact the police they will pass the information on the the council who will remove it as rubbish.
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    Smokin Joe wrote:
    It's theft.

    I don't think it's that black and white. For the offence of theft there must be a dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another.

    Theft Act 1968, Section 2 states:

    "1. A person’s appropriation of property belonging to another is not to be regarded as dishonest:

    (c) (except where the property came to him as trustee or personal representative) if he appropriates the property in the belief that the person to whom the property belongs cannot be discovered by taking reasonable steps."
  • Aggieboy
    Aggieboy Posts: 3,996
    It's mine. You have my permission to take it.
    "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, t'would be a pity to damage yours."
  • x8swift9x
    x8swift9x Posts: 268
    There was a thread similar to this on the London fgss forum.

    I seem to remember someone saying they had notified the police about the bike, and after a certain period they were able to claim it. Can't remember the details exactly.
    Road: Felt AR0, Di2
    Touring/commute: Dolan Multricross
    TT: PX Exocet Sold because it was like a sail in the wind (sh*t)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Under the Police Property act you can hand it to the police stating you wish to claim it then after a length of time (28 days I think) if it's not claimed by the owner you can have it.
  • northstar
    northstar Posts: 407
    So make sure you grind off the frame number

    Does that sit easy with you? :?
    Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.
  • Nuggs
    Nuggs Posts: 1,804
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Under the Police Property act you can hand it to the police stating you wish to claim it then after a length of time (28 days I think) if it's not claimed by the owner you can have it.
    That sounds like a sensible approach. Also sounds to me like it would help an argument that you had taken reasonable steps to find the owner...
  • jellybellywmb
    jellybellywmb Posts: 1,379
    Find a chav, buy him bottle of cheap cider and 10 Bensons and get him to nick it, your consience is clear.
    "BEER" Proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy
  • Aggieboy
    Aggieboy Posts: 3,996
    Nuggs wrote:
    NapoleonD wrote:
    Under the Police Property act you can hand it to the police stating you wish to claim it then after a length of time (28 days I think) if it's not claimed by the owner you can have it.
    That sounds like a sensible approach. Also sounds to me like it would help an argument that you had taken reasonable steps to find the owner...

    Doesn't actually help if the owner does come forward to claim it/report it stolen, and accuses CGT of criminal damage of his lock though, does it?
    "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world, t'would be a pity to damage yours."
  • capilinconnemara
    capilinconnemara Posts: 117
    Write a little note addressing the owner asking him/her if they would like to gift you the bike so you may pass it on to a deserving charity after repair. Tell them that all they have to do is reply with another note saying Yes or No :lol:
    Go neiri on bothar leat.
  • northstar
    northstar Posts: 407
    Or pass it back to them.
    Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.
  • mikeyboy12345
    mikeyboy12345 Posts: 187
    northstar wrote:
    So make sure you grind off the frame number

    Does that sit easy with you? :?

    If you're going to commit an offence in the first place of either criminal damage (to the lock) and/or theft of the bike, then hiding the evidence is a good idea!!!! :P

    I never said that's what I would do, I was merely pointing out a possible course of action!
  • notsoracy rich
    notsoracy rich Posts: 229
    Just suppose it was your bike which you had locked up while you were in hospital/tending a sick mother etc, and you returned to find some theiving scum bag had stolen it ?
    What would you call the thief who stole it?

    Its stealing ,however you try and justify it.

    Yes, I have had bikes stolen,I even used a cheap rusty one to leave locked at the station while I went to work on the train , and someone even 'rescued ' that one.
  • hodsgod
    hodsgod Posts: 226
    I would tell the old bill you were going to take it first, you don't need plod turning up just as you are weilding the bolt croppers.
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 2,706
    Is it really worth the hassle?

    If it's been sitting there for any length of time the cost of restoring it is going to be more than you can get a second hand bike for.

    I'd forget it.
  • deptfordmarmoset
    deptfordmarmoset Posts: 3,118
    hodsgod wrote:
    I would tell the old bill you were going to take it first, you don't need plod turning up just as you are weilding the bolt croppers.

    I'm not sure you can just phone up the old bill and tell them you're about to go at something that doesn't belong to you with a pair of bolt croppers.

    But if you can, I've got 2-and-a-half bikes downstairs completely taking a bike stand out of commission so I can't leave my bike there, and I've got 67 steps up with my bike, shopping and other paraphernalia to carry up every time I get home, so I'd be up for borrowing your bolt croppers whenever you're not using them :lol:
    Looking for a cycling buddy?

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