Abandoned Bikes - What's the score?
cat_with_no_tail
Posts: 12,980
Out for a ride last night, and I spotted an old GT (I forget the make, mid-90s job) which has been leant against some railings against a main road for a couple of weeks at least now.
It's got a puncture on the rear wheel (I assume so anyway, the rear tyre is away from the rim) and looks like it's just been left there to rot.
As I say, it's been there for at least a couple of weeks and hasn't moved. Leading me to believe it's just been dumped.
What's the deal with this? I'm reluctant to just go and take it, because at some point, it did belong to someone, and I don't want to be robbing someones bike. On the other hand, if it's fair game, I don't want someone else to have what looks like a prefectly good commuter.
Do I take it, fix it and use it?
Do I take it to the cop shop and wait to see if someone claims it?
Do I just leave well enough alone?
It's got a puncture on the rear wheel (I assume so anyway, the rear tyre is away from the rim) and looks like it's just been left there to rot.
As I say, it's been there for at least a couple of weeks and hasn't moved. Leading me to believe it's just been dumped.
What's the deal with this? I'm reluctant to just go and take it, because at some point, it did belong to someone, and I don't want to be robbing someones bike. On the other hand, if it's fair game, I don't want someone else to have what looks like a prefectly good commuter.
Do I take it, fix it and use it?
Do I take it to the cop shop and wait to see if someone claims it?
Do I just leave well enough alone?
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Comments
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hand it in to the Police as a found Item.
If no one claims it in a given time you can collect it as yours."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
I'd be tempted to just take it, but Nick's advice is right, and it could have been stolen and dumped, which means somebody might be pining for it.
Must be lots of honest people on IOM. Wouldn't last 10 minutes around here.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
same here. I left a 15 years old rigid with a bent cranks and a wheel that buckled so much that it won't go through the frame with a tyre on the front drive and it'd gone by the morning. (put it out in the evening) This was 5 speed with cantis!!! :shock: :roll:cooldad wrote:Wouldn't last 10 minutes around here.0 -
If it is basically not hidden, and has been there for weeks, I say just take it man. Surely someone else would have come across it and taken it already!0
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Advantages of small island life I guess. If you're riding round on a nicked bike, you'll soon get spotted.
I'm almost certain it's dumped and not nicked due to the fact stuff just does not get nicked round here, ever. That said though, I'll stick to the rules and drop it off at the cop shop on Monday morning, just to be sure.0 -
Karma will reward you. Chances are by ending up with the bike.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
I'm going to pop down in the car later and have a look. If it's worth having, I'll take it home, fix it, and hand it in on Monday. If it's scrap, it can stay where it is
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Fix it
Then
Ride it like you stole itI'm going to blow the bank on a new build ( within reason ) NOW DONE!!
http://i570.photobucket.com/albums/ss14 ... 010362.jpg0 -
Not sure about you, but it genuinely worries me that so many people have an attitude of "meh, it's crime, it happens".Cat With No Tail wrote:Advantages of small island life I guess.0 -
yeehaamcgee wrote:
Not sure about you, but it genuinely worries me that so many people have an attitude of "meh, it's crime, it happens".Cat With No Tail wrote:Advantages of small island life I guess.
My folks live over in England, I'm always shocked when I hear all the shlt that goes on round where they live. Couple of years back someone walked into my mums house while they were all sitting watching telly, went into the kitchen, took her car keys off the table and left, in her car. When they reported it, the police just said, "oh another one".
Round here people still leave their doors unlocked (and no, I'm not giving you my address).
Anyway, with regards to the bike, no wonder it was dumped, what a heap of junk. GT Palomar, tiny frame, every metal part really badly corroded, painwork in shocking condition etc.
Left it for the bin men.0 -
Crime is relative. I was brought up in SA where crime is something of a problem and can be particularly vicious, but you learn to live with it and adapt.
Moved to NZ which was polar opposite. Often forgot to lock doors, and I drove a convertible with the roof always down. Parked anywhere and never worried about it.
The UK is somewhere in between, more crime, but compared to SA minimal violence. Nice not to be shot for your car. Or your cellphone.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
Fair enough. But coming from a low crime area, I still find it shocking how comfortable people are with abundant crime.0
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I agree. I loved NZ for that. Obviously some nasty people but most were totally straight and honest.
One of the things that surprised me when I first got there was tables of fruit or flowers for sale on the pavements in the country areas with an honour box for the cash.
In SA the whole lot, table and all would have gone in a minute. And this was in Auckland metro area, not the sticks.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
Cat With No Tail wrote:Advantages of small island life I guess. If you're riding round on a nicked bike, you'll soon get spotted.
I'm almost certain it's dumped and not nicked due to the fact stuff just does not get nicked round here, ever. That said though, I'll stick to the rules and drop it off at the cop shop on Monday morning, just to be sure.
Small island life indeed.
I was walking down the promenade in Douglas in 2007. I was listening to the radio.
The headline news at 5pm was that someone had stolen a bike from outside a shop in Peel.
It was if the rest of the world just didn't exist......
Bob0 -
Someone left a BSO chained to a bike rack in Stafford town after Xmas. It was kindof interesting to watch it slowly decompose as the bike vampires gradually removed various bits and pieces. The frame was still locked to the bike rack in February, failry safe to say the owner wasn't coming back.0
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cooldad wrote:I agree. I loved NZ for that. Obviously some nasty people but most were totally straight and honest.
One of the things that surprised me when I first got there was tables of fruit or flowers for sale on the pavements in the country areas with an honour box for the cash.
In SA the whole lot, table and all would have gone in a minute. And this was in Auckland metro area, not the sticks.
Wait, country areas or metro areas?
But I've seen this fairly often here.0 -
My bro in law is Safa... from Durban... and some of his story's... :shock:
I find it nut's that people just dont go out when it's dark... without the car at least. And everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY has massive security on their houses... electric fences... guard dogs, the works... my bro in law's mum is poor as poor gets but still has more security than any house I've seen here in Swansea...I like bikes and stuff0 -
joshtp wrote:My bro in law is Safa... from Durban... and some of his story's... :shock:
I find it nut's that people just dont go out when it's dark... without the car at least. And everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY has massive security on their houses... electric fences... guard dogs, the works... my bro in law's mum is poor as poor gets but still has more security than any house I've seen here in Swansea...
Someone will be along in a minute to tell us that we need a brutal prison system like they do in SA, because it's obviously working! 0 -
You can take it in yourself and contact the police to inform them you've taken it in for safe keeping. Leave your number incase someone reports it stollen, if not its yours after 4 weeks0
