Apparently abandoned bike with potential in London SE11
I was in South London yesterday and saw an old BSA ladies bike locked to a street light. It has a steel lugged frame, and a Sturmey Archer 3 Speed.
It looked as though it hadn’t been used for months and although very tatty, it was still all there.
I would guess it’s been annoying the neighbours because there was an A4 laminated notice on it asking the owner to please remove it, and giving a Lambeth Council case reference number. (Which was 0DJ17LTA )
The bike’s worth practically nothing but it would make a good project, I thought. But here’s the problem… it belongs to someone, even if they cannot be traced. I can’t just go along there with a hacksaw and bolt cutters, cut the lock off and take the bike away. I’d need some kind of authority to take it, so that if a passing police officer should enquire what I was doing, I could demonstrate my good intentions. And technically, there’s no point working on the bike while it still “belongs” to someone else, in case they re-appear months later and reclaim it once I’ve invested some time and effort into the bike.
A PCSO told me that I’d need to get permission from the council to remove it, then take it to the Police Station and hand it in as lost property, then if nobody claims it within the time limit, it becomes mine.
Oh what a lot of bureaucracy! Since I don’t even live or work around there anymore, everything has to be done at a distance for no guarantee of any return. It’s really not worth me getting involved, but I’d hate to see what could be a potentially useable bike being scrapped (which might well be what happens if events just take their course). And I was quite interested in it as a “nothing-to-lose” project over the summer where I find out more about how a bike works by taking it apart, tidying it up and putting it back together again.
It’s out there, if anyone else wants it.
The bike is on Brook Drive SE11, between Hayles Street and Dante Road. See a picture here…
https://picasaweb.google.com/1100556695 ... /BSAInSE11
It looked as though it hadn’t been used for months and although very tatty, it was still all there.
I would guess it’s been annoying the neighbours because there was an A4 laminated notice on it asking the owner to please remove it, and giving a Lambeth Council case reference number. (Which was 0DJ17LTA )
The bike’s worth practically nothing but it would make a good project, I thought. But here’s the problem… it belongs to someone, even if they cannot be traced. I can’t just go along there with a hacksaw and bolt cutters, cut the lock off and take the bike away. I’d need some kind of authority to take it, so that if a passing police officer should enquire what I was doing, I could demonstrate my good intentions. And technically, there’s no point working on the bike while it still “belongs” to someone else, in case they re-appear months later and reclaim it once I’ve invested some time and effort into the bike.
A PCSO told me that I’d need to get permission from the council to remove it, then take it to the Police Station and hand it in as lost property, then if nobody claims it within the time limit, it becomes mine.
Oh what a lot of bureaucracy! Since I don’t even live or work around there anymore, everything has to be done at a distance for no guarantee of any return. It’s really not worth me getting involved, but I’d hate to see what could be a potentially useable bike being scrapped (which might well be what happens if events just take their course). And I was quite interested in it as a “nothing-to-lose” project over the summer where I find out more about how a bike works by taking it apart, tidying it up and putting it back together again.
It’s out there, if anyone else wants it.
The bike is on Brook Drive SE11, between Hayles Street and Dante Road. See a picture here…
https://picasaweb.google.com/1100556695 ... /BSAInSE11
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Comments
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I had exactly the same thing a few months ago...
Piece of crap bike there for months. Already been stripped, had a removal notice on it. I emailed the council, they said i couldn't have it as it belonged to someone else. I said it had a notice on it and it was going to be removed shortly anyway, they said i couldn't have it. I asked if they would tell me where it goes after they take it to dispose of it, they just said i couldn't have it.
Not a lot you can do about it. Legal business innit..
Essentially, i doubt anyone will miss it if you nabbed it, but you're still knicking it and no one here can tell you it's ok and appease your potential guilt.0 -
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My advise is to wear a yellow reflective vest, so to look official and cut the lock. It shouldn't be a big job if you have the right tool... if you don't, then it'll probably cost more than the bike you are "stealing" :shock:left the forum March 20230
