Helpful individual or f*cking thief?

anonymousblackfg

Heading in this morning while enjoying the first km up the along side the Thames, I hit a line of three little man hole covers (which I knew were there) but it was quite a whack. Thinkin all was OK I headed on to find a woman in a car along side me saying my rear light had popped off.

So after heading back and not spoting it I asked a woman with panniers cycling along the pavement, yes she had it in her bag. She was saying there should be a website where lost and found things could be collected, I thanked her and headed on my way.

But surely if you found a flashing rear light (probably spotted someone loose it) you'd leave it somewhere vissible in case the person came back?

rubertoe

I dont think she stole anything. She never pulled it from your person.

You lost it and she found it, you got it back. Helpful I'd say.

meanredspider

Yup - it's a quandry. I always leave it (placing it somewhere visible)

pangolin

Surely if she was a thief she wouldn't have told you she had it?

walkingbootweather

I believe there is an offence of theft by finding.

Do I think this woman was a thief? No. A little light fingered perhaps

cornerblock

What do you mean a bit like this? I take it you are not serious, maybe she should have ignored it, kept cycling and left it to be crushed by a vehicle.

MrSweary

Opportunistic thief with a conscience. Or possibly a womble.

jeepie

Definitely on a thief in my view. I'd have done exactly what she did and perhaps put a note where the item was found... didn't realise this might get me accused of being a thief! She was just trying to do the right thing and you got your light back. Don't see the problem at all.

cookdn

Shouldn't this be in the Anti-Rants thread?

Bit of a result by the sounds of it. Helpful motorist (we need more of those) and you luckily asked the right cyclist if she had seen your light.

kelsen

According to Schrödinger, the woman is both a helpful individual and a f*cking thief in what is called a superposition of states. It is only when you asked and she gave her answer that the superposition is lost, and the woman became a helpful individual.

navt

What about a lost and found thread right here in BR Commuting?!

jds_1981

Once found a rear light by the cashpoints next to Leon (ludgate hill/farringdon st). Walked up to Evans Cycles as the best place to hand it in. Stood in the queue, guy in front of me asked "did you just pick that up", turns out it was his so I handed it over & left.

walkingbootweather

If you happen to pick up any bank notes next time you are at a cashpoint, they're mine

kieranb

well, I wouldn't have taken it but then again I wouldn't have bothered going back looking for it either as chances of it being crushed by traffic and the trouble involved in retracing my route whilst looking around for the light is too much.

zx6man

Crime if they don't take steps to see if it was abandoned, surely she didn't even get chance to do it so, ... i say not a thief..

cornerblock

The woman is in no way a thief, I think the OP is unflare. :roll:

walkingbootweather

Cornerblock wrote:

The woman is in no way a thief, I think the OP is unflare. :roll:

It's OK, I think he has seen the light now. :roll:

The Rookie

Theft by finding if she didn't intend to try and find the rightful owner, to do that you have to pick it up in the first place, so just doing so is far from theft....otherwise everyone handing something in at the Police station should be arrested for stealing it, theft is only when there is an intent to permanently deprive someone, hence car thieves are done with TWOC as there is usually no evidence that the taking will be premanent.

anonymousblackfg

Cornerblock wrote:

The woman is in no way a thief, I think the OP is unflare. :roll:

Not at all, I saw her as a helpful individual, however it did perplex me, how she would get it back to me, as the OP, I was asking the question?

To further the theft idea, i was retacing my steps trying to look for something and didn't have her waving saying 'have you just lost your light?'

walkingbootweather

You could have been in there. I'm pretty sure she was carrying a torch for you

rolf_f

walkingbootweather wrote:

You could have been in there. I'm pretty sure she was carrying a torch for you

How would he have known - she was hiding her light under her bushel......

walkingbootweather

Blinking women.

I assume the light was on flash mode

greg66_tri_v2.0

anonymousblackfg wrote:

Heading in this morning while enjoying the first km up the along side the Thames, I hit a line of three little man hole covers (which I knew were there) but it was quite a whack. Thinkin all was OK I headed on to find a woman in a car along side me saying my rear light had popped off.

So after heading back and not spoting it I asked a woman with panniers cycling along the pavement, yes she had it in her bag. She was saying there should be a website where lost and found things could be collected, I thanked her and headed on my way.

But surely if you found a flashing rear light (probably spotted someone loose it) you'd leave it somewhere vissible in case the person came back?

I think you should count yourself very lucky that someone cleared up your litter for you.

walkingbootweather

I'm sure the woman meant no offence. Perhaps she was just easily LED?

cornerblock

anonymousblackfg wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

The woman is in no way a thief, I think the OP is unflare. :roll:

Not at all, I saw her as a helpful individual, however it did perplex me, how she would get it back to me, as the OP, I was asking the question?

To further the theft idea, i was retacing my steps trying to look for something and didn't have her waving saying 'have you just lost your light?'

It's alright I didn't mean anything, just trying to be smart.

mese13

I was once on a National Express coach and after a couple of girls got off at Heathrow, and the coach continued on towards Victoria, I noticed a wallet under their (now vacant) seat. Picked it up and there was over a grand in cash in it, innit. This was a life changing amount to me at the time (20 years ago), and I wrestled with my conscience all the way into London.

At Victoria, before anyone got off, a Victoria coach station chappie jumped on, and yelled down the coach whether anyone had found a wallet. I kept schtum..... they were never going to search people..... then my conscience got the better of me, and I pretended to reach down and shouted "Here it is". No thanks. No reward. Nothing.

Helpful individual or potential f*cking thief?

pangolin

Cornerblock wrote:

anonymousblackfg wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

The woman is in no way a thief, I think the OP is unflare. :roll:

Not at all, I saw her as a helpful individual, however it did perplex me, how she would get it back to me, as the OP, I was asking the question?

To further the theft idea, i was retacing my steps trying to look for something and didn't have her waving saying 'have you just lost your light?'

It's alright I didn't mean anything, just trying to be smart.

I hope that your joke gets the exposure it deserves. I've lezyne better mind.

walkingbootweather

pangolin wrote:

I hope that your joke gets the exposure it deserves.

Not a Hope!

pangolin

cornerblock

These light jokes are knog going well are they?

gezebo

Yep she was a thief, you were littering and the driver was harassing you