Anyone's bike gone missing recently?

mrfpb
mrfpb Posts: 4,569
edited September 2017 in Commuting chat
My friend posted this on Facebook this morning:
Bit flabbergasted today. _____'s bike had been taken by the British Transport Police and locked in a cupboard. I went to get it today. There were loads of bikes in there, all deemed to not be locked securely enough. I was told I was lucky it was still there because they send them to charity if they are there that long normally. It was two days!
He phoned BTP - they hand the bikes on into the responsibility of Fleet Station after rounding them up!
Taking this further before a whole load of mild offenders end up with their bikes being disposed of for not being secured properly. How many people think their bikes were stolen, not knowing the BTP had taken them?

Comments

  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    Wait. What?

    This is completely counterintuitive.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,223
    That's not even mild offending is it?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,582
    Christ alive.
    _
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    So BTP is basically stealing bikes they don't consider to be suitably secured. Fuck1ng insane.

    But only at Fleet station? In London, I see lots of bikes where I think "if I was an unscrupulous type, I could nick that easily...", but I don't obviously. And that bike is often there at the end of the day.

    This is all very strange.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/
  • Moonbiker
    Moonbiker Posts: 1,706
    Maybe its the UK version of this:

    http://road.cc/content/news/21738-bike- ... rked-bikes
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    No idea if it's only Fleet station. I parked my bike there on a day last week and a day this week and there were no signs to indicate anything like this might happen.
  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,143
    How many people think their bikes were stolen, not knowing the BTP had taken them?
    Presumably if you ring up BTP to report your bike's been nicked then they will tell you that it's safe and you can come and get it.
    Maybe it's a way of clearing out abandoned bikes - remove them and see if anyone rings up. Doesn't seem like the right way to do it. Maybe they should put a combination lock on them and you have to ring up for the code after they explain why they've done it.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Did they commit criminal damage when removing whatever lock was on it? That would be a case for the Police and a civil claim.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,866
    We need more detail than a copy and paste on a friend's facebook page - I am calling shaggy dog
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    thistle (MBNW) wrote:
    How many people think their bikes were stolen, not knowing the BTP had taken them?
    Presumably if you ring up BTP to report your bike's been nicked then they will tell you that it's safe and you can come and get it.
    Maybe it's a way of clearing out abandoned bikes - remove them and see if anyone rings up. Doesn't seem like the right way to do it. Maybe they should put a combination lock on them and you have to ring up for the code after they explain why they've done it.

    The bike in question was only left there during the day - not overnight. Fleet station has new "double-decker" bike stands, but not enough. Arrive after 8:00 am and you have to find a post or bit of fence to lock your bike too. Maybe the station staff are annoyed about it, but as I say there are no signs to alert people to any problem or intended action.

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