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Kitty's Corner

Hands off my bike!

Saturday, 19. September 2009, 05:23:03

,

Bicycle thieves have been more active than usual this year, according to figures from Statistics Denmark.

During the first six months of 2009, police received 35,849 reports of bicycle theft, meaning eight bikes were stolen every hour. The half-year figure is the highest in nine years, and only five out of 1000 thefts are ever solved by police.

If your bike gets stolen, you are lucky if you ever see it again, and the chance that the police will actually catch the perpetrator is extremely small. The reason why there are so many bikes that are never found again is that they are taken out of the country, most likely to east European countries.

I remember a case from where I lived before. One very early morning I was looking out of my window, and a big truck drove slowly through my street. Two men took every bicycle that wasn't secured to a tree or a street sign and threw them onto the truck, and it went very fast. I called the police, but by the time they got there, the men were long gone, and so were all the bicycles. I couldn't even note the licence plate, because they'd covered it with mud or something that looked like mud. Luckily I had my bike in my apartment. I couldn't afford to have it stolen.

I hate people who steal! :mad: *growls*


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Comments

Moesring 19. September 2009, 05:31

Glad to hear that yours wasn't stolen. :yes:
Does this mean that you have a bicycle and a motorcycle? :confused:

I was expected to read that you had caught someone as they were trying to pilfer your bike. Thankfully, my assumption was wrong. :happy:

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 05:37

Good to see you again Moe. :yes:

And yes, I have a bicycle and a motorcycle. Living in the middle of a city, the easiest way to get around is by bicycle. I hardly ever use public transportation. :down:

Moesring 19. September 2009, 05:41

I'd assumed that the motorcycle was for getting around in the city. Homer: Doh!

So, if the bicycle is the better alternative then why have the motorcycle? Long-distance journeys? :confused:

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 05:51

Yes, the motorcycle is for longer journeys, and for when I need to feel that special way that only a tour on the motorcycle can make me feel. :happy:

Aqualion 19. September 2009, 06:00

I'm at the moment waiting for my 'new' bicycle to arive. I have long since given up buying brand new bicycles, because they do get stolen, and it takes forever to get money from the insurance. So, I always spread the word around to family and friends, when I'm in need of a new one. This 'new' bike I found in the back of the barn at my in-laws. It was just sitting there, looking lost and lonely. I took it out and put some air in the tires, and it worked perfectly okay. So, now I'm waiting for my father-in-law to get around to it and bring the vehicle to city. And no, it's a little too far for me to drive it home. :wink:

Stardancer 19. September 2009, 06:05

I hate thieves, too. There are a lot of robberies, burglaries, car thefts and home invasion-type crimes around here. The criminals are extremely bold, breaking down people's doors to just go in and take what they want.

It's getting really bad.

:frown:

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 06:06

Oh, that's cool, Lion! I've been lucky - the bikes I've had stolen has all been found again. Some in a bad condition, but ridable nonetheless.
Now I've got a heavy lock, so I can secure it to a tree or something else "stable". :up:

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 06:10

@ Star ~ Thieves and burglars, and those home invasion crime makers - are the worst scum. :mad:

Aqualion 19. September 2009, 06:15

A friend of mine got her old bike stolen. She reported the theft to the police and all and also got some money from the insurance which was okay, since she'd thought about getting a new one for quite some time. About six month later she got a letter from the police, that they'd found her bike. Much to her surprize, the thiefs had actually repaired and painted the bike to sell it, so what she got back was almost a brand new bike with new brakes and improved gears.

Stories like that make my day.

:D

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 06:22

Oh wow, that's so cool! :D She must have been grinning for a long time after that! I know I would have! :yes:

garlingmatthews 19. September 2009, 08:00

A bike parking rack disappeared into the back of a truck, with all out it's contents, at the end of Ireland's busiest street. How? How?

Spaggyj 19. September 2009, 09:06

Gosh, that's an awful high bike theft rate! :eyes:

Furie 19. September 2009, 10:11

Arrr kitty, ye'll not be needin' yer bike on the high seas. :raider:

rose-marie 19. September 2009, 10:28

8 bikes an hour is a lot! :faint:
I've lost count on how many of mine were stole through the years... It really pisses me off.
And what's even worse is that if you do encounter your own bike - you're not allowed to take it back! You have to go via the police who very seldom put any effort into catching bike thiefs.
That's why it's nice to hear Aqualion's story :up:.

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 10:41

@ Gavin ~ It sure sounds as if Ireland looses bicycles to other countries as well. :down:

@ Kimmie ~ It is, and it is so damn annoying to find out that and idiot stole your bike. :bomb:

@ Mik ~ Don't we have pedal boats? :left:

@ Rose ~ Is it considered stealing if you take your own bicycle back?? I would call the police while waiting by the bicycle, and not letting my eyes off it until they came! :D

garlingmatthews 19. September 2009, 10:49

@Zaphira-Rose; or steal it back; what's the thief going to do, report you?

Dacotah 19. September 2009, 11:14

:mad: I will never understand how or why a person could steal.
(how meaning how could they even think of stealing and how could a person live with themselves when they steal.)

rose-marie 19. September 2009, 11:19

Hmm.. I guess you could steal it back. But you're not allowed to do so if the thief (or person riding your bike) is still on it.

garlingmatthews 19. September 2009, 11:41

People have very different attitudes to stealing, and property in general. I don't believe in downloading, but then, I've always had access to legal music; my ex. grew up under far more constrained circumstances and has no problems with downloading at all. The thing about theft that bothers me is the disproportionate between the lose to the victim and the gain for the thief. I mean, how much can they get for the bikes?

Anybody seen the film "The Bicycle Thieves"?

Cois 19. September 2009, 12:03

:insane: you were fondling your bike in apartment weren't you?

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 13:04

@ Gavin ~ I haven't seen the film, no, but I think bicycle thieves can be divided into two groups, one that steals a bike to get from one place to another, and one that steals loads of bikes to sell them to others. Both is equally annoying if your bike is missing when you need it. :irked:

@ Carol ~ Some people don't think that way, I don't even think they can put them into the person's place, they're stealing from. :mad:

@ Rose ~ I would think it would be legal to make a private arrest, but I didn't know it was illegal in the first place.

@ Cois ~ Shush, you silly wolfie! :wink:

garlingmatthews 19. September 2009, 13:12

This is true.

ellinidata 19. September 2009, 16:34

Originally posted by Zaphira:

Thieves and burglars, and those home invasion crime makers - are the worst scum.




I couldn't agree more!

Sadly it is very hard to trace ,
actually it is hard to trace even a car these days!


:o: I have a folding bike

Dacotah 19. September 2009, 17:27

Zaphira, I agree. When my car got stolen it was a horrible feeling. :frown:

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 17:50

@ Angeliki ~ A folding bike? Does that mean that you carry it around when not driving on it? :confused:

@ Carol ~ Yes, I can imagine it must have been. :frown: Is it a long time ago?

Dacotah 19. September 2009, 17:58

Yes, but I can still remember the feeling of being violated, loss of freedom, mad the idiot got away with it, he got caught and the judge threw out what he was suppose to pay me when he got into trouble again. So he got away with it and I got a damaged car. :frown:

Zaphira 19. September 2009, 18:09

What a bummer! :mad:

I still remember the feeling when my bicycle was stolen for the first time. At first I thought I had parked it somewhere else than usual. :left:

Dacotah 19. September 2009, 18:18

awww I'm sorry, I didn't know your bicycle was stolen before.
:irked: At the thieves.

Minenow 19. September 2009, 18:38

That picture is cute as hell. :yes:

At one point in my life, I had three jobs and no car. Had an hour in between jobs 4-5am where I went home and slept, and left my bike on my balcony (2nd floor).

Well, needless to say, I woke up and it wasn't there. :cry: One time I don't lock it up and lookie what happens!

That's some theft operation they got going on there, Kitty. Quick and swift. :mad:

Phantom2 19. September 2009, 18:56

Theives! :mad:

Aqualion 19. September 2009, 19:06

I actually considered to buy a folding bike last week. Just for the heck of it. I'm a sucker when it comes to gadgets. But I'd probably just forget it somewhere. As I said before I have had so many bikes stolen, that I have changed my views on bikes. I buy them old and worn out. This also means they won't get stolen. Plus, it doesn't really matter if I forget them down town.

ellinidata 19. September 2009, 22:36

Originally posted by Zaphira:

~ A folding bike? Does that mean that you carry it around when not driving on it?




it become compact and you can bring it indoors with no problem or stuck it in a car trunk if you take a trip to the suburbs (NYC is not safe for biking but when I drive out of the city,the bike becomes a gem! ) :smile:
**bottom of page :
http://www.snhobbies.com/

Zaphira 20. September 2009, 04:47

@ Minnie ~ The thieves climbed onto your balcony on second floor to steal your bike? :eyes: Wow... How annoying that it's necessary to actually lock in when it's parked on the second floor! :irked:

@ Angeliki ~ Ha, that is a cool looking bike! :yes:
The wheels are a bit small for my likings though - it must take a lot of pedalling to get around. :D

@ Lion ~ I've never even seen the folding bikes here. I reckon they are originally made for the camping people...?!

@ Phantom ~ They should be punished hard! :mad:

@ Carol ~ I had my bicycle with me up (I lived on second floor) for a number of years, because I really needed it for transportation, and couldn't afford to buy a new one if it got stolen.

Aqualion 20. September 2009, 08:29

They have been here for quite some time. And fairly cheap too.



Zaphira 20. September 2009, 08:56

And in fancy colours too! :up:

I still think they look like something from a circus, with them little wheels and that. :left:

ellinidata 20. September 2009, 13:53

hahaha,

I always hated the circus *clown phobia* here :frown:

Aqualion 20. September 2009, 15:14

The fancy coloured model can carry maximum 75 kg, which means I'd have to travel without shoes and hat, if I was to take a ride on one and perhaps also take it easy on the breakfast that morning.

:wink:

garlingmatthews 20. September 2009, 16:47

Wow, 75 isn't much.

Suntana 20. September 2009, 20:56

Zaph, you should have titled your Post in a derivative of one of Charleton Heston's famous lines from Planet of the Apes, "TAKE Your Paws Off My Bike, You Damn Dirty Ape!" :insane:

Many years ago, my younger brother and youngest sister's basically brand new bikes were stolen. They had only had them for a short while, having gotten them for Christmas. Suddenly one day, POOF! They were just no longer around.

I've never had a bike stolen, but do have an intense HATE for thieves. I did have Stereo Equipment stolen from my vehicle 4 times! :insane: After that, I threw in the towel and opted for no longer having a premium Stereo System in my vehicle. No more thefts after that. Interesting how the label "Isuzu" on the Cassette Deck doesn't quite entice thieves to take it. :lol: Yes, I actually have a Cassette Deck in my Isuzu Rodeo SUV instead of a CD Player.

jekav 20. September 2009, 21:44

In the netherlands 900.000 bicycles are stolen every year. Just a few weeks ago my wheels were removed from my bike. The bike was well locked, so they couldn't take it all. It's really annoying having to carry your bike home!!

The foldable bikes are really funny, when some guy in a business suit is riding on such a tiny thing it always makes me grin :smile:

Aqualion 20. September 2009, 21:55

Okay, an office dude might just make it under 75 kg. Then again, I have seen some real heavy office dudes in my life.

qlue 20. September 2009, 22:10

They steal bicycles by the truckload there? :insane:.

flamingo-rinse 20. September 2009, 22:13

I always wanted to learn to ride a monocycle - I'd ride that to work just for the laugh, if I could :smile:

clean 21. September 2009, 22:01

Originally posted by Cois:

you were fondling your bike in apartment weren't you?



:lol:

Just had this image of a cat peering out the window at bike thieves while simultaneously rubbing a bike, going, "Shh ... it's okay, my precious ... "

Furie 22. September 2009, 18:28

That's awesome. :lol:

Zaphira 22. September 2009, 19:26

@ Angeliki ~ It seems that a lot of people have clown-phobia. I don't. Maybe it's because I don't go to the circus much. :smile:

@ Sunny ~ Do I read you right: You've still only got a cassette player in your car?? :faint: I don't have a car myself, but I've seen lots of people who has a cd-player where you take the front of it with you when you leave the car. That's pretty smart! :smile:

@ Jurjen~ How absolutely annoying to have the wheels stolen! :irked:
Did you have those easy removable wheels?? I had that earlier too, but got them switched into some that you needed tools to get off the bike. :yes:

@ Aadil ~ Apparently , yes. :mad:

@ Mr Rinse ~ Man, I'd so love to see that! :yes:

@ David ~ :lol:!!

flamingo-rinse 22. September 2009, 20:57

@Pussy Cat : near where I live, there's a kid that goes to school on a unicycle - what a guy!! He's about G's age...I don't know him, but I suspect he's a future star, in one way or another :lol: A kid after my own heart :smile:

Zaphira 22. September 2009, 20:58

:lol: That's awesome, Mr Rinse! :amazed:

He sounds like a cool kid, that's for sure!

jekav 23. September 2009, 22:02

Yes indeed I had the quick release wheels. Not anymore, besides that I now lock the damn things!

Amusing however was that they also tried to remove my saddle, but I had a lock around that, so they couldn't take that :happy:

Zaphira 24. September 2009, 04:03

You locked your saddle? :eyes:
Pics, please, I can't imagine how on earth you did that! :left:

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