Discriminated against for the way I travel?

[Whistle]

Yesterday my bike, the way I travel to work, was stolen. From outside my place of work.

Not looking for opinion on theft here but my experience today in a vain attempt to play detective and get an insurance claim logged and crime reference number has made me think-

If that was my car stolen...

Would security have responded differently to "call 101 and report it"? "no we can't look at cctv"

Would anyone have offered me assistance in getting home- 6 miles away, in the cold and dark?

Would I have been visited by police sooner rather than waiting over 48 hours for a phonecall (assuming that happens)

Would my insurance company take the claim as an emergency? Instead of telling me to call back, during office hours as it's not an emergency? (I'd argue that being left with no means of transport can have significant consequences and whilst not a broken water pipe or fire, is significant enough to require attention to make alternative arrangements)

Why should I be left hanging for days, with no alternative transport, just because it's a bicycle? That bicycle happens to be my "car". It gets me where I need to be.

I'm not a "cyclist", nor am I a "driver". I chose to ride a bike most of the time to get places. Sometimes I take the car. Sometimes I walk or run. Sometimes I get the bus or train. I don't introduce myself as a "walker/public transport user etc". I'm just travelling the way I want to.

Does anyone have any experience similar? Or thoughts?

[Mr Evil]

If it makes you feel better, it's not a bicycle thing. On one occasion when my car was broken in to, the police basically told me that reporting it was a waste of time because they were too busy to do anything. Granted it wasn't stolen, but it was left in a state that was not useable until it was repaired.

[landsurfer]

"Would anyone have offered me assistance in getting home- 6 miles away, in the cold and dark?"

Sorry, so no one you work with would offer you a lift home, because ......?????

[Whistle]

"Would anyone have offered me assistance in getting home- 6 miles away, in the cold and dark?"

Sorry, so no one you work with would offer you a lift home, because ......?????

Not sure- i didn't ask all the people who walked past whilst i was in a heap- although that's more a general observation of society today.

I once fell off my bike on black ice, needed plastic surgery to repair my face, Sat at the roadside for 10 minutes in a pool of blood- which was very bright next to the frosty pavement and not a single car stopped. A bus slowed to look and a car driver almost stopped.

What a world.

[roubaixtuesday]

I once fell off my bike on black ice, needed plastic surgery to repair my face, Sat at the roadside for 10 minutes in a pool of blood- which was very bright next to the frosty pavement and not a single car stopped. A bus slowed to look and a car driver almost stopped

That's terrible.

I had the exact opposite experience last year when my son fell off onto his face.

Car stopped, took us 40 minutes to A&E, blood all over his seat, then returned to crash site and rescued bikes for us.

There are plenty of wonderful kind people out there too.

[mjr]

If it makes you feel better, it's not a bicycle thing. On one occasion when my car was broken in to, the police basically told me that reporting it was a waste of time because they were too busy to do anything. Granted it wasn't stolen, but it was left in a state that was not useable until it was repaired.

I think when our car was vandalised in Somerset, we had a phone call the first couple of times and a visit only on the third incident and then it seemed to consist mainly of not parking near our house!

When one of our bikes was stolen in Norfolk (parked too long in a vulnerable location with a bulky chunky lock we were given but later discovered was rated 3 out of 8 - why does anyone even sell that?!?), we had a visit from an officer within a day or so. Years before, when another bike was stolen, I think the owner of the cycle parking offered to replace it, but that's quite some time ago so I may have misremembered. We've not lost many but I'm fairly paranoid about locks because it's a long walk home and a daytime-only bus route.

Going back to the OP, I think you or your manager should have a word with the security manager and can you ask them to consider providing more secure parking inside your work's site?

It also sounds like you should complain to the insurance company about that claim handling once they've settled the claim and consider changing when the policy expires. Whether you would be left hanging for days, with no alternative transport, for a damaged car depends on the insurance policy and provider - it does happen. Can you take the car solution and hire or borrow a bike or buy a clunker as a short-term measure?

Finally, how was it locked? Have you put its details on www.stolen-bikes.co.uk and similar, to make it harder for the thieving **** to sell? Are you watching gumtree, ebay and so on?

[iviehoff]

If that was my car stolen...

Given the number of people I know who are raging about their insurer following problems with their car, I wouldn't be so sure that its an "because it's not a car" issue.

On the one occasion I did have a claim due to an accident resulting in writing off the bicycle, clothes, glasses, my insurer paid up quickly and with no argument. Ultimately that's the basic service insurers provide - pay out for financial losses. If you want extra services, get you home from an interrupted journey, etc, that's extra and you pay explicitly for it.

[Whistle]

I once fell off my bike on black ice, needed plastic surgery to repair my face, Sat at the roadside for 10 minutes in a pool of blood- which was very bright next to the frosty pavement and not a single car stopped. A bus slowed to look and a car driver almost stopped

That's terrible.

I had the exact opposite experience last year when my son fell off onto his face.

Car stopped, took us 40 minutes to A&E, blood all over his seat, then returned to crash site and rescued bikes for us.

There are plenty of wonderful kind people out there too.

Now that is good karma

[landsurfer]

YES ... he says in a pantomime voice as he appears to have been moderated yet again.

I fell off my bike on some ice nearly 2 years ago.
Lost consciousness briefly and injured my left hip.
2 young chaps with motorbikes where riding along the Cycle path, pulling wheelies and smoking cigarettes at the same time.
Causing chaos to many families on the cycle path, the scamps !!
On arriving at my location they attended to me in a medical and common sense way that would not have been expected from footpads and ner'do'wells such as they appeared.
Top chaps, changed my view of fag smoking, motorcycle riding, helmet less, folk riding motor bikes on pedestrian / cyclist / horse riding paths.

[Flinders]

YES ... he says in a pantomime voice as he appears to have been moderated yet again.

I fell off my bike on some ice nearly 2 years ago.
Lost consciousness briefly and injured my left hip.
2 young chaps with motorbikes where riding along the Cycle path, pulling wheelies and smoking cigarettes at the same time.
Causing chaos to many families on the cycle path, the scamps !!
On arriving at my location they attended to me in a medical and common sense way that would not have been expected from footpads and ner'do'wells such as they appeared.
Top chaps, changed my view of fag smoking, motorcycle riding, helmet less, folk riding motor bikes on pedestrian / cyclist / horse riding paths.

Just shows you can't judge by appearances- what a nice story, really cheered me up. Quakers say you should look for the good in everyone- but lately I have to admit I've been finding that difficult.

[whoof]

It's difficult to say. It would be better if all those you had contacted had responded more quickly or offered more help but because they didn't it doesn't necessarily mean that this has anything to do with cycling, some people are just unhelpful.

In a similar vein to others above. I had my car broken into along with 12 others and the stereo stolen . When I phoned the police and asked should I touch anything they said I could do what I wanted as someone would not be attending. When I asked if it would be recorded as a crime I was told if I went to a Police station and reported it then "I suppose we would have to". My neighbour was burgled, it was over 24 hours before the police had attended. I had seen the people I think had done it and told my neighbour, who told the police. They contacted me 8 weeks later by phone to ask if one of them was wearing a hat!

I had some materials (which belonged to work) stolen from outside my lab. I asked security to review the CCTV but was told this was not possible. I raised this at a higher level and the CCTV was looked at. Still no result due a poorly positioned camera. Don't come to my place of work and try and steal a small tree as it's being watched day and night.

[tyreon]

HM gets £300K stolen from her residence say. Police come,blue lights flash. 20 officers involved in resolving crime.
Homless person has his hat stolen. Reports it to police. How many officers do you think will be involved in resolving the case?
On a ratio of need + relative money/assets to individual I would warrant the homeless persons stolen hat equals that of HM's wealth,thus 20 officers should be engaged. Still,we know the implementation of the law doesn't work like that: status,power,position and the sum of property involved warrant the attention you get. Conversely,the poorer or more disadvantaged you are or have been,the more likely you are to be convicted and go to jug