How to steal a bike - Bike thief reveals tricks of the trade

[Des49]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... iew-225130

A useful article with a few tips on avoidance, but that basically states how easy it is to steal a bike and there doesn't seem much we can do apart from use a bike that's not worth stealing.

Good to see he has corrected his ways. But there must be many more like him still "in business".

[Freddie]

"It all hit me the minute that judge said them words and I saw my mum, my misses of three years break down in court. My mum was a strong woman and that was the first time I saw her cry out of pure love, she wasn’t mad, she wasn’t angry, she understood that times were hard."

Sounds like criminality runs in the family. She understood times were hard? Because bicycles are the modern day equivalent of a loaf of bread, aren't they. I bet she was quite the role model.

Just another day in an ever more entitled and enriched society.

[fishfright]

"It all hit me the minute that judge said them words and I saw my mum, my misses of three years break down in court. My mum was a strong woman and that was the first time I saw her cry out of pure love, she wasn’t mad, she wasn’t angry, she understood that times were hard."

Sounds like criminality runs in the family. She understood times were hard? Because bicycles are the modern day equivalent of a loaf of bread, aren't they. I bet she was quite the role model.

Just another day in an ever more entitled and enriched society.

"I knew my mum was crying because she felt like she hadn’t done a good enough job of raising me" Try reading whole articles , you learn all sorts of interesting things.

Alternatively go here ,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
You'll fit right in....

[Freddie]

So, you are pro bike theft? I did read the article, the thief never said he was starving, but that he wanted expensive clothes and such. Will you be leaving your bike unlocked in some urban area, so that somebody needn't go without a degree of sartorial elegance.

Hard times, indeed.

[Bmblbzzz]

These articles by "reformed thieves" are regular occurrences and not just in bike mags. I suspect half of them are just written by journos! This is the first I've read of using a motorbike though. That's a departure from the traditional slinging it in the van.

[Si]

freddie, try reading what fishfright said. He's made no comment on the motives of the thief, merely on your accusation of criminality running in the family. If the mother felt that she'd done a bad job of raising the thief then the application of logic might support the inference that she felt that pinching bikes, or anything else, is wrong; which in turn would suggest that the mother is not a criminal..

[1gunsalute]

Maybe what the crim meant was that his mum had done a bad job of bringing him up by not teaching him how to avoid being caught. Very embarrassing.

[millimole]

Effectively he's saying that you can't beat the determined 'professional thief' by normal means.
I suppose the best we can do is beat the opportunist


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my iPad using hovercraft full of eels.

[Freddie]

The two statements contradict each other, either:

"My mum was a strong woman and that was the first time I saw her cry out of pure love, she wasn’t mad, she wasn’t angry, she understood that times were hard."

Which suggests she sympathises with the thief and criminality likely runs it the family (it is very rare that upstanding people would sympathise) or:

"I knew my mum was crying because she felt like she hadn’t done a good enough job of raising me"

The two positions are mutually exclusive. How can you "cry out of pure love" because "times were hard" and yet feel you hadn't done a good enough job raising someone. I suppose it is possible, but would speak to moral relativity on the part of the mother. I know plenty of upstanding working class people whose mothers would be disgusted by their child doing such things, but apparently not this mother. The only person who seems to have any compunction was the father, who stayed away from the court hearing out of shame.

I suppose the most likely thing is this is a completed fabricated story, in which case it is barely worth discussing.

I don't know what it worse though, those who commit these thefts or those who feign indignation defending the "honour" of such people. I tend to think thieves would be less numerous and thievery far less frequent, if all the do gooders ready to defend someone fallen on "hard times", who has brought untold misery to countless people, were not there to explain away their behaviour with the typical impoverished line.

These people are impoverished, morally impoverished. Worse still is when educated people, who know better, don't set an example but instead treat petty thieves as perpetual children, somehow expecting them to reform their ways through osmosis. When there is no significant punishment, either through social ostracism or under the law, then why would people who commit these crimes ever care to change. There are legitimate excuses for it; everybody knows times were hard, my mother and educated, middle class people alike, says the thief to himself.

[pete75]

The OP posted a link to an article he thinks may help people avoid having their bike stolen. I bet he/she didn't expect it to attract a 300+ word rant.....

[smcknighty]

Was an interesting article. Much like Sherlock Holmes I can deduce a whole lot about the thief's family from the few words written about them. What I deduce is that the inconsistency about the mothers reason for being upset is likely due to the fact that these bits are quotes. People tend to adjust their recollection to meet their self image. The 'understanding times were hard' piece probably reflects more the thief's self justification as to why they stole rather than any deep understanding of what is motivating his mother to cry. The evidence for analysis of the hardened criminal family isn't standing out to me one way or the other. Most mothers would probably cry when their sons are sentenced regardless of their feelings on their guilt. Also the reporter will be guilty of consciously or unconsciously arranging the words in a way that impacts our view of what is going on. Finally our own viewpoints will subconsciously affect our understanding. Some might read this and extrapolate lots of hidden meaning based on their feelings about criminality.


I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly bog brush using hovercraft full of eels

[Cunobelin]

The sad thing is that one of the best ways to protect your bike is to park it next to an easier target!

[pete75]

The sad thing is that one of the best ways to protect your bike is to park it next to an easier target!

Yep just like the old joke

A bear jumps out of a bush and starts chasing two hikers.
One puts on his running shoes.
His friends says, "What are you doing? You can't outrun a bear!"
His friend replies, "I don't have to outrun the bear; I only have to outrun you!"

[Capstone55]

These people are impoverished, morally impoverished. Worse still is when educated people, who know better, don't set an example but instead treat petty thieves as perpetual children, somehow expecting them to reform their ways through osmosis. When there is no significant punishment, either through social ostracism or under the law, then why would people who commit these crimes ever care to change. There are legitimate excuses for it; everybody knows times were hard, my mother and educated, middle class people alike, says the thief to himself.

I think everybody would agree that stealing is morally wrong. But none of us are perfect (including, I'm sure, you), especially in adverse circumstances. But you seem determined to view the writer of the article only within your own rather authoritarian life-view. Sadly, life is grey and has few of the black and white certainties you seem to prefer.

[Freddie]

Well, authoritarian I may be, but I have never so much as stolen sweets from a shop as a child. If everybody was as "authoritarian" as I, then the police force could be disbanded with tomorrow. Unfortunately, wholly selfish individuals exist in ever increasing numbers as do those who reinforce and increase their selfish behaviour through inadequate excuses as to why these people have no morals nor agency and should be treated as such.