Snared a bike thief

Chips Lovell

Caught a kid trying to steal a bike outside my building tonight. Unfortunately he'd cut the lock before I got to him, so I was left with a bike on my hands with no lock. Brought it into the building and phoned the cops who told me to bring it on down to the station. Going back down again I found a French bloke looking for his bike, who was pretty relieved when I told him I had it.

keano007

fair duece, most other people Would just walk past and do nothing!

Borneo Fnctn

I hope someone like you is there when I need it. And maybe I'll give someone a dig out some day. Fair play.

monument

What is it about children stealing bikes? Is it the start of the criminal underworld ladder or something?

First bike stolen, garda says it is likely just young fellows from a nearby estate (parphrase: who will just cycle it around for a few days and dump it). Second bike stolen, it was young lads again. Up in DCU, security at bike racks when I'm leaving, they tell me a bunch of children were at the bikes... was heading towards Ballymun, spotted the little ****ers going in the same direction with large bolt cutters. In both cases, they were very young, hardly in their teens if at all.

...so, is it mostly children and young teenagers who nick bikes?

Ryaner

Fair dues to you for stopping them. I know in my place we were strongly advised not to say anything if we see someone breaking into cars and to just walk away and call the Garda. It is Finglas though so bit understandable.

Sadly though that kid will probably be back again the next day doing the same thing.

irishmotorist

Reminds me of something that happened to my brother (many many) years ago. He had parked and locked the bike in the middle of O'Connell St. He looked out the window of the shop he was in (Easons if memory serves) and saw a scummer trying to saw through his lock. My bro went over and asked him what he was doing to which scummer replied "What is it to you??". My bro informed him that it was his bike so yer man said "Oh...OK" and wandered off.

Junior

We need to get you a cape ...

kenmc

Nice one tonto!.
It's just a pity the bike didn't 'fall' on the little scrote a few times, prefrerably from about head height or so.

DePurpereWolf

irishmotorist wrote: »

Reminds me of something that happened to my brother (many many) years ago. He had parked and locked the bike in the middle of O'Connell St. He looked out the window of the shop he was in (Easons if memory serves) and saw a scummer trying to saw through his lock. My bro went over and asked him what he was doing to which scummer replied "What is it to you??". My bro informed him that it was his bike so yer man said "Oh...OK" and wandered off.

I can't believe nobody else said anything.

Tell me, O'Connell Street, that's that small back alley in Dublin right?

irishmotorist

DePurpereWolf wrote: »

O'Connell Street, that's that small back alley in Dublin right?

That's the one. There's a small post office there too, but the Garda must have been on his lunch break.

daftdave

irishmotorist wrote: »

Reminds me of something that happened to my brother (many many) years ago. He had parked and locked the bike in the middle of O'Connell St. He looked out the window of the shop he was in (Easons if memory serves) and saw a scummer trying to saw through his lock. My bro went over and asked him what he was doing to which scummer replied "What is it to you??". My bro informed him that it was his bike so yer man said "Oh...OK" and wandered off.

i would have flattened him with a punch before i even said anything .

72hundred

irishmotorist wrote: »

That's the one. There's a small post office there too, but the Garda must have been on his lunch break.

To be fair I'm sure they had more dangerous road users to deal with :pac:

niceonetom

Junior wrote: »

We need to get you a cape ...

Is it a bird?

Is it a plane?

No...

It's Super... Mario.

Duh d'duh daaaaah, duh dhuh dhuh dhuh duh dud d'duh daaaaaaaaah...

DirkVoodoo

Clondalkin's finest indeed.

Good job El Tonto!

Chips Lovell

Thanks for all the, ummm, thanks.

monument wrote: »

What is it about children stealing bikes?

Yes, it's always been kids I've caught trying to steal them. This guy was no more than 12 but looked pretty practised. Had the bolt cutters out of his school bag and the lock cut in a flash.

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

Yes, it's always been kids I've caught trying to steal them. This guy was no more than 12 but looked pretty practised. Had the bolt cutters out of his school bag and the lock cut in a flash.

And that's why they need metal detectors in schools, to catch the bolt cutters!

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

And that's why they need metal detectors in schools, to catch the bolt cutters!

Well, in his panic he left his school bag behind, which I chucked in the bin. Hopefully he'll have a bit of explaning to do at home.

lukester

el tonto wrote: »

Well, in his panic he left his school bag behind, which I chucked in the bin. Hopefully he'll have a bit of explaning to do at home.

Did it identify him or his school?

Chips Lovell

lukester wrote: »

Did it identify him or his school?

Afraid not. He had nothing in it apart from the cutters (which he ran away with).

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

Well, in his panic he left his school bag behind, which I chucked in the bin. Hopefully he'll have a bit of explaning to do at home.

You should have thrown it up over a nearby telephone or electric line in a classic "thieves not welcome here" type move

ROK ON

TinyExplosions wrote: »

You should have thrown it up over a nearby telephone or electric line in a classic "thieves not welcome here" type move

If you are referring to the running shoes that you often see thrown over elec/tel line, that is not what they mean. If you are not referring to that, then ignore.

bcmf

My kids bikes were nicked from outside the house not so long ago.Spoke to a Garda friend of mine and she said that they will show up.Usually some little toerag just taking them for the fun of it.Now my youngest sons bike had a problem with the chain in that it kept coming off and I deeply hope that the little pr**k who took smashed every tooth in his head.
And I will make no apologies when I say that if I ever catch someone trying to nick mine or anyone else's bike I will make the bike wins the fight.

Chips Lovell

One thing I've noticed in my area recently is the number of kids riding fixies that appear way too big for them.

lukester

el tonto wrote: »

Afraid not. He had nothing in it apart from the cutters (which he ran away with).

Shame. Would be very sweet handing that in to the school head.

TinyExplosions

ROK ON wrote: »

If you are referring to the running shoes that you often see thrown over elec/tel line, that is not what they mean. If you are not referring to that, then ignore.

It was an oblique reference to the shoes, and I'm aware of the meaning behind them

BeerNut

TinyExplosions wrote: »

I'm aware of the meaning behind them

There's a meaning behind them?

irishmotorist

It's funny - I only heard the drugs connection a couple of years ago. I grew up thinking that there must have been loads of bullied kids around Crumlin having to go home barefooted explaining that the Joker Bully had thrown them up out of reach

flickerx

el tonto wrote: »

Yes, it's always been kids I've caught trying to steal them. This guy was no more than 12 but looked pretty practised. Had the bolt cutters out of his school bag and the lock cut in a flash.

What kind of lock was it?

Chips Lovell

flickerx wrote: »

What kind of lock was it?

Chain and padlock. Not a very thick chain either.

bunnygreen

Fighting crime has kept you away from the club league El Tonto,come back Orwell needs you.

thepostman

If only you were there yesterday. Someone knicked my bike last night.:mad: Is there any point going to the Gardai? Like will they actually do anything? God i hate ****ing walking.

FrankGrimes

thepostman wrote: »

If only you were there yesterday. Someone knicked my bike last night.:mad: Is there any point going to the Gardai? Like will they actually do anything? God i hate ****ing walking.

Report it if only so that the Gardai have to record the theft. That way there's a chance that it might be included in official statistics. I believe that if the Gardai had full visibility on all bike thefts and this was made public, there would be much more chance of the upper ranks deciding to actually do something proactive to address bike theft, such as stings with dummy bikes etc.

daftdave

FrankGrimes wrote: »

Report it if only so that the Gardai have to record the theft. That way there's a chance that it might be included in official statistics. I believe that if the Gardai had full visibility on all bike thefts and this was made public, there would be much more chance of the upper ranks deciding to actually do something proactive to address bike theft, such as stings with dummy bikes etc.

ah come on !! ...your intentions are good ,...... good pal of mine is a cop.... stings with dummies.....come on... , there are not enough coppers on the streets as it is without trying to snare a few lads stealing bikes , all they are doing is taking up resources , i know its breaking the law just as much as the next fella but in the grander scheme of things the cops are trying to catch the big boys doing the **** that affect us all ..... a stolen bike is low on the ladder tbh !!

as annoying as it is !!!

DirkVoodoo

daftdave wrote: »

ah come on !! ...your intentions are good ,...... good pal of mine is a cop.... stings with dummies.....come on... , there are not enough coppers on the streets as it is without trying to snare a few lads stealing bikes , all they are doing is taking up resources , i know its breaking the law just as much as the next fella but in the grander scheme of things the cops are trying to catch the big boys doing the **** that affect us all ..... a stolen bike is low on the ladder tbh !!

as annoying as it is !!!

I would like to think that my local station in cabinteely are not just concerned with massive drug busts, raids on organised crime rings, etc. but might also be doing some community policing. Bike theft is done by both young lads and more organised rings involving large numbers of thefts.

Bike Theft is treated pretty seriously by the Dutch. I would only imagine that a similar scheme would need to be brought in here as the numbers cycling to work, coupled with government proposals, will mean more bikes around town (Link).

Macha

Caught a guy giving our apartment block's bike rack a good look this morning. Then realised I'd seen him last week taking a bike out of there (at the time I thought he was the owner).

Cycled after him, told him I'd seen him and I'd remember his face then reported his description to the Gardai. They sent out a car to look for him and ask him a few questions. Fingers crossed they pull him in.