Bike theft - What would you do?

emz8

Was waiting for a friend at Merchants Quay, beside the Dublin Corporation offices last week and witnessed two scumbags robbing a bike. I shouted at them to stop, they did for a second, took a look around, realised no one else was going to say or do anything and carried on.

It annoyed me so much, but I'm small and pregnant and wasn't going to push it. They literally did not give a ****, and neither did any of the other twenty or so people standing at the bus stop beside it. I don't know what I would expect anyone to actually do but I hate seeing people get away with things like this.

Just curious as to how other people react when they see crimes such as this being committed.

El Guapo!

No sense in you getting involved. I know it's somebody's property but it's only a bike, and I'd rather someone be missing a bike than a pregnant woman getting a box off a scumbag for getting involved. Best to stay out of it and call the Garda after they've left.

Holsten

Call the cops and tell them the direction they went.

I wouldn't go near them for the chance of getting stabbed or something over a bike.

Banjo String

Was it a fcuking motor bike OP :mad:???

Sir Osis of Liver.

You should have done what any decent citizen would do OP,pregnant or not and boxed the heads off them.

MadsL

Told them you knew their mothers, and Christ, wait til she hears what ye are up to...ya little bollixes...

kneemos

Join the Murmers.

Collie D

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

You should have done what any decent citizen would do OP,pregnant or not and boxed the heads off them.

Not sure if you're joking or not.

Not worth getting involved for someone else's bike. Different if they're breaking into a house or robbing a person but not worth the hassle or risk for a poxy bike.

rawn

You were best not too get too involved. Things can be replaced.

My boyfriends bike was robbed from outside my house the other night, it was locked up to a railing not 1ft from my front door. Feckers cut through the lock. I wasn't there that night, otherwise I might have heard the noise (he sleeps with earplugs in, so didn't hear a peep). Now I'm wondering if I would have done anything if I'd heard them, as I'd say they were in and out quite quickly. Would I have knocked on the window, shouted at them, snuck down and swung the door open, called the guards? (ha, lotta good that would have done) I dunno, but in my imagination, I roundhouse kick them in their thieving scum bag chins and they cry like little girls.

Littlelulu13

I saw someone breaking into a car once. I shouted "hey you, get away from it" and he legged it. I called the guards and when they arrived i stood out in the snow for half an hour giving a description of the young lad, showed them where he went, what he had done etc etc. They couldn't trace the owner so when i did see the owner the next day I immediately told him about what had happened and how i had scared them away and notified the guards etc. All he said was "oh right" as if I had told him his laces were open.

Based on his lack of gratitude I don't know if I would put myself forward again to save the day unless someone was being mugged! It really wasn't worth the effort. I didn't even get a thank you!

Sh1tbag OToole

I'd be tempted to get a decent bike, install a pointy spike under the saddle and a remote controlled solenoid to drive it up, leave it somewhere and wait for some scummer to try and rob it

Zen65

I came across a situation earlier this year where I thought I was witnessing somebody steal a bicycle. Confronting somebody who is holding a sharp object (screwdriver in this case) for the sake of 'preventing' a bike theft is foolish, even for a trained martial artist. What I did was to take out my phone and get a photo of him and the bicycle and then bring that to a Garda station, explaining the time etc of the incident.

They had no record of a bike being stolen from that location, so it may simply have been a case of somebody cutting their own lock because they lost their keys.

Cienciano

Holsten wrote: »

Call the cops and tell them the direction they went.

I wouldn't go near them for the chance of getting stabbed or something over a bike.

If you called the cops they'd type it up on their invisible typewriter

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

A few grenades would have sorted their candy asses out asap!!! :cool:

(Goes back to playing GTA)

Yellow121

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I'd be tempted to get a decent bike, install a pointy spike under the saddle and a remote controlled solenoid to drive it up, leave it somewhere and wait for some scummer to try and rob it

I don't think they rob bikes to actually ride them, you don't see many scummers on bikes except a few going into Leinster house. They sell them for smack or craic or jack I think.

Beasty

Collie D wrote: »

Not sure if you're joking or not.

Not worth getting involved for someone else's bike. Different if they're breaking into a house or robbing a person but not worth the hassle or risk for a poxy bike.

I know of a few bikes that cost more than some new cars...

shruikan2553

Zen65 wrote: »

I came across a situation earlier this year where I thought I was witnessing somebody steal a bicycle. Confronting somebody who is holding a sharp object (screwdriver in this case) for the sake of 'preventing' a bike theft is foolish, even for a trained martial artist. What I did was to take out my phone and get a photo of him and the bicycle and then bring that to a Garda station, explaining the time etc of the incident.

They had no record of a bike being stolen from that location, so it may simply have been a case of somebody cutting their own lock because they lost their keys.

This is what I would do, just take a picture of them from a distance and bring it to the gardai. Unless it was my own, then I would probably kick them in the arm/hand or just hit them in the back of the head.

Collie D

Beasty wrote: »

I know of a few bikes that cost more than some new cars...

I wouldn't know a ten euro bike from a ten grand one. Even if I did unless it was mine or I knew the owner I more than likely keep walking. Only a bike. Not worth losing a spleen

5p9arw38djv2b4

emz8 wrote: »

Was waiting for a friend at Merchants Quay, beside the Dublin Corporation offices last week and witnessed two scumbags robbing a bike. I shouted at them to stop, they did for a second, took a look around, realised no one else was going to say or do anything and carried on.

It annoyed me so much, but I'm small and pregnant and wasn't going to push it. They literally did not give a ****, and neither did any of the other twenty or so people standing at the bus stop beside it. I don't know what I would expect anyone to actually do but I hate seeing people get away with things like this.

Just curious as to how other people react when they see crimes such as this being committed.

I watched it last year, the guy was so blatant, he had cutters in his pocket. I was parking my bike next to the one that was being stolen and he looked at me and said 'I forgot my keys!' I took photos of him in action and sent them to the police, rang and reported it as a crime. Turns out he was a known bike thief.

mloc123

I approached two thieves up near Drury street once. They had been looking at a bike, walked up picking it up and then started to take the front wheel (only thing locked) off.

I approached and said something like "that's not your bike", after some words and them telling me to **** off I told them to hang on until I got a Gaurd. I found one quickly and he ran back with me but they had given up and left the bike.

Made my day.

kneemos

Beasty wrote: »

I know of a few bikes that cost more than some new cars...

Doubt they're left on the street.

Lapin

Banjo String wrote: »

Was it a fcuking motor bike OP :mad:???

What 'fcuking' difference does it make what kind of bike it was?

It was someone else's property being half inched by a couple of scumbags.

Makes no odd whether it was a motorbike, a mountain bike or your great granny's high 'fcuking' nellie.

rawn

I hate people that blame the owner. As I mentioned about my bf's bike being stolen from outside the house, someone said to me "ah it's your own fault for locking it outside the house instead of bringing it inside"

Really? REALLY? I should be able to leave my own property. locked or unlocked, anywhere, it does not give anyone the right to steal it just because it's outdoors.

April O Neill II

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I'd be tempted to get a decent bike, install a pointy spike under the saddle and a remote controlled solenoid to drive it up, leave it somewhere and wait for some scummer to try and rob it

I wish it were legal for tazer locks to exist.

April O Neill II

Yellow121 wrote: »

I don't think they rob bikes to actually ride them, you don't see many scummers on bikes except a few going into Leinster house. They sell them for smack or craic or jack I think.

They'd need to cycle on them for a bit to make their getaway.

April O Neill II

Beasty wrote: »

I know of a few bikes that cost more than some new cars...

You'd want to mental paying that much for a bike, except for ones where you won't be leaving it unattended, like for exercising. Bikes are one of the most regularly stolen items.

April O Neill II

rawn wrote: »

I hate people that blame the owner. As I mentioned about my bf's bike being stolen from outside the house, someone said to me "ah it's your own fault for locking it outside the house instead of bringing it inside"

Really? REALLY? I should be able to leave my own property. locked or unlocked, anywhere, it does not give anyone the right to steal it just because it's outdoors.

Indeed it doesn't. But they will. If you leave your bike outside your house, even if locked it will be nicked at some stage. So, yeah, it wasn't your boyfriend's fault it was stolen but what happened was a near certainty. There's no getting away from it.

ImDave

I interrupted three scummers stealing a bike outside my apartment earlier this year. Mine had only been taken the week before, likely by the same crew as they were organised.

I was up in my apartment so they couldn't see me. I called the Guards and kept watching them for as long as possible as I wanted the Guards to catch them red handed. Unfortunately they were just about to take the bike so I had to shout out at them. Guards came within three minutes or so to be fair and had two cars searching the area for a while but don't think they found them.

Fecking scumbags, the whole notion of theft infuriates me. Stealing from working people, school kids etc while they sit back and enjoy feeding their drink or drug habit in all likelihood.

Sh1tbag OToole

Yellow121 wrote: »

I don't think they rob bikes to actually ride them, you don't see many scummers on bikes except a few going into Leinster house. They sell them for smack or craic or jack I think.

They don't even cycle away on them? They only need to sit on it once..

Diemos

In future, just take photos of them, cameras are like kryptonite to scumbags.

bigron2109

Would probably Call the Police. You don't know what type of scumbag could turn on you and all for a Bike.

Chinasea

If the Guardeee really wanted to do something about this, they could easily organise a sting. It would last all of 5 mins to catch the f**kers in the act.

But this ain't goina happen. Not now, not before and not in the future. We stuck with scum!

gobnaitolunacy

Diemos wrote: »

In future, just take photos of them, cameras are like kryptonite to scumbags.

Have a photographer mate who had a couple of scummers attempting to mug him for his (heavy and expensive) camera, he swung it by the straps and threatened to cave at least one of their skulls in with it. They backed off.

Wibbs

rawn wrote: »

I hate people that blame the owner. As I mentioned about my bf's bike being stolen from outside the house, someone said to me "ah it's your own fault for locking it outside the house instead of bringing it inside"

Really? REALLY? I should be able to leave my own property. locked or unlocked, anywhere, it does not give anyone the right to steal it just because it's outdoors.

Oh you should, but that's in an ideal world and it's a world we don't live in. In the world we live in you have to take precautions to keep what's yours yours.

anncoates

I'll do nothing unless it's my bike. Unfortunate fact of life but it's a replaceable object and not worth getting in a fight about. Not like trying to help a person.

Dravokivich

rawn wrote: »

I hate people that blame the owner. As I mentioned about my bf's bike being stolen from outside the house, someone said to me "ah it's your own fault for locking it outside the house instead of bringing it inside"

Really? REALLY? I should be able to leave my own property. locked or unlocked, anywhere, it does not give anyone the right to steal it just because it's outdoors.

No, but it gives them the opportunity and it makes it a lot easier. You need to be more responsible for your own stuff.

conorhal

Pretty much everybody has a high resolution camera phone these days. Take a few casual snaps of them in action and pop into the nearest Garda station to report the theft and make a statement about what you saw.
I assure you that if you have even a half way decent picture of their faces that the local cop shop probably know the gob$h1tes very, very well.
Of course it is another question as to whether or not, even with a giftwrapped case, they will bother their arse doing anything about it.

biko

Take vid using your phone.
Pray they don't rob phone too.

Greyfox

I’d take some pictures and pass it on to the Guards, I think it’s horrible that so many people would do nothing. Yes it doesn’t make sense to confront the scumbags and the guards aren’t all too bothered people should do something when they see a crime, that bike could belong to a struggling student or someone on the dole that can’t easily afford to replace it.

Nodster

shoot the pondlife....better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6, yadda yadda

rubadub

MadsL wrote: »

Told them you knew their mothers, and Christ, wait til she hears what ye are up to...ya little bollixes...

Banjo String wrote: »

Was it a fcuking motor bike OP :mad:???

Lapin wrote: »

What 'fcuking' difference does it make what kind of bike it was.

Yeah not sure what his comment was meant to mean, was hoping it was supposed to be a joke.

Unfortunately the gardai and others still seem to treat bicycle theft as thought its a "schoolyard crime", like stealing a bar or sandwich. My mates €7000 bike was nicked, loads of bikes would be worth well more than cars or motorbikes but its often it's still got this strange "ah its only a bike, kids wha?"

My bike was being robbed and a guy saved it, I came out of a shop on talbot street and lads were heading off away from it, the guy said he screamed at them and they headed off.

I reckon the best thing to shout it quite simple, shout out "HEY, that's MY bike!"

This does a few things,
-people might be unsure it the scumbags actually do own the bike, thieves will often try and be discrete about it and look like they are just unlocking. So if they react you know they are up to no good.
-if you just shout "stop robbing that bike" they can turn and claim it is theirs, or if they even have tools can claim they lost the key.
-If others in the immediate area hear you say say "MY bike", then they are probably more likely to provide backup, or at least pay more attention and not turn a blind eye.
-They are more likely to leggit as they know the owner is more likely to actually physically challenge them than some onlooker. They are not likely to want to get into any sort of physical situation, which the gardai actually will bother to take seriously, far easier to just run off.

sebastianlieken

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I'd be tempted to get a decent bike, install a pointy spike under the saddle and a remote controlled solenoid to drive it up, leave it somewhere and wait for some scummer to try and rob it

I like and approve of this idea!

I've had bikes stolen in the past and as an engineer my mind has nothing better to do than fantisise how I should modify my current bike.

• Explosive bolt on handle bar.
• Electrodes on seat connected to a tazer.
• A Ratchet mechanism on the handle bars that engages when you go into a certain gear so that at high speed the thief turns left but cannot recorrect and crashes into a wall. (or preferably into oncoming traffic - it's a price i'm willing to pay)
• A quarter-stick in the seat post that is electrically ignited via an app on my phone.

And if I could just make one modification to your idea... make it a syringe. with horse tranquilisers.

colm_c

A lot of bikes going missing in recent times, especially around Dublin city centre.

We should get some of these bait bikes, place them in various locations, and thin the scummers responsible:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/22/colleges-bait-bike-thieves/2351903/

msg11

Chinasea wrote: »

If the Guardeee really wanted to do something about this, they could easily organise a sting. It would last all of 5 mins to catch the f**kers in the act.

But this ain't goina happen. Not now, not before and not in the future. We stuck with scum!

So the Garda do this. Catch the person and bring them back the station process them and there back out again. Few months later, there up in court. Judge hears case, Judge dose not really care too much gives a fine/suspended sentence out that is provided they show up in the first place and provided they can pay the fine or if they can pay the fine even pay it.

So there back on the streets again free to commit another crime or try rob another bike. And guess what?

So the Garda catch the person and bring them back the station process them and there back out again. Few months later, there up in court. Judge hears case, Judge dose not really care too much gives a fine/suspended sentence out that is provided they show up in the first place and provided they can pay the fine or if they can pay the fine even pay it.

So there back on the streets again free to commit another crime or try rob another bike. And guess what?


So the Garda catch the person and bring them back the station process them and there back out again. Few months later, there up in court. Judge hears case, Judge dose not really care too much gives a fine/suspended sentence out that is provided they show up in the first place and provided they can pay the fine or if they can pay the fine even pay it.

The justice system needs to do something about this type of crime. It's gotten so bad members of the public won't even bother reporting it. Because whats the point? From the Garda arresting the person to it going to court is a waste of money. If someone decided to commit a crime any crime they should be locked up.

I remember hearing about a shop lifting case in work and seen the till list 1000 euros worth of shopping goods, milk, shampoo all that grocery stuff. Anyway I said to myself, that if I was there I personally would have waited there and watched them put every last item back on the shelves. Better justice than any court hands out.

justforlaugh

emz8 wrote: »

Was waiting for a friend at Merchants Quay, beside the Dublin Corporation offices last week and witnessed two scumbags robbing a bike. I shouted at them to stop, they did for a second, took a look around, realised no one else was going to say or do anything and carried on.

It annoyed me so much, but I'm small and pregnant and wasn't going to push it. They literally did not give a ****, and neither did any of the other twenty or so people standing at the bus stop beside it. I don't know what I would expect anyone to actually do but I hate seeing people get away with things like this.

Just curious as to how other people react when they see crimes such as this being committed.

it a bike and it replaceable, not worth risking getting involved. Just report it

emz8

I did report it to the Garda who didn't seem all that bothered. They never would have got there in time anyway, they were quick, had clearly done it before. Had a bolt cutter in a Dunne's bag. I also took a photo although its not that clear as I'd moved away from them in fear they would steal my phone. :P

Just really irritates me. It looked like an expensive bike, someone worked hard to pay for that.

carzony

Lads stealing bikes seems to be huge now, Must be good money in it. I think I heard the gardai even setup a unit to tackle the problem.

msg11

carzony wrote: »

Lads stealing bikes seems to be huge now, Must be good money in it. I think I heard the gardai even setup a unit to tackle the problem.

It's always been a massive problem. Just more noticeable now with the bike to work schemes there are more bikes out there and now more going missing.

LordSutch

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

I'd be tempted to get a decent bike, install a pointy spike under the saddle and a remote controlled solenoid to drive it up, leave it somewhere and wait for some scummer to try and rob it

I'd be more tempted to do a variation with an 'auto engage' front brake which would lock after twenty metres of my bike being stolen.

spiralism

Used to live in Amsterdam, where bike theft is a huge problem. You could call the guards but from experience there's not a lot that they can do..it's a little different over there, you could let a roar at the types doing it there and they'd **** themselves and run off, whereas over here you'd definitely get knifed...hate to say it but not a lot that can be done unless there's a guard very close at hand.

JuliusCaesar

I've been cycling most of my life and have never had a bike stolen. I've always locked the front wheel to the frame, and to an immovable object. I've been lucky too. I keep bikes for about 10 years, replace them, and leave the old one unlocked somewhere. I hope that somebody who'd get use out of it gets it. (Freecycling wasn't available at last go-round, or I didn't know about it )

There must at this stage be a bicycle for every person on the planet. Where do all the stolen bikes go? I'm told a lot of them go abroad. But where??