Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

tomasrojo · 11-05-2021 11:29am

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Complete bogus argument, as they have absolutely no way of tracking a registration number.

I always assumed if they do find a stolen bike -- or more likely a cache of stolen bikes -- they can reunite the bike with the owner more easily if the owner knows the registration number?

I haven't been through the process, so I've no idea how it works.

Seth Brundle · 11-05-2021 11:35am

As there's no central database I am not sure if they can easily follow up on stolen bike reg numbers in Pulse. I thought it was more of a manual process which they aren't going to spend much time doing

Tombo2001 · 11-05-2021 11:41am

tomasrojo wrote: »

I always assumed if they do find a stolen bike -- or more likely a cache of stolen bikes -- they can reunite the bike with the owner more easily if the owner knows the registration number?

I haven't been through the process, so I've no idea how it works.

That is correct.

But it assumes they find the stolen bike.

(i) A tiny proportion of stolen bikes are retrieved

(ii) If you provide the gardai with photos of your bike, and the registration.....this is effectively useless information. There is nothing they can do with this, in practice.

And also, equally importantly, they wont do anything with it, except put it on file.

If you provide the gardai with photos and the registration, they will not use this to try and locate the bike.

So for me, to roll out this line about bike owners not having the registration number, when they wouldnt do anything with the registration number anyway....its disingenous and its victim blaming. I really dont like it.

Pinch Flat · 11-05-2021 11:47am

My experience of the gardai and bike theft is poor. When i saw my stolen bike on sale on adverts.ie nothing was done, even after i called to the station and followed up with phone calls.

Shotser · 11-05-2021 12:07pm

Thought I would share my Garda bike theft experience. Bike stolen outside a Merc garage with CCTV covering the scene. They never went to have a look, garage wouldn't show me and Garda had to contact them to get it. They had two weeks before it was deleted. I rang everyday to ask them to go, got a different excuse each time; the Garda responsible was on nights, she was on holiday in Africa, she was out sick, these are three of the 14 excuses I can remember. Never did anything except reluctantly take my report.

About a year later I cycled passed a lad cycling my bike on Thomas street. He followed me to Kevin Street Garda station where the Garda took possession until he could check with Rathmines that I had submitted a report and I could prove it was mine. Took me two weeks to get it back; the Garda in Rathmines hasn't confirmed the report, the Garda with the keys to the lockup went home early and took the keys! I had pictures of bike with unique parts on it but didn't have the reg number.

Incompetent every step of the way. I have yet to have a positive interaction with any Garda with regards to cycling. One once knocked with his knuckles on my head while telling me to wear a helmet!

tomasrojo · 11-05-2021 12:15pm

I had a longish interaction with the gardaí over road intimidation, and it wasn't great really. The low point was where they told me the perpetrator wasn't a bad fella at all, and wasn't a local person (this happened on the NCR in Dublin), not knowing that all my inlaws *are* local to that area. He did get put on the caution register in the end though.

magicbastarder · 11-05-2021 12:19pm

seems to be down to luck as to the garda you get.
not bike related, but about 10 years ago a colleague's car was broken into, parked at one of the rowing clubs on conyngham road. he had CCTV with faces and the reg plate of the car used, plus the address where his phone (and laptop) had been taken to; he'd installed a tracker app on his phone, which they'd not thought to power off.
not only did the gardai not do anything, they explicitly told him they'd no intentions of doing anything.

Tombo2001 · 11-05-2021 12:45pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

seems to be down to luck as to the garda you get.
not bike related, but about 10 years ago a colleague's car was broken into, parked at one of the rowing clubs on conyngham road. he had CCTV with faces and the reg plate of the car used, plus the address where his phone (and laptop) had been taken to; he'd installed a tracker app on his phone, which they'd not thought to power off.
not only did the gardai not do anything, they explicitly told him they'd no intentions of doing anything.

For sure - and with regard to bike theft, I have absolutely no issue with a Garda telling me there is damn all they can do about it, and that they wont be pursuing it.

I just dont like them pushing it back on cyclists in public discourse by saying cyclists dont have the reg numbers, as if this somehow is preventing them from investigating.

magicbastarder · 11-05-2021 1:17pm

Reality_Check1 wrote: »

Seperate from your point but I don't think the general public realise how dangerous e-scooters are. There is a study about to be published in the Irish medical journal outlining the severity and frequency of injuries.

any word yet on whether this has been published?

tomasrojo · 12-05-2021 4:43pm

Looks as if that bike storage shed in the UK might be able to stay:

The Mayor of Leicester says the city council’s planning officers “have got it wrong” in telling a family they are unlikely to receive planning permission for a bike shed they have erected in their front garden, and has urged for the issue to be referred to the planning committee.

https://road.cc/content/news/leicester-mayor-planning-officers-got-it-wrong-shed-283293

Reality_Check1 · 12-05-2021 5:13pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

any word yet on whether this has been published?

Sorry just seen this. Accepted for publication in the July edition of the Irish medical journal I’m told.

Also RTE have been in contact with the author and are doing a piece on it possibly in tomorrow’s news.

Did anyone tune into the presentation of it at the conference last week? I was at work so missed it. Just wondering what the consensus was

Hurrache · 13-05-2021 10:07am

Shotser wrote: »

Thought I would share my Garda bike theft experience. ......

Incompetent every step of the way. I have yet to have a positive interaction with any Garda with regards to cycling. One once knocked with his knuckles on my head while telling me to wear a helmet!

Lock it or lose it!

I await in anticipation the Steal it and face the wrath of the law follow up series of tweets.

https://twitter.com/gardainfo/status/1392753622350434304

Tombo2001 · 13-05-2021 10:33am

Just sent in a complaint to Garda press office about this; I've had 4 bikes stolen, each of these was locked at the time. On three occasions, with ULock.

In my view, most stolen bikes are locked or else taken by force (taken by teenagers from teenagers).

Hurrache · 13-05-2021 12:05pm

Look at that Howth dart station incident, to me it seemed that it took the leaking of the video to the public which lead to a large public and media outcry before action was taking which lead to the arrest of the alleged ****s today.

Tombo2001 · 13-05-2021 12:18pm

Hurrache wrote: »

Look at that Howth dart station incident, to me it seemed that it took the leaking of the video to the public which lead to a large public and media outcry before action was taking which lead to the arrest of the alleged ****s today.

Was actually just thinking the same myself - there have been hundreds of similar incidents up and down the length and breadth of the country.

The only thing different about this one was that a girl was on the receiving end of the beating, in 99% of cases its a boy.

Was an incident last week in Blanch where a bunch of teens were chasing another teen across a park, he bailed out of the park onto the motorway to escape them - flagged down a car for help. Crazy stuff.

Its the same with cycling - big media fuss a few years back about teenage girls being hassled when they cycle. Not an eyelid batted at the vast amount of times teenage boys are beaten up and have a bike taken off them.

Get Real · 13-05-2021 12:48pm

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Just sent in a complaint to Garda press office about this; I've had 4 bikes stolen, each of these was locked at the time. On three occasions, with ULock.

In my view, most stolen bikes are locked or else taken by force (taken by teenagers from teenagers).

Tbh if you've had a bike stolen 4 times, it's the lock you were using. U locks can be broken too. You'd want to be spending 200 quid on a lock, or two good solid 100 quid locks.

I don't know why you'd complain to them, as the video shows exactly how it happens, a sh1tty lock being snapped in no time by scum.

It's not your fault your bike was stolen 4 times, the only persons who's fault it is are the scumbags who do it, often in broad daylight, probably with multiple convictions, arrested numerous times, and just don't care.

But you can't deny the fact that if you had a bike locked, and stolen, 4 times, logically, the lock was compromised 4 times. Its not about blame, its literally how the bike was stolen.

And then if the scum is known and identified, he'll be prosecuted. But it makes f all difference to you because your bike is long gone and the courts will give him his umpteenth conviction and impose a disappointing penalty.

Hurrache · 13-05-2021 12:53pm

Get Real, get real. It doesn't matter what lock or how much it cost when they brazingly cut it with power tools in public.
Poor locks may lead to opportunistic thefts, but for pricks going out with the intention of stealing, they'll get it no matter what lock is on it.

Get Real · 13-05-2021 1:24pm

Hurrache wrote: »

Get Real, get real. It doesn't matter what lock or how much it cost when they brazingly cut it with power tools in public.
Poor locks may lead to opportunistic thefts, but for pricks going out with the intention of stealing, they'll get it no matter what lock is on it.

While power tools can be used, and are, it still doesn't mean there's no point getting two good locks, that even power tools will have trouble on.

The Kryptonite Fagheddaboudit generally takes two batteries of an angle grinder to get through. Now if you'd two of them on your bike, that's 4 batteries, on top of the time and noise.

Other tools are also used, and again, some locks can be compromised more easily than others.

Most bikes are still stolen in less than 30 seconds, using the pull method.

https://youtu.be/hpzUNc09aAQ

Or they're not locked at all. A 2.5k bike, left in a public area in Dublin, gone-

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/dublin-bike-bandit-abandons-bike-22497871

A bike in Dublin locked with a ulock, snapped, no tools used
https://www.dailyedge.ie/bike-theft-dublin-1147474-Oct2013/

A bike stolen on parnell Square, no tools used

https://youtu.be/PLIrJ33Jmuk

A bike stolen in Dublin, no tools used

https://youtu.be/MsU3BT_kUe0

In each of those cases, couldn't a good set of locks have made a difference?

I agree with what you're saying, can't prevent it all times. But how is suggesting spending 200 quid on a lock or locks controversial? I know when my bike is at a stand of bikes, it's gonna be the hardest to try crack. And there'll be easier targets there.

Reality_Check1 · 13-05-2021 1:42pm

Pretty shameless victim blaming someone who gets their bike knicked tbh

Seth Brundle · 13-05-2021 1:49pm

I think the anger is more about the gardai blaming the victim when only one in four bike related thefts is reported due to the sheer pointlessness of it. The belief is that the gardai have no interest in tackling this kind of crime and the statement today kind of agrees with that belief...

https://twitter.com/gavinsblog/status/1392820821488553992

RobbieMD · 13-05-2021 2:12pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I think the anger is more about the gardai blaming the victim when only one in four bike related thefts is reported due to the sheer pointlessness of it. The belief is that the gardai have no interest in tackling this kind of crime and the statement today kind of agrees with that belief...

https://twitter.com/gavinsblog/status/1392820821488553992

They offer the same advice if your house is broken into. I don’t think it’s victim blaming. Ideally we would be able to leave our front doors unlocked but we don’t because we know scum will rob us. I view it in the same light.

Hurrache · 13-05-2021 2:25pm

{appearing at a garda station with a bloody nose}
- Hi, I'd like to report an assault.
- Now tell me sir before we go any further, what sort of self defence classes have you taking, or are ye a good runner, that may have lessened you randomly been given a dig to the head?

Thelonious Monk · 13-05-2021 2:50pm

I had a bike stolen under the gaze of a HD camera near Kildare House. The Oireachtas security said only the Garda can view the footage due to GDPR or something, and after reporting it to the Garda and following up on it for ages none of them would bother their arses looking at the footage or doing anything about. Then I just got a letter one day saying the case was closed.
They are a useless bunch.

breezy1985 · 13-05-2021 3:05pm

Hurrache wrote: »

{appearing at a garda station with a bloody nose}
- Hi, I'd like to report an assault.
- Now tell me sir before we go any further, what sort of self defence classes have you taking, or are ye a good runner, that may have lessened you randomly been given a dig to the head?

Wear a helmet

magicbastarder · 13-05-2021 3:07pm

is the 'use better locks' advice basically the same as 'it's not important that you outrun the bear, as long as you outrun your friend'?

Tombo2001 · 13-05-2021 3:11pm

Get Real wrote: »

Tbh if you've had a bike stolen 4 times, it's the lock you were using. U locks can be broken too. You'd want to be spending 200 quid on a lock, or two good solid 100 quid locks.

I don't know why you'd complain to them, as the video shows exactly how it happens, a sh1tty lock being snapped in no time by scum.

It's not your fault your bike was stolen 4 times, the only persons who's fault it is are the scumbags who do it, often in broad daylight, probably with multiple convictions, arrested numerous times, and just don't care.

But you can't deny the fact that if you had a bike locked, and stolen, 4 times, logically, the lock was compromised 4 times. Its not about blame, its literally how the bike was stolen.

And then if the scum is known and identified, he'll be prosecuted. But it makes f all difference to you because your bike is long gone and the courts will give him his umpteenth conviction and impose a disappointing penalty.

I get that.

I'm not complaining about the fact that the bike was stolen, or that they cant do much about it.

I'm complaining about the narrative 'Lock it or Lose it' - that if you lock your bike securely you can prevent theft.

Thats not been my experience.

Tombo2001 · 13-05-2021 3:12pm

RobbieMD wrote: »

They offer the same advice if your house is broken into. I don’t think it’s victim blaming. Ideally we would be able to leave our front doors unlocked but we don’t because we know scum will rob us. I view it in the same light.

Not quite - they dont go saying that your front door should have fortified locks, or that it should be locked in two different places....

Hurrache · 13-05-2021 3:20pm

breezy1985 wrote: »

Wear a helmet

But NOT a high vis vest as it'll only make you easier to see (see other thread for that debate)

silverharp · 13-05-2021 4:58pm

30 miles a day for 40 years or 10 times around the equator :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k3SY_S7O_M

Macy0161 · 13-05-2021 5:11pm

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Not quite - they dont go saying that your front door should have fortified locks, or that it should be locked in two different places....

My house insurance has minimum lock standards. I'll be penalised if I don't have the house alarm on. I'm not sure it's really the same as victim blaming.

In UCD, I've seen bikes locked incorrectly on the same sheffield stand as the gardaí "how to lock you bike" bike!

Anyway, quality of lock or locking technique doesn't excuse the gardaí from taking more of an interest. They seem incapable of consistent enforcement. In any area.

Journalism and Cycling 2: the difficult second album

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