Author Topic: Bike vandalism anyone?  (Read 5101 times)

livetogive

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Bike vandalism anyone?
« on: May 17, 2014, 06:59:35 PM »
This is more of a rant than anything else, but I live in a major city and locked my bicycle to the same bike rack outside a grocery store (which are supposed to house 2 bikes) as some dude with a new bike.  The bike wasn't even that nice, but it did look new.  I didn't scratch it or anything.

I come back and my back tire is slashed and the lights ripped off and thrown on the ground.  It would've almost been worth him doing it to catch the little coward in the act.  I keep thinking how close I was to actually catching him too...

Has anyone else experienced people openly trash your bike?  Mine isn't that nice so I really don't care outside of the PITA to change a tire when out and about.  Since I pass by that spot every day I'm trying to avoid the temptation to trash their bike if they're dumb enough to park there again.

shuffler

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2014, 07:43:23 PM »
Nope, never experienced it.

How do you know it was that bike's owner who did it?

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2014, 08:54:52 PM »
Why do you think it's the other biker?

GuitarStv

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2014, 04:42:26 PM »
I also have to ask why you think it was the other cyclist . . . 

frugalnacho

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2014, 08:49:06 AM »
Yea I forth that; why do you think it's the other biker? 

A lot of assholes probably walked right by that rack.  Still sucks though.

TrMama

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2014, 09:24:17 AM »
Report it to the police and ask the store if they have any camera footage of the spot you can see.

I've not had random vandalism, but I did once have someone try to steal the front wheel off my ancient, not very nice mountain bike. They obviously didn't realize the wheel was locked to both the frame and the bike rack. Idiots.

tganewbie

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2014, 02:24:04 AM »
It happened to me as well twice. Not as bad, just tipped over and obviously stomped on, so I had to true the tyres. All I can think of as a solution is to not lock up the bike in easily visible spaces. Just around the back of a building seems safer

Bateaux

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2014, 05:08:04 AM »
My son had is bike vandalized on his college campus.  The campus is full of thugs these days. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2014, 05:59:41 AM »
It happened to me as well twice. Not as bad, just tipped over and obviously stomped on, so I had to true the tyres. All I can think of as a solution is to not lock up the bike in easily visible spaces. Just around the back of a building seems safer

Meh.  I'd say you're at least as likely to have your bike stolen/vandalized in a difficult to see place.  A busy place with lots of people going by would give most vandals a second thought before doing something . . . as they might get caught.

ivyhedge

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Re: Bike vandalism anyone?
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2014, 03:38:03 PM »
Agree with GuitarSteve.


However, I have seen bikes that *just barely* fit into legal spaces that angered folks - especially at rush hour. If something's locked very near a path that lots of folks follow - from financial district suits to Saturday morning kids at the supermarket - count on the bike nearly tripping *someone* or getting in the way of *someone* ... Folks become even more pissed if they're shoved into something unexpectedly: especially a bike, for some reason...


Solution? None, really. Maybe a security video. Probably just making sure the bike is in a public place but not parked too near any thoroughfare.