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Control Box: Stolen Bikes

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    I had my newish bike stolen last month. Insurance paid up (well they've promised to) so yesterday put a downpayment on a fakenger's Condor. Then last night I parked my other bike in Berwick St, right next to the stolen bike. I chained them both together and waited.

    Long story short, I confronted the guy and his mate - they were obviously not the thieves and said they'd paid £200 for it. I offered to buy it back and we settled on £140.

    My question is, am I a mug for buying it and should I have just beaten it out of him? Or was he as much a victim of crime as me and it was fair to buy it back?
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    No, that was the right thing to do. It wasn’t one of our lot was it?

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    Nope. Floppy haired Soho media type who was v shocked to confronted.
    • CommentAuthora0
    • CommentTimeApr 25th 2007
     
    if you don't know find answer on your quastions in "beijing bicycle" a film by wang xiaoshuai.
    but seriously, this is london, don't be naive. person who is buing a bike for 200 on a street must realize that it is stolen stuff.
    so, you shoudn't pay him for your bike, lesson shoud be bitter for him to avoid this kind of situation on the future.
    he was v shocked to confronted? they are usually shocked...he
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    I don't think you should have paid him, I think you should have found a copper, and said, "excuse me I reported this bike stolen last month, this is my bike and someone else has got it" etc. Either that or just tell the guy who bought it "look, this is my bike, it was nicked last month, and it has been reported. you either give it back to me or I'm calling the police"...
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      CommentAuthorwinston
    • CommentTimeApr 25th 2007 edited
     
    Though I usually agree with you Bill, it is wrong to pay for your own stolen bike, that's just perpetuating the stolen bike-cycle (no pun intended)...the criminal still made a profit and will do next time too......I know "floppy haired soho types" can be pretty gormless, but he didn't buy it in a bike shop did he? 99% he had an idea it was nicked therefore just as culpable as the thief himself.....probably in the eyes of the law too (receipt of stolen goods)..and no doubt he would've been scared shitless if calling the cops and reporting him for such was his only other option to just giving it back.

    I'd've double locked it with my lock, spun over to Buck and Ryan and bought a bloody big saw....

    didn't this happen to Steve? and the guy he saw riding his bike turned out to be a client and freely admitted to having bought it in Brick Lane....but still expected payment!!!!?
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    Yeah, it’s easy to say I would have nailed the guy – but here’s the thing – the guy is out of pocket, and without a bike.

    I totally agree that it’s wrong to reward thieves, but…

    That thing with Steve was totally out of order. The guy started to argue with Lisa! He really was a f***ing idiot. He didn’t realise how lucky he was.

    Oh yeah, now I remember:

    he said that Steve must have nicked it – he based this accusation on the ‘evidence’: the bike was covered in United States Postal Service logos….

    actually now I think about it – fuck that – next time just steal it back.

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      CommentAuthorwinston
    • CommentTimeApr 25th 2007
     
    thieves nick bikes because they know they can sell them, if floppy haired soho types wouldn't buy them, less bikes would be nicked...... no market to supply, they'll nick something else instead, a point I made to a van load of coppers offering a free frame stamp....How is that gonna deter a thief? "oh it's got a stamp underneath the BB...I'm not gonna nick it"....instead of spending thousands on your lame PR exercise I said, why don't you shut down the fence in Brick Lane.....what fence in Brick Lane? they said.....unf**ckingbelievable!
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    Going back to the case above, in actual fact once the insurance company has paid out for the stolen bike, the stolen bike belongs to them, not you. As you reported it stolen, you probably could have called the law in. Although you would almost certainly not have got your bike back, the way things stand, you are probably at risk of legal action from your insurance company. I would get in touch with the law asap to let them know what has happened.

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    Interesting. I did call the cops as soon as I saw my bike and got through to the station that handled the theft. They were completely uninterested - told me to call 999 and that even if someone did respond, that they'd probably not be able to get me my bike back. Seems maddening to buy my own bike but I got a £800 bike for £140.

    Am debating cancelling the order for the new one and avoiding the scenario you describe above.
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    That’s pathetic, but not really surprising.

    If you are very moral, you should call the insurance company and let them know what’s happened – especially the bit about the cops. The ins cos are getting more and more cross about the amount they are paying out on bike theft, and I think they even publicly appealed a few weeks ago for more to be done.

    On the other hand, you might think that it’s fair does and keep shtum.

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    I think my morals will be guided by whether or not Condor will refund my deposit . . .
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    FWIW something similar happened to me:

    http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article/what-goes-around-comes-around

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      CommentAuthorJosh
    • CommentTimeApr 29th 2007
     
    Jed's bike and bag were stolen from Paddington station on Friday night.
    Distinctive crappy lo-pro veto stickered so much the thieves will have a weeks work de stickering it.

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