Bike Vandals at Metra Lasalle Street Station - hang em or electrocute em???

  I've been riding downtown for 4 years now and have never had my bike messed with...until lately.  I commute from the SW burbs on the Metra Rock Island everyday.  When I get downtown, I commute approx 2 miles to my job each way via bike and enjoy biking the lake front on lunch.  I park a cheap junk bike at the station in front of One Financial Place and leave it overnight. 

 

  Over the past month I have had my bike vandalized 3 times.  The first time was the night the the Hawks won the cup.  I returned the next day to find that all of the spokes were kicked in and my cheap brake handles smashed into little pieces.  I went to the McDonald's Bike facility and had the rear wheel re-trued and fixed, and a new set of brake handles installed.  I wrote this off to some moron walking to the train trashed after celebrating.  Since then I began parking my bike under a camera near the CBOE. 

A week later I noticed that the air was let out of my rear tire.  No big deal, I just put air back in it. 

Today I show up and found that a number of bikes (5-6) all had the rear tires slashed with what seems to be a knife.  I have three q's - 1) If i find em - Hang em' or electrocution?  2) Anyone know of a better place (sheltered/monitored) at or near the Lasalle Street train station?  3) Has anyone noticed an uptick in bike vandalism?

 

Thanks,

Seriously Pissed

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by El Dorado on July 18, 2013 at 8:02am

Parking in front of a camera is useless. No one is likely watching and no one is likely to care. I have noticed in uptick of vagrants downtown due to the warm weather. That could be the cause.

Permalink Reply by igz on July 18, 2013 at 8:24am

are you able to isolate the time of the other vandalisms, particularly the last one?  still over night?

Permalink Reply by Rob Esquivel on July 18, 2013 at 8:30am
Yep, all overnight. Strangely all during the week.
Permalink Reply by Rob Esquivel on July 18, 2013 at 8:37am
I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but I'm wondering if it's being done to get people to use the new Divvy bikes?
Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on July 18, 2013 at 9:24am

OH snap!

I thought I was crazy, but yeah something similar happened to me, too - several times - in front of CBOE building by Financial on Van Buren.

Rear fender being pulled off. Air let out of both my tires. Saddles raised as if to be stolen. Screws loosened off my pannier rack.

I've had enough, so I started paying the monthly bike parking in One Financial Place. 

Permalink Reply by Rob Esquivel on July 18, 2013 at 9:33am
BTW - How much is the monthly parking?
Permalink Reply by mike w. on July 18, 2013 at 1:25pm

i'm willing to bet it's just one very twisted person. Probably a young male, possibly suburban and gainfully employed (or living with the parents)  and not a vagrant.

Permalink Reply by Michael A on July 18, 2013 at 3:38pm
Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on July 18, 2013 at 5:10pm

Hanging or electrocuting?  Have you considered searching for the mindless wretches of society to drink of their blood and feast upon their flesh?

 

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on July 19, 2013 at 3:23am

I park a cheap junk bike at the station in front of One Financial Place and leave it overnight. 

So that's why there is never any bike parking at my office building. *shakes fist at you*

Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on July 19, 2013 at 6:55am

Ugh. This person sucks. I don't usually check the screws on my pannier rack; that could cause a huge accident if it came off and tangled while riding.

J.A.W. said:


Rear fender being pulled off. Air let out of both my tires. Saddles raised as if to be stolen. Screws loosened off my pannier rack.

Permalink Reply by Michael A on July 19, 2013 at 5:11pm

Julia, A quick tip.. before I get on my bike, I squeeze the tires to check for air, spin each wheel to make sure nothing is rubbing or worst, then I bounce the front and then the back wheel if anything is loose it will make a racquet, this all takes only a moment but it is so worth while. 

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