Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Active Transportation Alliance on July 31, 2014 at 8:50am

Thanks everyone, I've got the footage I need, but I'll leave this thread open as a place for people to alert others.

Jason Jenkins

Active Trans

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Permalink Reply by Haddon on July 31, 2014 at 12:34pm

Important point - sometimes its less that the bolts on the base are missing but the bolts on the sign.  If the sign is gone someone can just lift off the bike and carry it away. So look up and down.

H

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Permalink Reply by Tandemonium on July 31, 2014 at 1:53pm

Van Buren & Federal. On East side of Federal. Noticed it on the way home from a friends going away party tonight.

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Permalink Reply by Tandemonium on July 31, 2014 at 2:02pm

I'd be interested to know the relationship between time and rate of theft. You are misunderstanding Mike's post, he is saying that the longer you leave it you are at greater risk (more opportunity, less eyes in the night), overnight being a very long time to lock to an insecure object. My guess is that perhaps most thefts from poles happen in the 4-12hr range and to Mike's point if you are just running inside the store you should be fine.

h' 1.0 said:

I'd be interested to know what you're basing this on, Mike.

A quick search of reports of victims who locked to seemingly intact signpoles and came back to find the bolts laying next to the signs shows only about 1 in 4 happened overnight.

 
Mike Zumwalt said:

Should be ok. Nothing is 100% Like I said I wouldn't leave it out over night.
 
h' 1.0 said:

Except for the times that your bike gets stolen.

Mike Zumwalt said:

Just look down, if it has a bolt and a nut you should be ok.

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Permalink Reply by Madopal (16.5 mi) on July 31, 2014 at 2:42pm

I saw a Rivendell locked to a pole like that in Logan Square on Milwaukee across from New Wave Coffee.  I almost took it just to prove a point that if you have a Rivendell and are that cavalier about its safety, you don't deserve it.

Haddon said:

Important point - sometimes its less that the bolts on the base are missing but the bolts on the sign.  If the sign is gone someone can just lift off the bike and carry it away. So look up and down.

H

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Permalink Reply by Tandemonium on August 1, 2014 at 10:11am

Whew! Made it home with my bike today after stopping by the store on the way home, even though I had to lock to a pole outside. I only needed a few things and was in the store for 5 minutes. I know I should have just walked home and left my bike locked to the pole overnight after a recent study proved it reduces your risk of it getting your bike stolen by up to 75%! I should have left it but I really wanted to ride home instead of walk. It worked out in the end so I guess I am just lucky!

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy on August 18, 2014 at 2:53am

Yesterday, I was paying attention to whether signs had bolts at the base.  A sign at the NE corner of Wrightwood and Clark (outside the 7-11) was missing a bolt and had no sign at the top.  The pole was wedged in the base and didn't move.

More disturbing were two poles outside apartment buildings.  A sign on the SE corner of Wrightwood and Hampden and a sign outside 2650 N Lakeview were missing bolts and the poles were easily removed from the base.  I took photos and sent them to Alderman Smith and CDOT on Twitter.

I think the buildings' management companies are removing the bolts so they can remove bikes.

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Permalink Reply by David of the North (David606xx) on August 18, 2014 at 3:42am

I spotted one a couple of weeks ago outside Binny's on Grand at Franklin. I told store management and security about it, so it may have been addressed already.

You could always get a wrench and make one of your own since it's for educational purposes. Maybe get some more permanent hardware and show how grass-roots activists can help out fellow cylcists by permanently fixing neighborhood poles.

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Permalink Reply by David of the North (David606xx) on August 18, 2014 at 3:47am

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.891575,-87.634749,3a,59.7y,138.25h,...!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sotkMfwfzZAHvFptFGmUoGQ!2e0

David of the North (David606xx) said:

I spotted one a couple of weeks ago outside Binny's on Grand at Franklin. I told store management and security about it, so it may have been addressed already.

You could always get a wrench and make one of your own since it's for educational purposes. Maybe get some more permanent hardware and show how grass-roots activists can help out fellow cylcists by permanently fixing neighborhood poles.

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