Hey! Don't be hatin' and spreading inaccurate info!
So, it seems that some feel it is my fault my bike was stolen. They believe my bike was locked only to itself in a courtyard apartment building. Here is a bit more info:
My bike was on private property. Inside a 6 ft high wooden privacy fence. It was underneath the building overhang in an unlit spot. Evolution Series U-lock.
Yes, it was outside in the backyard and true, it was locked to itself. Keep in mind this is a very heavy bike...not possible to carry by one person. Also, the addition of a cable that could have been cut with basic bolt cutters would not have prevented this.
Police do NOT feel my bike was locked inappropriately.
Most importantly.....supporting others in our community seems a better way to go about things. For those who do know me, they know that I am not reckless and unsafe. Ask them yourself. For those who do not....no need to be making assumptions and judgments.
Mild rant over.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on
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Was the entrance to the courtyard locked? After having numerous parts stolen off my bike a single lock is not enough much less being locked only to itself. U-locks only have a certain number of key variations too so odds are I could walk down the street try each one with my key and eventually one would fit, even more so if it's worn a bit. We had indoor storage behind locked doors with cameras in my old apt. and bikes were still stolen. The minimum is 2 locks with the bike lockedto something
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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I've been one of the administrators for the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry for a little over three years. When someone files a theft report with the CSBR, everyone with admin privileges gets an email with the new report and it has to be read, minimally edited (if need be), and approved by one of us. Occasionally this process requires email and/or phone contact with the person who filed the report. During these interactions, which almost by definition are occurring very close in time to their initial loss, we are very careful not to "blame the victim" and invariably communicate sympathy for the theft of their bike. I rarely post anything in threads about an individual bike theft precisely because of the types of recriminations that seem to pop up at some point in the thread. I don't want to blame the victim. A couple of times a year, I post a stand alone thread with general statistics about how and where bikes are being stolen. I try to make the information available to anyone who is interested. I received the email for Liz's CSBR report and I approved the entry. I edited the lock type from "newer u-lock w/flat key" to "other" consistent with the CSBR protocol which has been developed over the years. The victim submitted report contains the following instructions beneath the field for "lock type:" Please select "other" if the bike was locked, but a lock was not cut or broken to steal this bike, and include any relevant lock info in the incident description. Where as here, there was no evidence that a lock was defeated to steal the bike, we change the lock type field to "other."
I have met a number of police officers who are very knowledgeable about bike theft. I disagree with the assessment by a police officer that a bike which was locked only to itself (free locked, hobbled, etc.), was locked appropriately.
As of today, the CSBR has had 1057 theft reports filed for the year. For those of you keeping score at home, another 36 reports and we'll match last year's record total. This year, we have had an absolute explosion in the number of unlocked bikes stolen out of garages, storage rooms, common areas of apartments or condos, off porches and out of yards. High fences, locking fences, garage doors that are sometimes inadvertently left open, and stairs are not adequate deterrents to bike theft. Due in large part to the above statistic, we have also had an increase in theft reports of unlocked bikes from our usual 20% to 26%. Theft of cable locked bikes has remained steady at the unacceptably high 35% level.
Armed with the knowledge that I have gleaned from reading more than 3000 theft reports over the years, coupled with my knowledge that recovery rates for stolen bikes is less than 5% per year, I subscribe to the "one more thing" theory of theft prevention. h' and I both use 2 u-locks when we lock our bikes. I almost never lock to a street sign or a wrought iron fence. Whenever possible, I lock to a bike rack or an increasingly rare parking meter. If that seems like an excessive precaution, here's a stat for you: 4.35% of CSBR reports for the year were of a bike locked with a newer u-lock (only one) to a bike rack.
I am sorry that Liz's bike was stolen. I will keep an eye out and I sincerely hope that her bike is recovered and she is reunited with it. I am sorry that there are bike thieves. But it is possible with minimal effort to greatly reduce the probability of being a victim of bike theft.
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Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on
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Not a courtyard. Backyard, locked privacy fence. Bike not visible from outside of yard.
Mike Zumwalt said:Was the entrance to the courtyard locked? After having numerous parts stolen off my bike a single lock is not enough much less being locked only to itself. U-locks only have a certain number of key variations too so odds are I could walk down the street try each one with my key and eventually one would fit, even more so if it's worn a bit. We had indoor storage behind locked doors with cameras in my old apt. and bikes were still stolen. The minimum is 2 locks with the bike lockedto something
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Thank you Kevin C. for explaining why that was changed.
Again, my post was really about people making judging hateful comments and that some were based on inaccurate info. It does not help to be judgmental and insulting of others. And if people want crime victims to be honest in reporting then they really ought to work extra hard on not blaming.
But since folks want this to be about locking....
I absolutely agree that 2 locking methods are more secure. This is something I most often do. I even have different locks for my different bikes... for what seems most appropriate to the specific bike. It was quite unusual at how my bike was locked that night. It was also interesting to note the other bikes in the yard... not locked to anything were not stolen. And these other bikes were certainly more visible to the casual eye if someone was in the yard. But other than knowing that the visible unlocked bikes were left alone, none of that other info was relevant to my letting others know about the theft. And NO, those unlocked bikes were not mine.
As to talking to folks and educating them about best ways to lock a bike...I do this nearly every day as part of my job.
So back to the original point... let's not assumed judge someone as "stupid" "idiot" "deserving" "had it coming" etc etc. There is no need to trash a person in these types of situations. Sometimes the BEST thing to do cannot or does not happen. Extenuating circumstances do occasionally interfere.
Kevin C said:I've been one of the administrators for the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry for a little over three years. When someone files a theft report with the CSBR, everyone with admin privileges gets an email with the new report and it has to be read, minimally edited (if need be), and approved by one of us. Occasionally this process requires email and/or phone contact with the person who filed the report. During these interactions, which almost by definition are occurring very close in time to their initial loss, we are very careful not to "blame the victim" and invariably communicate sympathy for the theft of their bike. I rarely post anything in threads about an individual bike theft precisely because of the types of recriminations that seem to pop up at some point in the thread. I don't want to blame the victim. A couple of times a year, I post a stand alone thread with general statistics about how and where bikes are being stolen. I try to make the information available to anyone who is interested. I received the email for Liz's CSBR report and I approved the entry. I edited the lock type from "newer u-lock w/flat key" to "other" consistent with the CSBR protocol which has been developed over the years. The victim submitted report contains the following instructions beneath the field for "lock type:" Please select "other" if the bike was locked, but a lock was not cut or broken to steal this bike, and include any relevant lock info in the incident description. Where as here, there was no evidence that a lock was defeated to steal the bike, we change the lock type field to "other."
I have met a number of police officers who are very knowledgeable about bike theft. I disagree with the assessment by a police officer that a bike which was locked only to itself (free locked, hobbled, etc.), was locked appropriately.
As of today, the CSBR has had 1057 theft reports filed for the year. For those of you keeping score at home, another 36 reports and we'll match last year's record total. This year, we have had an absolute explosion in the number of unlocked bikes stolen out of garages, storage rooms, common areas of apartments or condos, off porches and out of yards. High fences, locking fences, garage doors that are sometimes inadvertently left open, and stairs are not adequate deterrents to bike theft. Due in large part to the above statistic, we have also had an increase in theft reports of unlocked bikes from our usual 20% to 26%. Theft of cable locked bikes has remained steady at the unacceptably high 35% level.
Armed with the knowledge that I have gleaned from reading more than 3000 theft reports over the years, coupled with my knowledge that recovery rates for stolen bikes is less than 5% per year, I subscribe to the "one more thing" theory of theft prevention. h' and I both use 2 u-locks when we lock our bikes. I almost never lock to a street sign or a wrought iron fence. Whenever possible, I lock to a bike rack or an increasingly rare parking meter. If that seems like an excessive precaution, here's a stat for you: 4.35% of CSBR reports for the year were of a bike locked with a newer u-lock (only one) to a bike rack.
I am sorry that Liz's bike was stolen. I will keep an eye out and I sincerely hope that her bike is recovered and she is reunited with it. I am sorry that there are bike thieves. But it is possible with minimal effort to greatly reduce the probability of being a victim of bike theft.
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Also, I have now heard from a couple of officers that the chances of them looking into this are pretty slim. This does not encourage me or anyone to go through the time and effort to report a bike theft. It is discouraging and disheartening. Any thoughts or input on this?
Liz W. Durham said:Thank you Kevin C. for explaining why that was changed.
Again, my post was really about people making judging hateful comments and that some were based on inaccurate info. It does not help to be judgmental and insulting of others. And if people want crime victims to be honest in reporting then they really ought to work extra hard on not blaming.
But since folks want this to be about locking....
I absolutely agree that 2 locking methods are more secure. This is something I most often do. I even have different locks for my different bikes... for what seems most appropriate to the specific bike. It was quite unusual at how my bike was locked that night. It was also interesting to note the other bikes in the yard... not locked to anything were not stolen. And these other bikes were certainly more visible to the casual eye if someone was in the yard. But other than knowing that the visible unlocked bikes were left alone, none of that other info was relevant to my letting others know about the theft. And NO, those unlocked bikes were not mine.
As to talking to folks and educating them about best ways to lock a bike...I do this nearly every day as part of my job.
So back to the original point... let's not assumed judge someone as "stupid" "idiot" "deserving" "had it coming" etc etc. There is no need to trash a person in these types of situations. Sometimes the BEST thing to do cannot or does not happen. Extenuating circumstances do occasionally interfere.
Kevin C said:I've been one of the administrators for the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry for a little over three years. When someone files a theft report with the CSBR, everyone with admin privileges gets an email with the new report and it has to be read, minimally edited (if need be), and approved by one of us. Occasionally this process requires email and/or phone contact with the person who filed the report. During these interactions, which almost by definition are occurring very close in time to their initial loss, we are very careful not to "blame the victim" and invariably communicate sympathy for the theft of their bike. I rarely post anything in threads about an individual bike theft precisely because of the types of recriminations that seem to pop up at some point in the thread. I don't want to blame the victim. A couple of times a year, I post a stand alone thread with general statistics about how and where bikes are being stolen. I try to make the information available to anyone who is interested. I received the email for Liz's CSBR report and I approved the entry. I edited the lock type from "newer u-lock w/flat key" to "other" consistent with the CSBR protocol which has been developed over the years. The victim submitted report contains the following instructions beneath the field for "lock type:" Please select "other" if the bike was locked, but a lock was not cut or broken to steal this bike, and include any relevant lock info in the incident description. Where as here, there was no evidence that a lock was defeated to steal the bike, we change the lock type field to "other."
I have met a number of police officers who are very knowledgeable about bike theft. I disagree with the assessment by a police officer that a bike which was locked only to itself (free locked, hobbled, etc.), was locked appropriately.
As of today, the CSBR has had 1057 theft reports filed for the year. For those of you keeping score at home, another 36 reports and we'll match last year's record total. This year, we have had an absolute explosion in the number of unlocked bikes stolen out of garages, storage rooms, common areas of apartments or condos, off porches and out of yards. High fences, locking fences, garage doors that are sometimes inadvertently left open, and stairs are not adequate deterrents to bike theft. Due in large part to the above statistic, we have also had an increase in theft reports of unlocked bikes from our usual 20% to 26%. Theft of cable locked bikes has remained steady at the unacceptably high 35% level.
Armed with the knowledge that I have gleaned from reading more than 3000 theft reports over the years, coupled with my knowledge that recovery rates for stolen bikes is less than 5% per year, I subscribe to the "one more thing" theory of theft prevention. h' and I both use 2 u-locks when we lock our bikes. I almost never lock to a street sign or a wrought iron fence. Whenever possible, I lock to a bike rack or an increasingly rare parking meter. If that seems like an excessive precaution, here's a stat for you: 4.35% of CSBR reports for the year were of a bike locked with a newer u-lock (only one) to a bike rack.
I am sorry that Liz's bike was stolen. I will keep an eye out and I sincerely hope that her bike is recovered and she is reunited with it. I am sorry that there are bike thieves. But it is possible with minimal effort to greatly reduce the probability of being a victim of bike theft.
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It's always worth it to file a police report and a report with the CSBR. Recovery rates are low, but bikes do get recovered and do get reunited* with their rightful owners. Unless there is a rash of bike thefts going on in your neighborhood (and probably not even under those circumstances), it is unlikely that your theft will prompt the CPD to open up some kind of investigation. You shouldn't take this personally, the same would be true for any other non-violent property crime as well. Your bike is very unique and likely to be spotted if it's being used in the area. Having a police report number will assist you in getting police involvement should you locate your bike in the future.
There are certain law enforcement departments that will not assist without a serial number. For some, this is the only way to prove ownership, and the only piece of identifying information that really registers with them. Roughly 1/3 of the reports to the CSBR include a serial number.
The 13th, 14th & 19th police districts in Chicago, (and maybe more) know about the CSBR and the UIC police department also checks the CSBR when they make a recovery. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with an officer from the Evanston police department who approached the CSBR about how to search the registry for a number of bikes they recently recovered. There are at least a half a dozen bike shops in Chicago that check the CSBR when a suspicious bike comes into the shop and have been involved in recoveries. If you don't report the theft anywhere, the chances of being "reunited" with your bike go from slim to non-existent.
*I have said this before and I'll say it again: A friend of the CSBR who is an officer with the UIC police department has told us that they donate truckloads of recovered bikes each year which can’t be matched with an owner, a serial number, a police report, or a CSBR entry. PLEASE WRITE DOWN YOUR SERIAL NUMBER.
Liz W. Durham said:Also, I have now heard from a couple of officers that the chances of them looking into this are pretty slim. This does not encourage me or anyone to go through the time and effort to report a bike theft. It is discouraging and disheartening. Any thoughts or input on this?
[snip]
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Luckily, I have my serial number and it is included with the police report :)
I was able to get the phone number this evening of one of the detectives who is supposed to look into this. I am trying to be politely insistent... this was not a cheap bike, was not just a ride around for fun bike. This was my "car" and made things much more manageable for me and my two sons (not to mention our critters!). Grocery shopping for our little family is much tougher on a regular bike.
I am glad for such things as CSBR. When I hear from someone that their bike was stolen I recommend them to file police report and to CSBR. I do wish police would take reports more seriously. If someone has a car stolen, it gets looked into. Our bikes should too.
Kevin C said:It's always worth it to file a police report and a report with the CSBR. Recovery rates are low, but bikes do get recovered and do get reunited* with their rightful owners. Unless there is a rash of bike thefts going on in your neighborhood (and probably not even under those circumstances), it is unlikely that your theft will prompt the CPD to open up some kind of investigation. You shouldn't take this personally, the same would be true for any other non-violent property crime as well. Your bike is very unique and likely to be spotted if it's being used in the area. Having a police report number will assist you in getting police involvement should you locate your bike in the future.
There are certain law enforcement departments that will not assist without a serial number. For some, this is the only way to prove ownership, and the only piece of identifying information that really registers with them. Roughly 1/3 of the reports to the CSBR include a serial number.
The 13th, 14th & 19th police districts in Chicago, (and maybe more) know about the CSBR and the UIC police department also checks the CSBR when they make a recovery. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with an officer from the Evanston police department who approached the CSBR about how to search the registry for a number of bikes they recently recovered. There are at least a half a dozen bike shops in Chicago that check the CSBR when a suspicious bike comes into the shop and have been involved in recoveries. If you don't report the theft anywhere, the chances of being "reunited" with your bike go from slim to non-existent.
*I have said this before and I'll say it again: A friend of the CSBR who is an officer with the UIC police department has told us that they donate truckloads of recovered bikes each year which can’t be matched with an owner, a serial number, a police report, or a CSBR entry. PLEASE WRITE DOWN YOUR SERIAL NUMBER.
Liz W. Durham said:Also, I have now heard from a couple of officers that the chances of them looking into this are pretty slim. This does not encourage me or anyone to go through the time and effort to report a bike theft. It is discouraging and disheartening. Any thoughts or input on this?
[snip]
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Permalink Reply by yai danche on
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The people who are victim-blaming are assholes. It is perfectly reasonable to expect your bike to be safe within a locked and gated area. My first bike was stolen when I left it unlocked in my locked and gated back yard. All the flack I got from my car-owning relatives was hurtful (bike-owning friends were more sympathetic). The police are jerks, too. If someone has a propane BBQ grill stolen out of their backyard, do the police say hey your grill wasn't locked down so you deserve to get your grill stolen? The fact of the matter is someone broke in and entered your private property and stole.
People need to keep in mind that if you are renting, this is most likely your only bike storage solution. Ideally, I would keep my bike inside, but I can't per my lease agreement. Because of the miniature size of my bike, I can ONLY lock my bike to itself. I suspect my bike was stolen by a neighbor who saw my routine. This is probably what happened to you as well. Keep an eye out in your neighborhood and call the police if you spot your bike!
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I used to live around UIC and would see abandoned bikes locked to racks and sign posts. Sucks that the students who abandon them can't be bothered to unload them at Working Bikes. They just get left out all winter instead of being salvaged!
Kevin C said:It's always worth it to file a police report and a report with the CSBR. Recovery rates are low, but bikes do get recovered and do get reunited* with their rightful owners. Unless there is a rash of bike thefts going on in your neighborhood (and probably not even under those circumstances), it is unlikely that your theft will prompt the CPD to open up some kind of investigation. You shouldn't take this personally, the same would be true for any other non-violent property crime as well. Your bike is very unique and likely to be spotted if it's being used in the area. Having a police report number will assist you in getting police involvement should you locate your bike in the future.
There are certain law enforcement departments that will not assist without a serial number. For some, this is the only way to prove ownership, and the only piece of identifying information that really registers with them. Roughly 1/3 of the reports to the CSBR include a serial number.
The 13th, 14th & 19th police districts in Chicago, (and maybe more) know about the CSBR and the UIC police department also checks the CSBR when they make a recovery. A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with an officer from the Evanston police department who approached the CSBR about how to search the registry for a number of bikes they recently recovered. There are at least a half a dozen bike shops in Chicago that check the CSBR when a suspicious bike comes into the shop and have been involved in recoveries. If you don't report the theft anywhere, the chances of being "reunited" with your bike go from slim to non-existent.
*I have said this before and I'll say it again: A friend of the CSBR who is an officer with the UIC police department has told us that they donate truckloads of recovered bikes each year which can’t be matched with an owner, a serial number, a police report, or a CSBR entry. PLEASE WRITE DOWN YOUR SERIAL NUMBER.
Liz W. Durham said:Also, I have now heard from a couple of officers that the chances of them looking into this are pretty slim. This does not encourage me or anyone to go through the time and effort to report a bike theft. It is discouraging and disheartening. Any thoughts or input on this?
[snip]
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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on
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Well first off lets be clear on one thing; I AM an asshole and I make no apologies for it.
In Chicago it is NOT even a little bit reasonable to assume that leaving something unattended in a locked gated area is safe at all. My old apartment we had people destroy the fence to steal shitty bikes that were locked to the inside of it. Sad but true there are people who will take ANYTHING that is not nailed down for even just scrap value.
I lock up my grill outside in my gated and locked yard and I also consider leaving a grill outside unlocked in Chicago to be the same as giving it away. If it were not so crappy I would lock up my porch furniture as well. I rarely leave a bike out overnight, if I do it is double u-locked and one of those locks is to the post of the iron fence not the smaller fence grates. You can wish for the world to be a better place or believe that people are better then they really are but that does not change the reality of life; if you leave ANYTHING outside and unlocked it will be stolen.
As for your bike I am sure there is a lock option available to you that would allow you to secure it better; what sort of bike is it and what do you have in your yard to lock to?
yai danche said:The people who are victim-blaming are assholes. It is perfectly reasonable to expect your bike to be safe within a locked and gated area. My first bike was stolen when I left it unlocked in my locked and gated back yard. All the flack I got from my car-owning relatives was hurtful (bike-owning friends were more sympathetic). The police are jerks, too. If someone has a propane BBQ grill stolen out of their backyard, do the police say hey your grill wasn't locked down so you deserve to get your grill stolen? The fact of the matter is someone broke in and entered your private property and stole.
People need to keep in mind that if you are renting, this is most likely your only bike storage solution. Ideally, I would keep my bike inside, but I can't per my lease agreement. Because of the miniature size of my bike, I can ONLY lock my bike to itself. I suspect my bike was stolen by a neighbor who saw my routine. This is probably what happened to you as well. Keep an eye out in your neighborhood and call the police if you spot your bike!
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No one DESERVES to have anything stolen, but it's a big city, and things DO get stolen. I would prefer that were not the case, but I acknowledge the reality of the situation and act accordingly. It's ironic you would bring up the example of locking your gas grill. I do that too.
notoriousDUG said:[snip]
I lock up my grill outside in my gated and locked yard and I also consider leaving a grill outside unlocked in Chicago to be the same as giving it away. [snip]
yai danche said:[snip]
If someone has a propane BBQ grill stolen out of their backyard, do the police say hey your grill wasn't locked down so you deserve to get your grill stolen? The fact of the matter is someone broke in and entered your private property and stole.
[snip]
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Permalink Reply by Thedutchtouch on
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Has this dead horse been beat enough? Liz, sorry your bike got stolen, that sucks. I hope that you get it back, but you likely won't, that's just the truth. Whatever you get next, do yourself a favor and lock it to something. It's not your fault your bike was stolen, but you could have taken extra steps to keep it from happening. You didn't, so live and learn. IMHO, dug isn't being an asshole, he's just being honest without sugar coating it. I also lock up my grill.
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