Bicycle theft

SF Channel 7 had a disturbing story on biycle theft this evening, which I
find very disturbing. The thieves are using an approach to stealing high
end bikes that I had not heard of before. Lets say you are out riding your
expensive bike. Someone follows you home and writes down your address.
Later on someone breaks into your place and steals the bike. The actual
burglarly may be committed by still a third person.

I don't know how you can be safe against this. I suppose if you have an
attractive, expensive bike, you need to use a heavy chain even inside your
home.

Leo Lichtman wrote:
SF Channel 7 had a disturbing story on biycle theft this evening,
which I find very disturbing. The thieves are using an approach to
stealing high end bikes that I had not heard of before. Lets say you
are out riding your expensive bike. Someone follows you home and
writes down your address. Later on someone breaks into your place and
steals the bike. The actual burglarly may be committed by still a
third person.
I don't know how you can be safe against this. I suppose if you have
an attractive, expensive bike, you need to use a heavy chain even
inside your home.

I'm so fast they'll never stick with me.

Bill "or I'll bore 'em to death" S.

In article ,
says...
Lets say you are out riding your
expensive bike. Someone follows you home and writes down your address.
Later on someone breaks into your place and steals the bike. The actual
burglarly may be committed by still a third person.

I don't know how you can be safe against this. I suppose if you have an
attractive, expensive bike, you need to use a heavy chain even inside your
home.

Get an alarm. Or a pit bull.

This story makes me glad I live at the end of a dead end street, as I'd
notice being followed. Of course, my working at home, having 3 dogs, and
some seriously nosy neighbors won't hurt, either.

You could just U-lock your bike to a pipe (I'm thinking my water main in
the basement). Remove the front wheel, and lock through both wheels and
the frame, and you'd be fine. The rest of your belongings, of course,
would still be fair game (and probably worth more fenced).

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Leo Lichtman wrote:
SF Channel 7 had a disturbing story on biycle theft this evening, which I
find very disturbing. The thieves are using an approach to stealing high
end bikes that I had not heard of before. Lets say you are out riding your
expensive bike. Someone follows you home and writes down your address.
Later on someone breaks into your place and steals the bike. The actual
burglarly may be committed by still a third person.

I don't know how you can be safe against this. I suppose if you have an
attractive, expensive bike, you need to use a heavy chain even inside your
home.

It's possible of course that there's some truth to the report- there
really are burglars that plan their burglaries- but unless these
burglars are being caught and confessing to the details of their crimes
I'd take such media exposes with a very large grain of salt. On slow
news days especially the media has been known to manufacture "new
trends" from two similar but unrelated incidents. When it's pointed out
to them that similar events have been occurring for years (in this
case, burglars scouting possible targets in advance), they just change
their description to a "growing trend".

Regards,
Bob Hunt

"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Leo Lichtman wrote:
SF Channel 7 had a disturbing story on bicycle theft this evening, which
I
find very disturbing. The thieves are using an approach to stealing high
end bikes that I had not heard of before. Lets say you are out riding
your
expensive bike. Someone follows you home and writes down your address.
Later on someone breaks into your place and steals the bike. The actual
burglary may be committed by still a third person.

I don't know how you can be safe against this. I suppose if you have an
attractive, expensive bike, you need to use a heavy chain even inside
your
home.

It's possible of course that there's some truth to the report- there
really are burglars that plan their burglaries- but unless these
burglars are being caught and confessing to the details of their crimes
I'd take such media exposes with a very large grain of salt. On slow
news days especially the media has been known to manufacture "new
trends" from two similar but unrelated incidents. When it's pointed out
to them that similar events have been occurring for years (in this
case, burglars scouting possible targets in advance), they just change
their description to a "growing trend".

I'm wondering why burglars would decide to target bikes? Are they elitist
green liberal snob thieves?

Why follow someone riding and expensive bike - and how they'd know what an
expensive bike looks like - instead of someone driving an expensive car.
Hell, why not just case expensive homes?

This has the whiff of urban legend.

"recycled-one" wrote in message
...

"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...
... the media has been known to manufacture "new
trends" from two similar but unrelated incidents. When it's pointed out
to them that similar events have been occurring for years (in this
case, burglars scouting possible targets in advance), they just change
their description to a "growing trend".

Why follow someone riding and expensive bike ... instead of someone
driving an expensive car. Hell, why not just case expensive homes?

Casing expensive homes occurs in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X": a woman
would come into your home for a "marketing research interview" and case the
joint (perhaps on her way to the bathroom). Malcolm would break in a few
days later. This was before Malcolm got religion, so this is probably from
the 1950's.

Is the value of a fenced bicycle sufficiently high to justify this sort of
attention? I'm not saying bicycles can't be stolen from inside dwellings (my
daughter's junker was, although it was the least valuable of the 4 bicycles
there). Planning bike theft in advance seems like poor time allocation
relative to other criminal opportunities, like stealing cars. But maybe bike
thieves don't use six sigma processes.

"Mike Kruger" wrote in message
et...
"recycled-one" wrote in message
...

"Bob" wrote in message
ups.com...
... the media has been known to manufacture "new
trends" from two similar but unrelated incidents. When it's pointed out
to them that similar events have been occurring for years (in this
case, burglars scouting possible targets in advance), they just change
their description to a "growing trend".

Why follow someone riding and expensive bike ... instead of someone
driving an expensive car. Hell, why not just case expensive homes?

Casing expensive homes occurs in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X": a woman
would come into your home for a "marketing research interview" and case
the joint (perhaps on her way to the bathroom). Malcolm would break in a
few days later. This was before Malcolm got religion, so this is probably
from the 1950's.

Is the value of a fenced bicycle sufficiently high to justify this sort of
attention? I'm not saying bicycles can't be stolen from inside dwellings
(my daughter's junker was, although it was the least valuable of the 4
bicycles there). Planning bike theft in advance seems like poor time
allocation relative to other criminal opportunities, like stealing cars.
But maybe bike thieves don't use six sigma processes.

I doubt thieves specialize so. If they are going to burgle a house they are
going to carry away everything they can easily carry and fence. Bikes, sure,
but notebook computers, golf clubs, etc.

It just seems that burglar would be so selective and thorough in their
targeting as the OP suggests. I'm guessing most bike thefts are crimes of
opportunity: a deserted location, an unlocked bike. I seriously doubt that
thieves would put that much effort _just_ to steal a bike, even an expensive
one.

recycled-one wrote:

This has the whiff of urban legend.

It sure does. Did the news story say HOW the thieves follow the cyclist
home? I would certainly notice either a car or a bike following me for
any length of time.

On Thu, 25 May 2006 10:24:59 -0700, Diablo Scott
wrote:

recycled-one wrote:

This has the whiff of urban legend.

It sure does. Did the news story say HOW the thieves follow the cyclist
home? I would certainly notice either a car or a bike following me for
any length of time.

There is a good chance that the person who owns a very expensive bike
most likely has some other very expensive toys at home as well.

"justin david smith" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 25 May 2006 10:24:59 -0700, Diablo Scott
wrote:

recycled-one wrote:

This has the whiff of urban legend.

It sure does. Did the news story say HOW the thieves follow the cyclist
home? I would certainly notice either a car or a bike following me for
any length of time.

There is a good chance that the person who owns a very expensive bike
most likely has some other very expensive toys at home as well.

So does the guy driving a Ferrari. The problem with the story is why focus
on expensive bikes both for selection and theft? The vast majority of people
will recognize a luxury car more easily than an expensive bike.