[sam_little]

The university I attend(ed) just placed tags on all the decrepit bicycles that have been left behind by students leaving the school for the year. The tags say that one week after the dorms close, the bikes become property of the university and will be removed and sold as “surplus items” to profit the university. The majority of these bikes are relatively new, but they consistently have rusty chains and flat tires (unused). My guess is that mom and dad bought bikes for their pride and joys prior to school, and that the ungrateful fvcks never used them, and that they left the bikes behind when they upgraded to an apartment or whatever.

I am trying to put together a commuter bike for my girlfriend to leave at my house so we can ride when she visits from a nearby town without having to load up her bike. I don’t want to spend a bunch of money, and have considered taking one of the bikes that has been tagged for removal (99% of which are locked)

I hate bike thieves. I have been ripped off. It sucks. If I met a bike thief that steals regularly ridden bicycles for profit, I would probably try to break his fingers. I don’t want to be a bike thief. However, I also don’t feel that the university should be able to cut locks and profit off of the sale of these bikes. I would consider waiting for the bikes to be “cycled” through the system and then buying one, but then I would be giving the university money for removing a lock that I could remove just as easily (and perhaps just as ethically).

So, does taking one of these bikes make me a bike thief? Would you do it? I’m sure if a university police officer caught me with a bic pen in hand, trying to emulate the videos circulating earlier this year, I would probably be arrested. However, the university “surplus team” will be coming around with jacks this weekend to do essentially the same thing.

Am I a bastard? Would you do this?

 

[Silver]

I'd wait until the sixth day, and then head over with a pair of cable cutters. At that point, I'd consider it abandoned.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Ummm, yeah, it's stealing.

 

[Jayridesacove]

IMO, *yes and no.

Our university does the same thing, except they wait about a month.

Next week, there will be an auction from the surplus department and a few items on the list are abandoned bikes. I'm planning on going to bid on two bikes I will be using for parts for a commuter.

I'm also building a commuter for my friend in Delaware, who got his stolen from him.

So, does taking one of these bikes make me a bike thief? Would you do it?

Yes, you are a thief, some of my friends and I have taken parts off of abandoned bikes. Those have all been recycled and are being used again. Still make us thieves.

It's similar to scavenging open dumpsters for items students throw away when they move out. Especially since some of the bikes that have been abandoned are not even locked.

Like the old saying goes:
One person's trash is another's treasure.

 

[Ciaran]

I would take one that was tagged, and only right before the uni police did it.

It's a tough call. On the one hand I understand that most of them are abandoned, but I would not want to take a bike hours before some poor dude ran out to get his bike that he forgot about.

How long are the bikes tagged before the cops come by to remove them?

 

[sam_little]

^ one week

 

[LordOpie]

I'd wait until the sixth day, and then head over with a pair of cable cutters. At that point, I'd consider it abandoned.

exactly.

 

[Crashby]

Don't do it... why even consider it if you are questioning if its ethical or not?

Just make a decision to go through life always asking yourself... "is this the right thing to do?" If the answer is "no" or "probably not"... just walk away...

Better to go through life having a light spirit...

 

[sanjuro]

This is a tough one. A woman was ordering a sandwich in our cafeteria, and I was right behind on line. When asked if here or to go, she asked if she could have a plate but she was going to take it back to her office and return the plate tomorrow. The sandwich maker, a cool guy, was stammering an answer since he was not supposed to allow this, when I spoke up and said, "She wants it for here". Everyone laughed, and I said I would just take the plate without asking. Someone commented how well I handled this situation, and I said, "I'm a good liar".

My point being is that you are asking forgiveness from people with no stake in this matter. Are you a thief for taking items which are being claimed by your school? You answer that question.

I like debating some topics but when it comes to matters of ethics, I listen to myself and no one else.

 

[fuzzynutz]

College students are morons, go ahead and take those bikes.

 

[JRB]

If you take it without asking the owner, you are stealing. It's not that hard. What say, they went on vacation and then came back in 2 weeks? Not that the school cares, but why crap on your own conscience. What parts do you need? Maybe people will help. Don't be a thief. I think we all agreed before, thieves suck.

 

[Ciaran]

If you take it without asking the owner, you are stealing. It's not that hard. What say, they went on vacation and then came back in 2 weeks? Not that the school cares, but why crap on your own conscience. What parts do you need? Maybe people will help. Don't be a thief. I think we all agreed before, thieves suck.

If the bike is abandoned does it have an owner?

 

[JRB]

If the bike is abandoned does it have an owner?

Who deems it abandoned? Maybe it's some chick that will be back, but can't haul it. There is no reason to ever justify stealing.

 

[Silver]

Who deems it abandoned? Maybe it's some chick that will be back, but can't haul it. There is no reason to ever justify stealing.

You didn't see what happens on day 7, did you?

 

[Ciaran]

Who deems it abandoned? Maybe it's some chick that will be back, but can't haul it. There is no reason to ever justify stealing.

I don't know who deems it abandoned. Can't answer that question. Maybe if you know for certain that the person who owned the bike graduated last year and then moved back home you can say, "That bike is abandoned!". Tough call on that one.

But I do agree that stealing is wrong. Period.
What if it's a life and death situation, though? If stealing will save your life without harming somone else, is it then justified? Not that he'll die without a bike, I am just wondering what you think. Maybe it's still wrong AND justified.In my perfect world I would not ever steal, lie, or kill. Ever. But I have stolen, I have lied, and I have killed (not people). I know, I know... as hard as it is for you to believe, I am not perfect.

 

[LordOpie]

You didn't see what happens on day 7, did you?

hehe.

The bike is going to get stolen, either by the school or by Sam. At least it'll go to a good home with Sam.

 

[JRB]

I don't know who deems it abandoned. Can't answer that question. Maybe if you know for certain that the person who owned the bike graduated last year and then moved back home you can say, "That bike is abandoned!". Tough call on that one.

But I do agree that stealing is wrong. Period.
What if it's a life and death situation, though? If stealing will save your life without harming somone else, is it then justified? Not that he'll die without a bike, I am just wondering what you think. Maybe it's still wrong AND justified.In my perfect world I would not ever steal, lie, or kill. Ever. But I have stolen, I have lied, and I have killed (not people). I know, I know... as hard as it is for you to believe, I am not perfect.

I see your point, but he doesn't seem to have a justified reason to take the bike. It's just easier to not take what isn't yours. Then the point becomes moot. To save your life, maybe, that could be justifed. To take it before someone else does, just makes you the faster thief.

 

[JRB]

Wait - I just re-read the first post. It is soooo justified. Stealing parts for a commuter so they can be lazy and not haul the girlfriend's bike. That is such a good reason. Let someone at the university have a guilty conscience, Sam. Like I said, what parts are needed?

 

[Kornphlake]

Why not just wait for the university to sell the bikes off, then you can buy the bike for a fraction of the actual cost and have an actual bill of sale or reciept or whatever to keep your concience clean?

The university is enforcing an ordinance that is most likely posted in several locations around campus stating that you cannot leave a bicycle on a rack for more than x days or the lock will be cut. By abandoning your bicycle on university property you are essentially giving up your ownership to the university exclusively, not to anybody who happens to walk by and decides to take it. The university sells the bikes to recoup the salries of the people who had to cut the locks and remove the abandoned property. That all seems quite ethical to me, if somebody locked their bike up to my front porch and left it for 6 months without ever returning I'd cut the lock and sell it. I wouldn't walk up to my neighbor's house and cut the lock off a bike that had been sitting locked to their porch for 6 months though, at least not without asking.

 

[Skookum]

So ethically speaking you are stealing from the university. Just because you are more comfortable justifying the crime because you are stealing from an institution and not an individual, it doesn't change the fact that if you steal the bike, you are still commiting a crime, and are a thief.
Do what you want to do, but be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions.
Nothing is ever free, and you never ever "get away" with anything.

 

[beestiboy]

If they are abandoned they are property of the Univ. I would just go to the univ police and ask if you can take one. If they say yes cool if not ask if you could assist them in the recovery of the others in trade for your pick of one or two bikes.

I think it is stealing, but having said that while working on my senior project HPV(human powered vehicle) we needed a derailer really bad one night at like 3am. We found one of these "abandoned" bikes on campus that had both of the rims tacoed by some A-hole who would rather destroy property then steal it. We knew the bike had been there for about 5 months like that. so we swiped the rear derailer and when we graduated the bike was still there.

 

[Bicyclist]

What if you use it for a while, then lock it back in the rack for the university. You could call it "borrowing."

 

[Jekyll800]

Pee on the bikes, therefore marking your territory.

 

[PBV]

So ethically speaking you are stealing from the university. Just because you are more comfortable justifying the crime because you are stealing from an institution and not an individual, it doesn't change the fact that if you steal the bike, you are still commiting a crime, and are a thief.
Do what you want to do, but be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions.
Nothing is ever free, and you never ever "get away" with anything.

Exactly. The University has "dibs" on it, not you. Will it hurt the University as much as it would an individual? No way. But that does not mean it's not stealing. The University may not NEED those bikes, but maybe books will be a little cheaper for new students next year. It's stealing what the University will own IF the proper owner does not recover it.

 

[clancy98]

so you're stealing from the U., but they're stealing from the owners. ... can''t you just talk to someone on the crew that takes them on the 7th day and ask if they can give you the one you want when they cut it loose?

CLancy

 

[PBV]

um... do you buy books from the university? I always bought them from bookstores near campus. Campus was too expensive.

Okay, bad example... but you see my point.

 

[riderx]

maybe books will be a little cheaper for new students next year.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa

You don't really believe that, do you?

 

[firetoole]

I know exactly what you are talking about cus I grew up next to the university of Michigan (well known for winey rich kids) and my sister worked for their housing department you would not belive the stuff people would leave just because thy diddn't want to move it TV's bike's fill closets of cloths and much much more
I say you would be helping the university because they will probably not prfit from the sale due to the ginormous salery of the union guy walking around cutting locks

 

[johnbryanpeters]

so you're stealing from the U., but they're stealing from the owners. ... can''t you just talk to someone on the crew that takes them on the 7th day and ask if they can give you the one you want when they cut it loose?

CLancy

The university has a contract with the owners. They are stealing nothing, if you ignore issuing degrees such as English and art history...

 

[riderx]

The university has a contract with the owners.

Do they? Or did they just decide to clean things up and tag the bikes?

 

[Fathead]

I don't take other people's stuff unless they put it out for the garbage truck. I will take a decent bike and/or parts off a garbage pile, but the bikes on the rack belong to their owners until the uni rightfully claims them, at which point they belong to the university. At no point to do they belong to you.

More importantly: Let's say I'm enrolled in the Spring, but my mom gets sick and I have to hop a plane and go spend 2 weeks helping her at the hospital and transitioning back home. I don't have time to find a safe place for my bike, so I leave it locked up at school. My crappy tubes leak air and the bike looks a little neglected. After Mom recovers I head back to school to try to straighten out my Incompletes and maybe pick up a summer class. My bike isn't on the rack. Would you rather:

a) I find out the uni confiscated my bike and sold to someone smart enough to take advantage. I'm pissed but I get over it; or

b) The uni has no record of taking my bike, and I see you riding it around town. . . where is our relationship headed?

 

[LordOpie]

b) The uni has no record of taking my bike, and I see you riding it around town. . . where is our relationship headed?

good point.

Moral of the story: strip it, file down any serials numbers, paint it, build it back up.

 

[clancy98]

oh yeah now I remember filling out the "abandoned bike clause" in my school "contract" when I signed up. thanks for nothin douche

 

[JRB]

It's ok to commit serial murders and then butt rape your victims.

*just wanted to open up another avenue for monkeys to be criminals.

 

[LordOpie]

It's ok to commit serial murders and then butt rape your victims.

*just wanted to open up another avenue for monkeys to be criminals.

dude, is Julie out of town or something? You're really grumpy.

Stealing an abandoned bike is far closer to exceeding the speed limit on the highway than rape.

 

[JRB]

dude, is Julie out of town or something? You're really grumpy.

Stealing an abandoned bike is far closer to exceeding the speed limit on the highway than rape.

It's wrong. Clearly you can make the case that it is better than rape, and you would be right. I would say murder is worse than rape, but I have never been raped, so I have nothing to compare to.

*btw - it was sarcasm, Lucy.

 

[LordOpie]

It's wrong.

So you never ever speed on the highway?

 

[clancy98]

oh i dont imagine he's inferring that, he's just saying that other people (not including him) should not do anything wrong or illegal because stealing a bike is like raping someone..

 

[Ciaran]

Loco's Wranglers must be a little tight this morning.

 

[GumbaFish]

If you are dumb enough to leave your bike at school when you go home then who cares....point is its going to be gone when you get back. What is the difference if you take it or the school takes it, whoever the bike belonged to is out one bike they obviously didn't even care that much about. Schools get enough money they don't need to gank kids bikes and sell them. I am sure I will get some posts disagreeing with this but its just my 2 cents.