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On stealing bicycles... hold on before you judge like crazy

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Skookum

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
Comparing Rape to Theft is pretty silly, that's why you have varied degrees of punishment that gets dealt to people if you get pinched. But still breaking a law isn't anything that should be mispercieved by whatever justification you choose to dissillusion yourself with in order to commit the act.
i personally feel if you cross the line at least do everyone a favor and accept the fact that you are a thief. If you can't live with that fact, then you probably shouldn't be participating in the act.
 
R

Raaar

Monkey
Sep 13, 2004
121
0
Well, I'm the Facilites Services Manager at a state university and we run into this issue all the time. Basically, if a bike is suspected to be abandoned we tag the bike and give the owner a certain period of time to move it. I can tell you that I have yet to find a bike worth scavenging (and I ALWAYS put my eyes on any bike I get a report on). Every bike I have seen is a Wal-Mart special that has seen better days.
That being said, todays bike locks can be a real PIA to remove and often we resort to cutting the frames & wheels to remove the bike. In many cases the lock has to be burned off with a torch. It costs us more man hours that the bikes are worth.
If I were you I would contact the director of facilites of you school. Ask what their policy is and what they do with the unclaimed bikes. Personally, it would be much more cost effective for us to let some motivated student hack through those %^&&* kryptonite locks than to waste our carpenters time doing it. I'd give you a hacksaw and tell you to help yourself :)
 
OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,735
1,247
NORCAL is the hizzle
Raaar said:
If I were you I would contact the director of facilites of you school. Ask what their policy is and what they do with the unclaimed bikes. Personally, it would be much more cost effective for us to let some motivated student hack through those %^&&* kryptonite locks than to waste our carpenters time doing it. I'd give you a hacksaw and tell you to help yourself :)
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That's the right approach. I doubt they see abandoned bikes as a gold mine - more like an eyesore and pain the arse. Chances are good you'll have your pick AND a clear conscience. The U. might gladly give you a bike if you ask, but they might not be so understanding if they catch you stealing one. And anyway, if they end up in auction how much could one really cost?
 
sam_little

sam_little

Monkey
May 18, 2003
783
0
Portland, OR
loco said:
Wait - I just re-read the first post. It is soooo justified. :rolleyes: 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?
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Sorry, in late today. I need a wheelset, 1.125 stem and some handlebars, cranks (isis if possible, as I have an extra BB), tires, 8 speed rapid fire or twist shifter, etc.

I am not SOOOO lazy and horrible to not investigate buying these parts. I am considering purchasing some wheels from Stosh, and have some other parts lined up as well. I just thought that since the parts are being "stolen" either way, I could live with being slightly guilt-ridden.

As for not having to load up my GFs bike.... She isn't a cyclist, has a tiny honda civic 2 door, and has an old schwinn varsity with no quick releases. She doesn't own the proper wrenches to take the bike apart, so loading it up really is a problem. Not to mention, she usually comes up on a whim, so stopping at home, taking the bike apart, etc. becomes an issue.
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
36,818
18,393
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
ridetoofast said:
and what the uni is doing isnt???
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As noted above, the stuff you sign and don't bother to read when registering constitutes a contract which covers abandoned belongings. The contract, roughly translated, will say "Move it or lose it". They have to do that in order to be able to legally dispose of all the ungodly crap that students leave behind each year.
 
J

JRB

Guest
OK - rape is worse than stealing and so is murder. I just want to point out that you would all wig out if your ride was stolen. I used a bad example, but taking anything that doesn't belong to you makes you a thief. I have started a spread sheet of monkeys that can never be with my bike, or in my house alone. :think:

Oh and Sam, I will see what parts I have for you.
 
Silver

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
loco said:
I have started a spread sheet of monkeys that can never be with my bike, or in my house alone. :think:
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Jesus Christ, my wife doesn't get nearly that dramatic in the throes of horrible PMS.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to give that lady who goes through the recycle cans on our street on the nights when they are out at the curb a piece of my mind...the ****ing thief!
 
J

JRB

Guest
Silver said:
Jesus Christ, my wife doesn't get nearly that dramatic in the throes of horrible PMS.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to give that lady who goes through the recycle cans on our street on the nights when they are out at the curb a piece of my mind...the ****ing thief!
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It was a joke.

I think the lady sifting garbage is probably ok. Nevermind, go steal every god damned thing you can all get your thieving little hands on.

*Call me self-righteous again - I don't care. I don't have to lose sleep. And if you all don't lose sleep over stealing, you have bigger things to worry about. There - I have passed judgement.

*not directed entirely at Silver.
 
I

ito

Mr. Schwinn Effing Armstrong
Oct 3, 2003
1,709
0
Avoiding the nine to five
Take the damn bike. Wait until the last day to do it, but take it and don't feel guilty.

I was with the crew that helped sift through some of the stuff college students threw out on move out day...some stuff we found:
Futon frame and pad(slightly used)
Too many T.V.s to count
Computer monitors
Working computers
Printers
Microwaves
Jar of money(wtf?)
Backpacks(one of which is now mine)
Perfectly good clothing(despite the fact that we held a clothing drive)
Kitchen/cooking equipment

Most of this stuff was donated to the local soup kitchens and Red Cross stations or taken home by us students. Perfectly good stuff that dumb college students throw away.

The bikes are no different. Assuming they have not been ridden for several months and are going to be impounded anyway I would suffer no regret or guilt from taking one.

Take the bike, let it bring happiness to someone else and live out a good life in service.

The Ito
 
sanjuro

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
loco said:
It was a joke.

I think the lady sifting garbage is probably ok. Nevermind, go steal every god damned thing you can all get your thieving little hands on.

*Call me self-righteous again - I don't care. I don't have to lose sleep. And if you all don't lose sleep over stealing, you have bigger things to worry about. There - I have passed judgement.

*not directed entirely at Silver.
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What is your home address? And going on vacation anytime soon?
 
splat

splat

Nam I am
Apr 27, 2002
14,763
345
Well Maybe Windows is Bearable ! Unix Rules !
Well Way back in my Younger College days .....

Just Before graduation every year my school would do the same thing. well I needed a New Rear wheel and there was this Lotus, missing its front wheel ( because it wasn't locked and some one took it months earlier) . Well I went to the University PD , Told them I knew they were Going to impound them all, etc etc .

to make a long story short , I had to give them my DL while they Loaned me a set of ( dull) Bolt cutters and I Cut that Baby free! I Kept the wheel and took the rest of the bike to a dumpster , was actully a Nice bike at one time, whould have thought about keeping it except it was a 66cm frame!!!

Go through the channels ! It may be a little bit of a hassle , but in the long run it is easier and the better route.


also they told me when they cut them all off they would be sold for scrap metal.
 
Ciaran

Ciaran

Fear my banana
Apr 5, 2004
9,841
19
So Cal
Come everyone! We have map to Loco's house! We will crack safe and take all belongings! Muahahahahaha!
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,835
7,095
borcester rhymes
there was a san tropez outside my dorm for the entire time I lived there. Only the front wheel had been locked up, and it was twist off. I decided that I would liberate the frame if it were still there on the day I moved out (a year later). That day came, and the bike was still there, but slightly rusty. I removed that front wheel, and freed the frame. i took it home, removed the rusty busty old parts, and bought a garage sale bike for four dollars. replaced the parts, and gave that old frame new life. I don't feel bad about it at all, at least somebody is riding it now.

i don't know if this helps you at all...but what the heck...
 
clancy98

clancy98

Monkey
Dec 6, 2004
758
0
no, I wouldn't be pissed in if one of those bikes were mine, because my bike would never be so neglected.... ;)
 
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