Bizarrely rubbish attempted bike theft

Witnessed the most cack-handed attempt at covert bike theft yesterday... I somehow doubt it's the latest new thing in bike theft but I thought I'd relate it...

Yesterday afternoon my missus left her bike by the front of our house with the d-lock round the rear wheel and the frame. It had the kid seat on the back and her helmet hanging off the lock too. So she goes to lock it up properly around 9pm and realises it's gone. She's mystified... then notices the bike about 20m up the street. Walks up there to find that someone has moved it, passed a cable round the bike and a telegraph pole, and padlocked the ends of the cable together. So she gets out the hacksaw, cuts through the cable, brings it home and locks it up properly. Around 11pm I heard a noise outside and there's some young hoodie sniffing around who immediately buggers off on his bike.

So what the fuck? They must have moved the bike around 4pm which displays some chutzpah, and they were expecting that nobody would notice it half way up the street? They were intending to come back with a van in the middle of the night, even though there would have been a great chance that someone was watching it? Why lock it with a basic bike cable that took two minutes to saw through? I've heard of bikes being d-locked and nicked later but this was surreal. Answers on a postcard please.

nutters ?

I had a similar story, but with a boat. My parents (who live on a boat on the thames) come home and realise that someone has pinched their dinghy. They then notice it in a little lake about 2 minutes walk away a day or so later, locked up with a mini bike lock (which easily succumbed to hacksawing).

bike crime a minor crime innit? hardly worth being cautious when you know you'll get out of the police station in the same day if arrested wthout even a fine.

yep, had that with my old sea kayak. mindless idiots lol

probably something like a guy steals a bike then sells it in the town centre /nearby for £20, then the buyer happens to live in the same road. The buyer, happy with his £20 bike, doesnt want to buy a GOOD lock so gets the cheapest cable lock he can get.

Some thieves do what they do, because they're thick. Ok, they're street wise, but lacking common sense.
Last month some idiots smashed the front window in my car and nicked 2 cds (Wombats and Capleton?!). They left sat-nav behind, shiny folding bike and a car seat worth around £300. Ok, they smashed the wrong window and couldn't reach fcuk all inside and they didn't know about the deadlocking (you can't open the doors from the inside).

And you know what's really funny? Rear window was only 3/4 way done up.... :-S

ps. sometimes I think they were sent by Autoglass :-)

So did they cut through the D-lock or just carry it off and lock it up with it still on?
What happened to the child seat and helmet?

So did they cut through the D-lock or just carry it off and lock it up with it still on?
What happened to the child seat and helmet?

No, they must have wheeled the bike up the street on its front wheel - child seat, helmet and D-lock all still firmly in place. It would have been quite a sight.

@drdingy, um I think their chances of selling a bike with a d-lock around the rear wheel would have been slim.

i think autoglasss have a lot to answer for.........crack, what crack?

i think autoglasss have a lot to answer for.........crack, what crack?

Autoglass sell crack now? Times are hard.

@drdingy, um I think their chances of selling a bike with a d-lock around the rear wheel would have been slim.

hence why they're waiting for the van to bring the bike back to their place to cut off the lock in order to sell the bike.

Anyone see what was going on on Seven Dials today around 5pm? I heard loads of noise/shouting etc and turned to see 3 or 4 guys holding someone down on the ground. The guys holding him looked like cyclists as there were a few (nice looking) fixed bikes leaned against the wall nearby. Attempted bike theft?

Hipster police, undercover.

Polo guys? That's how they behave in public.

Cucumber theft. It's a big problem in that area.

Dont steal bikes bro innit

He was wearing yellow clown shoes with a black Dolan, fashion police.

Pics, or it didn't happen...

Pics, or it didn't happen...

Repped

Polo guys? That's how they behave in public.

Erm?

No polo, no talk! Oh, wait...

@ james1822, at a guess that sounds like the Cycle Task Force stinging someone selling a dodgy bike or parts. Excellent. It's been discussed on the forum and elsewhere lately that the Police are taking cycle theft a lot more seriously in the setting up of this team and are trying to actually address the problem. The problem is absolutely HUGE so they'll have their work cut out for them.

Generally speaking, people are retarded, many thieves in particular. They 'think' they're south or north London's next big crime lord, when in fact they live at home with their mum and regularly crack one out to a dog-eared poster of Rhianna.

Generally speaking, people are retarded, many thieves in particular. They 'think' they're south or north London's next big crime lord, when in fact they live at home with their mum and regularly crack one out to a dog-eared poster of Rhianna.

When did you realise you weren't a crime lord?