Bike Theft Etiquette

She's basically unwilling to accept that she might have left it open. She always checks apparently, even though my friend who discovered the theft at midday found it to be open. Not a great deal I can do, unless I want to make things really ugly.

Did she move your bike from inside the house to the garage in this instance?

No. That would be cut and dried.

Make things ugly....

or ride her to uni

your call.

Sit and listen to Celine Dion's All By Myself on constant repeat whilst sobbing and masturbating over an old Evans brochure until they move out.

Shouldn't take long.

Who pays the bills in the shared house?

The bike is gone. Forget about it. You won't get any money from anyone. Its just a bike anyway, buy a new one that's not as nice to ride or as pretty, and get some insurance as well, then lock your bike wherever you leave it, inside or out. Explain to your housemate that you loved the bike, but ultimately you hadn't taken enough responsibility yourself and could have looked after it better. Get drunk and fumble around with the housemate. Apologise, then move on.

.....Get drunk and fumble around with the housemate. ....

This. But don't apologise.

I must say this sounds most unfortunate. You guys reach an understanding? I would probably have kicked off and alienated everyone in the house on the basis that I put my stuff where I put it, for a reason.

Ask her to speak to the insurance company? Have you reported it? Surely the insurance company can't have already said, "There's no sign of a break-in so we're not paying out" without some reason to say so?

Call the police, and presumably they'll either say, "No sign of a break-in" (student pays) or "Here's where they broke in" (Insurance pays).

if your student "friend" turns up soon with a new laptop or something. he knows exactly where those bikes are.

a short sharp punch on the adams apple will bring down the largest and toughest of men.

i don't think you should be blaming your house-mate if you can't prove anything. you seem so convinced that she left open the door. can you prove anything? does picking a lock do any more damage to a lock than using a normal key?

^housemate.

Well, it turns out that despite assuring us that the door was always locked, she did not in fact know how to close the door. She had indeed been fastidiously locking it, but without both sides of the door properly engaged. Although the door has indeed always been locked, it has in essence often been wide open. We have subsequently taught her how to properly close the door before locking it, ensuring that both sides of the mechanism engage, but I still frequently find it locked but openable when I spot-check it at various points in the day.

Not that I keep anything of value in there any more. All my tools, frames and other gear is D-locked to radiators in the dining room until further notice.

Well, it turns out that despite assuring us that the door was always locked, she did not in fact know how to close the door. She had indeed been fastidiously locking it, but without both sides of the door properly engaged. Although the door has indeed always been locked, it has in essence often been wide open. We have subsequently taught her how to properly close the door before locking it, ensuring that both sides of the mechanism engage, but I still frequently find it locked but openable when I spot-check it at various points in the day.

Not that I keep anything of value in there any more. All my tools, frames and other gear is D-locked to radiators in the dining room until further notice.

The saddest story of them all. I'm sure she feels terrible if she thought she was doing the right thing but still caused your bike to be stolen.

Have you come to an agreement about her reimbusring you totally or partially paying for your loss?

Perhaps she just doesn't care but perhaps she genuinely thought she was doing it right and being careful to lock it properly. After all, the OP made it very clear that this should be done.

I expect the OP will have his suspicions either way.

Is there any sign of the bike yet?

fix the door before bikes get nicked?

perhaps she genuinely thought she was doing it right

I couldn't be that charitable if it were my bike that'd gone. A quick jiggle of the handle would've told her that she'd got it wrong.

Any sign of my bike/ news from insurers, SDK?

I couldn't be that charitable if it were my bike that'd gone. A quick jiggle of the handle would've told her that she'd got it wrong.

Any sign of my bike/ news from insurers, SDK?

i'm siding with the housemate on this one. if she genuinely thought she was locking the door properly and securely that is. why would she think that the OP was keeping items of significant value in a garage (doesn't sound like she was told explicitly).

If I left a shed unlocked and my mate got his £500+ lawnmower nicked, i'd be, you've got a £500 lawnmower?!, why didn't you lock it to a land anchor? why didn't you tell me you had a £500 lawnmower, i might of tried locking the annoying to lock door properly. if your lawnmower is so bloody expensive why don't you hide it under your bed at night?

^ Still a housemate.

^ Still a housemate.

what's wrong buddy? i put housemate this time!

I have decided to let the issue go more or less. The police have found nothing, and since I know the door was not locked, I am unwilling to pretend to the insurance company that I knew it was, even though it is me who loses out. I have made sure with the insurer what the conditions of the policy are, and there is no open door clause, so they would need evidence of forced entry. The housemate who reported the crime told the police that the door regularly gets left open so there is no chance of getting them to verify to insurers that there is forced entry anyhow.

I cannot very well ask for reimbursement unless my two housemates also have their bikes reimbursed too. This would come to £700-800. I know other people will have very different ideas on this, but it is my view that since she sincerely thought she was locking the door, this would be even more of a major blow on her part. I am aware that she does not have much financial support (she is, unlike me, still a student), and is by necessity extremely frugal in her own life, which may be why she (selfishly) has not offered to pay anything. It will be said that I shouldn't have to suffer for this, and her situation is irrelevant, but given as she has not offered, I do not want to force the issue. I am blessed to be in a comparatively good situation financially and can afford to absorb the loss without too much problem.

She is aware that is is fully her fault, however unintentional, and hopefully our extremely sacrificial decency in the face of our loss will serve as a lesson to her, probably more so than if we demanded £800 and she ended up hating us and ruining any semblance of good atmosphere we have in the house. Obviously if anything goes missing again in similar circumstances, she will be shouldering every last penny of the loss.

Wow, you are either decent stand up type of bloke or an utter sucker. I cant decide which.