So, you catch a 'thief'...

phoning 999 if it's not an emergency is

1. pointless as it would only be treated as a non emergency call anyway
   
2. abusing the system as a 'real' emergency may be waiting to get through
   
3. pointless again as all calls 999 or not are recorded
   
   

And you know all that for a fact?

Suppose I yanked someone's bag and ran off clutching a few hundred quid in folding beer tokens? Would that be a non-emergency crime?

Methinks I need a change of career...

going back to the race hate thing, im pakistani and i personally find this thread offensive, as we all know it is mainly indians that steal bicycles not irish.

And you know all that for a fact?

Suppose I yanked someone's bag and ran off clutching a few hundred quid in folding beer tokens? Would that be a non-emergency crime?

Methinks I need a change of career...

yes i know that for a fact, and your second contrived point would be classed as an emergency if it just happened not if it happened 2 hours ago.

let's leave it there shall we

And you know all that for a fact?

Suppose I yanked someone's bag and ran off clutching a few hundred quid in folding beer tokens? Would that be a non-emergency crime?

Methinks I need a change of career...

give it up VD, he actually does know this for a fact.

damn too slow!

i don't trust the irish. they ruined america.

Ah here none of that;)

going back to the race hate thing, im pakistani and i personally find this thread offensive, as we all know it is mainly indians that steal bicycles not irish.

Lol

yes i know that for a fact, and your second contrived point would be classed as an emergency if it just happened not if it happened 2 hours ago.

let's leave it there shall we

How about let's fucking not shall we...

The five-oh don't chase anyone ON a bike, because they have direction that it's dangerous to the scrote who's riding off on your bike, so they don't give chase. If they injure the thief, they can get sued, I think is the reason. Doesn't seem like a good one to me, but I don't get to make the rules of engagement.

On the other hand, someone stealING a bike isn't ON it yet. And they're stationary, so they're easy to find. OK, they may not have a car just sitting waiting to round 'em up etc. etc. but the police aren't always out shouting "you slaaag" and banging up wrong'uns who look a bit Irish. They may have a car nearby at a loose end.

The same is true of muggings to bike theft, once it's gone, it's gone. WHat can they do? "What did he look like?" "Well he looked a bit like one of those fairground types..." "And can you identify this money in your wallet? Did it have any distinguishing marks?" It's the same difference AFTER the fact.

There's a world of difference between "someone is stealing a bike" and "someone stole my bike". They take an in-progress theft more seriously. It's just once they're gone, the feds can't doo too much.

When i was in melbourne my friends bike got stolen from outside his work whilst he was doing a shift, it was later spotted locked upto a post in town, so the guy phoned the guy who it belonged to, to check if it was his, got cutters, cut the lock and left a note through the lock saying "come back to my work and i'll punch your fucking face in, prick"

I bet he did turn up as well. Heigh-ho - Victoria...

sigh

Something's been playing on my mind since last week

I was cutting through from the one way bit, top of Tott. Court Rd from Euston Rd, past the Hospital. Clocked a fella going like the clappers with a hacksaw on the lock of a bike on the bike rack.
I slowed down a bit, tried getting a good look and carried on past. Then I stopped and went back...
I asked him if it was his bike to which he replied calmly, 'Yeah, lost my key somewhere'. I replied 'OK mate, just checking, loads of bike thieves around at the mo, good luck with it'
Thing is, he had his coat, bag and helmet next to him on the floor(decoy, red herring?) but the thing that got the alarm bells ringing was he had a big chunky set of plyers and obviously the hacksaw. Don't know about you, but who the hell cycles around with big old plyers and a fuck off hacksaw? He also looked a tad grubby and was Irish(gypsy/traveller type)
See, what the hell do you do in that situation.....?

hmmm... what if you point and scream "thief" and yell for someone to call the police and whip out your phone/ take your d-lock in hand... this is bound to evoke a reaction that will reveal whether their a thief or not! saw a guy try to unscrew a stem off a bike on my way home the other day. came up behind him, he turns around and i say as casually as possible "what are you doing to my bike mate"... he pissed it(ran with great haste)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/8366676.stm

Not sure if a bike is worth this. ^ Hope not to find out first hand.

This thread is a classic.

he did say he lost his key somewhere....
maybe it happened the day before......
so he brought his helmet into work with his hacksaw and pliers so he could ride home again after freeing his bike up?

just because he looks like an Irish gypsy doesn't make him a thief ;)

if he is a thief, he's a helmet-wearing thief, which for some reason is hilarious to me.

'keys, wallet, boltcutters, hacksaw, knife, lights, hi-viz.......helmet!'

Valid point but that's the grey area. He may well have been genuine and gone back to work to fetch a set of plyers and hacksaw but I find it hard to believe that these sort of items are 'just kept at work'(unless a builder/chippy/sparky etc).
Also, as mentioned, I don't know cyclists that carry a 9/10inch set of plyers and 10/12inch hacksaw in their bag

@rhb- your avatar made me laugh :)

cheers, emo cat got my chainring ;)

Can I just point out that this is the most true thing said on this thread?

:p

i'm as grubby as fuck, but i'm cornish.

So am I

Don't say "is this your bike"

Say "OI dickhead that's my fucking bike" regardless if it isn't

-if not his he'll think he's been caught red handed.

-If it is his bike it'll be obvious, and you can just apologise and say you hate theives and were just checking.

Smaller grey area in that case, no? It's take a canny toerag to think you're bluffing, and so what you tried your best, leave it if you're unsure.

All sounds familiar. Gut instinct, you are probably right.
I stopped to help someone who accused a gentleman of trying to nick his scooter. The accused was wearing a full face helmet, Belstaff jacket, M/c boots and a courier bag . All looked authentic but he was walking very fast with his helmet on a very warm day. It did not add up. So I tried to talk to him to explain the situation, it went tits up with him wielding a large heavy pointy metal object at me and the accuser who now has blood pissing out of his head. I push him into the middle of the road and stand on his throat and tell the fucker to keep still. Old bill arrives. Blah, blah. 18 months later, Crown court, he finally pleads guilty. 100 plus previous, goes home. WTF.
Sorry for the ramble.

Justice = a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé (born 21 May 1979 in Besançon) and Xavier de Rosnay

This may cheer you up a little...

Craigslist ad leads police to bike thief
http://www.mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=2170