This morning at work, I noticed this cyclist lock his bike outside of my work (hotel restaurant). I was curious, because usually only couriers lock their bikes there. I had seen the same bike locked there yesterday morning too. The cyclist then walked into the hotel towards the elevators. I presumed he was attending a meeting or something.
Anyways, a couple of hours later I saw a person hunched over the bike, whom I initially thought was the owner. After realizing it wasn't the same person, I noticed the bolt cutters in his hands.
I've always thought that I would go
postal on any bike thief.
Especially if I caught them in the act of stealing a bike.
I rushed outside and shouted, "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" The thief half-looked over his shoulder, stood up from his crouched position, and briskly walked off. I didn't chase him, and I kind of felt sorry for him.
To say that bike theft here in Vancouver is a problem, would be a huge understatement. The thief looked homeless and/or a junkie trying to finance his next fix. On some level I felt a little compassion for the person. This is merely a symptom of an underlying problem. A means to a neverending end, if you will. Granted I probably would have been less tolerant if it was my bike.
I guess what I'm saying is that my reaction, or non-reaction, kind of surprised me.