Advocacy & Safety - I'm mad

I had one of my bikes (my Schwinn Collegiate) locked up at a friend's university apartment, and someone frome the housing office came by and cut the locks off both mine and my friend's bikes, apparently because he thought they were abandoned ("assumption is the mother of all f***ups"-quote from the movie Under Siege 2). According to my friend, not 20 minutes later, my nice old 3 speed was gone. I talked to the guy who apparently cut the locks, and he told me that people are not allowed to lock bikes at campus facillities if they aren't students. My friend does'nt recall any such rule in the student housing contract. The thing that gets me steamed is the fact that the dude cut the locks first, and then knocked on my friend's door to ask who owned the bikes. Right now I'm waiting to talk to the director of housing to see about being compensated for the loss of my bike and both of our locks.

The person at the school should answer this one for you then: so, when visiting my friend who DOES live there, how and where am I supposed to park my bike?

And, that is an interesting way to get rid of an abandoned bike, cut the lock and wait for someone to steal it (if I am reading that right). What an ass.

My flaming gods, sometimes I just can't believe the things people do! What a piece of work! I hope he ends up paying for the bike and locks out of his own pocket...

wouldnt that be the same thing as saying, only students are able to lock their cars on campus therefore we will slim jim your car open. For many of us our bikes are our cars.
I would file a police report and talk with the school

I'd accuse the school of stealing my bike and take them to court to replace it.

I'd accuse the school of stealing my bike and take them to court to replace it.

+1 Since you have an admission of guilt and a witness.
Small claims court is cheap and easy.

Well, the guy got chewed out by the university, and finally admitted that HE TOOK THE BIKE HIMSELF and gave it to a thrift store!(where it was purchased by an unsuspecting customer) He is being forced by the school to pay me for both the bike and the locks.

Holy macaroni! He GAVE it to a thrift store?? I don't believe it.

Anyway, I am glad it's working out ok for you financially. I wish that thief were given a stiffer penalty. I mean, it's a crime! Monetary compensation alone doesn't seem like harsh enough punishment, really...

How much $$ did you loose in the interim due to alternative transport (renting bike or car, paying for bus, etc)

As an FYI, Toronto is considering a system whereby bikes will be registered with the police. ANY thrift store, pawnshop, etc which deals in used bikes and which takes in a bike would, under the new system, be forced to run the bike's serial number with the police to see if it is "hot". Checks would be done (audits) to see if the merchants are being honest. The idea is to reduce the market for the 7000plus bikes stolen each year in that city.