Advocacy & Safety - How to prove my bike is my bike?

Tonight sucked.
At about 6:30, I went over to a friend's house in a somewhat "bad" part of town. Just as I got out of his house around 8:45, a police car pulls up to an adjacent stop sign I'm locked to (literally nothing else to lock). He sits there for a few seconds, then yells out to ask if it's one of our bikes. I told him it was mine. Story is, somebody had already called it in as abandoned and he was sent there to impound it, but saw the lock and figured someone would come back for it. Keep in mind that this was just over 2 hours after parking it there. He wished us a good night and drove off. My friend and I continued to talk for a few minutes, then I leave.

As I walked across the street to get my bike, another police officer pulls up. Here comes bad cop. We went through the same story. "Is that your bike?"
"Yeah" (Here's where the interaction was different)
"Well, that doesn't line up. This here bike was called in abandoned. I'm taking it to the station."
"I locked it here about 2 1/2 hours ago" I said as I twisted the key to undo my Kryptonite U-lock.
"You have any proof that it's your bike?" I thought that showing him that the lock and key matching would be enough, and walk to his window to show him. He doesn't buy it, saying I could have "planted" the lock on an unlocked bike hours ago. The bike lights in my backpack didn't prove anything either. I couldn't believe it. His next suggestion was to present a receipt. I thought he was playing dumb, considering the bike is 24 years old. I ended up calling the LBS mechanic and had him verify with the officer that I (Keith M) rides a grey Peugeot with orange and yellow stripes. After being told, the officer left me with a valuable piece of advice:
"Don't leave your bike sitting around anymore!" (even after I told him it was there for less than 3 hours)
No apologies or anything. I already submitted a report on him, but I bet nothing will happen. I'm still a little bit in shock that this happened. If my future self came back in time to tell me this sort of ludicrous story would ever happen, I'd laugh in his face. I guess I should stop assuming people have an ounce of intelligence :twitchy:.

Also, talk about irony; He was hoping to get me for stealing a bike, but he was there to take the bike and throw it in a room inside the police station.

You know what they say, the truth is stranger then fiction. I don't think that anyone with half an ounce of common sense could see something like this ever happening. I have to wonder why the first cop didn't radio it in that the bike had been investigated and the owner was found.

I would suggest writing your name on a 3x5 card (two actually) and putting one in the seat tube and another in the handlebars, as well as recording the serial number in your phone. So that if you find yourself in that situation again you can show the LEO the 3x5 card(s) as well as the fact that you have the s/n recorded.

My bike isn't nearly as old, but I would be hard pressed to produce a receipt if I had to. Do your local LEO's register bikes, nominally against theft/ease of recovery in the case of theft? If so you might consider registering your bike with the your LEO's so that again if you find yourself in this situation you can easily prove that it is yours.

The only thing I could think of would be to have your serial number, and maybe a short description of the bike typed up and printed out (maybe on some do it yourself business card stock like they sell at the business supply stores) in your wallet. Having it typed like that would preclude the possibility that you just wrote it down a few minutes before some one asked.

You shouldn't have to do this, but if this is the kind of crap you have to deal with, best to be prepared.

I find it hard to believe that the LEO was really that dumb.

He just wanted first dibs on it at the police auction, assuming it did not end up in his garage even before the police auction.

Post photos of your bike here on this wonderful forum and then use it as proof that you indeed are the proud owner of said bike!

Also find the dip that called in your bike as abandoned, and start calling in his car as abandoned each night.

Tonight sucked.
At about 6:30, I went over to a friend's house in a somewhat "bad" part of town. Just as I got out of his house around 8:45, a police car pulls up to an adjacent stop sign I'm locked to (literally nothing else to lock). He sits there for a few seconds, then yells out to ask if it's one of our bikes. I told him it was mine. Story is, somebody had already called it in as abandoned and he was sent there to impound it, but saw the lock and figured someone would come back for it. Keep in mind that this was just over 2 hours after parking it there. He wished us a good night and drove off. My friend and I continued to talk for a few minutes, then I leave.

As I walked across the street to get my bike, another police officer pulls up. Here comes bad cop. We went through the same story. "Is that your bike?"
"Yeah" (Here's where the interaction was different)
"Well, that doesn't line up. This here bike was called in abandoned. I'm taking it to the station."
"I locked it here about 2 1/2 hours ago" I said as I twisted the key to undo my Kryptonite U-lock.
"You have any proof that it's your bike?" I thought that showing him that the lock and key matching would be enough, and walk to his window to show him. He doesn't buy it, saying I could have "planted" the lock on an unlocked bike hours ago. The bike lights in my backpack didn't prove anything either. I couldn't believe it. His next suggestion was to present a receipt. I thought he was playing dumb, considering the bike is 24 years old. I ended up calling the LBS mechanic and had him verify with the officer that I (Keith M) rides a grey Peugeot with orange and yellow stripes. After being told, the officer left me with a valuable piece of advice:
"Don't leave your bike sitting around anymore!" (even after I told him it was there for less than 3 hours)
No apologies or anything. I already submitted a report on him, but I bet nothing will happen. I'm still a little bit in shock that this happened. If my future self came back in time to tell me this sort of ludicrous story would ever happen, I'd laugh in his face. I guess I should stop assuming people have an ounce of intelligence :twitchy:.

Also, talk about irony; He was hoping to get me for stealing a bike, but he was there to take the bike and throw it in a room inside the police station.

Get it registered with the local police department. I did that for my bike.

God, since if few areas bikes are registered, the police officer mentioned in the piece is being an arse.. Must we all ride with a sales receipt in our jersey pocket. ?

....Must we all ride with a sales receipt in our jersey pocket. ?
Impossible unless or until some head-up-their-butt jusidiction starts requiring paperwork for bicycles similar to auto registration. :notamused:
I commute on a 1985 Raleigh Wyoming I bought new in 1985. On occassion I tool around on a 1978 Schwinn Traveller that my brother bought new in 1978. Repeipt? Yeah, right!

Tonight sucked.
At about 6:30, I went over to a friend's house in a somewhat "bad" part of town. Just as I got out of his house around 8:45, a police car pulls up to an adjacent stop sign I'm locked to (literally nothing else to lock). He sits there for a few seconds, then yells out to ask if it's one of our bikes. I told him it was mine. Story is, somebody had already called it in as abandoned and he was sent there to impound it, but saw the lock and figured someone would come back for it. Keep in mind that this was just over 2 hours after parking it there. He wished us a good night and drove off. My friend and I continued to talk for a few minutes, then I leave.

As I walked across the street to get my bike, another police officer pulls up. Here comes bad cop. We went through the same story. "Is that your bike?"
"Yeah" (Here's where the interaction was different)
"Well, that doesn't line up. This here bike was called in abandoned. I'm taking it to the station."
"I locked it here about 2 1/2 hours ago" I said as I twisted the key to undo my Kryptonite U-lock.
"You have any proof that it's your bike?" I thought that showing him that the lock and key matching would be enough, and walk to his window to show him. He doesn't buy it, saying I could have "planted" the lock on an unlocked bike hours ago. The bike lights in my backpack didn't prove anything either. I couldn't believe it. His next suggestion was to present a receipt. I thought he was playing dumb, considering the bike is 24 years old. I ended up calling the LBS mechanic and had him verify with the officer that I (Keith M) rides a grey Peugeot with orange and yellow stripes. After being told, the officer left me with a valuable piece of advice:
"Don't leave your bike sitting around anymore!" (even after I told him it was there for less than 3 hours)
No apologies or anything. I already submitted a report on him, but I bet nothing will happen. I'm still a little bit in shock that this happened. If my future self came back in time to tell me this sort of ludicrous story would ever happen, I'd laugh in his face. I guess I should stop assuming people have an ounce of intelligence :twitchy:.

Also, talk about irony; He was hoping to get me for stealing a bike, but he was there to take the bike and throw it in a room inside the police station.

Get it registered with the local police department. I did that for my bike.

One possibility is to take digital photos of your bike ccomplete and of the serial number, print them out (regular paper not photo paper) and tuck a copy into the ends of the handlebars or seatpost.
Who else is going to know that the photos are there?

As others have mentioned, a 3x5 card with your name, address, and phone number stuck inside the handlebars or seat post is a good way to discretely mark your bike.

What I personally do is take a photograph of the bike and post that to my profile on BikeJournal.com, and list the serial number of the bike in the description.

I keep the serial numbers of my family's bikes in a file on my phone, as well as pictures of the bikes.

My city also has a voluntary, free bicycle registration program (for theft recovery), with which I have registered all of our bikes.

These are all great suggestions...but if he wasn't taking the lock/key as proof, and responded it could be planted, wouldn't he just say the same thing with the cards in the handle bars and seat tube? I know where I am the police registration of bikes is pretty much useless, it's not on a database and the information isn't shared with other city departments. The registration is in a manilla folder in one district.

On the one hand, I wish police were more agressive in targeting possibly stolen bikes, but what happened above is just plain silly. I also agree that he wanted the bike in his garage. In Philly we have people riding higher end bikes that are clearly the wrong size, obviously having no experience with them (the best is when they try riding clipless pedals with standard shoes) and who definitely don't look like the bike belongs to them. I want those people questioned.

God, since if few areas bikes are registered, the police officer mentioned in the piece is being an arse.. Must we all ride with a sales receipt in our jersey pocket. ?

Do you have the sales receipt for an old bike... 2 of my bikes are over 25 years old... no way I have a receipt. I'm not even sure I could find the receipt for my 2 year old bike.

Get it registered with the local police department. I did that for my bike.

Around here, you might as well take your registration and flush it down the toilet; it's useless.

Laminate two 3x5 cards, put them in both ends of your handlebar. Put your name, description of bike, date of purchase, serial number, seller's contact info (if available) + names of people who will back your claim up.

-Kurt

The cop shouldn't leave his car sitting around anymore either.

Ask the officer if he was wearing his own shoes.

I cannot believe the cops even bothered to roll down the street over a call about a bike. They were just harassing you. Do you look like a freak?

Stuff a laminated card with your name and address in the seat post.

The cop shouldn't leave his car sitting around anymore either.

"I should'a given you a citation! You ought to have enough sense to put your brakes on while your car is stopped!"
(Cop car splashes into a lake)

-Kurt

Also find the dip that called in your bike as abandoned, and start calling in his car as abandoned each night.

+1. Call in every car that's been sitting unattended for more than 2 hours as abandoned.

Also find the dip that called in your bike as abandoned, and start calling in his car as abandoned each night.

Unless that person called in as anonymous, his or her information should be available from the police, shouldn't it?


+1. Call in every car that's been sitting unattended for more than 2 hours as abandoned.

Why? It'll just annoy the whole department, in addition to the car owners who didn't call in.

-Kurt

If the cop took you bike, you can call the police to report a that some thug stole your bike!

I would ask the cops in your local area what their suggestion is. Short of welding or brazing something on the bike, all the suggestions are easier to fake than the lock and key and bike lights. If they say registration, ask them if the cop would be able to call it in or would it only be useful if the cops impounded the bike. I don't understand that a locked bike would be considered abandoned and someone would call it in so quickly, who would bother? Two cop cars coming by in such a short time, must have nothing better to do. It was likely a strange coincidence.

In what town did this happen?

This was a concern of mine when I was on my world tour...so I had the serial number of my bike written in my passport with a stamp OVER it.

roughstuff

As others have mentioned, a 3x5 card with your name, address, and phone number stuck inside the handlebars or seat post is a good way to discretely mark your bike.

What I personally do is take a photograph of the bike and post that to my profile on BikeJournal.com, and list the serial number of the bike in the description.

And would have been useless in the situation described, after all he could have planted them a few hours ago. Now why anyone would plant something on a bike to indicate it is theirs hours ago instead of just taking it when there was no one there is a question only the cop in this case can answer, to everyone else the entire idea is absurd.

And would have been useless in the situation described, after all he could have planted them a few hours ago. Now why anyone would plant something on a bike to indicate it is theirs hours ago instead of just taking it when there was no one there is a question only the cop in this case can answer, to everyone else the entire idea is absurd.

If he has drop bars and bar tape tucked into the bar ends, it won't be easy getting them out. Why should the cop believe that he spent an hour trying to get the card IN without anybody noticing? :p

For that matter - on the flip side - the "bad cop" could have just as well made off with the bike if he really didn't give a $hit about the OP.

-Kurt

Get it registered with the local police department. I did that for my bike.

Years ago, the county police did a drive, registering bikes to owners with a little badge sticker that had a # on it.

My bike was stolen, and I had info on the bike, the sticker number, etc. Turns out that the program had not caught on well enough for the police to actually keep the records of which sticker related to what owner. So, in spite of finding the bike, and reporting it, with the sticker #, they could do nothing. I just ended up stealing it back.

And would have been useless in the situation described, after all he could have planted them a few hours ago. Now why anyone would plant something on a bike to indicate it is theirs hours ago instead of just taking it when there was no one there is a question only the cop in this case can answer, to everyone else the entire idea is absurd.

Another option is to do what some of the racers do, and stencil your name on the top tube ;-)

In what town did this happen?
+1

Get it registered with the local police department. I did that for my bike.

And while you are there submit a DNA sample and your finger prints... just in case you have to prove that you were not stolen :p

Could have your full name painted on the top tube! Maybe a buxom blonde while you're at it also.

Post photos of your bike here on this wonderful forum and then use it as proof that you indeed are the proud owner of said bike!

I think you have an EXCELLENT idea here.

As others have mentioned, a 3x5 card with your name, address, and phone number stuck inside the handlebars or seat post is a good way to discretely mark your bike.


I'd suggest putting your driver's license number on the card and leaving the rest of this info off. A driver's license number can be entered into any police database across the country and bring up your name and contact info.

Post photos of your bike here on this wonderful forum and then use it as proof that you indeed are the proud owner of said bike!

Speaking of taking pictures of your bike and posting them here. If your cell phone has a camera (and most these days do) have a friend take pictures of you riding your bike, as well as standing near it. And keep them on your cell phone. Also turn on the date stamp function to prove that they weren't just taken. You might also want to consider upgrading to clippless pedals. Again, that way if you find yourself in that situation you can point to the clippless pedals and your bike shoes that mate with said pedals.

These are all great suggestions...but if he wasn't taking the lock/key as proof, and responded it could be planted, wouldn't he just say the same thing with the cards in the handle bars and seat tube? I know where I am the police registration of bikes is pretty much useless, it's not on a database and the information isn't shared with other city departments. The registration is in a manila folder in one district.

He could, but it would be obvious wouldn't if someone was "planting" 3x5 cards in the handlebars/seat post. Here in St. Pete when I registered my bike with the LEO's the gal made a phone call (not sure to whom) to verify that it hadn't been reported stolen. So, I have to presume that there is a database somewhere with the s/n's. My bike is also registered with the national bike registry.


On the one hand, I wish police were more aggressive in targeting possibly stolen bikes, but what happened above is just plain silly. I also agree that he wanted the bike in his garage. In Philly we have people riding higher end bikes that are clearly the wrong size, obviously having no experience with them (the best is when they try riding clipless pedals with standard shoes) and who definitely don't look like the bike belongs to them. I want those people questioned.

I think that we all want those people questioned. And hence my suggestion to the OP that he upgrade his pedals to the clippless verity.

I'd suggest putting your driver's license number on the card and leaving the rest of this info off. A driver's license number can be entered into any police database across the country and bring up your name and contact info.

And, uh what about those of us who do not drive, and therefore do not have a driver's license?

I haven't used it, but you might look into the ReuniteIT system from LoJack.

http://www.reuniteit.com/bicycle-security.aspx

OP,
I don't think you can prove anything to a cop who should clearly lose his job. The lock and key seems like plenty proof to me. What is it they say about possession and the law?

I suppose he could also run the serial number to make sure it hasn't been reported stolen. Beyond that, of course it's your bike! And it's just an "abandoned bike" report anyway!

And, uh what about those of us who do not drive, and therefore do not have a driver's license?

State ID card?

And, uh what about those of us who do not drive, and therefore do not have a driver's license?

http://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/id-cards.php

Replace your QR's with Pitlocks, or some similar product, and keep the key with you. Show Deputy Dawg that the key fits -- that should do it, unless he's a complete anus.

Do you look like a freak?

Compared to everyone else, no :).

Ask the officer if he was wearing his own shoes.
I wanted to ask him where his mom got the authentic-looking uniform fabric and which auto detail shop did such a nice job on his SUV's decals, but decided that would be the wrong thing to ask.


In what town did this happen?
Quincy, IL. The police love harassing anyone under 21.


but if he wasn't taking the lock/key as proof, and responded it could be planted, wouldn't he just say the same thing with the cards in the handle bars and seat tube?.
This was a point I meant to make in my OP. Just as suspicious as it would be to walk around, stick a u-lock on a bike, and then walk off, I could have pulled the bar plugs out and the seat tube and put my name in. So far I'm amounting this case to a police officer being an ass after a crappy day of work.

BTW I was wearing clipless shoes for my clipless pedals, but then again he could use some "tuxedo to a wedding" analogy.

He could, but it would be obvious wouldn't if someone was "planting" 3x5 cards in the handlebars/seat post. Here in St. Pete when I registered my bike with the LEO's the gal made a phone call (not sure to whom) to verify that it hadn't been reported stolen. So, I have to presume that there is a database somewhere with the s/n's. My bike is also registered with the national bike registry.



I think that we all want those people questioned. And hence my suggestion to the OP that he upgrade his pedals to the clippless verity.

I completely agree with you. I wasn't stating that a logical person would question that, I was suggesting a person behaving irrationally and looking to be difficult might question that.

Maybe I'm a little naive but I have always been under the impression that the burden of proof that the bike was not the OP's fell on the cop.

Replace your QR's with Pitlocks, or some similar product, and keep the key with you. Show Deputy Dawg that the key fits -- that should do it, unless he's a complete anus.

That's an idea, and/or do the same thing with the QR on your seat post.

Compared to everyone else, no :).

I wanted to ask him where his mom got the authentic-looking uniform fabric and which auto detail shop did such a nice job on his SUV's decals, but decided that would be the wrong thing to ask.


Quincy, IL. The police love harassing anyone under 21.


This was a point I meant to make in my OP. Just as suspicious as it would be to walk around, stick a u-lock on a bike, and then walk off, I could have pulled the bar plugs out and the seat tube and put my name in. So far I'm amounting this case to a police officer being an ass after a crappy day of work.

BTW I was wearing clipless shoes for my clipless pedals, but then again he could use some "tuxedo to a wedding" analogy.

He could, but how would he explain to anyone else why you "just happened" to be wearing the right shoes that matched the pedals on the bike that you were "stealing." If some cop tried that with me, I think he'd have a hard time. As I have the Crank Brother egg beaters on my bike. And somehow I don't think that there are too many people riding for transportation here in St. Pete with egg beaters on their bike. But I'm sure that they'd probably give it a try

Maybe I'm a little naive but I have always been under the impression that the burden of proof that the bike was not the OP's fell on the cop.
Yeah, either you're a little naive, or you simply live in a place where the cops show some professionalism.

If they want to convict you in court of stealing the bike, then the burden of proof rests on the prosecutors. If all they want to do is impound it, then it's a civil matter and they're not actually required to prove anything. (Technically, in civil forfeitures, both sides share equal burden of proof. In practice, you will often be expected to prove that you're innocent.)

It may be that they were trying to verify who you were too.

Quincy huh? Spent some time there a 12 years ago and again 3 years ago.

Post photos of your bike here on this wonderful forum and then use it as proof that you indeed are the proud owner of said bike!

That's what I was thinking too.

Although I'm pretty sure I have my serial #'s around somewhere, I might not be able to find them.

It is hard to retrieve cards stuck in tubes and very easy to show a detailed pic or two previously made and posted on a public forum.