General Cycling Discussion - MAJOR WARNING!! Overlooked Bike Stealing Technique NEEDS ADDRESSING!

At my bicycle co-op, we were discussing the best ways to steal a bike to determine the best ways to combat the methods. We even went so far as suggesting special chemical coats on U-locks to incapacitate a would-be thief with a battery powered angle grinder. But when I was told about this one particular scheme, I freaked out a bit:

What thieves are doing at college campuses, parking structures, offices, and other places with bike racks and security guards/bike police is using the men/women who are presumably keeping your bikes safe to walk away with your bike, without lifting a finger to cut your lock!

A thief arrives at the chosen bike, brings his OWN lock, locks it on YOUR bike, then goes to the security/campus police asking for assistance in the removal of your lock, saying that some "vandal" thought it'd be funny to lock their lock on their bike. With your lock removed by the guard/cops, the thief rides away with your $1000+ investment.

Sure, the upside is that the guard or cops get a good look at the thief, but if they never show up to that campus again, what good does it do? Also, if they're caught in the act (you get out of class/work early and check on your bike), they get a slap on the wrist because he gets off saying it was a prank!

My advice would be to let your security/campus police know about this new method and suggest some sort of on-campus bike registration.

Protip: Don't lock up any bike you value on the bike rack.

Protip: Don't lock up any bike you value on the bike rack.

Personally, before the quarter starts, I ask all my professors if they mind me bringing my roadie in with me. Usually they don't, and if they do, my quick release wheels do a bit of convincing. I still see a lot of bikes at school locked with cables that are at least 3 times the price of mine.

This is a situation where a ring lock, that mounts on the seat stays and loops through the rear wheel, would be ideal. They are fixed solidly to the bike so there is no question of a 'prank'. It won't stop someone cutting off a cable or U-lock to release it from a rack, but you can't ride off on it and security would be less likely to cut the locks.

Does the OP have any evidence thsi is really happening?

Stop to thnik about it. Does anyone think campus security walks arround with bolt cutters? Or even has bolt cutters in each car?

Anyone?

Or would they have to contact some from the plant department who would have to locate bolt cutters and meet them at the bike.

One has to imagine security being well equipped to be stupid.

And if you were a thief of any kind would you want contact with the police in the process of stealing something? Let alone risk the chance (very likely) that campus security will want a student ID before doing anything.

Especially since there are many bikes on any campus that are easy pickings. A $50 lock is pretty worthless if all it locks to is a chain link fence.

You need to ride your bike instead of using hypothetics!

You need to ride your bike instead of using hypnotics!

There. Fixed it for you.

...the thief rides away with your $1000+ investment...

Unless there was some reasonable expectation of capital gain, it wasn't an investment, simply an expense. The bike theif makes off with your bike. Bernie Madoff made off with your investment.

Unless there was some reasonable expectation of capital gain, it wasn't an investment, simply an expense. The bike theif makes off with your bike. Bernie Madoff made off with your investment.

That's too narrow. Money spent to lower or eliminate other expenditures can be considered an investment.

While I've heard of that method many years ago, I've never heard of anyone who lost their bike that way. It's certainly a difficult, time consuming and high risk method. One that I imagine would be difficult to make pay off as an on-going enterprise.

And what kind of a fool parks a $1,000.00 bike on campus? That's what beater bikes are for.

That's too narrow. Money spent to lower or eliminate other expenditures can be considered an investment.

No one spends money on bikes to "lower or eliminate other expenditures".

They spend money on their bikes and then discover that they're broke. :)

Its all a matter of risk and statistics. I secure my bikes the same as I secure my car and my home - to prevent them being easy targets for a casual thief/a crime of opportunity. A good lock (or two) and careful evaluation of the area takes care of +95% of the risk. If a professional thief or crime ring wants to get your ride (bicycle or car) or get into your home, they're going to know all the tricks-of-the-trade and get it no matter how sophisticated your security measures are.

Sounds like a troll type question I don't believe a cop will remove a bike for you without you presenting ID, if I were a cop I would send you to building maintenance or a lock smith. If I were building maintenance I would tell you I am too busy and you should call a lock smith.

Just ride an un trendy old bike to College.
and many campuses have a required bike reg scheme now,
you reg the bike and they have a quick data base to see who is who.

Well what would be even better is this. You scout out the bikes, choose the best one. Use your lock to lock it. This is assuming the bike already had a lock on it, now there are 2 locks on the bike. Ask the the security/mall police or whatever to help you, because some prankster locked their own lock to it. Then when the security guy comes up to the bike, use your key to unlock YOUR lock in front of their very eyes. This will help them believe that in fact it was your bike, and tell them the remaining lock is the one of the prankster. This way you can re use your lock again and again! Im not saying that anyone should do this! Just stating another way this could be done and something else to think about, to onlookers this would look totally legit, but its not without its risks.

If the security guard makes the thief unlock the lock that they are claiming to be theirs (the valid lock) before cutting off the offending lock, then there's no problem as they won't be able to prove it's their lock by opening it.

It's highly unlikely that security or police won't request a driver's license prior to cutting a lock.

Well what would be even better is this. You scout out the bikes, choose the best one. Use your lock to lock it. This is assuming the bike already had a lock on it, now there are 2 locks on the bike. Ask the the security/mall police or whatever to help you, because some prankster locked their own lock to it. Then when the security guy comes up to the bike, use your key to unlock YOUR lock in front of their very eyes. This will help them believe that in fact it was your bike, and tell them the remaining lock is the one of the prankster. This way you can re use your lock again and again! Im not saying that anyone should do this! Just stating another way this could be done and something else to think about, to onlookers this would look totally legit, but its not without its risks.

Did you read the OP? That's pretty much what it says.

Well what would be even better is this. You scout out the bikes, choose the best one. Use your lock to lock it. This is assuming the bike already had a lock on it, now there are 2 locks on the bike. Ask the the security/mall police or whatever to help you, because some prankster locked their own lock to it. Then when the security guy comes up to the bike, use your key to unlock YOUR lock in front of their very eyes. This will help them believe that in fact it was your bike, and tell them the remaining lock is the one of the prankster. This way you can re use your lock again and again! Im not saying that anyone should do this! Just stating another way this could be done and something else to think about, to onlookers this would look totally legit, but its not without its risks.


If the security guard makes the thief unlock the lock that they are claiming to be theirs (the valid lock) before cutting off the offending lock, then there's no problem as they won't be able to prove it's their lock by opening it.

Whoa, that's like reading two posts in a row from an alternate universe.

Did you read the OP? That's pretty much what it says.
Well it helps the authority think its yours by seeing you unlock something. The funny thing is I have cut locks off of bikes before (legitimately) and it was amazing to me how no one gave me a funny look or questioned me right in front of an Applebees.

I have had something similar happen to me... almost. Back in college, I rode to town and locked up my bike using a cable & padlock. When I returned, there was another padlock on my cable, but it wasn't locked. I don't know if it was a failed attempt of this scenario, if someone was just sending me a warning, or if it was a friend just messing with me. But either way, it caused me to change my lock strategy to use a cable lock. Yes, someone could still hook up another cable lock, but I think it would less likely for someone to be carrying around a cable lock vs just a padlock.

I hope the thief knows what I have in MY seatpost/handlebars......They'll never guess in a million years.Go ahead,lock away...Please come and put your lock on my bike and hang around....PLEASE! You better hope the cops arrest you.....

keep your eyes on your bike at all times. Don't ride around a 4k dollar bike in school.... and if you do, make sure you know where it is at all times.