dentalbiker

What do you do when your bike got stolen from just right outside your apartment. Logically there would be nobody there besides your neigbors, is it unethical to knock on everybodys door and ask them if they've seen your bike..? My neighborhood is perceived to be one of the safer ones here in utah.

Leisesturm

Unethical is not the word you are looking for. Call your local precinct and make a report. Logic isn't your friend in this situation. Did your complex not have a designated bicycle storage area? Why would a fellow tenant steal your bicycle and say nothing to you only to crack later under pressure from your questioning? If one of them took your bike, it wasn't to keep it. It's gone. You will get nowhere with questioning them now. Make up some posters and display them in a common area if you must. I wouldn't. I don't think much of fellow cyclists that store their bikes outside their apartment. Safe area or not. Its rude. Someone may have done it to teach that lesson. Never let them see you cry.

RoadTire 

Wut?

Let me rephrase that: We have our cars and motorcycles outside, why not a bicycle? Suppose your roomie doesn't want a dirty bike tracking across the carpet after a rain? Why is it rude?

Granted the bike is so much safer in the apt, much better than a garage, and I cannot imagine leaving my bike outside an apartment. I wouldn't be able to sleep for worrying about it.

TransitBiker

Leaving a bike outside in a predictable place for several hours a day weeks in a row can attract unwanted attention. If you have a bike, get a wall rack or stand for it.

In this instance what you should have done is immediately call police and report the bike stolen vs ask us for advice.

- Andy

Andy_K 

I once had a car stolen from right outside my apartment. It wasn't one of my neighbors that stole it.

Do yourself a favor and decide not to suspect your neighbors. You'll be happier that way.

Hugh Morris

Does the quality of bike locked outside affect the level of offensiveness?

I'm just failing to see how someone keeping their bike outside their apartment is rude.

wphamilton

It depends on where. Under a stairwell can be a fire code violation, on the patio or landing can be a lease violation, in common areas such as breezeways and halls it's in people's way. I have two bikes outside but just outside my patio rolled up behind some bushes with a green tarp and I don't think anyone notices or objects.

No matter how safe your neighborhood is someone could have just walked up and taken it. Unless you have some additional reason to suspect a neighbor.

2manybikes

I would ask the neighbors if they saw anything suspicious. I would not ask as if you were suspecting them, even if you do.

Darth Lefty 

Apartment buildings are like buffets for bike thieves. You needed a better lock or to bring it in. Highly unlikely your neighbors had anything to do with it.

alan s 

I would question all your neighbors with an accusing tone. Ask if you can look around their apartment just to be sure. Then move out, because everyone will hate you, if they don't already.

baron von trail 

Unlocked bikes disappear. Locked ones often do too. If it is outside, odds are someone is already eyeing it. Neighbors are the obvious first choice, but it could be a visitor or someone's kid.

scroca

What's wrong with talking to each neighbor, telling them that your bike was stolen and asking if they noticed anything suspicious? Maybe someone saw something that could help.

lostarchitect 

Ask around, don't blame anyone. Maybe someone saw something.

There are lots of people around besides neighbors: friends and relatives of neighbors, food delivery guys, postal workers, repair people, etc, etc.

fietsbob

Legal Have reasonable suspicion? get a warrant from a judge, have PD do the search.

2manybikes

Perfect!

RoadTire 

Ok, rude is when the bike is in the way, or an eyesore, or just looking stored. Then there are various city code and apartment rule violations. Got that.


And this is the best way to work with neighbors, below, while engaging the police to actually deal with the theft.


This is dentalbiker's 1st thread, and 2 posts. It was an honest question. Let's play nice.

Welcome to Bikeforums! Enjoy the ride!

dentalbiker

It was locked up, at a bike rack, underneath a stair well. Mostly a hidden looking area, but I agree, indoor storage is best. I had to learn my lesson the hard way.

Antonio_V

Sorry your bike is gone, i had my bike flogged outside my apartment too, left it locked up on the porch, woke up the next day, gone. I was on the street the next morning absolutely off my head, woke everyone one up, but theres nothing really you can do. It sucked because it was an brand new Iron Horse MTB (they don't make anymore) which i rode to work everyday. I suspected it was the neighbours in a block of apartments across the road who had clear vision of it. To my surprise my house/contents insurance company covered it and payed me out the cost for a new bike. If you have contents insurance have a read of your policy, or give the agency a call, they might cover your loss.

mstateglfr 

I can only imagine that you don't think much of most people in life, based on this view.

Remian8985

A man in my building knocked on every single door (26x22 + 10 = 582 apartments) and asked if anyone has seen his missing cat. No, I wasn't offended. Yes, I'd do the same if something or someone valuable to me went missing like that.

To address the original question, there is nothing wrong with talking to your neighbours if you don't accuse them.

Leebo

What kind of lock did you use?

Leisesturm

Could you work that out for me long division style so I can see where the FAIL starts? How on earth do you arrive at such a conclusion based on what I said??

Leisesturm

You really don't see the difference between a bike that can only move if someone moves it, and a cat that moves whether someone wants it to move or not? Have you seen my cat? We were wondering who she belonged to, she didn't have a collar on or anything, is this her? Have you seen my bike? You mean the one that was parked outside of 3B in violation of Tenant Bylaws? Nope, haven't seen it? The o.p. as much as said that the area is low crime. How is it possible to approach a neighbor in what is presumed to be a closed facility and ask them if they have any information about a stolen bike without "accusing" them by inference? It is not. If they actually have information then they were obligated to slip a not under the o.p.'s door, or make contact in some other way. That they did not means they have no such knowledge, or they do not wish to share it. If the latter, direct questioning will still NOT have a positive result. At best it is wasted time/energy. At worst... ...

H

MRT2

Ask around, but don't accuse. BTW, was the bike locked? Was it visible from the outside?

DiabloScott

Yup - my bike was stolen from my back yard... I suspect friends of neighbors who were at a party next door and could see it, or friend of utility guy who had to move it to replace my gas meter.

Much as I'd like to know who the thief was (and I'd enjoy torturing him/her), it doesn't really make any difference and chances of getting it back even if I knew are essentially zero anyway. Unless the cops come across it somehow and run the serial number. I don't think there's much point in asking if anyone saw anything... might be useful to broadcast the fact that the theft happened so neighbors can choose to keep their own stuff safer.