MyBikeGotStolen

Has anyone ever heard of someone getting busted with a milk crate on there bike? I was just noticing that mine clearly says on the side "USE BY OTHER THAN PUBLIX PROHIBITED BY LAW" in bright white letters on a black milk crate.
Of course it was given to me by the bike shop, something they had laying around in the back. At first I colored over the words with a black marker but its all faded off now and truthfully im too cheap to buy some spray paint for it. Here is a pic of what it looked like about 3 months ago (no camera here right now). The words are 10x brighter then that now!

madfiNch

My old job was an ice cream maker and so we would get 70+ crates in a week. One of them came in and it said, "THEFT OF THIS CRATE IS A SIN!"
And so the delivery driver took it for his bike. I mean, how could you not?!

But in answer to your question: no, I have never heard of someone being busted for it.

ax0n

No, I leave all my "real" (read: stolen) milk crates at home. The one I was using on my bike wasn't a real milk crate, but some milk-crate-wannabe thing from wal-mart. I don't think anyone would actually bust you for it tho.

TrackGuy

Despite the tremendous amount of "off label" use of milk crates, I have been busted for using milk crates. When I lived in Calgary, I retrieved a couple out of a dumpster. Cops stopped me as I was walking home with them, I explained they were in the trash and clearly not intended to be returned to the dairy. He told me I had to return them from whence they came and circled the block a couple times to make sure that I complied.

I must look like a hoolighan who's up to no good, I've also been carded by the POP Police on the Hudson-Bergon light rail.

MyBikeGotStolen

Another thing that kinda worries me is that I do my grocery shopping at Publix. And of course I lock my bike up right by the front door.

Once I came out the front door of the store and I saw 2 managers standing right beside my bike one was one the phone. It kinda freaked me out, turns out that they were reporting a crazy homeless guy sitting on the curb hollering.

JustBrowsing

Looks like a strip of duct tape will take care of things. If anyone asks (like anyone will) just say it's a reflector that's lost some reflectivity...

mtnbk3000

scratch the letter off

ilikebikes

I think that was me! (crazy homeless guy )

MyBikeGotStolen

Been to Gainesville, Fl lately?

Bushman

nope. At one point in my junior years as a messenger (late 80's) i had an entire apt furnsihed with the big lucerne milk crates, all zapstrapped together., i had a bed, dresser, table, 20' x 10' wall unit and storage shelves, all made from milk crates. When i left the girl that moved in was absolutely delighted in the furniture, she was an artist and loved the utiltity look.

Allen

You shop at Publix right? Seems to me it's in their benefit that you hang on to it. It does help you haul their goods to your house, on the machine that hauls your wallet to their cash registers.

MyBikeGotStolen

I have actually thought about that, that would be my responce if I am ever asked about it by one of their employees. Which I doubt will ever happen.

Maybe if I ever move, I will give it back and ask for one from my new area grocery store. haha

kchan99

I have seen brand new milk crates with the theft message (not Publix) on sale at Container Store.

Allen

Can you get them personalized?

MyBikeGotStolen

HAHA, i need a milk crate with "mybikegotstolen" on the side of it!

btw, allen milkcrates just arent your style. Maybe one of the "carbon fiber" milk crates that was talked about a few months ago.

Allen

Na, carbon is too weight weenie, I need German and water tight.

paulwwalters

I worked at a store all summer, and since I know where they keep all the crates out back it would be easy to steal one.

I need a rear rack first, so that I can actually use it.

notfred

Just because the words "Property of XXX" appear on an object, doesn't mean that's enforceable by law. For all the cops know, you own the factory that makes those milk crates, and you made a few extras for your own personal use. There's no way for the cops to know who actually owns a milk crate (or any other object).

If I walk past your bike locked outside on your lunch break and put a sticker on it that says "property of notfred", I can't tell the cops to arrest you and give me back my bike, either.

Also, I can engrave "property of the king of spain" in my own property, and it remains mine, the king of spain doesn't automatically own it because I wrote it on there.

Marylandnewbie

Slap some reflective tape over the words and you solve two problems at once. But I can't say I've ever heard of anyone being busted for a milk crate. Maybe if a cop sees you pick it up off the pile they'll make you put it back, but otherwise its not worth it.

Bushman

DROP THE MILK CRATE! HANDS ON YOUR HEAD! DOWN DOWN DOWN ON THE GROUND, ALL THE WAY DOWN!!! SPREAD YOUR HANDS AND FEET OUT!

"your under arrest for Domestic Terrorism. You do not have the right to seek a lawyer, you do not have the right to make a phone call. You will be held indefinitely in a FEMA internment camp. Do you understand?

uh, no? , its just a milk crate i found..

SILENCE!!! slams M16 rifle butt into cyclists head, a pool of blood slowly spreads underneath the unconcious cyclist.

TAKE HIM AWAY!

ilikebikes

Nah, not lately, but Ill be in Florida next month, but only for a day, Ill be at sea for the rest of the week (Hey, bums need a vacation too )

Doug5150

I remember a magazine article form years ago, about a private detective in NYC.

The area dairy trade organization paid this guy to do nothing all day long except ride around in his van, and confiscate stolen milk crates in use on the streets of NYC. He'd go right up to vendors on the street selling stuff, dump their junk out on the ground and walk off with the milk crates. He had a few places he'd drop off the load when his van was full. If any police got involved, he had ID and contact phone numbers to prove he was doing the job he was supposed to.

The article noted that at the time (about 15 or 20 years ago) the NYC area dairy trade group estimated they lost well over $100,000 of milk crates each year to theft, at a cost of $1 each.
~

Schwinnrider

I think I would just cover the markings with reflective tape.

kendall

A while ago I drove my mom to the store where along with other purchases, she bought a dozen two liters of pepsi, and 4 gallons of milk, she got the pepsi in those 6-pack tray carriers and the milk in a crate, she was charged a $2. deposit for each carrier, and $3 for the crate, I looked at her reciept, and ll deposites were on the slip, so if that's normal behavior then there is no way you can -legally- be charged with theft of them.

ken.

tismyself

You could cover it with a bumper sticker.