JeffB502

NO!

sim0n

I live in a big university town with loads of bikes on the racks in front of faculties and dorms.... if anything is unlocked its considered in 'collective use'
ride it and leave it unlocked somewhere else and keep the circle going
of course, most of the bikes in such use are rusted up 30 year old things

chipcom 

Go to Japan sometime, then go to the train station and behold the hundreds, maybe thousands of bikes parked in the racks UNLOCKED! Why don't we see that kind of respect for the property of others here? Because of 'good citizens" like you who not only don't have any respect for others and their property, but also don't know right from wrong and need to use an internet forum as their moral compass.

Taking someone else's property, locked or unlocked, is wrong, period. The fact that you don't understand that simple fact speaks volumes about your character...none of it flattering. The fact that so many in this country think like you also speaks volumes about us in general...again none of it flattering.

lil brown bat

What's to think about? As I already said, what's to intellectualize in this situation? It's simple, cut and dried. Just because you don't like the simple, cut and dried answer is no reason to pretend that it's some kind of complex moral issue.

Dumb? Maybe, maybe not. Some people reason that most people aren't thieves, and those that are thieves will go after bikes with some resale value (which, by your admission, this bike doesn't have much of). Of course, that thinking doesn't take into account those who rationalize that leaving a bicycle unlocked is tantamount to putting a sign on it saying, "FREE BIKE, PLEASE TAKE IT!" despite the fact that that rationale doesn't apply with any other form of property.

Deft use of the "I blame society" strawman...actually, strike that, it was a pretty feeble use. It's not society's fault if something is stolen, and no one (except for you) suggested it might be. It's also not the owner's fault. It is the fault of the person who does the stealing.

You got plenty of helpful tips, and from more than a few, so don't try to pretend otherwise. You also got a dose of opinion on the rationalizations that you expressed. The consensus opinion seems to be that your rationalizations don't hold water. It's too bad you don't like it, but you did put it out there, so you really have no cause to complain.

You can try to (mis)characterize it as "high and mighty" or "flaming hate" if you want...but tell me this: how can you keep trying to rationalize that someone who leaves an unlocked bike on a rack is "asking for it to be taken", and yet refuse to accept that when you put an opinion out in a public forum, people are entitled to respond? It seems like you're very big on other people accepting consequences for failing to lock their bikes, but not so big on you accepting the consequences of your post.

chipcom 

Sooo, rather than doing the right thing because...well it's the right thing, you are more worried about how people might think of you, and willing to screw the rightful owner of the bike by just throwing it away, rather than attempting to return it, just so you can spite a bunch of people in an internet forum. You're a real piece of work, pal.

One thing you might consider...since you willfully accepted stolen property...if you destroy it you have destroyed evidence, if you dispose of it or give it to someone else, you have trafficked stolen property... to put it in simple terms, you are committing a crime. Give the bike to the cops and tell them where it was found - that is your only honest option.

Rosie8

Hmm, I've found plenty of dogs running loose, called their owners, then returned them gratis. I don't like to see dogs hit by cars. Most of the dogs have wandered into my yard to get a drink since my dogs' bowl is out. It's a pain to take care of others' dog(s) then get a hold of the owners for the reunion. So suck it up, return the bike. Someday you might benefit somehow for doing the right thing.

.dav

bah i was worried about what people said about me after they kept accusing of me being a thief for holding the bike...i really dont give a **** anymore. my original intentions were not keep the bike but to throw it away but i felt obligated. are you guys not even reading what i say? no because you try to find anything to flame. this morning i found another crap bike on the sidewalk...flat tire...chain off...rear brake handle broken frame.. rusted and no lock what so ever i posted a cl ad for it but if i dont hear anything from anyone..im striping it for whatever is useable...the difference is that this was clearly left abandoned...and again i dont go and steal bikes and CUT LOCKS but i have NO sympathy for those who lose bikes for not locking it japan or not. obviously not locking your bike is assumimg you dont value your bike. stealing bikes is one thing i dont do and i make sure it is obviously left abandoned before i take anything i can use. simply put if the bike looks like its abandoned and not locked it will be better to be put to use. there isnt a sign take me please but here in the great USA not locking a bike is considered gone too bad we arent japenese. dont give me this locking the house or car bs because its bikes were talking about. im not a thief cause i didnt steal the crap raliegh i recieved it ( so f you all who think im a criminal) and also posted cl ads. call me a thief when i post about cutting a lock to get ahold of nice trek or something. you guys obvious cant step out of your small self righteous shoes to understand anything

.dav

bah, all i read is self-righteous babble. for those who understand my situation clearly, thanks for not being completely ignorant. i think most of the people replying are clearly not reading what i have to say so ill make it clear
-understand that i do not want the bike.
-understand that i do not intend to keep it for myself
-understand that i do care about getting it back the owner
-understand cl will be futile with such an old bike
-understand that i did not steal the bike, it was given to me
-understand i do not steal bikes
-understand i am not in ANYWAY guilty for stealing
-understand that i asked if it is ok, because nowadays unlocked bikes are as good as gone. and not trying to get confirmation from others that it is ok to go and look for unlocked bikes. just like i had said in my first post "i see unlocked bikes on racks all the time thinking if i dont take it someone else will" to me when i see an unlocked bike i assume it will probably get stolen soon. personally, i have completely no sympathy for those who lose their bikes because they didnt lock their bike. im not stupid enough to leave my bike or other kinds of valuables unlocked and plus it only takes a few seconds to do so. but im not gonna go around and find things unlocked to take for myself either. really now, if i intended to keep this for myself i wouldnt post a thread about this. so stop with the condescending righteous bs. im glad some are so fing righteous, assuming everyone is too, why dont you go leave your bike unlocked from now on. i really attempted to start an intellectual discussion but some dont really grasp it. we lock are bikes to keep them from being stolen but is an unlocked bike asking to be taken? sorry but there are people who are not worried about being righteous and taking something that isnt theirs to feed them for a night. we dont live in a prefect world or else we would not lock our bikes. as for the old rusty bike...i hold on to the bike for a few days and if the owner doesnt contact me im going to leave it at the bar where it was apparently found.

joe seems to understand...
As to all the people on the thread who are treating this as if you just cooked and ate a small child, let's chill out a bit here. The guy came here asking what might be the best thing to do, so obviously his intent wasn't to steal the bike. His friend took it thinking maybe he could make better use of it than letting it sit unused in a rack, again I think the key here is how long it was there.

bah expect this thread to be closed if i read more self righteous babble

.dav

oh so aparently the raliegh owner just emailed me so i can finally get this troublesome thing off of me. for all the other self righteous big mouths leave your bikes unlocked cause here the great usa people will not take it and have a great fing day =)

capolover

I'm kind of the opinion that if you can't lock your own sh1t you don't deserve it.
We all forget things in life, but if you DO leave your crap (and, yes, they are just things) unlocked and it's stolen you won't be forgetting to lock it again will you?

My house was broken into because I forgot to lock my backyard.
I was pissed, felt violated, and called the cops. They did catch the guy and he should be held to account if caught, but if i'd been on point it wouldn't have happened.

You can't expect the world to babysit your ass all day.

But you're crazy if you think I didn't buy a lock and check it all the time.

/shrug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IayHnA0cGuc

ok_commuter

so what did the raleigh owner say? did he apologize for creating a moral quandary for you and your friend by being so irresponsible with his personal property?

DunderXIII

I'm assuming you didn't put a fence around your frontyard because you don't care about it so I'll go piss on it because you obviously don't care about it. But that's not how society works. What you describe is vigilante, you're taking the law into your own hands. You should call the right authorities to deal with it.

But fine do it, whatever! But don't be surprised that people get pissed off by that attitude and don't be surprised if you get arrested at some point. If you're not ready to hear what people think DON'T ASK IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Now that's all I'll say, it's going nowhere if you can't understand this.

photoassign

guys, will you please stop feeding this infantile troll, you can try using logic on him 'till you're blue in the face, he's too pigheaded to heed any common sense.

rando

....

cooker

Neither. It is the fault of the person who takes it.

crazybikerchick

I'm glad someone like you didn't see my bike the other day. I realized I had lent my lock to someone and when I got the key back forgotten to put the key back on my keyring. So I got to work and realized I had no key to my lock. I leaned my bike up against the bike rack and wrapped the lock on my frame so it would *appear* from a distance that the bike was locked up. It was a couple of hours before I could borrow another lock and go lock up the bike, and I was thankful that people were honest.

Go put the bike back, with a lock you own, and a big apologetic note, and contact information so you can unlock the bike for them.

crazybikerchick

As far as I understand it possession of stolen property is still a crime. If someone gives something to you and you know they stole it then yes it is a crime to keep it.

cooker

I'd like to hear the answer too.

.dav

duh, i have said many times that i dont want to keep it and i was saying i am not guilty of directly stealing the bike

mrhedges

jeez you guys, a bike is a material posession. Its a thing, an object, it doesn't have feelings. Your acting like he mugged someone or punched his dog. He accepted something from a friend, they made a mistake and rectified it. How many people here admit that they made a mistake and attempt to rectified (didn't some guy say something like let he who is without sin cast the first stone)? its a difficult thing. you (.dav) did the right thing in the end thats what matters and you know what if the owner didn't get his bike back it wouldn't be the end of the world he would probably find another because bikes are machines there are factories making tons of them in tawian right now its alittle diffrent when you spend considerable time on your machine, if you have a personal relationship, but if its a rust bucket the person obviously doesn't have a good relationship with his machine. don't get me wrong if i lost one of my bikes to a theif i would be pissed i have spent alot of time on them I understand them but they are just machines after all I could find and tinker with another one. I also always lock them and never leave them outside to long (they get lonely out there)

As far as finding a bike in the middle of the street if you leave a bike in the middle of the street you are abandoning it. There are plenty of bikes that get abandoned people don't respect bikes like they do cars (well its probably cuz those dumb things cost so much) they leave there bike locked to a rack forever when it could get used by someone who would love it and care for it.

cooker

Eventually, sure, but initially he wanted to know if it is ok to take an unlocked bike because the owner was stupid. After everyone gave him Hell he tried to change his tune.

al-wagner

.dav you should read this.

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/443151-toronto-bike-store-owner-charged-bike-theft.html

nick95673

You just made your mom or dad look like the biggest idiots in the world. I have no respect for either one of them. I hope you realize what you have done by stealing and then asking the net if it is "ok" is worst than any "yo mama" joke I can tell.

Yo mama so stupid she couldn't teach a ****** that stealing is wrong.

Good job on bringing shame to your family name. I hope to go you were raised by a grandma or aunt who just didn't care. If you were raised by someone who actually cared about you they must be very ashamed.

On a side not the box that you get bang bus from should not be the source of your morals, just your bang bus.

qmsdc15

Aw, your not a thief. You stole the bike before a real thief could get his hands on it. You didn't commit a crime, you prevented one!

nick95673

Frankly it is more about the fact that he is old enough to type, but not old enough to know what is wrong. When I sin I know what I am doing is wrong. I don't need the porn box to tell me. It is amazing that our society has slipped this far. Imagine if Jesus said his speech, and a rock came flying in. Then everyone turned and saw a known thief/hustler. When they pointed out that he takes advantage of people, he replied "Oh I didn't know that was wrong"

If your actions make another persons day more difficult in any way you are probably morally wrong.
*unless that person is actively making someones day more difficult, and in order to do something the right way you must impede the person doing it the wrong way.
*unless the law of the land says so.