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He tried to steal my bike!

Old 04-01-10, 08:56 AM
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He tried to steal my bike!

I was commuting with my gf around midnight through the suburbs. We were stopped for a few seconds at a red light when a man at the bus stop approached us and asked for my bike. Obviously, I said no and a quick verbal exchange came into play as the light turned green. I started to move but my gf was stalled [I don't know why]. I think he was thinking about taking her bike as she probably wouldn't have put up too much of a fight, but I suppose an XS track bike didn't really appeal to him [I was on an XXS MTB and she was on an XS track]. We both went off our merry way.

But this leads me to ask, really, what would possess a man to have such a reactive criminal mentality WHILE THERE WERE STRANGERS AT THE BUS STOP WITH HIM? And this leads me to ask how the heck he thought he was literally going to get away with it? Did he think I would watch as he rode off with my bike or was he ready to get into a physical exchange?
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Old 04-01-10, 09:00 AM
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Go back and asked the guy at the bus stop.
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Old 04-01-10, 09:08 AM
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What's that old saying?

"[crack] cocaine is a hell of a drug."
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Old 04-01-10, 09:48 AM
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You never really know. He could have been armed, high or both...

I can imagine it being a scary situation.
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Old 04-01-10, 09:50 AM
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Maybe he got tire of waiting for the bus......

Ok seriously, with nowadays economy, nothing surprise me of what criminal will do these days. Another reason why I arm myself with pepper spray and stungun or taser just in case........
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Old 04-01-10, 10:07 AM
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Maybe he was in a hurry somewhere?

Maybe it was a test to see if you would give him your bike and if you past, he may grant you 3 wishes.

Maybe it is a ghost?
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Old 04-01-10, 10:20 AM
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I've read of research done that says if you ask complete strangers to do just about anything, it is only a matter of time before you find a person who just complies without question. Perhaps that has been this guys experience - he walks around asking complete strangers for things, and every once in a while, someone complies without question or argument. So now he just asks for whatever he wants, knowing that 99 percent of the time the answer is no, but it is worth asking for that 1 percent of the time someone complies.
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Old 04-01-10, 11:03 AM
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Originally Posted by pharasz
I've read of research done that says if you ask complete strangers to do just about anything, it is only a matter of time before you find a person who just complies without question. Perhaps that has been this guys experience - he walks around asking complete strangers for things, and every once in a while, someone complies without question or argument. So now he just asks for whatever he wants, knowing that 99 percent of the time the answer is no, but it is worth asking for that 1 percent of the time someone complies.
Ya know, I had a guy at work recommend something like that for picking up women...
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Old 04-01-10, 11:19 AM
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That's a trick God does. He stands at exits panhandling and goes around asking for money and stuff and sees who is charitable and who is not. You may be damned now.

If you are ever at a crossroads and a stranger comes up and offers you incredible biking skills in enchange for your soul, don't take it. He's the devil and he's already got Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. If you agree, he'll ask for your bike and ride it around you three times. At that point your legs will bulk, your heart will strengthen, your lungs will expand and your thingie will shrivel. You will be a great bicyclist for a while only to someday be forgotten and to have your name on stuff selling in Walmart, like Greg Lemond.
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Old 04-01-10, 11:39 AM
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Did he just ask,; or did he make any threatening statements?
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Old 04-01-10, 11:52 AM
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I saw a show last night that explained these kinds of criminals actually have a brain defect where, even as early as in the whom, they have a predisposition not to be calmed the way normal people are. this is based on cat scans of deceased serial killers. they are not like you and me and can not be reasoned with.
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Old 04-01-10, 12:31 PM
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Deleted.

Last edited by RogerB; 04-02-10 at 03:11 PM. Reason: Change of heart.
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Old 04-01-10, 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
I saw a show last night that explained these kinds of criminals actually have a brain defect where, even as early as in the whom, they have a predisposition not to be calmed the way normal people are. this is based on cat scans of deceased serial killers. they are not like you and me and can not be reasoned with.
A friend of mine, while pursuing her criminal justice degree, did some work with juvenile offenders. She said pretty much the same thing, that they had never progressed beyond a preschool attitude when it came to dealing with people and property. Hitting, stealing, defacing -- no big deal to them.
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Old 04-01-10, 02:57 PM
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this sounds the same as the kids who yell out "give me your bike", "I want your bike" when riding through their neighborhood, it's also a way to see normal folks get flumoxed. "what?, you what?, I , my bike?". Think of it like a dog barking, keep moving, you're not there to make friends and influence people.
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Old 04-01-10, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by cervelo48
But this leads me to ask, really, what would possess a man to have such a reactive criminal mentality WHILE THERE WERE STRANGERS AT THE BUS STOP WITH HIM? And this leads me to ask how the heck he thought he was literally going to get away with it? Did he think I would watch as he rode off with my bike or was he ready to get into a physical exchange?
Most of us don't use up our allocation of stupid, so there are people who make it their job to take up the slack.
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Old 04-01-10, 04:33 PM
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Originally Posted by LeeG
this sounds the same as the kids who yell out "give me your bike", "I want your bike" when riding through their neighborhood, it's also a way to see normal folks get flumoxed. "what?, you what?, I , my bike?". Think of it like a dog barking, keep moving, you're not there to make friends and influence people.
This was a grown man, at least in his late 30s judging by the greys coming out of his head.
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Old 04-02-10, 01:23 AM
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Drugs...poverty...psychological disorder...who knows? What I do know is that the common criminal is not "hard-wired" neurologically to be "different" than you or I. If there are neurological differences...it is in the brain function of violent career criminals, not your run of the mill thief or drug addict. One has to look at life influences to see connections...because every single person that is a member of this forum is capable of the same actions (excluding life-long criminal behavior).
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Old 04-02-10, 01:24 AM
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Originally Posted by cervelo48
This was a grown man, at least in his late 30s judging by the greys coming out of his head.
Btw...you never really divulged more detail about your verbal exchange with him. What else did he say...you say?
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Old 04-02-10, 01:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Invisibl
Drugs...poverty...psychological disorder...who knows? What I do know is that the common criminal is not "hard-wired" neurologically to be "different" than you or I. If there are neurological differences...it is in the brain function of violent career criminals, not your run of the mill thief or drug addict. One has to look at life influences to see connections...because every single person that is a member of this forum is capable of the same actions (excluding life-long criminal behavior).
Then what makes the common criminal think that it is OK to take someone else's personal property. There has to be some significant difference somewhere....
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Old 04-02-10, 04:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Invisibl
Drugs...poverty...psychological disorder...who knows? What I do know is that the common criminal is not "hard-wired" neurologically to be "different" than you or I. If there are neurological differences...it is in the brain function of violent career criminals, not your run of the mill thief or drug addict. One has to look at life influences to see connections...because every single person that is a member of this forum is capable of the same actions (excluding life-long criminal behavior).
I disagree. Most of those people that do such criminal acts most of their life, are neurologically different from us, and it was proven by some research that focused on that aspect - a link between criminal behaviour and neurological differences. The way they process information is different from ours - a normal human being has some sense of morality, whats right and whats wrong, and it can be shown how our brain reacts when we think what's moral and what's not. On the other hand, criminal (wrongly wired or something similar) has no such sense, and also it was shown that in research done on such types of people, that they do not exibith the same neurological reaction when faced with a moral dillema; in fact, it's all the same to them. That proves that human sense of right or wrong, or on the whole a question does some person even posess that sense, is in fact, dependent on our neurological make up. So yes, hard criminals are in majority of cases different from us, not only by decisions, but also by core physical make up.

Not every single person is capable of similar actions, and also - some of those, normal ones, that are capable of such actions, have a consience that prevents them from carrying out those actions. And that is where neurological differences show.

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Old 04-02-10, 04:18 AM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
I saw a show last night that explained these kinds of criminals actually have a brain defect where, even as early as in the whom, they have a predisposition not to be calmed the way normal people are. this is based on cat scans of deceased serial killers. they are not like you and me and can not be reasoned with.
That's correct. Assuming that everyone who we meet in everyday life is nice and all good on the inside, and with good intentions, is the first thing that's wrong with our perception. People can be nice, people can be bad, but the problem is in that belief that "all people are ultimately good people". Not so, and as soon as we can understand that, and as a result, be much more careful in our first interactions with someone new, we will all be safer and probably live longer. Caution is well advised in all new interactions where other person intentions can't be easily seen.

In this particular case that happened to the OP, I can only say that while it is not possible to know what the intentions of the man who asked for your bike were, his approach and his question, raise a big alarm in my thinking, an alarm that says that he was up to no good. In that situation, I would probably take off and put some distance between me and him, or, if that is not an option because of the traffic, etc, then pepper spray would work if he tried anything, or if he tried to get too close. No talking, no thinking, in such situations the key is fast assesment, and reaction. Sometimes types like those count on the flummoxing effect, and while their vicitim is stunned by their behaviour, they have enough time to try to hit you, steal your bike, or whatever they are up to. To counteract that, quick judgment and action is needed. If there is no avoiding it by going away, I'll have better chances to stay on my feet when all is done and said, if I keep alert and if I keep prepared to counteract any possible attack.

Last edited by whitecat; 04-02-10 at 04:29 AM.
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Old 04-02-10, 04:29 AM
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https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/m...672491963.html

Now THAT is just pathetic....
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Old 04-02-10, 04:39 AM
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Well that is an good example why I advise caution. If the seller thought it out a bit more carefull beforehand, maybe his bike wouldn't get stolen. I was, a long time ago, in a similar situation, and had also lost an bike. A bit more of caution on my part could have prevented that easily.
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Old 04-02-10, 05:50 AM
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How would you prevent a prospective buyer from riding away with your bike while test-riding? I guess in case of $3k bike one might ask for the buyer's driver's license. Every time I sold a bike on CL I was slightly worried about the same thing.
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Old 04-02-10, 06:39 AM
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Originally Posted by cervelo48
I think he was thinking about taking her bike as she probably wouldn't have put up too much of a fight, but I suppose an XS track bike didn't really appeal to him [I was on an XXS MTB and she was on an XS track].
Or maybe he was just thinking to himself, what the hell are these midgets doing out at such a late hour.
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