" don't think you'd ever actually get a good court case out of it. I am in law school, and I know that it would be virtually impossible to prove that you did this on purpose. Even the most rookie trial attorney would say something like that you just left your bike there for a minute while getting smokes or stopping to visit a friend"

that would be the rookie attorny's mistake. The experienced plaintiffs attorny would argue willful neglect on the part of the bikeowner (sans brakes), while his own client was merely the unfortuante victim of mistaken bicycle identity.

Spend an internship defending Ma Bell or Ford if you want to see what the experienced ambulance chasers come up with.