Originally Posted by
Dave Cutter
I enjoy wrenching on bikes in the off season. Come spring I usually have some to sell. I always post of CL and sell the bikes from my home.
Thievery.... is not a profession. Most theft is opportunistic. The skills of planning a heist (even through CL)... is greater than the average crack head bike grabber can muster. Sure there are a lot of big city bike theft... simply because bikes are easy pickings and very low risk.
But why would anyone go through all the hassle of a CL crime (that is also higher crimes and greater risks).... when they can walk to Star Bucks... and just wait a few minutes for their next new bike to show up?
I agree that most bike theft is opportunistic, but law enforcement in our region is warning people not to give out their addresses in for sale ads in printed or online media as there have been several burglaries of expensive items that were listed in classified ads. Granted, I haven't heard of any involving bicycles, but one individual lost a jet ski and trailer right out of his garage after giving out his address to a number of respondents to his CL ad. No way to know for sure that it was one of the CL respondents that stole the jet ski, but why take the chance when there are plenty of public places within a few miles.
I've bought and sold on Craigs List many times over the past several years and 90+ % of the interactions have been good. But there was one sketchy one where the individual was very eager to take a test ride but bolted when asked for ID or some form of security to assure his return (like I said, I usually ask to hold on to their drivers license or at least take a snapshot of them with the bike). I used to have buyers come to the house and again the majority of the interactions had been very good but I stopped when I had a guy in his late teens or early 20s who tried to waaaay lowball me on a bike then get kinda pushy about what other bikes I had because maybe he'd make a better offer on one of them.
Unfortunately, for some, theft is a career. Within an hour of my home, there have been a number of burglary rings or individuals arrested for strings of burglaries. Armed robberies are also way up in nearby towns. A convenience store that I frequent on one of my long ride routes had a daylight armed robbery last week. In the small town where I live (population < 2,000) last summer a teenager who lives on my street, and one of his friends was arrested for several thefts including a car (that was later set on fire and abandoned), a pickup and a trailer with two snowmobiles. The year before that, my daughter's car was demolished (parked and unoccupied) when a young teen stole a convertible and lost control at high speed right in front of my home. Yeah, I'm pretty careful about letting people I don't know well, know where I live, what I own and where I keep it.