Originally Posted by
indyfabz
Done it more times than I can remember. Never had anything stolen. Did a week-long tour without a lock and shopped and cooked every night.
It's called situational awareness. When things seems a bit concerning, I have asked for permission to bring my bike inside grocery stores.
I'll be more clear, and I've updated the OP to reflect this, "less than "ideal" town". In other words for those confused by this, a place that you should know better.