I posted here because I'm sure less thieves read BF than CL, though it's a better resource...
and CEYA, most bike thieves probably ride bikes, but I don't think they're "Just like us"...
I'm all for beating thieves half to death, or chasing down people riding stolen bikes, or throwing a second lock on a locked stolen bike, but at this point the reality is that there's really no penalty for stealing a bike. Someone can approach a thief in the act, and have no basis for accusing them. But even worse, no one even approaches them. It must be painfully easy to steal a bike, but most of don't do it out of respect or morals. The only consequence for stealing a bike is having it stolen back. Stealing a car is Grand Theft. Plus, it's getting harder and harder to steal cars, but easier to steal bikes.
Maybe we should try and do something more...maybe we should have a "bait bike" with GPS, wait until it's stolen, track it down, and see if it leads to more stolen bikes. Hmmmm, anyone have other suggestions? I'm not talking about proper ways to lock your bike, or buying better locks, or "don't lock your bike up at all - take it inside!" I mean something communittee oriented and organized, like a "neighborhood watch"
It's just getting frustrating to see bikes that people really love getting stolen every day. This photo in particular
