Originally Posted by
oilman_15106
Agree. Our finest took 27 min. to get out of the donut shop when a guy threated to kill me. I might take days to respond to a bike theft in progress.
On kicking the guy's rear. If you have bike shoes with cleats you are at a big disadvantage. IF the theif has not ridden away, I think I would whip out my cell phone and flip up the camera. Then challenge the guy to have his picture stealing my bike given to the police and plastered all over the internet. Might work with out further conflict. Even if this worked I would call the cops. Just so the lazy sob's have to fill out a report.
He'd only take the phone as well - surely? If he could take the bike in your presence, he can take the phone as well.
I applaud Jur's point above - if he can be so forgiving, he's a better person than me. However, I don't agree that the only difference between him and the rogue taking the bike is the providence of upbringing. Some theories of free will and determinism neglect the contribution of the individual to the way he is. It's true that a bad upbringing gives a person a bad start (obviously) but the deterministic view that such disadvantage is inescapable ignores the hordes of decently behaved citizens who rise above neglect and bad example to live decent lives. I've seen this over and over in life, and also the kid from a decent family who turns bad while his brothers and sister are solid citizens. Some people are just bad, and that's a fact; some people have a hard life and get into trouble, but none of the above is craved in stone. We are actors in our own drama; we make it up as we go along.
I have a lot of sympathy for people inclined to take vigorous action against thieves and robbers because they know the police will not help them or bring any redress. That is an every day fact in urban Britain. The police are vehemently anti the public protecting themselves, but they virtually NEVER help expeditiously if you are in trouble over property crime.