Easy there Ms. Brown. Just liked the story about the UVa kids. I don't care either way. Here is an interesting run down on Illinois law as it applies to lost, mislaid, and abandoned property. I make no judgments....but proving a locked bike is abandoned may be difficult....

1. "Mislaid property" is that which is intentionally put in certain place and later forgotten.
2. Property is "lost" when it is unintentionally separated from dominion of its owner.
3. Property is "abandoned" when the owner, intending to relinquish all rights to the property, "leaves it free to be appropriated by another person."
4. Finder of property acquires no rights in mislaid property, is entitled to possession of lost property against everyone except to owner, and is entitled to keep abandoned property.
5. Generally, abandonment is not presumed and party seeking to declare abandonment must prove abandoning party intended to do so.

This comes straight from: Michael v. First Chicago Corp., 487 N.E.2d 403 Ill.App. 2 Dist.,1985.