Originally Posted by
Ziemas
It's not a matter of who was doing the grinding, but rather one of do thieves really steal bikes with any frequency using a grinder? Just because it's possible doesn't mean that it's actually happening in the real world. The amount of 'what ifs' on this board regarding bike thefts is ridiculous. There is being safe, and there is being paranoid, and paranoid seems to be in favor here.....
There certainly is a point when one can become
too paranoid in regards to their bicycle locking system.
As I said in the beginning of this thread, use common sense, evaluate the value (personal or monetary) of your bike, the level of risk of theft in your area, and use good locks.
To answer your question, in chicago, theives certainly
do use angle grinders to steal bicycles. I have personally witnessed it. I have worked with police (occasionally. Believe it or not) and insurance companies as an (licensed) investigative locksmith to determine how the bicycle was stolen for theft reports/insurance claims.
According to Kryptonite, chicago is third on the list for 2008 of cities with the most reported bicycle thefts. If I recall correctly, NY and Philly were # 1 and 2.
EDIT:
In 2007 chicago was #2, right behind philly. NY fell into #3, which is pretty surprising!
http://unbreakable-bonds.blogspot.co...0-shocker.html