I doubt the lady is question is a bike thief - a REAL bike thief works so quickly you would never see what happened.
HIDE a bike? Nope. Do the opposite. Put it in the highest "people" traffic area you can find. Last week I locked my bike to a fence near the door to a church. Lots of people going in and out. The safest spot in one of Houston's most dangerous neighborhoods. A lady came out of the church to compain...but she was mollified by my promise to be back within an hour and to NOT blame her or the church if my bike was stolen.
An OnGuard U-lock on the rear wheel and a beefy cable lock on the front wheel will send a thief looking for the next bike down the rack. Replacing the quick releases on the front wheel and seatpost with "Allen" bolts also helps deter crooks.
A bike locked ONLY with a cable lock is a "gift"...cables are a "secondary" lock only.
Last edited by alanbikehouston; 01-31-05 at 05:46 PM.