I want to see how everyone else feels about this. I would (personally) call it 're-allocating' bicycles.
Maybe it's the economist in me, but I hate seeing bicycles not being taken care of or at least put to use.

For example;

- A bike sat all through fall, winter, and most of spring at my University, locked up outside, never touched. I took it home, fixed it up, and gave it away to someone who wanted a bike to ride.

- A bike had been sitting abandoned near the bike lock-up near my workplace - blown back tire, but otherwise alright. I took that one home too, although I put up notification in case it was somebody's stolen bike.

- A derelict bike in a high traffic area - I give it one day, and if it's still there, I take it home and fix it on up.

Am I deluding myself into thinking this is ok Karma?
Am I a bad person, or just 'crafty'?

Was it abandoned? If not, then you stole it...

How do you know it was abandoned?

Again...

I assumed.

That's what we do.

tough call, I have watched bikes for months until the campus people come and cut the lock on the derelict bikes and then who knows where they go. Many a time I have wanted to but didn't. I called the university once claiming my bike was "clean-up" over the holidays and I had a description. Turns out the real owner already had done the same thing! This suprised me as it sat for month decaying, but in the end when it disappeared the owner suddenly wanted it back.

How do you break the locks? Just curious...

Sounds like you're stealing.

How about driving around on trash day instead or finding a nice dump to visit?

You're intentions are good, but...

I don't break locks. That's what I consider to be the 'line'. (I'm sure others disagree.)

I don't have a car. But I definitely do scout out trash days, and sometimes find parts, but never whole bikes. I'd LOVE to scout out the dump, but not without a car I don't think...

So are you saying they're not locked?

Nope...the one on campus required a little....finessing.
But I wouldn't break a lock.

However, after 6 months of a bike sitting forlorn outside, I might be willing to maybe loosen and replace a front brake cable because someone had u-locked their bike only through the front housing loop.
Maybe.

You said the bike was locked up in the first example...????

I think if a bike is u-locked, it belongs to somebody. Maybe to somebody who doesn't appreciate their bike as much as somebody else would appreciate it, but it still belongs to somebody.

FWIW, I was given an abandoned bike by my apartment manager. The manager put up notices throughout the building for a month in advance, advising all residents that any bike that wasn't claimed by a resident would be disposed of. I had my eye on this bike, and when it was confiscated by the manager, I asked for it. It had a cable lock through the frame and wheel, so yes, people do occasionally abandon locked bikes.

In the instances you're describing, it's dubious at best that these are abandoned bikes.

That's what I meant. It was locked up, technically.
(I was trying to see what people would say about it, so I didn't mention HOW it was secured.)

I've stolen a few at my local flea market Vintage road bikes for $10 is stealing in my book, hehe.,,,,BD

Mostly out of curiosity, although I'm being tempted by an example outside one of my classrooms, what do you guys think about something that's already been hit by thieves and has been sitting out for months. For example a completely stripped frame, or a frame with a fork stem and bars only, locked to something. It seems possible that the owner has been too lazy to come get their frame but on the other hand chances are even if they were theoretically planning to come get it at some point it wouldn't be made into a bicycle again. Maybe leave an official looking note with my own phone number and come back after a week or two?

Pfff.....fair game.
Although breaking locks still seems weird. Sometimes campus maintenance guys are pretty understanding, because they know they'll end up cutting it off and throwing it away anyways.

I've watched a Panasonic 1000 slowly fall down and rust at my Metro stop for months. I reported it abandoned, and someone came out and tagged a bunch of other abandoned bikes there with stickers that said if they were left after May 20 they would be hauled away. They are still there. I'm still tempted by that Panasonic. Seems like such a shame.

Here is an excerpt from the Texas Penal Code:
§ 31.03. THEFT. (a) A person commits an offense if he
unlawfully appropriates property with intent to deprive the owner
of property.
(b) Appropriation of property is unlawful if:
(1) it is without the owner's effective consent;
(2) the property is stolen and the actor appropriates
the property knowing it was stolen by another
You be the judge.

One more reason to be glad that I don't live in Texas.

Really tricky. It's theft. That's for sure. But i know this kind of situations. Bikes falling apart for months and months and you can only watch it

What do you guys think of bikes not locked? Last month i walked past a unlocked Motobecane for 4 days. The 5th day it was gone. Can't imagine the new owner was the original owner too

Sounds devilish to me--- taking what doesn't belong.

You should be so lucky. Just as well, we used to hang horse thieves. Bike thieves in little Robin Hood tights get thrown in a private cell with Bubba!

We're just as glad you're not here too. ,,,,BD

Now that we've had a man of the cloth jump in, it's time for the secular humanist response. I agree with pastorbob, except for the part about devils. It ain't yours, don't take it. Hard as it is to watch bikes rust away-- and given the clunkers I've saved over the years, I know-- we just can't go 'round taking what ain't ours.

Most campuses clear off the bike racks and then auction 'em off at some point in the year. Now we can have a seperate discussion about if the MAN himself is stealing, and whether or not the MAN is profiting from said theft in such eventualities. However, since you seem to like the idea of re-distributing ill-used economic assets, perhaps you could talk to the MAN about starting up a free bike co-op distributioon scheme at the MAN's campus, using the abandoned bikes. Bring along an economics professor or two, so they can explain the economic utility of this course. This way you have the MAN on your side. Undermining the MAN can wait until later...

There's too much you don't know about a given situation, so try not to assume. It's a sin we're all guilty of at one point or another, however. Even for bad internet humour, though I trust you can find the point in here somewheres.

Just remember on a college campus or parking lot or whatever, the bike is technically on private property, thus THE MAN is the owner of the property where the said abandoned bike may occur, kind of like if someone leaves a bike abandoned in your private yard, technically speaking.
Another point of interest - a while back I was in Denmark, where bikes are common as pebbles on the beach. I stayed in a couple cities for several days each. Bikes were parked everywhere, and not a few of them had that "abandoned" look. They were locked up or not, and deraillers, chains, sprockets, etc had corroded/rusted to the point of being inoperable. I was sorely tempted to "borrow" one or 2 just to get around for a few days and then return it to its original spot, in better shape of course, but never got up the courage to do so, being in a foreign land and all...but it is the by god home of abandoned bikes, I can tell you that for sure!

I just found a Bianchi with both tires flat without punctures, the frame is in great condition but all the hardware is corroded and crap. It's locked to a signpost in the middle of nowhere (it's close to the local train station, but there are bike racks there and it's not at the rack). It wants to be liberated. D:

astronomical: i feel the pain, my friend!

Please behave naive and let's think the owner loves this bike as much as we do but eh.. hesitates to pick it up...