Sweet parking spot. What kind of job lets you score such a great parking spot? I've gotta hook up to a crappy bolt-together rack in the back of the courthouse, because the sturdy rack is too open to punk kids messing with my bike.

I'd give the coworker the benefit of the doubt. Just, if it happens again, that could be annoying. No need to get confrontational. Whenever I get confrontational, I feel embarrassed later. In my experience, it's not the killing that's so hard -- it's getting rid of the body.

Best, probably, to let it go for now.

First time it happens, I would assume it was me, forgetting to turn off my lights (which would be hard to do, but...).

Second time it happens, I would ask the person who was parking next to me if he/she noticed that my lights were on, and to request that if he/she sees that happening again, to turn off the lights and let me know about my mistake, whilst explaining the danger of leaving on the lights.

This would be non-confrontational, and informative.

I would also carry a spare charge battery if possible. I have dual headlamps on my commuter as well, and I have both a spare battery, and a spare battery charger at work. Would it be possible for you to plug in a battery charger?

East Hill

So, I'm curious - has this been repeated yet?

Not necesarially job related. The CalTrain station I use has a bike lockup room like that, not sure if its all the stations...

Remove the lights when you park the bike.

If I go into a store or what ever; I take my lite off it's holder and put my battery in my panniers. Acts of unkindness are a competitor of kindness. Some days they seem equal in number to acts of kindness. Jealousy being a cardinal sin.. I say that's the motivation of such unkind acts..

no repeats of the incident- but I've been taking the lights with me ever since. I've been tempted to leave them attached to the bars but booby trapped in some benign way- not worth the trouble though.

Happened to me just 2 weeks ago. Pretty sure it happened at the library. It ISN'T a big deal. BUT, it makes me despair just a bit at the human condition. In the OP's case maybe there was personal malice involved. Not nice but understandable. What I can't understand is, in a random case like mine, just WTF is the PAYOFF? They don't get to see the victim's reaction, there's no gratification like when a kid breaks a window. All they get to see is a light turned on.... Just impersonal venting of their internal ugliness. yuck-o. About a year ago some frozen rat testicle stole 2 AAA batteries from my tiny radio straped to the bike. They didn't steal the radio I guess, because the headphones were not in sight....tucked away in a pouch hanging from my seat. I paid $1 for a set of 8. And I was getting ready to replace them anyway. What struck me, is that the library is RIGHT NEXT TO the police station. And they can see the bike rack from the on-duty desk. What kind of slug would take ANY risk of legal trouble for a quarter's worth of used batteries? Head scratcher.

This happens to me too. Some idiots think it is funny. There is no accounting for human nature. Many people are as nasty as others are nice.

Yeah, something with a ford coil or a neon sign transformer! :)

How do you know that? OP doesn't know who did it or why, he may have even done it himself.

Personally, I'm skeeved out by anyone touching my bike that I don't expressly allow to do so. My bike is so very personal to me... But that aside, this is a safety and tampering issue.

One light? An accident.
Two lights? Not an accident.

Check the tapes just to be sure then if you see someone on the tape purposefully tampering with your lights tell security who will then confront the culprit.

It's against the law to tamper with anyone's bike in any way, shape or form. Hands off your ride!

Originally Posted by fredgarvin7 In the OP's case maybe there was personal malice involved.

How do you know that? OP doesn't know who did it or why, he may have even done it himself.


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I DON'T know it! You QUOTED me... did you not see the word "MAYBE" in the quote? The reason i said MAYBE there was malice is that he is parked there every day and is MAYBE known and someone MAY have an issue with him.

If I've got my bike loaded with lights and I have to park it someplace - I take the lights off. Too tempting to take ... and obviously people fiddle with them too. :(

I work at a college and somebody did that to me and other bikes on the rack several times. I figured it was a passive aggressive soul (and knew of one who might fit the bill, but also might not)... and I narrowed it down to Tuesdays and THursdays, early afternoon being the times it would happen, but didn't catch the dude. I took my portable lights inside and s/he couldn't turn on the generator light (it all depended on which bike I was riding).
I considered putting something really slimy and disgusting on the "on" button, but I figured this was somebody just a tad unbalanced and trying to bust him/her was a better idea to hold him/her accountable. It didn't happen, alas...