So I did something I don't normally do, I left the bike on the porch overnight. I live in an upstairs apartment and often leave it (locked of course) on the porch during the day. Just plain forgot it was out there until about midnight, then decided it would be ok to leave it, I have before on occasion.

Went down this morning and my lights are gone, planet bike superflash rear and the 5w Blaze in the front. Now these aren't super expensive lights, but then again I don't make much money, so they are expensive for me to replace. However get this, they couldn't get the Blaze off the bike since it doesn't quite fit my folders odd sized handlebars and I have it Zip tied to the bars, so they just stole the insides and the batteries. They basically took something they cannot now use or sell. I'm so mad (at myself) I can barely believe it. I don't have a lot of stuff and prefer to live simply, so what I do have I need.

I suppose they came up on the porch expecting to steal the bike, it's not obvious it is locked from the street. When they couldn't do anything about the lock, they took what they could.

Sorry I just needed to vent a bit, I guess the point to my post is that thieves will steal anything. I live in a nice small town with little crime and hadn't really worried much other than taking some small precautions, heck I even leave it unlocked if I am just running in for a coffee, never had an issue before.

That sucks! A few years ago, I left my running shoes out on the front porch after a trail run (they were dirty & I didn't want to track them in the house) & wouldn't you know it, they were gone the next morning. It seems like some people will steal anything they can. YTou'd think things like used running shoes & the insides of a bike light would be useless to theives.

Man that sucks, sorry i think most of us can relate

I once left my bike on a porch overnight. Thieves came to steal the bike, but discovered it was locked, so they took my water bottle instead. That's like stealing a toothbrush. Completely useless.

It's amazing just what a theives will steal even if it is a partial item. Years ago, I had some button stolen when car stereo had those rows of Pushbutton for the chanel selecting and they left the rest of the Blaupunt intact. Since at that time I was broke and usually listen to one station, I continue using it. A year after that, someone broke in and stole the rest of the stereo without the buttons!

Then there were those period where theives where stealing the car stereo unit without the faceplate because the driver has taken the faceplate with them as theft deterent. Doesn't make sense right? Afterall, what good is a black box stereo unit without the faceplate control? Then one of my friend who owns a stereo store told me that he had a lot of stereo that had the faceplate stolen from his display. I guess those theive can put together any partial stolen piece of property as a Kit.

Once left my stinky size 48 bike shoes & front wheel on a friend's patio, bike was locked out in parking lot.
Went to roll home in the dark of the morning & no shoes or front wheel.

Thieves suck!

It sucks. Be glad that they didn't dissemble your bike, taking parts like the brake levers, derailleurs, seat... They just happened not to have the tools.

I stopped in to use a public bathroom in Copenhagen DK. and some guy was in the process of stripping my rear brakes off my touring bike,
took the center-bolts already and rode off when I came out from taking a quick whizz..

Excuse the language... okay and the drugs too. But Vincent and his friend had it right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO48Vr4KIc8

Mod edit: NSFW, removed embedded video link because of the language. And the drugs, too.

Oddly enough i found my superflash in the street down the block, i was kinda looking for the pieces of the Blaze since they couldn't use it and might have just tossed it aside. no luck there but I happened to spot a red reflection down the road and there was my Superflash in the gutter.

Many years ago I ran out of gas in a bad neighborhood. I walked to a gas station, but had to buy a gas can in order to buy gasoline because normally people in that area would just keep any gasoline can lent to them by a gas station. So I bought the can, got gas, etc., and all was well. Then, I had this gas can I did not need. I didn't know how to dispose of it, so one day I just left it outside the back door of our apartment building, and the next day it was gone. There are people who will steal anything.

It sounds like your thief was an idiot.

When I was in college, I had my nice Campy seatpost (with a crappy saddle on it) stolen - I found it three days later halfway across campus, tossed under a little bridge so it was out of sight. At some point, I think it's just spite - they're mad that they can't steal the bike (mine was locked reasonably well) so they steal something just to get back at you for inconveniencing them.

I had my car broken into with nothing stolen except my racing roller blades. They were high end and I am sure they looked expensive but they had been heat molded to my particular feet so that anyone else who wore them were unlikely to find them comfortable... at all! They probably pawned them for $20 when they were worth well over $1,100. That made me pretty mad. They could have just asked me for $20 and I would have given it to them!

Later I found out my renters insurance covered stuff in my car and I got some new skates

Has anyone else considered an underseat mounted tazar, pressure switch activated on about a 15 second time delay?
The screams would double as a theft alarm and bicycle locating beacon.

I've had such horrible luck with my car getting broken into that I'm super paranoid about all my stuff. I'm seriously borderline OCD... gotta check the locks at least three times each.

And they say the North European countries have the highest living standard! That thief was probably a foreigner

I left some cheap boots outside so I wouldn't have to smell the Shoe Goo I'd just stuck the soles back together with. They were gone in the morning. Years later a doctor finally came up with something that would knock out the athlete's foot those boots must have been a great breeding ground for.

A lot of shooters tend to mix up Ed's Red (a homebrew solvent/degreaser with a fair amount of acetone in it) in gas cans. More than one has had a can stolen, and found it near a broken down vehicle a mile or two from their home.

I have my PB superflash stolen as well couple years ago at a small restaurant 300 yds from my apt.. I was in the restaurant maybe for 45min. if not less and my superflash was gone! Damn thieves.

I had a saddle post and saddle stolen during the day in front of the office. I presume the Brooks was the primary target. At lunch it was there, at 6PM it was gone. It had an allen bolt, not QR, so someone needed a tool to pry it off. I lock the post with Pinhead locking system now.

A friend came to his bike one morning, and found "all the cables flapping in the wind" as he described it. Someone had cut the shifter and brake cables and stolen the handlebar. Something your average thief would need specific tools for too. I cannot help but think someone needed spare parts.

--J

When I attended school at the University of Illinois, in Chicago, I witnessed kids walk along the bicycles parked outside buildings, looking in handlebar bags, etc, to see if anything was inside.
At other times, groups of kids would pass time throwing rocks at the lenses on the streetlights, apparently just because they thought it was fun to break them.
There is probably some psychological explanation for this desire to destroy or molest property belonging to those perceived to have "more", some resentment over themselves not having a good life, therefore wanting to dilute the quality of life for everyone else.

Not that I was ever particularly tolerant, but I am becoming increasing intolerant and thinking that a little Singapore caning or other corporal punishment would be a good thing.

Too many people not raised with the fear of God (via nuns).

I remember those Nuns and they were scary.
A few of them hired for security patrol would sure cut down on bike theft.

I think people are confusing thievery with vandalism.