bhop

For a couple of days now, i've seen what looks like a brand new women's commuter bike locked to a fence next to my apartment building. The problem is it's only locked by the front wheel with a U-Lock...and the wheel has a quick release. A couple weeks ago a bike was stolen out front, cable lock was cut, so the possibility of this bike getting snatched is very real.

I'm thinking of leaving a friendly note about the proper way to lock a bike taped to it.

What would you guys do?

fluidworks

Leaving a note seems like a courteuos thing to do for someone who is clearly ignorant on locking a bike correctly.

tsl

Leave a note.

I saw a bike cable-locked to a drain pipe in the common area of the basement of my building. I'd had one stolen from my storage bin (concrete block walls, solid wood door--they smashed the door down) and left a note to that effect. Next time I looked, the bike was gone. I hope it left with its rightful owner...

jsmithepa

Nothing wrong with leaving a note.

Just don't editorialize it, be sarcastic, or a smart-alek. Just plain, "bike can be easily removed by opening the wheel lever (probly doesn't know what a skewer is)" and proper etiquette says u should leave a name and apt#.

ShadowGray

If it has a quick-release, unscrew the wheel but leave it there.

CCrew

Leaving a note though is an instruction for the idiot thief that may not have realized it.

-R

bhop

That thought crossed my mind...

mlts22 

I personally would leave a note, in a way where its obvious to the rider, and it takes some unfolding to read. This will keep some thief from reading the note as "this sucker isn't locked up right, take me".

Wordbiker

I'd leave it be.

As far as life lessons go, losing a bike is enough of a bite to teach, yet not enough to ruin someone. Let fate play it out.

JusticeZero

It doesn't teach, though.
It's like the story I heard about the dog. Puppy dumps on the carpet, owners rub it's nose in it and put it outside. Next day, puppy dumps on the carpet, owners rub it's nose in it and put it outside. Third day, puppy dumps on the carpet, then jumps out the window.
Print out a page on how to lock bikes, fold it, then attach it to the grip with a rubber band.

blm14

Maybe take the bike and leave a note (with clear tape covering the whole thing so it doesn't blow away or get rained on) with your cell phone number so she can get it back from you

roadfix

I would plant myelf next to the bike and guard it til the owner returns.

Zan

and when you're not doing that, you're chilling on BF, eh?

ah... the eventful lives of cyclists.

this reminds me of a situation at my school. it was the lunch break, and i was showing my friends my bike chained up to the fence that everyone chains their bikes to. we went around and looked at the other rides kids were bringing to school (hey, nothing else to do).

i spied a relatively nice commuter on the fence, which had one of those 4-number combo locks. i observed the numbers on the lock... something like 1444. i thought "wow, this is too easy." I spun the three numbers 'till it hit 7 (or something like that), and the lock popped open. my buddies didn't really realize how i did it, but i unlocked another kid's bike.

ah man, that was funny.

i decided to lock the bike to a different part of the fence - about 15m down. i thought that'd give the kid enough warning to at least scramble the code when locking it .

roadfix

Only while at work, of course. I would never come on BF on my own time!

TromboneAl

If practical, I'd ask around at the apartment building and find the woman who owns the bike, and find a diplomatic way of telling her how to lock the bike correctly.