My bike has been absconded with!

**amspratt** · 05-18-2010, 06:54 AM

So for the summer I had to move to a new apartment, but within the same apartment complex. Since I wasn't really moving out, I thought I could just leave my bike locked to the bike rack. Unfortunately, that assumption has proven to be incorrect. I went to the rack this morning to grab my bike and ride to work and what should I find? No bikes at all! Apparently, without any warning, the management cut the locks and whisked the bikes off to who-knows-where! Once I get off work I suspect I'll have to start a quest to get back my beloved mountain bike. Wish me luck!

**Jim** · 05-18-2010, 07:00 AM

You've been towed!

Good luck.

**AndrewGWU** · 05-18-2010, 07:10 AM

Good luck in finding it!

**Unknownsoldier** · 05-18-2010, 07:17 AM

Report it to the police, it's theft.... if there is no sign you have under UK law at least not entered into a verbal contract and as such any removal is theft. I would also seek recompence for the criminal damage to my bike lock.....

Tom

**amspratt** · 05-18-2010, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by Unknownsoldier

Report it to the police, it's theft.... if there is no sign you have under UK law at least not entered into a verbal contract and as such any removal is theft. I would also seek recompence for the criminal damage to my bike lock.....

Tom

I'm not too worried about the lock. I've been wanting to get a new one anyway. As far as the bike goes, there's probably some obscure clause in the lease agreement freeing the management from any liability on this sort of thing. I'm just hoping that they've just stuck them all in storage rather than shipping them off to a thrift store or Africa or something.

**mkornecki** · 05-18-2010, 08:03 AM

For some reason, this reminded me of an experience at the University of Notre Dame.

Early one morning when I started my postdoc there, I was strolling through campus when I noticed a girl ride by on her bike, zip up to a building, throw down the kickstand, and just walk into the building to attend class, leaving her bike unlocked!

I looked around and I noticed that *ALL* of the bicycles were left unlocked and unattended.

It was like I was in a crazy fantasy land bereft of crime, totally different from where I did my grad work (Mizzou)

**amspratt** · 05-18-2010, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by mkornecki

For some reason, this reminded me of an experience at the University of Notre Dame.

Early one morning when I started my postdoc there, I was strolling through campus when I noticed a girl ride by on her bike, zip up to a building, throw down the kickstand, and just walk into the building to attend class, leaving her bike unlocked!

I looked around and I noticed that *ALL* of the bicycles were left unlocked and unattended.

It was like I was in a crazy fantasy land bereft of crime, totally different from where I did my grad work (Mizzou)

I could probably get away with that here at Utah State (Logan, UT has the lowest crime rate of any city its size). However, I spent some time down at University of Arizona, and had my bike stolen despite my best efforts to keep it locked up securely. I guess this is actually the second time I've had a bike disappear on me.

**BrianL** · 05-18-2010, 08:54 AM

Wish you luck on getting your bike back.

**Confuzius** · 05-18-2010, 10:05 AM

I had a bike stolen from a friend's backyard a few years ago, their backyard is right next to the parking lot for a public pool/park, so there's lots of foot traffic. I ended up getting it back from public security, but they found it when someone had called in a noise complaint, it appeared that some kids were trying to see how high in the air they could throw a bicycle and what kind of noises it would make when it hit the ground. :-(

Good luck!

**cheerwind** · 05-18-2010, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Confuzius

it appeared that some kids were trying to see how high in the air they could throw a bicycle and what kind of noises it would make when it hit the ground. :-(

I was a student in Windsor for a while and resided in the nasty part of town, west of the Ambassador Bridge. That had to be the ugliest ghetto trash hell hole in all of Canada. All of the lots were surrounded by these low iron fences which I didn't quite understand because they seemed to serve no practical function and were eyesores that gave the street a hostile vibe.

One day we didn't close the gate and some kids surrounded by an audio cone of expletives and bouncing basketballs used the walkway through our residence as a shortcut. They were kind enough hit the length of the house with a stick and ring the doorbell for no reason on their way through.

No respect for other people's property.

But then kids in that part of town don't have respect for their own property either. Another time some kid on that same street was hurling ice balls at his own house and putting huge dents in the aluminum siding.

It would take an army sized division of $30/h government social workers to clean up the mess in that one small part of Windsor--4 divisions if they're not armed and mechanized. Dear Lord may I never go back to that human wasteland.

**razorrookie** · 05-18-2010, 12:54 PM

In the middle of my last semester of my B.S.M.E someone stole my bike CHAIN. Yep, I go out at 2am from working on a project, unlock my bike from the rack, mount said bike, place foot on upper pedal and push off... and the cranks freewheel around and hit me in the shin and I almost fall over becuase there's no chain where there once was.

I figured it was a prank and asked all my fellow engineering students (and I had no bad relations with anyone, so it wasn't a pissed off groupmate or anything) who was being cute... nope, someone stole my bike chain.

.... Really? If they need it that bad, I figured let'um have it.

**SalvadorMontenegro** · 05-18-2010, 01:01 PM

I can't tell you how excited I am that you used the word "absconded." I had forgotten it. Don't get me wrong, I hope you find your bike and that it all turns out okay, but I'm thankful for absconded.

**Synovia** · 05-18-2010, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by amspratt

I'm not too worried about the lock. I've been wanting to get a new one anyway. As far as the bike goes, there's probably some obscure clause in the lease agreement freeing the management from any liability on this sort of thing. I'm just hoping that they've just stuck them all in storage rather than shipping them off to a thrift store or Africa or something.

I don't know much about Utah, but in most states, there's a fairly lengthy process that landlords need to go through to abscond with your property. And in almost all of the states, no terms of a lease can be in violation of state law. The law is valid over the lease.

**mr_economy** · 05-18-2010, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by mkornecki

(Mizzou)

Well there's your problem!

To the OP: best of luck in getting your bike safely returned.

**proxymoron** · 05-18-2010, 06:18 PM

Same thing happened to me in college. One of the many unappreciated mile markers on the road to common sense.

Now I live in NY. Wouldn't lock a bike up overnight anywhere in five boroughs; local delivery guys have reached an evolutionary pinnacle of means, motive, and opportunity (not to mention poverty). And that's just the honest ones.

**amspratt** · 05-19-2010, 04:56 PM

I'm happy to report that I have my bike back, safe and sound. The landlords apparently gave tags to all the people who were staying for their summer so their bikes wouldn't be removed, and somehow I missed the memo. Luckily they hold the bikes in storage for thirty days before donating them. It's good to have my beloved bike back in action!