If you caught a bike thief in action, what would you do?

[crgildart]

Also, I cannot read this thread without thinking about the most notorious bike thief of the 1980s.

 

[crgildart]

The uu tuubs full of people catching and beating up thieves. No doubt some of it is staged but some looks pretty legit.. If legit there are probably instances where the thief was actually able to sue the bike owner for damages/injuries received when they were caught and beaten badly stealing the person's bike.

 

[newboots]

The uu tuubs full of people catching and beating up thieves. No doubt some of it is staged but some looks pretty legit.. If legit there are probably instances where the thief was actually able to sue the bike owner for damages/injuries received when they were caught and beaten badly stealing the person's bike.

It seems possible. In a society governed by law, punishment is meted out by the state, not the angry owner. Given the talk of wielding a gun or shorting someone who is caught stealing one’s bike, I’ll take the society governed by law.

 

[skibob]

It seems possible. In a society governed by law, punishment is meted out by the state, not the angry owner. Given the talk of wielding a gun or shorting someone who is caught stealing one’s bike, I’ll take the society governed by law.

We might wish for it to work better sometimes, but this^^^ is better 100% of the time.

 

[François Pugh]

It's different when it's not your bike or a family member's bike. Just like don't expect anybody to intervene if you find yourself in a first fight, except maybe a close friend. Most people are risk averse.

 

[pete]

The uu tuubs full of people catching and beating up thieves. No doubt some of it is staged but some looks pretty legit.. If legit there are probably instances where the thief was actually able to sue the bike owner for damages/injuries received when they were caught and beaten badly stealing the person's bike.

Only if they find the body ......


(sorry, just love that line)

 

[crgildart]

Only if they find the body ......


(sorry, just love that line)

When the prom date is waiting for my daughter..... "I have a shotgun, a shovel, and an alibi"...

 

[Uncle-A]

When the prom date is waiting for my daughter..... "I have a shotgun, a shovel, and an alibi"...

Someone earlier was talking about a backhoe and a lot of land.

 

[johnnyvw]

It seems possible. In a society governed by law, punishment is meted out by the state, not the angry owner. Given the talk of wielding a gun or shorting someone who is caught stealing one’s bike, I’ll take the society governed by law.

Well,that seems to be part of the problem, isn't it...justice is NOT being handed down by the state, they are doing catch and release with no consequences.

 

[Uncle-A]

This is a made up narrative of convenience. But seriously, why don't we leave the fantasies behind and talk about skiing and cycling?

We have had some thread drift and I have contributed to that, so you are correct in steering us back to our ski related topic. Mea culpa.

 

[Andy Mink]

MOD HAT

The question is not red vs blue. The question is what would YOU do? Get it back on track please. Any further r vs b get deleted so please don't waste your time and the mods' time.

 

[Hankj]

When I was 20 years old I was walking home from work to my apartment and a tweaker was walking toward me quickly pushing what was clearly my prized mountain bike that had been locked in the secure parking garage. He was a full grown man. I played it cool, and as we passed absolutely smashed him with a overhand right in the temple. Back then I could make one of those barroom punching power machines read almost 1000 with a right and 900 with a left. I didn't box, but was an all around fit big long athletic kid.

He went down like a sack of potatoes and started convulsing as his body arched backwards and his arms sort of lifted above his head. His eyes were open and rolled back.

I didn't know what to do then. I picked up the bike and took off running. I came back 30 minutes later and he was gone. My roommate and I lived in a sketchy area of San Diego, lots of street crime, thefts, bar fights exploding out of nowhere. Had been ripped off previously, worked hard for my stuff, no silver spoon etc. I think I was a little afraid most of the time, and that fear made me angry. I'd have little fantasies about dishing out justice to the scumbags who were are always creeping around the streets stealing, stabbing each other etc.

But as soon as I hurt that guy I felt terrible. When he was lying there twitching horribly I was flooded with a realization of his humanity. I felt sick and couldn't sleep for weeks. I really do hope that someone more responsible got him medical attention.

All that was almost 35 years ago. Nowadays I would say something along the lines of "oh hey that's my bike, I mustn't have locked it up, let me give you 20 bucks for finding it," maybe grab the bike as this conversation took place. Give him a window for a graceful exit. If the thief was insistent they can have it. I have insurance, and the tough guy cowboy fantasy about punching or shooting someone who's taking your property or threatening you (and feeling okay about it) is, imo, a kind of macho mental fear-biting. The reality of seriously injuring or killing someone sucks, particularly over stuff.

 

[givethepigeye]

The uu tuubs full of people catching and beating up thieves. No doubt some of it is staged but some looks pretty legit.. If legit there are probably instances where the thief was actually able to sue the bike owner for damages/injuries received when they were caught and beaten badly stealing the person's bike.

I was on the board of an organization in Charleston. We had somebody try and break into our soda vending machine by rocking it back and forth (on camera). Eventually it fell on him. We got sued.

 

[Don in Morrison]

My oldest son's first bike was a Frankenbike, a little dirt bike made of parts of other bikes. It was stolen twice from the school bike rack, and recovered both times, but once with a bent fork, which was replaced with a part from another bike. Then he bought another dirt bike from a neighbor, which was stolen from our driveway a few months later. We bought him a mountain bike, which also got lifted from the front porch one night. He still had the Frankenbike and one day he left home and returned a few hours later riding an ugly, beat up mountain bike. He said a kid in the next neighborhood over offered him a trade, so he took it. I looked at the bike he brought home and said. "Somebody got ripped off, but I'm not sure who."

 

[Tricia]

And with that, we'll be doing some clean up of the political context.

MOD HAT

The question is not red vs blue. The question is what would YOU do? Get it back on track please. Any further r vs b get deleted so please don't waste your time and the mods' time.

 

[crgildart]

It is said that "if you shoot someone for stealing your stuff you value your stuff more than their life, but the opposite is also true if you are stealing someone's stuff you value their stuff more than your own life". I don't know if either is correct but it shows that there are two or more sides to a discussion.

I'd argue the opposite. I'd guess nobody stealing a bike expects to be shot doing it. They expect the possibility of being arrested and probably just probation unless they're already on probation. They expect the justice system to deal with them same as folks expect the justice system to deal with someone who goes vigilante and shoots someone for stealing a bike.

 

[Uncle-A]

I'd argue the opposite. I'd guess nobody stealing a bike expects to be shot doing it. They expect the possibility of being arrested and probably just probation unless they're already on probation. They expect the justice system to deal with them same as folks expect the justice system to deal with someone who goes vigilante and shoots someone for stealing a bike.

I am going to avoid anymore conflict in this thread because I have had posts removed.

 

[neonorchid]

I'd argue the opposite. I'd guess nobody stealing a bike expects to be shot doing it. They expect the possibility of being arrested and probably just probation unless they're already on probation. They expect the justice system to deal with them same as folks expect the justice system to deal with someone who goes vigilante and shoots someone for stealing a bike.

I am going to avoid anymore conflict in this thread because I have had posts removed.

Too late, we're already thinking it.

 

[Core2]

This has been on my mind a lot lately. I had some stuff stolen a few weeks back and had video evidence, was able to track the thief to their house (stolen stuff had GPS) and they even left their garage door opener on my patio by mistake so I could open their house. Instead of vigilante justice, I called the police who came and knocked on the house once (of course no one answered), took the garage door opener from me and said there was nothing they would do for my theft which was only worth a few hundred bucks. So here I trusted the system and I got nothing for it. So I say I will protect my property next time and confront thieves with a gun and people say I will get charged for murder. So what am I supposed to do? Police aren't doing anything about petty theft anymore in my city and many others. They are understaffed and just don't have the time which I understand. Criminals know this now too and activity is stepping up in these places. Look at San Francisco as a prime example. So again what can I do?

 

[givethepigeye]

@Core2 - maybe donuts?? Sorry, thieves are some of the worst.