Slingithajime

I just came back from the GLOWFEST in Santa Monica. As I'm heading back to where I locked up, I see a vagrant type trying to ride off on my bike. I break into a sprint and tackle him to the ground from behind. He immediately curls into a ball and starts screaming, "Im sorry".

I saw a genuine look of fear when I had him pinned to the ground. I wish I could say I kicked his ass as I am sure he's stolen other peoples bikes but at that moment, that look in his eyes was enough justice for me. Plus you never know if he has a pocket knife or something to stick me with. I shoved him to the ground twice more when he tried to get up and flee and even yelled out, "you like stealing bikes? Dont steal bikes, bro" with each shove

This all just happened an hour ago and Im still shell shocked. More than anything, Im just amazed at my incredible timing. Had I been late by 10 seconds, this guy would have been off with my bike.

PS: there were a ton of people at the GLOWFEST and no good areas to lock up to, so I locked to a metal lattice fence. Mistake! He probably got my bike loose with wire cutters. My U-lock was still attached to the bike when a retrieved it.

hairnet

Damn, really? I was just out there but I was driving my girlfriend around. What were the cross streets?

Leukybear 

Wow, you lucked out this time; just don't forget to lock up your bike to things that aren't going to become the weakest link in your security.

KD5NRH

You don't even remember where he pwned you and got your bum costume all dirty?

IcySmooth52

I would've given the guy a few kicks when down despite the look. I would've pulled my knife on him to make sure his eyes of fear became terror as well. Having this blade on me has kept me from being robbed once, and prevented two fights in my life.

Spudd

IcySmooth - first, testosterone much? LOL. Second, I think the fact that your knife's name is "MIL" is kinda funny. MIL strikes fear in the hearts of attackers!

wearyourtruth

i've done that too, it's a surreal feeling that a matter of seconds is the only difference between having and not having my bike.

hairnet

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
why you gotta blow my cover?

bumblebeetuna

This will make you the suspect and turn the bum into the victim.

Scrodzilla

^ Beat me to it.

paipo

Maybe it goes without saying, but it would be best when folks remember this: our precious bikes are considered property...theft of our bikes is a property crime. If the bum assaults YOU during the theft or attempted theft, do what you need to do to stay safe and alive. However, absent any kind of physical assault or attempts of physical assault onto you or verbal threat of bodily harm by the bum onto you, if YOU cut him with YOUR knife or cause major injury to the bum with your badass MMA skills to prevent the theft of your property...well, YOU will be the one who ends up getting arrested for assault....maybe even manslaughter if you kill the bum! And for what.....a bike???

Very few types of properties in these United States warrants the use of up to deadly force even if the suspect has not used physical force against another to steal it. This should give you an idea of some of the few: Nuclear weapons in high-secure areas or guarded by armed security in transit and nuclear powerplants and storage facilitilies are some of them. Bike vs nuclear property. Hey, you did good!

btw, nice tonto, icy...I'd like to get one of those!

IcySmooth52

Actually that pic isn't my knife, it just looks like it. I have a CRKT M-16 which is better because it has a lock. And I never said I'd stab him, just pull a knife on him to make him scared and to remember to not touch my bike next time he sees it. My blade has only stabbed someone once in Boston and I didn't make the first move, he did. I'm actually a very docile guy believe it or not.

calv

Couldnt he always just tell the cops you tried to attack him, or threatened to with a ****ing crazy shank like that?

Slingithajime

This happened on Bicknell and Ocean. It was a relatively well lit area for 1:00AM with plenty of people around. When I cornerback tackled him to the ground, a group of people gathered around to see what was happening. I even had a group of vatos give me props for the take down, haha.

Ive been replaying the situation in my head all morning and I regret not popping him in the face a couple times before letting him scamper off but I think Paipo put the situation in perspective. Main thing is, I still have my bike.

And now Bike Forum Community Theater staring Icy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4

Grillparzer

Yes, and after he was convicted for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, the impoverished victim will find a lawyer who will work pro bono and sues our knife wielding maniac for all the money he has and all of the property he owns by claiming that the assault caused great psychological harm to a person in an already fragile and desperate mental state. A sympathetic jury will award the victim millions of dollars for damages thus forcing our BF friend in to bankruptcy. Decades from now, after his spouse and family have abandoned him in disgust, he's living in a cardboard box named Frigidaire that he shares with an empty bottle of Wild Irish Rose, and he has lost minimum wage paying job after job because of his suicidal depression, he'll be standing next to a bicycle rack and decided that his own selfish need for transportation outweighs the property rights of another. After he successfully manages to jimmy the new nanotechnology Kryptonite lock with a plastic ball point pin and jumps on the carbon fiber Huffy frame, he gets himself shot in the back because that bicycle owner knows that you never, ever pull out a weapon unless you intend to use it.

patthepunk

Ive got that same exact knife

prind0

Well back on the topic of stolen bikes, a friend of mines brother had his bike stolen earlier this week (Thursday afternoon). They cut through his lock in broad daylight, and we thought that the bike was gone for good. That Friday was our local Critical mass and he made the announcement to everyone to look out for the bike, well lo and behold someone had seen someone riding the bike around and the kid was bragging about stealing it from a town 20 miles away.

Then yesterday we had an Alleycat, after everything was over we had a little BBQ at the park. Guess who we saw? The kid riding the bike, the stupid kid even decided to try to rattlecan over the original paint, chop the bullhorns, and take off the clips/straps so that we wouldn't recognize it. Thing was my friends bike had a unique stem (for the area at least, since we don't have that many riders) and someone recognized it. Within seconds there was a mob of at least 30 people surrounding the guy, kid started talking crap saying that he bought the bike (different story a day later, yeah definitely stole it). He looked like he was seconds away from crying and he was shaking so much, luckily no one there was stupid enough to assault the guy, and we got the bike back.

on the path

I don't get it. You want to send the theif a message? Call the police and have him arrested. Don't pull a knife, don't kick his ass. Have him thrown in jail. Doing that will probably deter the criminal at least somewhat. Maybe more importantly, there will be a record of the crime, and a record on the criminal. Sure it takes some of your personal time, but it's the right thing to do.

blickblocks

Don't play around with knives unless you have some defensive training. I have a gravity that my sister gave me when she worked at an Army/Navy surplus store, but I don't take it anywhere because I know I'm not capable of using it in a way that will diffuse any conflict.

carleton

Once you produce a weapon in a conflict the sh*t hits the fan.

I had some buddies get into a "normal" 2 on 2 fight. I'm not sure who started it as everyone involved was a jerk. Then one of the guys picked up a stick from the ground. That's when the charges escalated.

Even threatening someone with anything that can be considered a weapon is a big deal...especially a deadly weapon.

boro

Oh please don't stab me! I'm sorry I tried to steal your bike

I'm sorry I...


BLAMO.

paipo

Stealing anything worth over $400 is a felony in California....serious stuff and a strike. That being said, I doubt anyone here with a lick of commons sense would actually maim or kill a thief unless the thief became dangerously assaultive toward them during or after the crime of theft.

trx1

"You want to send the theif a message?
Call the police and have him arrested".
then wait 20 or MORE mins til they decide to show up...i dont think so.
just kick his ass.
remember THEY started it.
forget jail.

scroca

Some drunk tried to steal my bike. When I tackled him I ended up on top of him and I grabbed him by the throat with one hand. I'll never forget the way he said, "Please don't kill me sir".

That was decades ago. To this day I regret not bashing his pathetic face a couple of times.

Sorry, Slingitthajime, but this will haunt you to the day you die. You shoulda smacked him.

PHR3AK

don't fight ugly people, they have nothing to lose!