vol

Come to think of it, one may well have a fatal accident simply as the result of the bike light being stolen. I hope the thieves realize this.​

windhchaser

i was talking to some one about what they do in some middle eastern countrys.acorrding to him you can drop a coin and the coin will still be there a week latter not sure if i belive him but that would be cool

vol

How about dropping a large bill? just kidding Sounds nice, maybe because they'll cut off your hand if you steal?

canyoneagle

They do this in Saudi, but only after 3 offenses, and each offense has to be documented and proven. So, not many hands get cut off.
But what I can say is that it works. I lived in the Eastern Province (Al-Khobar, Dhahran, Dammam) for 8 years and felt completely safe going out any time of day or night.

KonAaron Snake 

You know - the guy was homeless and likely has serious mental/chemical addiction problems. I'm not trying to forgive crime, but before we all start advocating mid-eastern justice, let's consider what this guy's life is probably like.

Given some of the other aspects of radical Islamic justice, I'm pretty happy to live where I do - and I'm grateful to this country, and my parents - for setting me up not to live in the streets. Given how easy I've had it comparatively to most, I'm a little slow to root for handless thieves.

All that said, I find it hard to feel too sympathetic to a thief and I won't shed a tear.

350htrr

You sound like a lawyer... But your Honor, it's his first time, give him a chance to reform... Really, you just cant give up on him, he will not do it again, he promised me to go straight, it was just a mistake, really, he was just "borrowing" it and would have returned it at the end of the day......

KonAaron Snake 

I sound like someone grateful to live in a country with mercy and justice...and who is grateful for being given so much compared to many others. I'm grateful not to live in a theocratic, barbaric, mid eastern hell hole that is being held up as a paradigm of justice.

I have news for you - our values and legal system are part of why we're prosperous.

350htrr

More like were... prosperous, now going bankrupt... But that's another discussion, even the legal system sucks now, where the lawyers started to believe their job is to get their "clients" off, no matter, if they are guilty or innocent, instead off what their job actually is, to make sure the system doesn't run over the innocent and railroad them... JMO as I see things.

canyoneagle

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't endorsing or saying I liked the justice system in Saudi, just that theft and street crime of any kind was unheard of.
They had some pretty messed up interpretations and applications of Sharia law, to be sure.

KonAaron Snake 

It is exactly a lawyer's job to advocate for their client. It's an essential part of due process and its part of what makes us different. Compared to other countries we are doing spectacularly well - you are typing on the internet in a nation of enormous wealth. I think you should study what other societies are like - it might make you more appreciative of what we have. It's why people the world over enter lotteries to be here. We're the worst system in the world - except for all of the others.

The problem in this country isn't the lawyers - it's people who don't understand why they're necessary until they need one. The problem is uneducated, ignorant people who take things for granted, and who don't understand the nuance of our system but have opinions anyway. I don't think you understand how most people live if you call us bankrupt.

KonAaron Snake 

i know what you mean - crime is a definite problem here. Every system has strengths and weaknesses, and you have to weigh the outcomes. I think a society without mercy has some fundamental problems.

Drv1913

I hate a thief as much as the next person, but I really can't get down with the idea of giving someone two black eyes for attempted property theft. Can't really tell a whole lot from the article, though. I wonder if Kirk got belligerent when confronted by McDougal or if McDougal came out with fists swinging. Either way, I do agree that being a thief comes with occupational hazards that should probably be expected.

genec

Got me wondering if my Ulock would even fit around my neck like that... it does. Have to keep that in mind.

windhchaser

thiefs get what the deserve i care a hell of a lot more about the poor guy rideing his bike to work and then some ******* steals his bike.thiefs are like parasites they take and take

Ekdog

That's the way it was when I was a kid in the Southern California in the 1960's. Folks in our neighborhood left their keys in their cars, too, and we never locked our front door.

It's hard to believe how much things have changed.

vol

Did anyone read the story I linked above in post #22?

JPprivate

I was surprised to read this was 'grand' theft. I thought the limit was in excess of $2000. But after reading up some more it sounds like a couple of hundred dollars makes the theft a felony. That's somewhat of a relieve.

canyoneagle

Yes. Pretty low, for sure.

whitenhiemer

There was a case like this in Seattle, guy walks into a building and his bike lock is cut and his bike is swiped. A few days later he sees the bike on Craig's List, meets the guy in broad day light to verify that this is his exact bike and not a similar looking bike. After confirmation, he proceeds to take the bike back, and whoop some ass before calling the cops of his would be stolen goods dealer.

whitenhiemer

Did they at least find the bike? Seems to custom for use but anyone but the intended rider. I don't see a legged man riding that down the street.

I don't even think that you could part that thing out for that much money since most everything looks either hand built, or modified to death to fit the application.

noglider 

While the assault was justified, I get no joy from it.

And I happen to work in a place where I literally do lean my bike up against the building and walk inside. Some people bring their bikes inside, but that's too much effort for me. The building has an overhang, which protects my bike from rain.

squegeeboo

That's what I do. It'll burn me eventually, I even had another cyclist at the one remaining 'within the city' grocery store comment on it, 'Thats a really expensive bike, you're insane not to lock it'

Ekdog

Was he charged with assault?

labas

A lot of bravado flying around here, much of which I can understand. However, I can't help wondering if everyone would be so eager to follow through with such "vengeance" were the perp a 6'5" 250 lbs gym rat?

Ns1

moral of the story: don't steal bikes unless you can beat up the bike's owner