Litespud

I used to never lock my car, because (i) it's a rusty slow-as-balls 20-year-old Subaru, (ii) it's a stick-shift, and (iii) I never left anything worth stealing in it - hell, the stock stereo still has a cassette slot. Once in a blue moon, someone would go through it when it was street-parked overnight, but nothing broken, nothing taken - so what, right? A few months ago, someone went through it while it was parked for ~15 min outside the supermarket. I returned to find the contents of the center console - bits of paper and a few disposable masks - dumped out on the ground. That was the final straw for me - I'm not worried about the car or its contents being stolen, I've decided that I'm done with randos sitting in my seat and going through my car.

livedarklions

Sorry, but if someone can't be bothered to lock their bike, it's not my job to put myself at risk to maybe save their bike.
IMO,there's way too many ways for your intervention to go south on you for you to feel bad about it, and the fact that the bike was unlocked made it a whole lot less clear that the bike was being taken without ownership.

When I was younger, I pony rode a few bikes that I owned. By itself, I wouldn't find that especially suspicious.

SpeedyBlueBiker

I have a 20 year old Honda CRV. It's my park at the Park & Ride, Trailhead, and transport bicycle inside car. 200K miles on it and it serves a great purpose. I still lock it up all the time and leave nothing in view. The dark tinted windows and tono cover help.

SpeedyBlueBiker

Yes! Don't try to get up close and personal. That could invite unwanted problems.

rsbob 

Have a similar memory that has plagued me for the last 35 years. Was following a friend driving through a redwood forest in Northern CA We were miles in with not a soul around to be seen, nor their vehicles. In the midst sitting in an empty parking lot was a black lab looking out at the road. I drove by trying to keep up with my fast friend. Have regretted to this day not going back and rescuing that poor dog.

spelger

unfortunately today that would probably land your friend in jail.

Bald Paul

The bears have caught on to that trick.

Bald Paul

I've stopped to use a public restroom, and just rolled my bike inside with me.
Note to self: in the future, remember to turn off the GoPro.

Troul 

that's a crappy selfie.

Yan 

I wouldn't feel bad about it. In another country maybe. In America you never know when some lunatic will shoot you in the face with no warning.

downtube42

You didn't actually know the third bike was stolen. Yes it looked suspicious, and indeed it turned out to be the case, but you didn't know. Riding a crappy bike, being poor, ghost riding a bike... these are not crimes. Heck, I've probably ghost ridden a nicer bike while riding a crappy bike, whilst poor. No thievery or drug use was involved.

From another perspective, there's no way in hell I'd want someone to put themselves in danger, to protect a bicycle I've chosen to leave outside.

kahn

Isn't there a thread with biking videos?

sean.hwy

That has happened to me twice. Once at a gas station and once a mcdees. I have probably brought my bike in at least 100 other places though. I ride with flat pedals so I don't have the road/mtb bike shoes that clip/scratch the floor. Maybe that helps?

Broctoon

This is the most helpful thing to remind myself when I was feeling some regret over my inaction. It's only in hindsight that I feel I perhaps should have intervened. At the time, I really didn't have reasonable suspicion to confront the individuals.

Chuck M 

And yet around here, people walk in the same types of stores that ask you to leave your bike outside with dogs.

Herzlos

I wouldn't confront them either; it's just not worth the risk and a bike is replaceable (and hopefully insured).

If I'd seen something that suspicious, then I'd probably have phoned the police from the car to give them a heads up and a recorded description, and maybe waited in the car to see what way they went.

rumrunn6

reminds me when I first moved to Boston, in my early 20s, was out walking w/ my girlfriend for dinner & such, we were down around the Fanuel Hall area when I saw a young well dressed, college age kid, ripping a radio & wires out of a BMW. I shouted & gave chase. I wasn't much older than him so I was able to give a good chase but he was faster. chased him all over Fanuel Hall in & out of buildings & alleys even shouting at a cop on a scooter to help, w/o any luck. the kid lost me. I believe in hindsight, I had a realization that it could have gone very wrong, for me. I was naive I guess

GhostRider62

If I take the risk of leaving my bike unattended, I would NEVER expect another cyclists to put his life on the line to prevent the theft of my lousy albeit expensive machine. That would be on me.

I stay out of cities. Of the 4 times a knife has been pulled on me, it was always in a city. Avoidance is the best defense.

Troul 

these stores I'm referring to don't have wooden floors. The stores just take kind to our types...

livedarklions

​​​​​​Doesn't mean that it was a good idea, that story could easily have had a really bad outcome. If it were my bike, I wouldn't want your friend to put himself at risk like that.

Koyote

Taking a photo would likely be seen, by thieves, as "confronting them." And it would be utterly useless, since all the cops do in those situations is write a report and move on. It's not like they're going to put the thieves' pictures on milk cartons, or run facial recognition software, for a relatively trivial crime.

indyfabz

I and a cousin used to live a couple of blocks from each other BITD. Car break in were common. She had a decent Acura. At some point she stopped locking the doors because she got tired or replacing windows, and her stereo had already been stolen. She would also leave a note on the window noting there was nothing of value to steal. The car itself never got stolen. That would probably be different today.

When I bought my Forester in 2016 it as only my second vehicle and the first with electronic locks. Early on I forgot to lock the doors with the key thingy. Someone stole the winter floor mats out of the back. WTH? What sort of resale market could there possibly be for them? I would imagine some shady guy standing on the corner in a trench coat. He opens one side of the coat, revealing the stolen good, and says "Who needs winter floor mats for a 2016 Forester? I got some winter floor mats here, cheap."

And the town you are thinking of is Churchill, Manitoba, Canada:

7 Things You Didn't Know About Canada · Kenton de Jong Travel

Broctoon

Yep, that's the one. Good catch!

indyfabz

Your mention of the law reminded me that I had heard about it a long time ago but had forgotten about it, so I used the Googles.

genejockey 

When The Older Boy was working as a Courtesy Jerk Clerk at Safeway, he was told DO NOT attempt to stop shoplifters.