Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Whoa / Two Wheels Can you stop a bike from getting nicked?
Posted by Kevin Warwick on 11.07.12 at 06:00 PM
- David Hawgood
- Sitting ducks
As far as I'm concerned, that extra attention helps keep my bike in my possession and out of the hands of a bike thief. Just this morning I considered locking it to the racks outside the building, but ultimately decided against it. I've been warned and warned again that thieves will chop or bash through cable locks, U-locks, and chain locks to get at a bike. Basically, it's just waiting to get stolen.
And after watching "Gone in 60 Seconds: The Bike Crime Wave," I'm just going to start sleeping alongside my bike. The 25-minute documentary produced by ITV London investigates the stolen-bike epidemic of central London, where an unreal 80 bicycles are "nicked" every day. It begins with a few demos from reporters on how easy it is to cut bike locks in congested, tourist-driven areas—sometimes with a hacksaw, even—and ride off while eyes look the other way.
Other features of the doc include bike-lock tests (or how simple it can be to bust through expensive chain locks), stings directed at bike thieves, and a look at London's black market of stolen bikes, where you can purchase brand new two-wheelers on a street corner at half their retail price.
Check out the entire program below:
