[Closed] Photo of a bike thief?

Make a note of your frame number and go armed with a very big lock...

Isn't that possibly libelous or something?

I don't have the frame number but when I reported it stolen I listed every single component

Isn't that possibly libelous or something

don't care

Well that guy might have bought the bike in good faith.

still don't care

Well that guy might have bought the bike in good faith.

still stolen and therefore not his

however you need to give him back the "extra's"

Personally if I were you I would just chalk it up to experience. However they got hold of your bike make sure they can't again. From looking at it in the picture the bike doesn't look like an expensive one it really wouldn't be worth the potential trouble with the police. (if they are a thieving scrot they will undoubtabely use the police to their advantage).

EDIT - and yes I have had a bike nicked in the past. I now have kyrptonite locks/ground anchors and a motion alarm - and M&S insurance....

If you gently massage a bike thief with a baseball bat they are often amenable to returning "borrowed" items.

kick his ed in! then ride over him!

Hmmm, seems a spurious connection with that many parts changed. If you really need to pursue this I would ask questions before the baseball bat massage.

grumm - Member

Isn't that possibly libelous or something?

uplink - Member

don't care

I'm with the man who "don't care"

Too many people in this country are far too concerned with so called human rights.........like you grumm

'it has different forks,wheels & saddle & he's added a kids saddle on the top tube & some crud catchers but - without a doubt - it's mine'

What timraven said. You'd look a proper numpty if you twa**ed him with your spare Bombers & the frame numbers were different. I mean it's not exactly unique is it?

Believe me, that bike is mine

I rode it pretty much every day since 2nd June 2002 until it was stolen on 24th June this year
It has many parts on it that were handed down from other bikes & I can even recall the scratches & marks on them
Other things like the full length cables along the top tube & the 1/2 XT, 1/2 Deore rear mech & the Bontrager stem give it away

No it wasn't expensive - my wife bought me it for my birthday from Halfords as a way to recuperate from illness & it got me back into bikes again so I'm not inclined to just let it go

I can't make it down there today but tomorrow I'll be waiting & if he turns up I think I'll just ride it away & then tell the police what I've done

It has to be said, I'm with Uplink on this one. If you're that sure, have it back mate, sod it.

DT,

how much does the insurance cost.

Just getting my life sorted after all my mtb gear was nicked. Don't want to repeat in a hurry.

I'm with Uplink on this one. If you're that sure, have it back mate, sod it.

Me too.

I feel almost sorry for the poor bloke who spent his last few quid on a bike to carry his kid to school on. Bought it in good faith from a second hand shop so he could start riding again after a long illness so he could spend with his son after his wife died.

Its all black and white here isn't it.

I got MY bike back by having a quiet word with the security bods at the spot where I saw MY bike parked. No need for violence. In the end, the second hand shop (AKA 'the stolen bike shop') got busted. The student lost his money. My bike was never the same again...

uplink, I can't make out the details of all these parts on the picture you've posted, how can you be so sure?

I feel almost sorry for the poor bloke who spent his last few quid on a bike to carry his kid to school on. Bought it in good faith from a second hand shop so he could start riding again after a long illness so he could spend with his son after his wife died.

Oh give it up. I can almost hear the violins playing now.

doesnt make it any better ...buying stolen goods is as bad as stealing them ...

Id kill for the chance to see my rig in a situation like that ....

i have sooo many happy memorys on that bike and they will not be added to anymore 🙁

Im with the who ****ing cares crowd. Just make sure you give them a chance to explain if they didnt steal it they will be happy for the copshop to come

Its all black and white here isn't it.

Indeed, it's mine & I'll have it back

If he did have some sad story as you painted above, I would probably let him take it back but, failing that, him [& his kid] will shortly be walking everywhere

As you said, he's probably a creature of habit so get yerself down to the sarnie shop at lunchtimes and reclaim!

Uplink, man, I love your attitude. Please let us know how this all finishes!

uplink, I can't make out the details of all these parts on the picture you've posted, how can you be so sure?

The photo is higher res than fotopic links to
My daughter instantly recognised it too

Too many people in this country are far too concerned with so called human rights.........like you grumm

Well if I'd bought a bike in good faith I wouldn't be too impressed about someone posting pictures of me on the net calling me a bike thief. It might have gone through many owners or a second hand shop by now.

What purpose does this thread actually serve apart from getting a few people all riled up with their Daily Mail 'justice' fantasies?

What purpose does this thread actually serve apart from getting a few people all riled up with their Daily Mail 'justice' fantasies?

since when has any thread needed a purpose?

apart from getting a few people all riled up with their Daily Mail 'justice' fantasies?

Seriously, I don't see anyone who's riled up fella. Uplink is being very calm, collected and matter-of-fact about it all really. It's his bike, and he's going to try and get it back. A very simple POV. 🙂

How do you propose to possitivly identify it and prove that its yours if you don't have the frame number?

I photographed mu bikes from all different angles including pics of distinguishing marks as well as frame numbers etc then uploaded them to Photobucket so i have a permanemt record that i can access from anywhere with an internet connection.

Uplink - You have one sharp Daughter there, has she got a job mapped out in CID?

my wife bought me it for my birthday from Halfords as a way to recuperate from illness

Well in that case, I hope you get it back as it obviously means a lot to you, good luck finding it.

How do you propose to possitivly identify it and prove that its yours if you don't have the frame number?

You've not read the thread properly, have you? 😉

Seriously, I don't see anyone who's riled up fella.

kick his ed in! then ride over him!

If you gently massage a bike thief with a baseball bat they are often amenable to returning "borrowed" items.

It's not locked. Ride off with your bike. It's yours.

as Rockhoppper says, it makes life much easier if you can prove prior ownership.

Following a link from our friendly Bristol copper who posts on here, I spent a very useful half hour photographing all 8 of our bikes and uploading pictures, distinguishing character notes and frame numbers to this site:

http://www.immobilise.com/

I hope I never need to use it, but if the time comes that I do, Im going to be relieved it's there when I need it most. Id recommend you all do the same.

If its his bike, regardless of how the current "owner" came by it, its still been obtained illegally and therefore not his.
I'd be there waiting armed with several f'off locks and then call the police when he turns up. Ideally if you have evidence of your previous ownership i.e. receipts, pictures etc bring them along too. Police more likely to believe you then.
Don't take the law into your own hands, as the last thing you want to do is be done for assault or similar!
Even now, if i saw a bike of mine that had been stolen, i'd be after it back.
Some of the attitudes on here do take the biscuit though, oh let him have it, poor love. NO ITS F*CKING STOLEN.
Im damn sure if you'd had a £2k bike nicked and you subsequently saw it in the street, you'd be all for taking it back, not thinking about the poor victim circumstances! Get real! Bloody liberal do gooders, makes my p!ss boil.

Grumm, have you had an irony bypass recently? 😉

I don't think they were serious you know........

It's not locked. Ride off with your bike. It's yours

Exactly

I never said I wouldn't try and get it back if it was mine - I just wouldn't have posted a thread calling someone a bike thief who may have had **** all to do with it.

uplink - Member

Indeed, it's mine & I'll have it back

Don't you mean [i]some[/i] of it's mine ??

I just wouldn't have posted a thread calling someone a bike thief who may have had **** all to do with it.

It's entirely possible he did just buy a bike for him and his kid without thinking too much about where it came from. Doesn't matter - it's still not his. He'll be upset when it's taken off him. Maybe he'll tell a load of his mates how p!ssed off he is about the whole affair. Maybe some of them will tell some of their mates. [b]Maybe[/b] some of them will think a bit more when offered a bike that's a bit too cheap. And [b][i]maybe[/i][/b] somewhere down the line a bike that was going to get nicked won't get nicked.

Maybe.

Don't you mean some of it's mine ??

most of it

It's your bike. Take it back.

I'm 100% with you on this one.

Maybe some of them will think a bit more when offered a bike that's a bit too cheap.

How much would be too cheap for that POS? 😛

Seriously though - it could have gone through several hands or second hand shops by this time and he might have paid a fair price for it. Or he might be a thieving scally.

What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

Nothing

But I prefer for that to be sorted out whilst I'm in possession of the bike again
As I said, I'll take it [if I get the chance] & tell the police what I've done
If he reports it as stolen, we'll see how it goes from there

To the OP,

what did you hope to achieve by doing this? do you have any idea of the potential legal implications of your actions?

either go and take "your" bike back or call the police.

what you have done may land you with a whopping payment in damages and legal fees to a potentially innocent man, the owner of the shop and anyone else that can be identified from that photo (i can spot at least another two).

DO NOT post things like this on a public internet forum.

If you don't care, then fine, I hope any lawyers that get involved have a field day with you.

Human rights.......fool. It's called the law, mate. If I recognised anyone in that photo I wouldn't think twice about telling them to sue you.

OMG that is me behind the counter innocently serving sandwiches and now I'm associated forever with bike theft - who do I sue?

if you honestly can't work out how to get the OP's real name, you ought to have another cup of coffee

I'm watching this just for comedy value. Do let us know how you get on! 🙂

Hey what if you just go along and lock the bike up with a new lock? 🙂

I think I'll start watching it purely for the comedy now

baguettes are cheap though....

Just nick it back.
I would.
And I'd have posted the pic.

My god there's some rseholes on here. 🙂

Human rights.......fool. It's called the law, mate. If I recognised anyone in that photo I wouldn't think twice about telling them to sue you.

You are a whale loving, tree hugging, black lesbian social worker from Haringey Council and I claim my £5.

oh oh its hot in here I am in the photo too, who do I sue? Quick before I get the Tuna/Sweetcorn treatment.

If I recognised anyone in that photo I wouldn't think twice about telling them to sue you

Do you look through the papers every day in the vain hope that there may be a picture in there of you near someone else and that you can sue because people will for ever associate you with that other idiot?

oh oh its hot in here I am in the photo too, who do I sue?

drop me an email, I'll give you details 😉

damages and legal fees to ... the owner of the shop and anyone else that can be identified from that photo (i can spot at least another two).

What are you basing this part of your rant on? Where's the potential for payments to any of these three people (I'm assuming by the other two you mean what I'm guessing are the girls working behind the counter - who I can't identify much beyond saying that one has blonde hair, and the other one seems to have darkish hair). At worst by posting this photo the OP is stating 'man who i believe has my stolen bike buys sandwiches from X shop and was probably served by one of two people'. Can you even identify that shop?

add another lock to it, and confront the gentleman, preferably with a bobby youve just collared as a referee.

im sure ive got the frame number for mine written down somewhere, but seeing as most of my components have serial numbers on them ANYWAY, i may make myself a more organised record.....

though he may well just then walk off, leaving his lock on the bike too.

i know a guy who saw his brother patriot on the platform at a station (recently nicked) so bolted it down and waited for the new owner to come and retrive it.

hang on a moment!

Bike thieves arent the kind of people to be turning MTB's into kiddie commuters realy are they??? And Im not 100% sure he doesn't have just as much right to call it 'his' bike as he bought it in good faith. As you said, you were insured, so if you got it back your going to have to return them all their cash/bike (and im guessing you probably valued it a bit higher than the £50 its worth), this bloke looses a bike he probably bought in good faith, and the thief gets away scott free. Doesn't seem very just does it?

TOTW!

And Im not 100% sure he doesn't have just as much right to call it 'his' bike as he bought it in good faith

I am

even if he bought it in good faith he has no rights to it whatsoever

Hate to be sensible, particularly as this thread is turning into comedy gold, but:

There's a chance the chap has no idea it is stolen, and

If you try and wrestle it back off him things could get seriously ugly.

Get some sympathetic rozzers involved and don't listen to the wannabe hard men on here.

yoohoo999's post is the funniest thing I've read this week!!!

Human rights.....fool

I'm now also with MrA on this. Comedy gold. 🙂

Note to Grumm - NOW people are getting all riled up mate!! 😀

And also, I feel I ought to send my congrats to Uplink for the best thread for ages!! 😉

This is one of the funniest threads for ages with some of the most misconceptions I have ever seen - even on here.

The " thief" might have grounds to sue if he is not the thief and has no connection with the thief. Unlikely however

No one else in the picture would have any grounds to sue whatsoever.

Nice use of "Human rights" when it has **** all to do with the human rights act, just a bit of understanding of the law

If the " thief" bought the bike in good faith he has committed no crime - its only handling stolen goods if you know the goods are stolen.

Taking the bike back without recourse to the law is illegal - especially as it has components on it that do not belong to the OP.

Myself I'd lock it up with a big f off lock if I saw it again ( arguably illegal) leave a note on it saying why I had done this then get plod to sort it out. I'd check the legality of doing so firts. following the person home might be better.

LOL at yoohoo!
seriously!!
what the ferk?!?!!

shocker: all cameras are now illegal!

holiday snaps, ok, but you need to get all passers by to sign disclaimers.

wouldnt bother taking any pictures at somewhere like a festival, youll be there forever, and will need to have a truck load of legal documents for ALL people in your photo to sign.

that or put SAS black squares over every face in every photo ever.

but its ok for CCTV to watch us. (though the CCTV companies are up in arms, when you try and put CCTV in the CCTV monitoring rooms to check what they are CCTVing.

who watches the watchmen?!

human rights, what rights? you dont have rights.
your sadly dissolusioned to think you do.

Can't believe it took TJ this long to get involved...

LOL @ yoohoo.

I've been in that sandwich shop before; I think I might sue uplink!

+1 for what TJ said.

bagsie that BMX, its probably nicked too.

maybe it looks like a mild-mannered sandwich shop full of cheap baguettes and daily mail readers ready to sue over violated human rights, but i'll bet its an illegal bike-trafficking station.

A police officer told me its quite hard to buy goods and be ignorant that they are stolen goods. If they are cheap, bought from some bloke in a pub, have no recipt etc etc it not good enough to say I didnt know they were stolen goods.

Nick the bike back, remove his bits and hand them back. Leave a note explaining it. Job done.

uplink, I got the delivery. the courier looked rather embarrassed 🙂

Cheers Mike 🙂

Don't know why she looked embarrassed though

Just spoke to the police

They don't have a problem with me riding it away as long as I tell them what I've done
They are concerned about any possible confrontation but not the act of liberating it

let's see if he's there tomorrow

See, a common sence response from a policeman. Perhaps the real world is not so full of politically correct, sue happy, daily mail reading idiots afterall.

i think people have completely missed the point of my post.

the OP posted a picture of someone on a public website and then labelled that person a thief. The thread is called "photo of a bike thief" for ****sake!

I am a lawyer. We have a word to describe such actions - "defamation".

People who are talking about human rights, whale loving, tree hugging......you are missing the boat completely, human rights have absolutely bugger all to do with any of this, it's a simple legal action.

If someone posted a picture of me on a website and accused me of being a thief I would sue them.

I hope this is not too difficult for some of you to get your head around.

Jeez, some of you are complete muppets.

Just call the police, stop taking stupid pictures and putting them online you mong.

Rockhopper - Member

How do you propose to possitivly identify it and prove that its yours if you don't have the frame number?

The standard of proof for stolen cars that have had numbers changed is something like 14 identifying features. By the sounds of it the OP is more than able to account for this.