[Closed] Well thats me £20.00 down thank goodness...

Er, yeah.

Bike thieves are better at breaking locks than locksmiths.

You called the police to tell them your bike was locked up?

5 pages at least? 😉

Bike thieves are better at breaking locks than locksmiths.

indeed. Thieves are in a hurry and don't care whether they damage the bike whatever its locked to.

Similarly the AA will take longer to get into you car when you're locked out than a guy with half a brick will.

The lock smith needs a battery angle grinder.

Power drill?! Bloody amateur.

Ur pen iz not a Bic?

my steed

Delete your account.

£20 sounds a bargain.

Tell us more about this outrageous police response.

My makita cordless grinder cut through my kryptonite evo in about 15 seconds with a 1mm disc

4 inch battery grinder. Slitting disc, 30 seconds absolute max time. Id be awsy before the third 9 was dialled. All kit I've got in my van. However I'm not a bike thief.

So the locksmith gave you a tenner for his trouble?

my steed

Delete your account.

My first thought also.

Tell us more about this outrageous police response.

Hey! It was life or death should of had PLATO response.

PS the police who tell us to buy good locks to save them work didn't give a shit about helping me

I sense you told them that you pay their wages and they should help you...

my steed

*reports to RSPCA for leaving a horse locked to something*

Get in the sea.

PLATO response

Should I know what this means? 😀

PLATO response

Should I know what this means?

Jason?

Don’t listen to them, OP.

Call your bike what you want.

Jamie - Member
Don’t listen to them, OP.

Call your bike what you want.

Girlfriend?

Please say you dialled 999 to report it and you'll go viral

John Steed.

The barrels /cylinders in my kryptonite stick from time to time.. The trick is not to force it, if the key sticks, or doesn't go in all the way, dump a load of wd40 into into the barrel and it will wiggle free.

So, just checkin’ - you’re moaning that the police didn’t give a shit... even though a crime hadn’t been committed? Or have I missed something?

How did the locksmith know it was your bike?

In fact - what's to stop anyone turning up to a nice house while the owners are on holiday and having a locksmith open it up. Before emptying the place one could even have the locksmith invoice the actual owners of the house 😀

They sent their best though.[img] ?strip=all&w=960[/img]

He must have got through to the Keystorn Cops.

Try dropping Kryptonite's warranty department a line - when my lock jammed they seemed perfectly happy to pay for reasonable locksmith charges and replace the lock.

I do use the spendier ones though, dunno if they support their cheaper ones to the same degree.

I was parked outside a police headquarters!You know,those guys who smash into peoples houses with all the equipment.Asked for help at the desk(little lass from G4S),she rang a Sargent who couldn't help me.Hope the same happens to him or his family one dark night in the cold and damp.PS I,m happy with the £20.00 bill and pleased that some members of the public did help and show some concern.As for the police in there nice warm office,I won't be helping them in future.

Still not sure what help you wanted (or expected) from the Police.

My key broke half way in and was jammed.I wouldn't of dreamt of ringing the police but I was actually at a Police HQ.Interested to hear what you guys would have done in such circumstances.Been hypocrites as usual I suppose.

Dirk,they will have equipment to break a broken lock you know.We buy them that equipment and pay there salaries to boot.As someone who's gone out of his way to help the police in the past,a little bit of help in a difficult situation would have been nice.But as my mate Ian said,they only care about the rich.

As for the police in there nice warm office,I won't be helping them in future.

[img] [/img]

Sorry op, couldn't help the above!

Not showing any malice I want to make clear, this is stw though and I've learnt the hard way that any chink in your armour is exploited/used against you for amusement!

Don't take it to heart and for what it's worth they could have earnt themselves a bit of good PR from helping you but I guess they just haven't got the man power these days with massive cuts etc.

Glad you got it sorted anyway bud. That's what counts. 🙂

It's ok,I try to stop and help people in difficulty.Guess I'm nieve to expect the same from others.I was lucky I could find somebody to come out at this time of night/year.The idea of leaving the bike there overnight was a non starter.Also,I had mild suspicions about one of the local characters in the station entrance.He seemed to be taking a strong interest when I was locking the bike up.Doubt he could have interfered with the lock mechanism though.

No, way, no way I would have left it over night either. Not round here anyway!

I think most cyclists actually do kind of help each other if possible. I certainly couldn't ride past someone with a mechanical without at last checking they don't need any help/tools to borrow.

I think it's that way of thinking that makes it difficult when others don't or cannot help I guess.

I have to say, considering the lock guy has you over a barrel (NO pun intended) really, he was actually pretty reasonable at £20. Small blessing I suppose!

Police...... that was where you went wrong.
The fire brigade was the ones you wanted. Pffft amateur.

my steed
*reports to RSPCA for leaving a horse locked to something*

Get in the sea

Weak, weak joke reference to nomenclature we've all got over, allied to a meme Desk O'Connor would roll his eyes at. Give the guy a break for being human and an individual; because the internet has left you behind.

monkeycmonkeydo - Member
Dirk,they will have equipment to break a broken lock you know

We don’t. You want a locksmith.

You know the 'big red key' that the police have for opening doors - it's not actually a real key.

A key...

[img] [/img]

The big red key...

[img] [/img]

4 inch battery grinder. Slitting disc, 30 seconds absolute max time. Id be awsy before the third 9 was dialled. All kit I've got in my van. However I'm not a bike thief.

Are you still using a rotory phone then? 30 seconds to press the same number three times 😉

I’m wondering how the op feels this morning now the drinks worn off....

Seriously, you wanted the police to and drill your kick out for you? I’ll try that the next time I’m pissed and can’t find my keys (should be in about 18hrs)

,We buy them that equipment and pay there salaries to boot.As someone who's gone out of his way to help the police in the past,a little bit of help in a difficult situation would have been nice.But as my mate Ian said,they only care about the rich

We also buy their bog roll for the stations but I dont expect them to come over to my house and wipe my arse for me, despite me being relatively well orff.

If the lock cost £30 and the locksmith £20, that adds up to a £50 loss, not 20. Or am I missing something?

Should I know what this means?

I guess not. 😀 MTFA is the newer name.

Still don’t get it OP, the police aren’t there to help people who’s lock breaks on their bike, even those that sell them stuff.

If the [s]handyman[/s] “locksmith” charged £40ph then you want to call an actual Locksmith next time...

If it’s a ‘rough’ town, maybe the boys in blue had higher priorities?

Just because it says 'Protect and Serve' on the side of police cars doesn't mean that doing so is priority for those in command. Sadly.

Just because it says 'Protect and Serve' on the side of police cars doesn't mean that doing so is priority for those in command.

😐

What would the police force cost if they took on this level of "serve" for everybody?

Left my phone on a bus.
Can't get through to a taxi, need a lift.
Dropped my keys down a drain.

Etc

I think the OP is a millennial and as such just needs some support as he goes through this personal crisis

We got locked out the house. OH is in the polis. She phoned the office to see which locksmith to use. You'd think if they had the ability to unlock it, without damage, they'd at least help one of their own.

Just because it says 'Protect and Serve' on the side of police cars

Yo Dre!

What Up?

I got something to say...

Years ago my bike was locked up outside Crawley college. When I came out and tried to undo it, it was completely seized.

I called my brother who brought some bolt cutters out, but these barely scratched my Kryptonite d-lock.

We ended up at the local fire station and asked them if they had something I could borrow. They offered to come out and give me a hand, so we went back to my bike and waited, expecting a smallish support vehicle to turn up.

After about 10 minutes, a full-size fire appliance turned up, fully loaded. They proceeded to use the hydraulic car-opening cutters and managed to break the lock. I thanked them and we went our separate ways.

True story, bro.

What I want to know is, where was your friend Ian was in all this drama ?

Ian was busy hiding the superglue tube after pouring it's contents into the key slot? 🙂

STWers act like sanctimonious twonks in surprise shocker! Happy Christmas everyone! Being a bit harsh on the OP. I wouldn't expect the police to physically help, but it makes sense to contact them so they know that he is 'breaking into' his own bike (just in case someone is good enough to report a bike being 'stolen').

glasgowdan - Member

If the lock cost £30 and the locksmith £20, that adds up to a £50 loss, not 20. Or am I missing something?

So petty. Would it kill you to assume the OP wrote off the cost of the lock? Or did you just want to join in with the bullying 😛 ?

Sometimes the OP deserves it (e.g. Kryton's recent 'gross profiteering' thread was a new high for being a bit deranged) but I think you are being a bit harsh here. Yes, his expectations are a bit much, but give him a break.

I was parked outside a police headquarters!You know,those guys who smash into peoples houses with all the equipment.Asked for help at the desk(little lass from G4S),she rang a Sargent who couldn't help me.Hope the same happens to him or his family one dark night in the cold and dam

You hope the sargent and her or his family break the key in their bike locks? That's an odd and very specific bit of nastiness thing to hope for 🙂

I'm completely at a loss at what the OP expected the police to do?

I was outside a fire station one day and didn't have a lighter for my cigarette. No one in the station could help me out...WTF? They deal with fire all day long 🙄

My car broke down and the police did nothing to help (this is actually a lie, the one time my car broke down and a police vehicle did come past they pulled up behind with their flashing lights to make it a bit safer and checked if I was OK - but that's probably because they had blue flashing lights and the ability to help me by calling out a breakdown truck if I didn't have a phone etc, rather than because they had a full set of garage equipment in the back of their car).

They are a mixed bunch, but the OP's moan seems borne more of frustration than any realistic expectation that they should be able to deal with this.

Took half an hour for the locksmith to break open the thing.Hacksaws and bolt cutters were no good we needed to use his power drill.Anyway,what's all this media bullshit about bikes that are locked are still easy to steal

I've arrested bike thieves with bolt-croppers so long they tie them round their neck and they have to hide the jaws in their baggy tracky bottoms. Make mincemeat of every D-lock out there. This

indeed. Thieves are in a hurry and don't care whether they damage the bike whatever its locked to.

helps immensely.

I was parked outside a police headquarters!You know,those guys who smash into peoples houses with all the equipment.Asked for help at the desk(little lass from G4S

No 'operational' or deployable officers at our force HQ and no equipment either, it's basically an admin centre. Civilian contractor on front desk - that's cutbacks and why they haven't got spare coppers sitting around waiting to bail out people who can't use WD40.

As for the police in there nice warm office, I won't be helping them in future.

you're right, we're all lazy with no empathy 🙄

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/found-cannondale-jekyll-2-oxfordshire

but it makes sense to contact them so they know that he is 'breaking into' his own bike

completely agree and we get this regularly in the city centre.

What would the police force cost if they took on this level of "serve" for everybody?

Left my phone on a bus.
Can't get through to a taxi, need a lift.
Dropped my keys down a drain.

Are you my son? 🙂

What would the police force cost if they took on this level of "serve" for everybody?
Left my phone on a bus.
Can't get through to a taxi, need a lift.
Dropped my keys down a drain.

My daughter has had assistance from a police officer with numerous incidents of this type of halfwittery.

Hardly equivalent gt.

angeldust - Member
glasgowdan - Member
If the lock cost £30 and the locksmith £20, that adds up to a £50 loss, not 20. Or am I missing something?

So petty. Would it kill you to assume the OP wrote off the cost of the lock? Or did you just want to join in with the bullying ?

Plus the cost of the replacement lock 😉

So petty. Would it kill you to assume the OP wrote off the cost of the lock? Or did you just want to join in with the [b]bullying[/b] ?

Is calling someone out for being daft enough to think the police were in a position to carry out the duties of a locksmith bullying now? **** me there are some sensitive souls here.

Would it be over the line to point out that even if they did have the equipment and manning to address the OP's problem their public liability insurance wouldn't cover them for any damage made to the bike in the removal of the lock? Going by the attitudes of some I think they would be making the right call to avoid that one like the plague.

Plus the cost of the replacement lock

Ah, the logic of a swindler. (-: He's either out of pocket for the new lock, or for the old one, depending on your point of view. Ie, he will still have a lock.

If it had been a colleague in my position, I wonder if they would have helped then?I think we know the answer.As SQ points out above best not to help folks in difficulty,there might be legal implications.God help us,a nation of yankeefied moneygrubbing selfish asshats.Oh sorry that's allegedly isn't it.

If it had been a colleague in my position, I wonder if they would have helped then?

How?

What is it that you expected them to do?

AFAIK the Police don't keep a full set of power tools under their desk? Unless somebody in the know could say otherwise?

AFAIK the Police don't keep a full set of power tools under their desk? Unless somebody in the know could say otherwise?

The door breakers with the power tools are normally OSU or Tactical Support or whatever they are called this year. They often base out of different stations due to the kit they have and need storage so most likely nothing more than a multi tool knocking about on someones belt in the station.

Notwithstanding that only specialist teams have them, none of the door opening kit will break open a padlock or cut through a bike chain.

If it had been a colleague in my position, I wonder if they would have helped then?I think we know the answer.

It wouldn't change the functionality of the kit would it. The only difference is, they're probably polite enough not to rip the piss out of you for doing it. Politeness that would not be afforded to a colleague in that situation.

Think you might be wasting your breath tga, he didn't get your little joke about your daughter either 😉

I know, but I like to give everyone a second chance 😀