SOP when someone locks your bike to theirs?

Public Sheffield Steel hoop bike rack.

Someone has locked their bike not only to the Sheffield but also through your frame.

Nothing to inform as to how likely the bike is going to be moved anytime soon and quite probably, given location, could be left there for days or weeks.

What do you do?

I did this once about 7 years ago, accidentally, to a colleague at work. She was working a night shift and left a note saying that she’d had to take a taxi home. Very embarrassing. 😳

I left a very apologetic note in response, together with £10 to cover the taxi fare.

Karma got me back last year, when the same happened to me at a railway station. 🙄 I just had to walk home and get the bike the next day!

They’re gonna come back and nick your bike!

Bolt croppers….

add a third lock around both to prevent theft and provide your mobile number

The Stoner Ratbike is not worth the bother.

either cut it off or add 3rd lock with note

depends upon location, how urgently you need your bike, £, etc

Time for a stakeout!

Buy a third lock. Remove their lock then your bike and lock their bike with the new lock. Leave a note saying “I needed to get home but didn’t want to leave your bike unlocked. Ring this number and I’ll bring the key round”. Take a mate with camera or ask plod to turn up.

I had this the other day, I was in a real rush, waited ten minutes and some utter moron saunters back laughing. I politely enquired as to his motive, he used my bike as his lock ‘was too short to go round the pole’.

Some people are dicks.

I had no tools on me, assuming you’re in the same position, all you can do is wait or go home on foot/bus. 🙄

18v angle grinder.

Let’s say the offender’s “lock” is particularly unsubstantial…

I had this once when i used to use the stands on huddersfield station.
Bloody annoying and inconsiderate. They’d rammed their bike in rather than walk another 25m to a empty spot further down, I had to leave my bike overnight. I recognised the bike as it was often seemingly dumped or forced into gaps. Their lock and lights were worth more than the bike

Pics?

Let’s say the offender’s “lock” is particularly unsubstantial…

Break the lock but don’t nick the bike.

Sure, you might be leaving the theft of said bike open to opportunity but either they’re a plum or they were trying to nick your bike after hours.

If your heart bleeds at that splash out on new lock with either your number to obtain the key or a combination lock – they’ll brute force the code eventually*

*took me about 10 minutes once, I was nicking my bike back.

An old housemate thought he’d had his bike nicked outside University once. Turned out he’d locked it to a Profs bike, and the Prof had got campus security to cut the lock for him so he could go home. Housemate’s bike was safe and sound in the security office!

They’re gonna come back and nick your bike!

This. Well-known scam.

Ahh, someone did that to my foldie outside work in the summer, had to walk the 10mins back home aghast at the moron who did it.
Came back the following morning to a note saying “sorry”

I’ll never forgive them, ever, ever if the world ends tomorrow I’ll take the rage and hatred with me.

You’re all making me feel a lot better afte I popped into the hardware shop.

A reminder to all that a cable lock is no such thing.

Every day’s a learning day. Maybe they’ll get a betterer lock, and be more considerate with it.

I asked a passing police person about this when it happened to me last year. She said they’d have no problem at all with me breaking the other person’s lock to release my own bike. How this would go in practice, on a busy shopping street Saturday morning, is anybody’s guess. I waited twenty minutes and then marvelled at the common inability to apologise with any sincerity.

They’re gonna come back and nick your bike!
This. Well-known scam.

Never heard of this, but now it’s so blindingly obvious!

I do hope you’ve at least left the other person’s bike locked up.

It happens. I did it once without realising. 😳 Fortunately I was only gone a few minutes, and no-one was waiting angrily when I returned. It happened to my wife a few months ago. She just sat in a cafe and had a coffee, the bloke came back about 45 minutes later, and apologised profusely. But if it happened to me..

“I’ll never forgive them, ever, ever if the world ends tomorrow I’ll take the rage and hatred with me.”

😆

They are either are pretty thick or unfit if can’t concentrate to lock a bike.

Or a thief.

Cut the lock and then use bombers to the back of the head if you ever meet them.

If your heart bleeds at that splash out on new lock

I’m assuming he already had a lock with him he could lend for a while when he wasn’t using it?