[ptaipale]

Finding your bike is not helpful if the police is not interested. And they usually aren't where I live.

Except if you're yourself willing to enforce your retrieval with violence... at which point the police will be interested if everything does not go easily.

[LanceH]

I've heard of people meeting, trying "the fit" and just riding off.

[marincounty]

I bet you live in the Bay Area? Specifically, the east bay? Near Berkeley?

There's a two well known flea markets where bike thieves sell their stolen property. Even if you are at the flea market, with you bike's serial number in hand, the cops do not come out.

A huge guy, who had his bike stolen once too many times advertises in CL. He will literally show up at the flea market, and take your bike back, after you show him the serial number. (Guys like this do not get enough props. He does it because it's just the right thing to do.)

I have never used his services, but have had bikes stolen. I've literally given up. My bikes are now pretty much throwaway. If they are stolen, it's no big deal. I want to buy a motorcyle this summer, but theft is first feature on my mind.

Would I prosecute a bike thief? If I felt they were professionals--yes. If, I thought it was a yuppie, who gets a rush out of stealing--yes. If it was a homeless person--no.

I saw a great deterrent to bike theft at Target. Outside the store they had these little pods you put your bike in. You supply the lock. They take up too much room for most businesses though, but they look like you could stack them two units high?

[cpeterso]

Karin Cycle in Berkeley is a known fence for stolen bikes. The Yelp reviews are depressing, but clearly busting Karim Cycle is not economical for the Berkeley Police Department.

http://yelp.com/biz/karim-cycle-berkeley-3

[vostrocity]

You have to consider how difficult it is for the police to do anything in that circumstance – it's just 'he say, she say.' It might be easier if you've filed a police report and your bike is registered, but even then there is no evidence (especially on the spot) that the seller (who is probably just lingering around and not an actual registered flea market seller) stole the bike. I think part of it is also the culture: you don't want cops coming into a flea market to arrest people, because the whole flea market is a bit of a legal grey zone.

However, you should definitely press charges every time if you do get the police involved. That's the only way to reduce bike theft. If you don't press charges, the thief simply goes and steals another bike the next day.

[walrus01]

"A huge guy"...?

New service like uber: "rent a 350 pound Samoan"

VC money please!

[joncrocks]

Vigilant-me.

I'll take some equity for the name.

[ptaipale]

No, not Berkeley, not even the USA. This phenomenon is global.