Housemate and journalist extraordinaire Kerry Howley reports that her bicycle’s front wheel just got stolen in broad daylight from bustling K Street downtown. How the hell does this happen? I understand how someone might be able to surreptitiously steal a bike seat, as often happens, but a bike wheel is pretty damn conspicuous, and presumably takes a bit of doing to get off. Are we at the point where someone pulling a wheel off a locked bike doesn’t even get an “Excuse me, what are you doing?” from passersby?
Shades of Kitty Genovese
December 19th, 2006 · 3 Comments
Tags: Washington, DC
3 responses so far ↓
1 Matt F // Dec 20, 2006 at 3:00 am
Most newer bikes have quick-release bolts on the front wheels, and often on the back as well. It only takes a few seconds to pop the wheel off. It’s wise to use a cable lock to lock the wheels to the frame when the bike is parked.
2 Grant Gould // Dec 20, 2006 at 7:42 am
Here’s how it’s possible (a YouTube video).
A fellow in NYC stole his own bike in broad daylight on a busy street using a variety of obvious and even noisy and power-tool-oriented methods and not a single person tried to stop him — it’s sobering.
3 Chris Grigsby // Jan 15, 2007 at 8:20 pm
I have no idea! And also, what’s the use of a mere wheel? I mean, I take video production and filmmaking at my high school and people keep on stealing cameras. It’s stupid because they only steal the cameras themselves, not the chargers nor the capture cables. Nobody can do anything with just a camera and whatever battery life it has at the moment its stolen.