Register your bike with the Toronto Police

[alexd]

I had no idea you could now do this online...

Register your bike with the Toronto Police and it will make it easier to return it to you if it is stolen and recovered.

https://webapp1.torontopolice.on.ca/BicycleRegistry/Submit

 

[I_bRAD]

Abolish the bike registry! Law abiding bike owners aren't the problem.

 

[Polymorph]

wow. This is so weird. Cuz literally, 5 hours ago, I step out of my own apartment and hop on my own bike, only to notice, about 20 feet up, a freestanding standalone unlocked bike propped up against the neighbors building over there.

Oh, and this is not some clearly discarded shit bike. This is a 400$ bike in excellent condition.

So, I took my extra (cable) bike lock, and locked it up in the place where it was, and left a note under the seat.

2 hours later, I come back home, and, yup, there's a response note. From some bitch-cunt who lives in the building and didn't like me locking my not-my-bike to her barred ground-floor windows. So, ok then, Wrong Answer.

I've now posted a craigslist announcement, for anyone having a recently stolen bike of grey-silver color. So far, no replies.

I suppose I could take this semi-stolen bike to the cops, but fuck that shit. It'd be like tossing it into the void. Would probably end up in Guatamala or something.
....
I may be looking at my next summer bike. Nice.

Although I really am giving some person the chance to claim it (for a case of beer).

 

[Bass-Invader]

I suppose I could take this semi-stolen bike to the cops, but fuck that shit. It'd be like tossing it into the void. Would probably end up in Guatamala or something.
....
I may be looking at my next summer bike. Nice.

Right, so if you don't report it to the police and keep it then you just stole a bike.

Just because you imposed some arbitrary method of retrieval ("craigslist/note or it's mine") doesn't mean it isn't stealing.

Just because you don't see yourself as a thief in your head doesn't mean you aren't one.

 

[mute79]

Abolish the bike registry! Law abiding bike owners aren't the problem.

ahah, nice

 

[Polymorph]

Right, so if you don't report it to the police and keep it then you just stole a bike.

Just because you imposed some arbitrary method of retrieval ("craigslist/note or it's mine") doesn't mean it isn't stealing.

Just because you don't see yourself as a thief in your head doesn't mean you aren't one.

Don't worry douche, I'm thinking of calling the cops and running the serial number past them.

In other news, I did get a reply to that craigslist announcement. Replied to the guy telling him to name the brand, and/or give a clear specific description of the bike, and it's his. He hasn't gotten back to me yet.

But no, I'm not just going to hand over the bike to the cops if it hasn't actually been reported stolen. What will happen then is they'll throw it in a warehouse and auction it off a year later. I'd rather keep it.

 

[ndrwrld]

so hang on...you're going to call the police and run the serial number ( which i don't think it works that way ) of the bike you're illegally locking up , but you're not going to give it to the police because then you won't get it ?
It's not yours.

 

[I_bRAD]

Maybe they just left their bike there for a minute to go into a store or something?

 

[Bass-Invader]

Don't worry douche, I'm thinking of calling the cops and running the serial number past them.

Why does that make me a douche? You're the one who is 'thinking of' avoiding the proper channels for returning something you took that isn't yours. I know for sure I'd check the police before checking craigslist if my bicycle mysteriously disappeared.


In any event, in this country (not Canada) if an item turned into the police remains unclaimed, the person who turned it in gets to take it. It only goes to auction if the person who turned it in doesn't want it. You should check if that is the case where you live.

 

[Polymorph]

Maybe they just left their bike there for a minute to go into a store or something?

uh, nope. As I mentioned, my initial condition was to lock up this otherwise unlocked bike in the exact spot where I found it. And I left a note.

2 hours later, there is no reply note.

I did this once before, around 2 years ago. I spotted a decent enough unlocked bike on a lawn. It wasn't an expensive once, maybe a SuperCycle, but whatevs, I locked it to the nearest pole and left a note. A few hours later I pass by, and yup, there's a reply note:
"Thank you thank you thank you for saving my bike from thieves. Here's my number, call me". So I call him and pass by a few hours later, unlock his bike. Guy tells me he rode it home drunk from a bar last night, and just left it on the lawn. Anyways, he was grateful, and gave me a nice bottle of red wine for my efforts.

entoutcas

 

[Polymorph]

uh, nope. As I mentioned, my initial condition was to lock up this otherwise unlocked bike in the exact spot where I found it. And I left a note.
2 hours later, there is no reply note.

oh, and please be aware, that if I did not do that, lock up with bike with my extra cable lock, there is no chance that bike would still be there two hours later.
oh, and I don't mean by the actual owner. It would've been just gone.