Hobos and ex-cons
I went into the LBS yesterday to order a set of pedals for my sort-of cross bike. The day before I had noticed that someone had punched a hole through the laminate glass on the side door and had figured it was just some vandalism by the bums who populate downtown Chapel Hill, something that's becoming much too common. In fact, I had come to work yesterday to find a nice puddle of urine in front of our back entrance.
Asking about the door, I was told that at first the shop employees had thought it was vandalism too, since the door was still locked from the inside when they arrived that morning. They then noticed a small piece of glass on the keyboard of the register/computer. Perhaps it had been thrown the 10 or so feet by the impact? But they started looking around. The register had been opened and the counter searched, but everything on the sales counter had been carefully replaced. Then they discovered a missing $3,000 mountain bike. And a missing $3,500 mountain bike.
While I was standing there agog over the idea of a $3,500 mountain bike, the shop owner noted that he was happy they had overlooked the $6,000 mountain bike. That certainly raised my eyebrows.
So we agreed it had been a professional job: they punched a hole just big enough to reach through and unlock the door, but not enough to shatter the whole door and attract attention. They took what they wanted but left nothing disturbed, and locked the door on leaving. That way, should a patrolling cop check out the situation it would look like vandalism, not grand theft.
Kinda scarey to think that cycling has reached a point where professional thieves are marking targets at bike shops. I was accustomed to the idea of pros stealing bikes on campus - that's been happening since the early 70s, at least, and stealing anything on campus is pretty easy. But punching a hole in laminate glass on a door not 50 feet from a busy street (although on the side of the building) and lifting $6,000+ worth of bikes is pretty crazy. Pretty soon bike shop owners will have to secure their goods at night, similar to what jewelry and gun shop owners have to do.
Asking about the door, I was told that at first the shop employees had thought it was vandalism too, since the door was still locked from the inside when they arrived that morning. They then noticed a small piece of glass on the keyboard of the register/computer. Perhaps it had been thrown the 10 or so feet by the impact? But they started looking around. The register had been opened and the counter searched, but everything on the sales counter had been carefully replaced. Then they discovered a missing $3,000 mountain bike. And a missing $3,500 mountain bike.
While I was standing there agog over the idea of a $3,500 mountain bike, the shop owner noted that he was happy they had overlooked the $6,000 mountain bike. That certainly raised my eyebrows.
So we agreed it had been a professional job: they punched a hole just big enough to reach through and unlock the door, but not enough to shatter the whole door and attract attention. They took what they wanted but left nothing disturbed, and locked the door on leaving. That way, should a patrolling cop check out the situation it would look like vandalism, not grand theft.
Kinda scarey to think that cycling has reached a point where professional thieves are marking targets at bike shops. I was accustomed to the idea of pros stealing bikes on campus - that's been happening since the early 70s, at least, and stealing anything on campus is pretty easy. But punching a hole in laminate glass on a door not 50 feet from a busy street (although on the side of the building) and lifting $6,000+ worth of bikes is pretty crazy. Pretty soon bike shop owners will have to secure their goods at night, similar to what jewelry and gun shop owners have to do.
posted by Strayhorn at 5:39 AM
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