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You could put any longish number on it, then report that number to the police. Electric engraving tools aren't expensive, around $20. Legislation could mandate
by skookumchuck 10y ago
You could put any longish number on it, then report that number to the police. Electric engraving tools aren't expensive, around $20.
Legislation could mandate a website that handed out numbers to people who registered and provided a way to report those numbers as stolen. Registrants could provide a pic of their bike with the numbers.
This won't eliminate the problem, but it will provide an easy and free method that people could identify their bikes, report them as stolen, and the police can identify which bikes are stolen and return them.
- cr1895 10y agoI learned the other day that something similar was happening in the US in the 80s with peoples' social security numbers. Someone was asking why a turntable from the 80s had a big social security number etched into the back; apparently, the initiative was to use it as an identifier in case the item was stolen. Now of course it's rather ludicrous to use your SSN in that way but in principle it seems like a good idea to prove ownership.
- skookumchuck 10y agoEngraving the SSN on things was commonplace before the internet and identity theft became a big thing. Drivers License numbers were used, too.