4 ms·

I have seen with my own eyes police reports of bike thieves being charged. Bike chop shops have been notably caught and charged in Chicago while I've lived here

I have seen with my own eyes police reports of bike thieves being charged. Bike chop shops have been notably caught and charged in Chicago while I've lived here. I know for absolute fact that bike thieves are charged on a regular basis in Chicago. I've never seen a report of a bike chop shop in a homeless encampment in Chicago. I'm not aware of a great number of homeless people who have bikes. I've certainly never seen anyone on a $10k bike on the city streets, regardless of housing status. The bikes that are stolen are largely stolen by organized rings, and "scrappers" who drive up and down the alleys grabbing any scrap metal not tied down. They're not cutting bikes off racks, but they're taking ones that aren't locked up. I don't know any homeless people that own trucks, so you? They're not being stolen by homeless people. I mean I'm obviously not saying no homeless person has ever stolen a bike, I'm saying that it's not a significant source of bike theft. Why do you use homeless as a noun, and not an adjective? Do you also refer to Black people, gay people, or Jewish people this way? Regardless: bike theft is not a part of the calculation for people to ride a bike, at least here. #1 reason is "riding in traffic is too scary." Reducing bike theft does nothing for those people; it's already not even on their minds when making the decision. (That's your claim, btw, so back it up if you feel like it)

pandaman 11mo ago
Police reports do not include charges, DA office charges, police reports just describe what happened... What you experience now is called "cognitive dissonance" - the thing you want to believe is proven to be not true and you are making things up to keep believing it.
- queenkjuul 11mo ago
  And I've seen the DA charge bike thieves. What evidence do you have to support your claims that people choose not to bike because of theft, and that theft isn't prosecuted based on housing status? Why do you use homeless as a noun to refer to people?
  - pandaman 11mo ago
    >And I've seen the DA charge bike thieves. Really? After finding out that the police reports you have also "seen" do not actually include charges you now have seen the DA pressing charges while strolling through the court house and walking into random arraignment hearings, I presume? And you probably did not catch any names of the perpetrators, right? >What evidence do you have to support your claims that people choose not to bike because of theft Talk to people perhaps? I figure you don't bike and people you know don't either, so, instead of a court house how about hanging at an LBS and asking people working there and the customers? >and that theft isn't prosecuted based on housing status That's not something I claimed, I said that bike theft is not prosecuted period. But homeless also are not charged with the whole bunch of crimes they commit regularly: trespassing, public intoxication, traffic violations, disturbance of peace etc. You can ask a local PD or inquiry your DA office about that. >Why do you use homeless as a noun to refer to people? Because it's a noun referring to such people? https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20homeless https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20homeless
    - queenkjuul 11mo ago
      But you aren't referring to "the homeless," you're referring to "homeless." It's strange, and i don't think it's unintentional. Anyway, i know for absolute fact that bike thieves have been charged by the Chicago DA. Here's proof: https://cwbchicago.com/2024/09/man-stole-bike-from-cta-station-unwittingly-agreed-to-sell-it-to-undercover-cop-on-facebook-prosecutors.html https://cwbchicago.com/2024/09/man-stole-bike-from-cta-stati... So there. I can prove the DA is willing to charge bike thieves, you have a bunch of conjecture scapegoating homeless people and denying reality. > Talk to people perhaps I talk to people at bike shops, i talk to my coworkers, i talk to people at the bars, i talk to my friends. Unlike you, i live here, i bike nearly everywhere, and follow local media/social media. The problems you're describing aren't real and you've done nothing to prove they are. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/7/3/18365620/chicago-parolee-charged-with-bike-theft-in-riverside https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/7/3/18365620/chicago-parol... https://abc7chicago.com/post/teens-charged-in-attempted-bike-theft-appear-in-court/956734/ https://abc7chicago.com/post/teens-charged-in-attempted-bike... https://www.oakpark.com/2009/07/28/7-arrested-on-bike-theft-charges/ https://www.oakpark.com/2009/07/28/7-arrested-on-bike-theft-... You can present evidence for your claims at any time

pandaman 11mo ago

Police reports do not include charges, DA office charges, police reports just describe what happened... What you experience now is called "cognitive dissonance" - the thing you want to believe is proven to be not true and you are making things up to keep believing it.

queenkjuul 11mo ago
And I've seen the DA charge bike thieves. What evidence do you have to support your claims that people choose not to bike because of theft, and that theft isn't prosecuted based on housing status? Why do you use homeless as a noun to refer to people?
- pandaman 11mo ago
  >And I've seen the DA charge bike thieves. Really? After finding out that the police reports you have also "seen" do not actually include charges you now have seen the DA pressing charges while strolling through the court house and walking into random arraignment hearings, I presume? And you probably did not catch any names of the perpetrators, right? >What evidence do you have to support your claims that people choose not to bike because of theft Talk to people perhaps? I figure you don't bike and people you know don't either, so, instead of a court house how about hanging at an LBS and asking people working there and the customers? >and that theft isn't prosecuted based on housing status That's not something I claimed, I said that bike theft is not prosecuted period. But homeless also are not charged with the whole bunch of crimes they commit regularly: trespassing, public intoxication, traffic violations, disturbance of peace etc. You can ask a local PD or inquiry your DA office about that. >Why do you use homeless as a noun to refer to people? Because it's a noun referring to such people? https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20homeless https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20homeless
  - queenkjuul 11mo ago
    But you aren't referring to "the homeless," you're referring to "homeless." It's strange, and i don't think it's unintentional. Anyway, i know for absolute fact that bike thieves have been charged by the Chicago DA. Here's proof: https://cwbchicago.com/2024/09/man-stole-bike-from-cta-station-unwittingly-agreed-to-sell-it-to-undercover-cop-on-facebook-prosecutors.html https://cwbchicago.com/2024/09/man-stole-bike-from-cta-stati... So there. I can prove the DA is willing to charge bike thieves, you have a bunch of conjecture scapegoating homeless people and denying reality. > Talk to people perhaps I talk to people at bike shops, i talk to my coworkers, i talk to people at the bars, i talk to my friends. Unlike you, i live here, i bike nearly everywhere, and follow local media/social media. The problems you're describing aren't real and you've done nothing to prove they are. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/7/3/18365620/chicago-parolee-charged-with-bike-theft-in-riverside https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/7/3/18365620/chicago-parol... https://abc7chicago.com/post/teens-charged-in-attempted-bike-theft-appear-in-court/956734/ https://abc7chicago.com/post/teens-charged-in-attempted-bike... https://www.oakpark.com/2009/07/28/7-arrested-on-bike-theft-charges/ https://www.oakpark.com/2009/07/28/7-arrested-on-bike-theft-... You can present evidence for your claims at any time