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> Can we enforce harsher punishment for bike thieves? Yes, you can, but you choose not to [1]. This is a drain on society beyond the mere cost of buying repla
by jzwinck 12y ago
> Can we enforce harsher punishment for bike thieves?
Yes, you can, but you choose not to [1]. This is a drain on society beyond the mere cost of buying replacement bikes. Bike theft discourages (even prevents) people from riding bikes. It puts us back in our cars, and makes us more sedentary. People who have never even ridden a bike before and have $200 to buy one are discouraged from buying used bikes because of the risk of buying stolen property.
The net effect--the true cost--of doing nothing serious about bicycle theft is massive, and it is borne by everyone through higher health insurance premiums, if not directly through decreased personal well-being.
Bike theft ought to be dealt with just as harshly as breaking into a gym and stealing a stationary bike...perhaps as harshly as stealing a car. Its effects are just as deleterious.
[1] I say "you" as a US person living outside the US, in a place where good bicycles are routinely left unattended with cheap cable locks, and not stolen. Still, parts like lights and pumps do get stolen, and even this does discourage people from cycling.
- lpsz 12y agoI'm surprised that "stronger locks" is what folks resort to, instead of trying to address the underlying issue (be it through punishment or other means.) I live in a country (in Asia) where bikes are routinely left on the street and not stolen or burglarized, scooters are abound and also easily parked, and generally petty crimes are rare. Here I can also freely leave my phone on the table in a coffee shop and go about. I sure as heck wouldn't do this back in SF, though -- the amount of petty crime the society is willing to put up with, is, again, surprising.
- CyberPants 12y agoIt seems like if there are people willing to pay for expensive locks, if there was some sort of secure enclosure installed in various parts of the city that could be rented out just like parking lots - this would help more than locks.
- mobiplayer 12y agoThey use this in towns around Barcelona: https://www.bicibox.cat/default.aspx https://www.bicibox.cat/default.aspx
- CyberPants 12y agoYes perfect, these structures should be in every major city! although, it seems like the design needs improving & strengthening [1] [1] http://www.lavanguardia.mobi/slowdevice/local/20120802/54332500393/usuarios-bicibox-agresiones-estaciones.html http://www.lavanguardia.mobi/slowdevice/local/20120802/54332...
- jzwinck 12y agoI agree. I also suspect we live near each other; you can contact me with this name using the Google stuff and maybe we can leave our smartphones on the table together sometime.
- seanmcdirmid 12y agoBikes are stolen all the time in Beijing. I got a pair of rollerblades because of that.