My bike was stolen today

[zekedad]

Finally relocated to MB about a month ago from NYC. So far the transition has been good, although most of the time has been spent unpacking & several trips back to NY. Love the weather (visit the beach most days & finally improving my tennis game) & SoFi (very convenient & quiet). Trying to acclimate to the drivers & the Spanish language issue (need to sign up for lessons).

However, the biggest jolt was when my bike was stolen today. Locked to a bike rack at the Publix & 5th & Alton this afternoon & it was gone during 10-15 minutes of shopping. Security officers at 5th/Alton not that efficient/knowledgeable. Police have been even worse (walked up to a patrol car to ask for help, officer wouldn't help b/c he was off duty & told me to call the police...). After multiple calls, will eventually have to visit police station in person.

I'm pretty used to major cities around the world, but was a little surprised by this. Although the bike is somewhat on the pricey side (though it's an obscure brand), I've locked it with the same lock in Manhattan for years without incident (okay, the seat was stolen once..). Is this indicative of what I should expect?

[Carlos Miller]

The good thing is you not only learned how shady people can be down here, but how inefficient the cops can be all within a month.

There might be some surveillance cameras outside of Publix that you can ask for ...

Oh just forget it, nothing is going to happen. You got ripped and nobody cares. Chalk it up as a loss and yes, it's indicative of what to expect.

Welcome to Miami - a sunny city for shady people.

[Gus]

Sorry to hear that, zekedad. My bike was stolen from my back yard, and Michelle has also had some bikes stolen in South Beach. Was yours an expensive bike?

Next time you go up north, perhaps you can find a cheap used bike and bring her down.

[Widmore]

Wow, that really sucks. Just curious, any idea how it was stolen? What I mean is, when you came back to the rack was the lock gone as well? Just curious if they picked the lock, cut it, etc. When i was in college I used one of those U-shaped locks that required one of those circular style keys and it seemed to be pretty good.

I too have found in the past that in the case of stolen property, cops are pretty useless. Not just in Miami either.

[Blackford Oakes]

Feel your pain. I've had three bikes stolen. The first two times was my fault, and another in my friends backyard. I suspected my friend's coke head brother had something to do with it.

What type of locking system did you use ? Just curiuos because I've been thinking of heading to SoBe on bike one of these days and enjoy the beach. Maybe I need to drop that notion.

[Jess]

I'm so sorry that happened to you! I shop at 5th and Alton all the time and lock my bike up there, and so whoever did that was brave as the bike racks are in full view of the cashiers.

I am going to ask along with everyone else what lock you had? The D locks and alcatraz locks are reportedly the best. Did you have a skinny chain one, as those can be cut in seconds.

As for the actual crime...welcome to South Beach. My friends at work were going to start a Facebook page called 'My Bike Was Stolen In South Beach' to give you an idea of how often it happens.

[zekedad]

I actually parked it on Lenox on the side of Publix, just north of the ramp to the garage (I thought that the entrance was there). It was attached to the bike rack. I did not use the D lock, but a cable lock that has been fine in NYC. I realize that I could have used a better lock, but for 10-15 minutes in broad daylight at a busy store.... There are a ton of cameras at the center, but the parking sign & the canopy obscures the camera's view of those bike racks.

Got the runaround from police & security yesterday, but it was pretty easy to go in person to get a police report. The bike is expensive (~$1000+ replacement cost), but have learned my lesson & want a truly cheap trash bike to ride around the beach (can't go fast anyway...). Any suggestions on where to find one?

Also, any suggestions on learning Spanish. Have heard that UM has a good week-long intensive program for $1800. For that price, I can probably fly down to the islands for an immersion course.

[Carlos Miller]

One way to start learning Spanish is to watch the Spanish-language TV stations with the close-caption feature on.

[Jess]

I'd look on craigslist. People are always selling bikes on there.

Then again, yours may end up on there too for cheap... sad but true.

[ElliBU]

Zekedad, sorry to hear about your bike, hope you get over and move on quickly. Sucks though, I'd be so pissed.. I had my whole apt emptied once but not in Miami..I have a motorcyle, wonder if safe theft concerns apply?

by the way, i'm moving from nyc in july. hope we catch up and compare notes

[Michelle]

zekedad, I'm sorry your bike was stolen. My motto for the beach is, if it ain't locked down by something that will take 10 minutes to get into, it will be stolen. It's sad that not much has changed in 5 years.

As Gus mentioned, I had my bike stolen by my next door neighbors. I had it locked up for not more than one hour after I bought it.

I caught the thieves red-handed a couple weeks later with 3-foot bolt cutter trying to cut off more locks. I scared the piss out of them when I screamed out "so you're the ones who stole my bike". They went running and left their bolt cutters behind. Maybe not so smart of me but I felt better knowing they lost their tool (unfortunately, it never brought my bike back). The cops came to my apartment and had me to go the station to pick them out of the mug shots. They said they were trying to fight against the bicycle theft as it had become rampant.

I used to lock up my bike with a thick chain link lock, along with a u-lock. Then I decided the chain link lock was heavy so I moved to just the u-lock, and always took the seat off. It's hard to pedal away with no seat.

And while we're discussing theft in Miami Beach, I may as well add this...

NEVER LEAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR OR TRUNK, EVER!!!!

My little Toyota Tercel had every lock broken, including the trunk lock. Each time, the bandit made out with my smelly gym clothes and worn sneakers, and once a meatloaf pan I had bought for my sister for Christmas.

One time, someone watched me get out of my car and throw my duffle bag in the trunk. They followed the person that was driving my car back to my house and broke in the trunk.

It became tiring so I just became very pro-active and assumed there were thieves everywhere, watching and waiting. Once I did that, my last 5 years on the beach went well.

[fredgarvin]

I needed 4 bikes for myself and my family. I did craigslist, want ads, thrift shops---to no real satisfaction.

I found 'cheapo bicycle bliss' on Amazon.com. Many of the bikes offer free shipping. They are, pretty much, assembled (took an average of 15 minutes each), all for about $100 each.

Sure, they're not the best, but they are holding up for now. They offer a huge selection of 'cruisers.' These are great for the beach. Comfortable to ride in an upright position, an ideal bike for flat island riding!

[Jess]

Holy crap Michelle, you should be a cop!

[MFBVB]

Unfortunately, that is exactly what you can expect. And you'll find that the police are useless when it comes to small property crimes. You're on your own.

My bike was literally stolen while I was moving in. Later, when I moved to another apartment in South Beach two girls were loitering around, walking back and forth from my building to the street, even inside the building, waiting to have a chance to steal something from my moving boxes. I couldn't believe it. Because I was new to the building, I wasn't sure if they lived there or what was going on- but I never saw them again so I'm sure they didn't live there. I was wise to them though, and they eventually gave up when they realized that the movers and I weren't going to leave the truck or the apartment unattended. If they had an opportunity though, they would have stolen from me for sure, and who knows what they would have taken since everything I owned was either in the truck or the new apartment.

The bottom line- be careful and don't trust anyone. Once you get used to it, you'll do it without thinking and you'll find Miami Beach a wonderful place to live.

[Jess]

I guess I am lucky in the fact that I lived in London before this where again, if it ain't pinned down it's gone. I won't even put my bag on the floor in a restaurant in case someone tries to steal it. So moving to Miami Beach was no issue as I am already used to thinking everyone is out to scam you.

[Blackford Oakes]

The only thing we got stolen in Miami was a camera. Last we remember, it was hanging securely off the handle of the baby stroller at some eatery.

Sometimes I have to remember I'm in Miami. Up here in my CFL neighborhood, I can leave my garage door open and go on holiday for a few days and not even worry.

[Jess]

Wow UTS, that's amazing to be so trusting in your own neighborhood.

Everyone I know has had something stolen here, whether its a bike, security deposit, money, cameras, phones... you get the idea...

[cookiemonster]

Hey zekedad, sorry to hear about your loss. A friend of mine had an extremely expensive bike stolen from his backyard. Literally the day after he saw what looked like his same bike on CL. When he went to check the bike out, which just happened to be no more than 4 blocks from his place, he quickly realized the bike was his!!! Unfortunately he had no way of proving it, and ended up buying it- again. I remember thinking to myself "only in Chicago." After a few days had passed, we saw the dudes who re-sold the bike on the news- having been caught red-handed trying to lift an off-duty cop's bike. Unfortunately no mention had been made of any tasering. Either way, karma can be a bitch. Cheers

[Blackford Oakes]

Hey zekedad, sorry to hear about your loss. A friend of mine had an extremely expensive bike stolen from his backyard. Literally the day after he saw what looked like his same bike on CL. When he went to check the bike out, which just happened to be no more than 4 blocks from his place, he quickly realized the bike was his!!! Unfortunately he had no way of proving it, and ended up buying it- again. I remember thinking to myself "only in Chicago." After a few days had passed, we saw the dudes who re-sold the bike on the news- having been caught red-handed trying to lift an off-duty cop's bike. Unfortunately no mention had been made of any tasering. Either way, karma can be a bitch. Cheers

That sounds like what happened on my second stolen bike.

The day of the theft, I went riding along the coast with my gf. Bid her farewell at her place as a packed my Centurion Touring bike in the back seat of my car. Went to my office two miles away in Venice to tiddy up some stuff. Stayed longer than planned, but when I approached my car, some bastard broke the back window and went for a ride on my bike. A few days later on a Monday, I went to the hot dog stand post at the corner of the office building and did a double take. My effing bike was lying on a grass mound. I asked the hot dog dude he had a nice bike and asked what mark it was. He said it wasn't his. I asked who's was it, he said he didn't know. That's when I took the bike and told him I'm taking the bike to the security office at my office building, and either his mf ass or the mfer who stole my bike can claim it there if they dared.

Back at the office, I made the declaration that if I saw anyone buying a hotdog at the stand, I would fire their ass. We all busted up.

[Blackford Oakes]

Question: Do yo think these thieves steal bikes for their personal use or pawn and sell them ?