Safe Speed Forums

Now I have posted up in the past numerous stories about car jackers in the big 'burbs with a view to establishing a safety awareness mode in such a situation. Currently these thugs are reportedly targeting lone females now.

But we now have a new one per the "MEN".

Astonishingly but

I have to say it warranted a two paragraph one inch in the regionals. as opposed to three inches to half pages for drivers

Anyway cyclists be aware. Be very careful wherever you ride.

"MEN" and Lancs regionals have reported more than one instance of a "pedestrian" stepping out in front of cyclist and nicking decent bike and belongings.

I do not know what to suggest. I live in a rural backwater. We have crimes but I cannot say I am aware of this sort in my own cycling area of around Keswick and North/West Lakes and Passes.

Look - by all means carry my post over as your own initial to get up a discussiion as to what constitutes good practice here.


We may be motoring enthusiasts on this site. However, we are safety conscious too. If any lurking cyclist has a decent piece of advice - then please post it to this site as well as your own fave site.

Remember. We may drive cars. Many of us also ride bicycles.

ALL of us WALK.

NONE of us deserve to be assaulted and mugged by low lifes in any case. I hope the lurks will discuss good practice on this serious mater on cycling fora. I also hope they will post up the fruits of any debate on this site. All of us deserve to be safe when going about our business so how we choose to travel in any case

_________________
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KEEP SMILING
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Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Microdots!

At the very least, a sticker SAYING it has been microdotted, and ask your local rag to run the story with the solution, as publicity is half the battle with Microdots!

You should also get the frame stamped or engraved too!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

i can feel a dead mans handle arrangement with a pin on the front brake connection coming on

R2 Whiny Viney had an interesting piece on bike theft stats with Blondy Boris on the prog. (He was very C+ in that he'd like to string these thieves up by their ghoulies und apply Shariah Law to them too)

Actually I agree. Our property belong to us. Matter to us. Theft ist one vicious crime as you really feel "personally violated". Your world shattered. You loved the bike or car. You even had a pet name for them. I do have special names for all my cars und bikes. Krissi ist my sister. She call hers after the cousins we lost und her own personal faves too.

But your stuff, belongings. I cannot explain it properly but I think you know what I mean.

I drive my lovely butch Jag to und from work. I know him as intimately as I know my Mad Doc of a husband. Each whim. Each "idiosyncrasy" with regard to how he "handle" I think this post in danger of becoming right "sassy" but no matter. I think you all know what I try to say after all

My motorbike likewise.

I also know the "feel" of all the bicycles I ride. No other bicycle meet the ones I am used to riding. I like the Diamondback range. I have one which perform excellently on a beach. I have a "shopper" Old fashioned three gear complete with the wicker basket for my shopping.

I have a mountain bike. You need one here I also have a sassy roady/hybrid one plus a sporty - "go right Wildy und race everthing in sight one" I have a fold up one which firt snug in the boot of my car too. They all have a certain "feel" to me when I ride them. No other bike even same model "feel" like these "two wheeled kittens" to me. I would be extremely upset if someone stole any one of them from me.

I have microdotted the frames. I have taken photos of my "two wheeled babies". I remove the saddle when I "park up" . I use umpteen locks.

I qualify. I am sure the C+ lurks will nod. Identify.

und excuse my spelling. I am trying to avoid words I cannot spell - honestly. But I find hard as working Mama. I do not want to use a spell check. Besides if you read aloud - you might hear how I sound. Ist difficult to decipher a character on internet. We do not see or hear each other. We read und reading not the same thing - nicht? I try to talk here as my normal self as I see the problem which develop for reasons I cannot understand as person who like people und usually interact with pleasanteries which make a pal out of complete stranger I meet in flesh.

We do not have enough racks to lock the bikes too.

I admit difficult und despite C+ etc/ catterwaul to contrary - I also understand that there are some problems as we need stands to lock bikes too - plus space to retrieve them. Matter of ergonomics. Collectively like people "an item to accommodate". I look ahead to the potential problems which need addressing. Not "anti cycling" but I think we need to lookvery very hard at some practicalities to persuade other folk out there within cycling commuter land that this ist a viable option to them.

But I think Mad Doc und self und our relatives who cycle out there want to know

What the hell do you do if someone step out in front of you und chuck you off bike or deprive of belonging with menaces

I think a very valid question und worthy of debate. Does not matter whether one alternate a feisty drive in car with a feisty bike ride. Or even walk.

We can all help with ideas of what we think to be good practice. I ride for pleasure. I live in rural backwater. I do not come across the crimes I read in the tabloids 24/7 anyway. But I think those who are more "street/citywise" than me may have some decent advice which we can debate/refine and reccommend as bestest policy for all road user safety from vicious thieves out there.

[i[

_________________
Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Mark you property, give it to them if they 'ask', its not worth your life.

Remember, 'D' locks are big, heavy and easy to grip.

Common sense would suggest that any 'defect' you introduce to your own property could not be considered sabotage, but the law has been know to make an ass of itself on occasion, so be wary.

If anyone does have the opportunity to make use of the above two points in unison, please do video and post to YouTube!

We all know that deep down. But still people do not want a thug to just rob them. Their instinct? I think to protect what they own/value/prize.


I would kick them where it hurt... in between legs. I would hope to out distance them on my bicycle. I think Mad Doc could pedal away quite "furiously" und achieve a real lead. (He might get into bother with some jobsworthy policeman but I am sure most will use IG style discretion or at least I would hope very much so given the Cadden case's real nonsense )


I have to admit that I was severely shocked to read that a serial bike thief get aways with a suspended sentence und mild smack on hand. That not the message to get across

If you want to jail a 77 year old for taking his son's points as "example" - then you jail a thief who deprive others of their green way of transport much more punitively. Bicycles matter to the commuter cyclist just as much as our nice cars matter to driver commuters. Justice matter to all of us. (on above case - Papa between rock und hard place perhaps. I think he should have got "suspended" und his son a harder penalty for pulling parental cords like that. Have to say it. I can understand as a Mama who will defend her young. I would not lie for them nor pervert any justice if they do wrong. I hope I have brought up decently minded fair minded youngsters who make a real contribution to the world around them as well as fill me with parental kicks of pure pride in the fruits of my marriage. I cannot guarantee this even more than the Queen/Blair/Brown/Ruth Kelly of even "spindrift" of course. But Mad Doc und me tried. We can only hope they take common sense values to heart und into their futures. I do not think any parent on planet can hope for more than that. We steer towards the decent values of life, motivate, help by choosing school we think will suit them. We place learning opportunities to them all the time. All parents out there cannot do more than this. But they cannot guarantee. But they hope they do the right thing all the same. Ist off topic perhaps. I think I type what occur to me at point of typing here P



I do use umpteen locks when I ride into our nearest town (Keswick). We live outside this town. Quite a cycling work out really for us. For me especially - especially the up-gradient back home.

However I have to say that parking facilities for bikes are not very good nor even practical or even encouraging. TOO FEW FACILITIES!

Now I accept some ergonomic problems. But even so. The facilities are best described as "pathetic token mealy mouthed gesture" just as the suicidal cycle lanes around here are best described as "meeting some obscure target" than encouraging folk to cycle.

Suggestion. Promote Bikeability. Remove the "lanes" Trust the cyclists to help themselves to their own safety via Bikeability routine. Educate/NAG NAG NAG NAG all drivers to C O A S T und pay much respect thereby to ramblers und cyclists here.

But most importantly - take bike mugging/bicycle theft seriously. We human beings out there want more police to protect us und if robbed - trace the persons und provide bomb proof evidence to ensure justice served tio US und not THEM>


Now I am sure that even spindrift will support this post. All we want: justice for everyone.

_________________
Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Letters in Bolton/MEN call for wider use of CCTV to curb this trend,


I have to say I find it very disturbing to read that a serial thief gets an ASBO for nicking thousands of pounds worth of a mode of transport which matter to those deprived as much as a theft of my car or any violation of my property matters to me.

I am outraged beyond belief at the naff decision.

Look .. if someone steals anything which belong to you - it matters very much

Especially if this affects your right to move unhindered and safely from point A to point B and beyond

Bikes? Whether or not purchased at Lidl or in a Halfords "deal" or bought at outrageous cost from a dealer of repute .. they matter to their owner. We want to see key thrown away at this snub to freedom of movement when by virtue of cycling we make a statement as to how we value the planet we live on.


Please note - dear lurks. I want fair play for all and safety for all of us. Safe speed posters are pals of cyclists. We want them to share our road with us without fear. I say this as a concerned driver and as a leisure cyclist as a commute just is not viable. I would like it to be - but I am selfish in that I like fo play with my children. My car saves me time despite my endeavours to improve my cycling overall. That saved time allows me to post to this site. It also allows me to bond with those I hold very dear to me personally.

I admit to a vague hope that the more militant lurkers understand what I am trying to say here. We are no enemy of any other road user but that all share a responsibel duty of care to another.

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.