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Abandoned bike

There's lots of places to report a stolen bike, but what about reporting an abandoned bike?  I don't want to report it to 311 because it may not really be abandoned.  I'd rather see it go to West Town Bikes or someplace that rebuilds like the place on South Western that reuses them. 

Somethng like a "All TG Talero" or something like that.

Locked up with a U-Lock at the corner of Carmen (5100 N) and Central Park (3600 W) and it's been there for a couple of weeks.  Locked to a sign at the entrance to the park, along the street.  A 3x6 speed mountain bike, I think.

Oversized pictures, you need to reduce them to see the bike.

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Permalink Reply by BruceBikes on October 4, 2013 at 11:21am

As long as it's in Chicago, you can report it here:

http://chicagobikes.org/bikeparking/abandonedbike.php

I've been told the city sends unclaimed abandoned bikes to Working Bikes (i.e. that place on South Western.)

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on October 4, 2013 at 11:53am

Thanks - Working Bikes is the place I couldn't think of the name.

 I'll wait until after the weekend, and report it to that page then if it hasn't been picked up. 

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on October 4, 2013 at 12:19pm

311 is fine, Bob-- what is your hesitation?

They'll refer it to the bike program who will have someone tag it for removal, giving the owner fair warning.

Although I'm not quite getting what your concern is about this particular bike.

 

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on October 4, 2013 at 12:35pm

After it sat for a few days I finally noticed it.  Then I ignored it, hoping it would get picked up.  It didn't, and I continued to ignore it. Now several weeks have passed.

I was hesitant about 311 just picking it up, and junking it.  I'd figure a way to cut the lock first and even drop it off to Working Bikes. 

Which would be better than turning it into scrap metal.

If 311 turns it over to Working Bikes I'll fill out that form in the future. 

 

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on October 4, 2013 at 12:46pm



Bob Kastigar said:

After it sat for a few days I finally noticed it.  Then I ignored it, hoping it would get picked up.  It didn't, and I continued to ignore it. Now several weeks have passed.

I'm surprised it has a full complement of components at this point. :-)

Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on October 4, 2013 at 12:49pm

A couple weeks isn't that long. People go out of town or they might just be busy. Also, how do you know someone didn't ride it while you weren't looking? It doesn't look abandoned to me, I'd give it more time.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on October 4, 2013 at 12:57pm

The Chicago Stolen Bicycle Registry polls for how long a bike was locked in its location before stolen.

We frequently get values of several weeks to several months, but I vaguely recall a tandem where the response was "seven years."

I am also saddened when I see a bike locked in one place for a while, because yes, you will very likely see it begin to be stripped.  I watched this happen with a bike locked to the fence on the northwest corner of Western and Belmont (between the two bus stops). Lasted a while before the slimeballs moved in. There were multiple stickers on it for a tattoo parlor in Berwyn-- I called and left a message about it (maybe someone was drunk and forgot what they did with their bike that night.)

When I see a bike locked under the Metra tracks at 19th and Western, I am usually certain I will have to watch it dwindle down to a bare frame.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on October 4, 2013 at 12:59pm

From the way the stuff is piled up around it and the weeds are growing through the wheels, it probably has not been moved in a couple of weeks.  That being said, there were twin bikes locked to a bike rack at Belmont Harbor with cable locks all summer long that no one touched. About a week ago, they were removed, but I don't know if it was the owners or someone else who removed them.  Really, 311 is the best bet since it appears that they will make an attempt to notify the owner even if it is just putting a sticker on the bike.  I know Charlie Short talked about this in another thread a while back, but I cannot find it.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on October 4, 2013 at 1:05pm

It should be noted that if you cut the lock and take possession of the bike, you have technically stolen it.

Bob Kastigar said:

After it sat for a few days I finally noticed it.  Then I ignored it, hoping it would get picked up.  It didn't, and I continued to ignore it. Now several weeks have passed.

I was hesitant about 311 just picking it up, and junking it.  I'd figure a way to cut the lock first and even drop it off to Working Bikes. 

Which would be better than turning it into scrap metal.

If 311 turns it over to Working Bikes I'll fill out that form in the future. 

 

Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on October 4, 2013 at 5:02pm

When I lived in NYC a few years ago I locked up a brand new bike (cheap department store variety) in the late morning next to one of the most visible and well traveled subway stations in the city. When I returned in the early afternoon (4 hours later), everything was stripped from the frame (including the headset which required a special tool). I decided to leave the frame because I was upset. The next morning the frame too was gone along with the U-lock.

I hate bicycle theft and think the problem is terrible here but seeing this bike in that shape after a couple weeks makes me realize it could be much worse.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on October 4, 2013 at 5:37pm

I also spray paint over graffiti on the bridge in the park.  Does that technically make me a graffiti artist as well?

Kevin C said:

It should be noted that if you cut the lock and take possession of the bike, you have technically stolen it.

Bob Kastigar said:

After it sat for a few days I finally noticed it.  Then I ignored it, hoping it would get picked up.  It didn't, and I continued to ignore it. Now several weeks have passed.

I was hesitant about 311 just picking it up, and junking it.  I'd figure a way to cut the lock first and even drop it off to Working Bikes. 

Which would be better than turning it into scrap metal.

If 311 turns it over to Working Bikes I'll fill out that form in the future. 

 

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on October 4, 2013 at 7:02pm
That depends whether your spray painting has any artistic merit. In either event, it probably makes you a vandal.

Bob Kastigar said:

I also spray paint over graffiti on the bridge in the park.  Does that technically make me a graffiti artist as well?

Kevin C said:

It should be noted that if you cut the lock and take possession of the bike, you have technically stolen it.

Bob Kastigar said:

After it sat for a few days I finally noticed it.  Then I ignored it, hoping it would get picked up.  It didn't, and I continued to ignore it. Now several weeks have passed.

I was hesitant about 311 just picking it up, and junking it.  I'd figure a way to cut the lock first and even drop it off to Working Bikes. 

Which would be better than turning it into scrap metal.

If 311 turns it over to Working Bikes I'll fill out that form in the future. 

 

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