The Chainlink

messing with my bike on the bus

Anyone else have someone mess with their bike on the bus rack?

I hopped on the bus with my bike tonight because I left my lights at home. Big mistake. Its beautiful.

I always try to sit towards the front of the bus to watch my bike. I ended up sitting toward the middle this time since dome hanicap people needed the front seats.

A few stops in someone says someone is messing with a bike.

I jump up and some drunk guy has moved my bike to the back rack pulled the lock up half way on my back wheel ( I have a rack on my rd hike). I take my bike off ( he had broken the licking mechanism too) not wanting to deal with his drunk drama and figure ill find another. bus.

the bus driver says stay we will get hin off and starts calling the police. After some time threatening words to us ( and another nice lady who was yelling at him) the guy takes off.

not sure yet if my bike is damaged.... bus driver will have me fil out a report.

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 29, 2013 at 10:58pm

Sounds like you just encountered a drunk ass.  What bus route was this and around what intersection?

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on May 29, 2013 at 11:21pm
146 on michigan ave
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 30, 2013 at 2:06am

Julie-- I'm sorry this happened.

FWIW I've been using the bus racks for 10 years now on a very regular basis and have never had any incident of anyone putting their paws on my bike.

What I can offer is that I've seen an uptick in drinking and inebriation on the bus in recent months, and generally a lot more casual public drug use as well.... not quite sure why (economy improving?)

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on May 30, 2013 at 7:44am
Im just gonna stick to staying in the front. Ill still get up elders or hanidap but ill just stand.
Permalink Reply by Josh L. on May 30, 2013 at 8:10am

I never could have imagined this. So no.

Question:

1)  Did the drunk guy put a bike in the rack too?

2)  The drunk guy did this (I guess I know the answer) while the bus was briefly at a stop or was the bus stopped for a longer period? I just can't imagine someone would get in front of a moving bus or a bus that has stopped momentarily. Sounds like a freak crime.

Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on May 30, 2013 at 8:24am

Wierd. Maybe he was attempting to steal it but was too drunk to. The busses have a front facing camera, not sure of the quality but if anything more serious were to happen a video record is availiable. 

Not sure if the increase in drunkness is the economy improving or not either way Beer is the 3rd most consumed beverage.

Public drinking/intoxication is common place, I mean I see it in the parks, people hanging out next to cars playing music drinking even on the train going to games, street fests one guy holding a 12 pack with his friends just drinking away. A trio of gang bangers who were mulling over robbing me last week were smoking on the red line so... Be careful out there.

And keep that u-lock handy.

Permalink Reply by Mark on May 30, 2013 at 9:55am

I always stand near the front of the bus, but have never had a problem.

Permalink Reply by blair on May 30, 2013 at 10:05am

Good idea.  I don't put my bike on a bus often, but I've always worried that someone would mess with it.  Thanks for giving us a head's up!

Julie Hochstadter said:

Im just gonna stick to staying in the front. Ill still get up elders or hanidap but ill just stand.
Permalink Reply by Blatherskate on May 30, 2013 at 12:41pm
I remember reading in the CSBR last year about someone getting their bike stolen off a CTA bus rack.
Those bastards are tenacious, arn't they?

Be careful out there...
Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on May 30, 2013 at 12:53pm

It seems that staying within sight of the bike is imperative. I usually also try to keep exit paths handy so I can come out at pace and screaming if someone messes with my bike. I have, when pasing thru 'hoods or on routes where long stops are common, put a lock on the bike before the bus arrives so I can load the already locked bike into the rack. This may not stop tampering before I can get there but they won't ride away on the bike.

Also I will not load my bike into the outside position if at all possible and if I am the second bike in the rack I assure I can be handy to clear my bike for the first loaded biker and reset my bike...let the bus wait.

Jeff

Permalink Reply by Jerry Lee on May 30, 2013 at 3:30pm

Can we lock the bike up with a u lock to the wheels, so they can't ride off with it? I think CTA don't want you to lock the bike, maybe just can't lock to the rack.

Permalink Reply by Julia 3.5/7.5 mi on May 30, 2013 at 3:38pm

I think that's exactly it - they don't want it locked to the rack itself. I put my former Trek on a few buses after a dooring accident a few years ago - it was completely mangled and unrideable, but it would stay put with the yellow levers on the bus. I don't see why CTA would have a problem if you immobilize your bike before putting it on the rack.

I also keep a close eye when my bike's on the front of a bus. I had someone put their bmx bike on backwards on the Irving Park bus - I wasn't sure that the little red hook would hold my bike steady hooked on my rear wheel. The bus driver wouldn't let me reset the other persons' bike, but she did let me watch it like a hawk and took care going over bumps!


Jerry Lee said:

Can we lock the bike up with a u lock to the wheels, so they can't ride off with it? I think CTA don't want you to lock the bike, maybe just can't lock to the rack.

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