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Cycle 'mugging'

Wasn't there a similar scare-thread to this about a year ago?

Can't be arsed searching for it, but apparently we were all going to have our bikes robbed from us by two hoddies-onna-scooter knocking the cyclist to the floor, one leaving on the bike, the other on the scooter.
 
i soooo fear this, esp with new bright bike (but that might put em off?)
some lads outside a shop asking me how much my bike was the other night :hmmm:

seen other groups of lads 'gving it the eye' and whispering a couple of times as well.
when i cycle with a coat i have one of my locks in the pocket
 
I have had this happen twice, once in Amsterdam and once in Battersea.

In Battersea while walking with bike as I talked on my mobile on the cycle route which goes through the estates, three teenage kids ran past and tried to grab my bike from me, I didn't let go and yanked it back hard, I was pretty angry too and the kid holding onto the handle bars let go, so I rode off, and they could only kick my back wheel.

In Amsterdam a tramp who was about 7 foot tall and big, grabbed my folding bike as I was walking through the centre of town.

He was saying it was his bike. I protested and wouldn't let go, even though he was virtually dragging me down the street. I just shouted Police! Help Police! and asked passers by to call the police as I couldn't let go of the bike.

Eventually after at least 3 minutes in this standoff, some police were spotted and the tramp ran away.

I've been lucky both times.
 
This is one of the things that puts me off some of the recommended cycle routes that TfL etc produce - often through estates, quieter back-streets etc. Less traffic but more vulnerable.

When I first got my bike I went out on some cycle 'training' with an instructor who showed me some of these routes - within minutes on the back streets we'd been jeered at by a gang of kids and been hit with a water bomb. Didn't bother going that way again.
 
This happened to me last year in September. As I was approaching my house, I noticed two youths on bikes, just standing near the corner. I didn't think much of it and opened the front gate, got my keys out, and as i was opening the front door, one of them opens the gate and tried to snatch my bike off me. I had already opened the front door, and managed to drag it inside and he basically gave up the struggle and legged it as i screamed for help. There was no one home, so I called the police and they took me on their car to search for the mofos, but we couldn't find them at all. I really wanted to nail the bastard, but unfortunately , there wasn't enough evidence and I wasted a whole morning in a youth court. Anyway, I still have my bike, but i live in constant fear that it could happen again.
 
Sorry I didn't explain that properly. I got called back by the police a week later, and was shown mugshots of people who fitted the description of the guy who tried to nick my bike (I had a good look). I recognised the person and was later called back to a police parade, and identified the guy again. So I get to go to court, the bastard is free to go because there isn't any evidence that he was the person that tried to steal my bike, even if I had a pretty good look. Apparently that's not a good enough reason, so, yeah.
 
Herbsman. said:
This is why messengers carry mini u-locks in their back pocket or tucked into their belts. Very useful for self defence
Click to expand...

Yup. Big lump of hardened steel on the end of a chain.

Works on the skulls of thieving scum and also the windscreens of cunt drivers too.
 
I think anyone walking round in public with anything worth £100s, a bike, camera, ipod, mobile phone, laptop, expensive jewelry, watches, lots of cash or whatever - has to think about the possibility of being robbed. Keep it out of sight (or make it look cheap), insure it, get it postcode stamped, be aware of people around you and don't let them get close enough to grab things, if neccessary stick with other people or change your route and if appropriate be prepared to go ballistic (verbally and physically) if anyone fucks with you. Along your route make a note of where you would head if you needed to get help or avoid someone. Another option: use cheap stuff (phone/bike/etc) for those occasions where it might get lost/robbed.
 
even if something is 'worth' thousands it is not enough to be killed over just let it go...if it happens it happens it is just one of those things.
 
extra dry said:
even if something is 'worth' thousands it is not enough to be killed over just let it go...if it happens it happens it is just one of those things.
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Im not sure anyone is going to be killed over a bike.

Hold onto it as long as you can, shout, scream, call for help, threaten them. Chances are they will panic and run away.
 
rover07 said:
Im not sure anyone is going to be killed over a bike.

Hold onto it as long as you can, shout, scream, call for help, threaten them. Chances are they will panic and run away.
Click to expand...

Ever hear of people being killed for their phones or ipods?

I held onto my bike (for a second) and was stabbed. I was lucky they hit me in the chest bone thing and fell backwards or it would have been a lot worse. My bike cost something like £150 and the guys who robbed me didn't even think twice about pulling a knife, they were even stupid enough to actually stab me pretty much before they threatened me with it.
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
Ever hear of people being killed for their phones or ipods?

I held onto my bike (for a second) and was stabbed. I was lucky they hit me in the chest bone thing and fell backwards or it would have been a lot worse. My bike cost something like £150 and the guys who robbed me didn't even think twice about pulling a knife, they were even stupid enough to actually stab me pretty much before they threatened me with it.
Click to expand...

You did well to get out the situation intact...and kept your bag! The idiots are probably sat in some hot/sweaty prison cell right now. :D
 
extra dry said:
even if something is 'worth' thousands it is not enough to be killed over just let it go...if it happens it happens it is just one of those things.
Click to expand...

mind you I'm quite happy to kill to keep what is mine as the cunt who tried it found out .
left lieing in the cycle path if ho got hit by a bus tough
 
Someone i know was mugged by gang of kids in stokey, stood in the street in the way of her bike and punched her off and then rode off. All you can really try and do is be aware and look out for likely looking gangs of youth I suppose, it does seem to be a popular method of street robbery atm unfortunately....
 
Good news is the police think they've identified the gang. They've had them on the radar for a while apparantly because of the number of bikes going throgh their hands, but this is the first time they've been able to link them to an actual theft. :cool:

No sign of the bike itself yet :(
 
extra dry said:
even if something is 'worth' thousands it is not enough to be killed over just let it go...if it happens it happens it is just one of those things.
Click to expand...

That is of course the sensible thing to do, but when you are in the situation, it's almost like you have no control over your actions. I've twice chased muggers, which is probably a really stupid thing to do, but it was instinctive.
 
This is always at the back of my mind when on the Grand-Union canal, Paddington>West London >Oxford etc, i'm sure some of you will be familiar. Just that the path is often very narrow, and usually you have water/wall-fence on either side. So if a group did spring out, you'd be trapped :( Plus the canal seems to attract the worst types. Usually I just tail another cyclist for comfort. Safety in numbers. Is that irrational??
(Plus they then do the hard work of getting people walking, etc to move out the way!)

Some kids in Southall once said to me "Bruv we want to buy your bike" - Not sure that kids in gangs work in the same 'ethical' currency as most branches of retail, and besides it's not for sale. The canal path is much wider there in parts, so I just cycled off on my way.
 
mincepie said:
Some kids in Southall once said to me "Bruv we want to buy your bike" - Not sure that kids in gangs work in the same 'ethical' currency as most branches of retail, and besides it's not for sale.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Exchange rate is probably two punches and kicking, maybe with a shoeing if they're feeling extra generous.
 
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