You are hereUPDATE: Are you the owner of a stripped Ross that was left at Uncle Billys? I've got some info for you...
UPDATE: Are you the owner of a stripped Ross that was left at Uncle Billys? I've got some info for you...
Update x2: The person who snaked the wheels and gear from the bike has returned them to the bar. Billy's is going to try to find the original owner, and if they can't do that then donate the bicycle to Yellow Bike Project. Do you own a black Ross road bike that was left locked up at Uncle Billy's? If so go get it.
Update: I just received notice from the alleged thief that he's not in fact a thief, but was actually holding onto the wheels for the owner of the Ross after gaining approval of the bar. Here's his rebuttal to the allegations of thievery...
Get your story straight asshole. First off all, take my fucking number off of your website. I am no thief. The bike had been sitting there for weeks and I was told by management that if no one claimed it by the weekend, to take it because it was locked on a handicapped ramp and was against fire code. The next day the seat was missing. I took the tires off and told management that I had them. The owner should be glad that I stripped the tires off before someone else took them. I let management know that I had the components and if someone claimed the bike, to let me know. The shit will be @ billy's tomorrow. Take down the false claims or I will contact the authorities and press charges for defamation of character.
So if you're the owner of the Ross it sounds like your seats gone but your wheels are being returned today. Swing by Billy's or drop Mr. McMahon a line to get your gear.
This does raise a good question though. When is a bike considered "abandoned"? If I lock my bike to a fence post on public property and go out of town for a week, is it fair game to be stripped? What if I go downtown for a few beers and get hurt before getting back to my bicycle? How long is too long? A day? A week? A month? When does stealing someone elses shit cease to be thievery and become reclamation? Would leaving a note on the bike for a week of your intention to liberate the wheels before acting cover things? Lots of question marks in this paragraph, anyone have any opinions?
I just received the following account and photographic evidence from a regular at Uncle Billy's, where someone had left a Ross road bike that was subsequently stripped. If this was you, then read on for more info and a chance to reclaim your gear:
So there's this Ross road bike that has been locked up out front of Billy's for the past week and a half. I heard rumors of people who wanted to take it, and the next day the rims, tires & seat were all gone. I unhooked the railing & slid the frame off with the lock. I have the frame safely put away, as well as a name & phone number of the little fuckhead that ganked all the shit off of it! I fucking can't stand bike thieves, so I want to see if I can find the owner & help extract a little street justice. If anyone can give me the right combo to the lock, it's theirs. Here's some pics, thanks.
For the scribble impaired, the last photo says:
Frank Hagen McMahon
(Bike Thief)
has all of your missing parts
512-917-6609
We don't like bike thieves OR bike component thieves 'round these parts. If you're Frank, you'sa got some esplainin' to do...
I see a lot of bikes like this at UT as well - tires are flat, easily steal-able parts are stolen. I can think of one that has been in the same place for pushing 6 months now. I guess with a university, if the bike is registered, you can figure out if the person has graduated and make a determination that way. Maybe this is a wake up call to all of us to mark our bikes with contact info somehow. I just hate seeing useful frames and wheels and such lie useless if the owner has abandoned them.
This bike (or two bikes, really) has been there for at least ten months. And not stripped for parts, which is rather surprising -- though neither is a particularly good bike.
Personally, I put my name in several places on anything I own of any value that goes out with me, including my bikes. If I lose something, it greatly increases the chances of getting them back. If they're stolen and then sold, the thief is likely to miss one of the names but the buyer is likely to find one eventually. Then it might get removed ... or I might get a call.
I also can't stress the importance enough of having serial numbers. Without a serial number, it's extremely unlikely you'll ever see that bike again if it's stolen. With a serial number, it might show up if the police bust them for something else or find it abandoned.
I hate bike thieves as much as the next guy, Mine is my sole form of transportation, My question is, when does a bike become officially abandoned. Is it till the police come and cut the lock, until the chain rusts and the tires go flat. Should one never consider a bike abandoned regardless of the conditions. Bear in mind that I'm talking about public places and not say ... an apartment complex.
... at least legally.
Probably the right thing to do would be to call the police. They'd come with the proper tools, cut it loose and check the serial number against their reports. If no matches, they'd probably sell it at their next auction.
I guess the original owner could still claim the bike, but with a documented paper trail that goes through the police, at least nobody is going to jail. Dunno what claim the guy would still have on his bike, however.