Abandoned (?) M-Trax, North London

[ishaw]

Re:

There was aovely top end Raleigh 531/xt shod bike locked near my old house once. It was there for ages and eventually the council put a note on it about clearing it away). No sooner than this was done, parts started to get removed nightly. I toyed with the idea of saving it, even went out with tools to do so, but couldn't go through with it as I thought it would technically be stealing, even though in this case it had been clearly abandoned. Over time more stuff vanished until eventually the council removed it (I assume).

 

[xerxes]

Re:

Though I’d imagine it’d feel weird cutting a lock and walking off with it?

When I was about 13 or 14, about the right age for a thieving ne'er do well, I cut the lock off a bicycle with a hacksaw in broad daylight in a busy town centre, I got a few funny looks, but no one stopped me or questioned me.

It was my own bicycle and I'd forgotten the key for the cheap cable lock I had, one that could be locked without the key. Rather than walk home to get the key, I borrowed a hacksaw from a nearby hardware shop.

 

[Captain Stupido]

You know, when the council or whoever does come and clear up abandoned bikes, and they put notices on them, and if they don't hear back (or the bike isn't removed by the owner), then they consider them to be abandoned, with no legal owner, and take them away...

I mean, what's the difference if an individual does the same thing? Surely legally it's the same... the point is if they're abandoned then as far as the law's concerned, they have no owner.

I'm just wondering. If it's theft then the council or whoever have no right to take the bikes either.

 

[mk one]

The council can remove objects legally for various reasons.

Once the council has declared it abandoned then it is their property until either it is reclaimed by the legal owner or recycled. Until that time it is still the property of the owner, regardless of wether they still want it or not.

Taking someone elses property is theft no matter how you approach it, even if your name is Mr R Hood and you intend to give it to some poor unfortunate.

 

[Hattyfatner]

Re:

A lovely Saracen Conquest was locked up outside a disused pub locally for months without it being moved.

After some discrete enquiries it turns out the pub building was used to train police dogs. The bike was gone the next day...

 

[Captain Stupido]

Walked past this morning. It's still there. Amazingly enough nothing's been nicked off it as far as I can tell, but it's not getting any better.

 

[SD1]

It has no wheels. They were stolen the owner came along saw they were stolen and has abandoned it. Pretty standard behaviour by people who don't own a valuable bike and have had the wheels nicked. Anyone who owns a bike and takes the wheels off so they don't get nicked DOESN'T use shite locks.

 

[dyna-ti]

yes i bet it does. From my experience leave well alone.

Ditto.

 

[SD1]

Antwerp Belgium reckon 20% of "locked up" bikes are abandoned, probably more. Moreover obviously abandoned. The council really need to start collecting them as I think they are running out of places to lock up there bikes to abandoned them.

 

[Captain Stupido]

It has no wheels. They were stolen the owner came along saw they were stolen and has abounded it. Pretty standard behaviour by people who don't own a valuable bike and have had the wheels nicked. Anyone who owns a bike and takes the wheels off so they don't get nicked DOESN'T use shite locks.

Exactly.

I saw another bike in the local park this morning that's missing one wheel and a saddle/seatpost. It's resting against a stand, but not even got a lock on it. Today it stayed put - I'm probably the only person who noticed it. It's a cheap racer but would make a perfectly good pub bike or cheap commuter. Looks in good nick! Tomorrow I'm going to ask the guy in the adjacent park cafe if he knows who it belongs to. Assuming he doesn't I'm taking it home. I'll check it's not on the police's stolen list and then fix it up for a mate.

The truth is that as nice as the M-Trax is to a Retrobiker, to most people it would only just be worth £20 at the car boot WITH a pair of wheels. As it stands it's simply something that's too much hard work to take to the tip. It has no value to most people, to the original owner it has no value because he can't ride it.

I see nicer bikes at the tip every time I go. They used to let me take them but they've got cagey about them now... A sad state of affairs but people abandon and throw out good stuff all the time. It's part and parcel of the capitalist machine. This stuff has no real cash value - it's scrap.

I still feel funny about cutting a lock in a public place but the longer it stays there the more tempted I get... :|