So a week after I returned from Phoenix for a short term contract I talked to a Panigale owner down stairs. I asked him where is your bike. He said that it had been stolen on February 22. Turns out that four bikes were stolen in one day from below in the Parkade of our condominiums. They have the bad guys on Camera removing the bikes in the back of a pick up truck but the camera resolution was not sufficient to give the police the license plates. My BMW RS1200 would have been stolen as well would it not have been for me storing it in a separate room in the Parkade that I rent. That also goes for my sons Yamaha . It has been a bad year for the bike thefts in Calgary. Guys are driving a black Ford pick up and they are of Asian descent. So these bikes could end up in a foreign country unless customs x-rays the containers before they are shipped . This is how the police caught a car theft ring that was shipping high end vehicles to the Balkans in Europe. Anyway I am thankful that I do not have to go through the insurance thing for replacing my bike.
They once hanged horse thieves. The new problem down here in Melbourne are car jackings, beatings and home invasions to steal car keys. Most reported incidents lately have been connected to newly arrived refugee communities from Africa. Unfortunately for all. They love BMW and Mercedes cars. One took place about 2 k from my home 3 weeks ago. A bloke was driving a Honda (!). Stopped at a red light at 4 am on major suburban road. A car hit him from behind. He got out of his car and was then hit in the head with a hammer. Our police are under orders not to pursue, so the stolen cars are used for all sorts of crimes for days. About 5 weeks ago a native born Aussie, fuelled by Ice, deliberately ran down dozens of people in a major pedestrian mall, killing 6 people, including one baby. Most non-homicidal crimes are treated with non-custodial sentences, with the usually under 18 y.o. offenders being on continuing bail, multiple re-offending and then getting a slap on the wrist. I am not suggesting that the world wide refugee problem is the major issue. I think that wide spread drug use by the Grand Theft Auto generation is probably the main one. Regardless of the major cause it is an unwelcome trend.
Similar story in the UK, I live in a fairly sleepy village - but well connected to a fast arterial road. Thieves have been targetting the village and stealing expensive cars over several months - last week they moved on to stealing bikes. Seems too many of us store car and bike keys in the hall close to the front door / window - a quick break-in, nothing taken other than car and bike keys and the vehicles themselves - they know which houses to target. I have added some new security measures, but I think its good advice to all to keep vehicle keys somewhere safer than next to the door - maybe next to the bed!
It's crazy how this seems to be so prevalent in the first world. And here we are at the bottom of Africa and I pretty much never hear of any bike thefts. But from the UK and Australia hear about it all the time and now also Canada. Is it just that nobody can ride down here?
I like the Rottweiler idea but then it could be hard to get the key off the dog when you want it lol and the nearest tree with a good rope hanging from it for any bike thief is even better. if not then lock them up and then deport them.
