CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Stairwell thefts

(35 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by earthowned
  • Latest reply from crowriver

12

  1. earthowned
    Member

    Woke up this morning to find that our stairwell had been strip mined of all easily removable bike parts.

    There seems to be a spate of robberies at the moment so keep your stuff safe.

    I know most of you will know this already but when parking your bike lock both front and rear wheels - not just the frame.

    Even though they couldn't take my front wheel the little $@#*! took my QR skewer just to be spiteful.

    This tale has a happy ending though. I went to the LBS to get a replacement. Although they had none in stock they lent me a QR skewer so I could get to work.

    Top marks to The Bike Chain on Rodney St. You guys rescued my morning :)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. David - Hack
    Member

    Hi there,

    I work for the EEN (cue stream of criticism) but would be keen to look into this, with your help.

    If you drop me an email with your address I can check with police and highlight the issue.

    get me on: david.mccann@edinburghnews.com

    Thanks,
    David

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. ld
    Member

    Earthowned roughly where do you live? I presume around Broughton St? I'm not too far away if so, so will be a bit more vigilant.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. earthowned
    Member

    @David - email winging it's way towards you
    @ld - I live in the Bellvue area of town

    Keeping street tenement doors shut is a problem - we get lots of people cold-calling asking to come in to drop off takeaway leaflets. Annoying when the neighbours let them in.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I live on the ground floor and neighbours further up the stair seem a bit less bothered about keeping the doors (front and rear) shut. I listen out for the sound of the brick being dragged across the floor to wedge it open (then nip out and unwedge it shut!), for the sound of the door not quite catching shut or the sound of the front door banging shut extra loud, indicating the rear door is open.

    Upstairs neighbours learned the hard way though when their bikes (unlocked) were taken from the stairwell the last time we had an issue.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. tammytroot
    Member

    My sympathies, It's a perenial problem I'm afraid and I share the fustration about tenement doors being left open. Not only have we had bikes nicked, but being just round the corner from a pub the stairwell gets used as a toilet as well. Unfortunately some of the neighbours are a bit lax since the bike secuity is not an issue for non-cyclists. We have 4 cyclists in the household and only room for 2 bikes in the hall so the other 2 bikes have to live in the stairwell. These thefts seem to be cyclical (no pun intended) and after a few days the miscreants move on to pastures new.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. SRD
    Moderator

    I've never heard of parts being stolen though!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. crowriver
    Member

    I had a spate of thefts of small parts from the bikes or attempts at such a while back. Eventually figured out someone was kicking in the stairwell door around 11.30pm to make a recce, then returning the next day. Actually spotted him one evening, ran after him and angrily confronted the guy in the street!

    Haven't had any issues since (touch wood).

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. holisticglint
    Member

    @SRD I've never heard of parts being stolen though!

    I have only had parts stolen over about 15 years
    -- Front wheel outside George Sq. library
    -- Saddle in KB
    -- Bell (BELL!) on the Pleasance

    if this tend continues the next theft will be rust flakes from my pedals...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. minus six
    Member

    City centre heroin addict two man crews tend to eschew bike thievery in favour of the "get in quick, grab shiny laptops and out again quick" jobs in student dominated tenements.

    Getting in beyond a yale secured door is a breeze, and first year students typically haven't wised up to routinely using the mortise bolt locks yet.

    Never rely on a yale.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    City centre heroin addict two man crews tend to eschew bike thievery in favour of the "get in quick, grab shiny laptops and out again quick" jobs in student dominated tenements.

    My ground floor flat was broken into and turned over by someone matching this sort of "occupation" in life. Left everything apart from a small (cheap) digital camera and a duffel coat(!). Also left his daysaver bus ticket, which coupled with the CCTV of him coming back into his hostel wearing my coat lead to his arrest and prosecution. Been at Her Majesty's pleasure ever since...

    All bikes and bike stuff were left, but guess it wouldn't be easy getting them out through a window and over a series of garden walls. Fortunately when front door locked from the outside on the deadbolt, it won't open from the inside.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Uberuce
    Member

    For want of a better word, I was inspired by your fortune-within-a-misfortune to chain my bikes together in the flat when I went on my holiday. It wasn't that your stuff was nailed down, it's just that it'd look and sound suspicious as hell for far too long to be worth the risk.

    I'm two floors up, so presumably a thieving swine would be coming in the door; one bike being wheeled downstairs is nothing special even if you did see it, but three chained together, even if it was within junkie wraith physical capabilities, must make a hell of a racket.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. LivM
    Member

    I had a spate a couple of years ago when someone was repeatedly nicking small bits from my bikes (when they were locked up in the stair) - handlebar grips, QR skewer, stem cap, rear reflector, saddle / seatpost, etc. I always locked both front and rear wheels, and saddles (once the first had been nicked), but eventually I gave up and found homes dispersed around my flat for all. I guessed that it was someone in the stair who was annoyed at my bikes being in the common stair, as the parts weren't really what I thought would be valuable to others. Just petty theft. Police not really interested (nothing they could do).

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. barnton-to-town
    Member

    David - Hack

    Would be great if there was somehow a chance that this was an EEN "campaign" to protect cyclists. But it won't be; it'll be to highlight that there are thieves about (always has been) and to vilify the council and/or the police for not doing enough.

    My favourite (It's an old one, but still contemporary) example of EEN reporting a cycling story comes under this headline;
    http://www.scotsman.com/news/more-than-30-cyclists-caught-drunk-behind-the-handlebars-1-1280129

    "MORE THAN 30 CYCLISTS CAUGHT DRUNK" (in five years, ssshhh) while hidden away in the body of the story is the fact that in ONE year, 1436 DRIVERS were charged for drink driving.

    We don't need the EEN to start a campaign to stop the thieves; we need someone to stop the EEN stirring up anti-cyclist feeling in the city, which actually endangers our lives.

    EEN is about as negative a nimby paper there's ever been. I hope your career takes a turn for the better elsewhere.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. gembo
    Member

    I thought EEN were considering a more pro cyclist stance? Would be nice. I used to collect the headlines which had the word fury in them, eg,Fury at bike thieves in Bellevue. Quite common. Would be nice if there was less fury.

    Aberdeen man drowns

    Was supposed to be the P& J headline on the sinking of the titanic?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. steveo
    Member

    I thought it was "Local man dies in boating accident"

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    "Aberdeen man drowns"

    Other variations are available! -

    "Folklore has it that the headline in a local daily newspaper when reporting the sinking of the Titanic was: “North East Man Drowns at Sea"

    MORE

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. David - Hack
    Member

    Hi barnton-to-town, Im pleased to say that particular story pre-dated my time on the newspaper but acknowledge that (in my view) it was a sorry excuse for a page lead story.

    Conversely, on many occasions we have exposed lunatic drivers who've mow down cyclists and supported various council provisions for greater expenditure on ensuring cycle safety. These things are expected, of course, and often go unnoticed which is the way of things.

    There were cycling initiatives we had in the pipeline until we learned the council was (honorably) already full steam ahead with many of them. Felt limp to launch a campaign on something they were already gung-ho with.

    No excuses the story you highlighted but it's a difficult time for local journalism and much easier to lose readers with an ill-advised headline or skewed page lead than it is to attract new readers with award-winning reporting (as we have achieved every year at the Scottish Press Awards).

    Re this topic, have spoken to police, council and been trying to get back in touch with earthowned to get something into the paper on Monday.

    Police have provided some advice but not sure this is an ideal topic for newspaper campaign.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. SRD
    Moderator

    Worth noting that there are cyclists who work for the EEN and the Scotsman. But, we've often wondered (and perhaps
    David-Hack could enlighten us), how much the omnipresent car adverts affect the paper's stance?

    Of course 'we' know that most cyclists also drive, but that's perhaps not the public perception.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. Tulyar
    Member

    A good lock for remote release is the CISA - the ones with the red button that go clunk and pull back a mortise bolt which is then fired back in again when the door closes, by the cam system in the upper part of the lock. The button is optional and it can be electrically operated from a remote switch and a switch by the door. Basic CISA locks cost over £100 and you use standard 'yale' barrel to operate from outside - or entry system (usually it is sensible to have manual override in case of a power cut - use high security barrel with controlled key system).

    Very clever system uses stored energy from the spring that is preloaded by the cam when the door closes. Red button is direct mechanical release, electrical release is low energy solenoid that triggers the stored energy spring.

    Very frustrating is the heavily sprung door which has to he held whilst the bike comes in - hence big pedal marks on door frame/edge/wall. Option is 12V/24V door holding magnet (used for fire doors that release when alarm goes off. Open door and activate (light) timer switch which turns on magnet. Magnet holds door whilst timer runs to let you get bike/pram/shopping in, then releases.

    Other detail, given that thefts tend to happen at certain times may be to have a timer operated additional security - for example a magnet plate which is active between 00.00 and 06.00 and during the day if necessary and a simple remote operated power socket to control it - everyone gets a remote control to operate the switch.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. cb
    Member

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/on-street-bike-shed-plan-to-beat-thieves-1-2464960

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. earthowned
    Member

    I'm pleased to report that this particular episode had a happy strange ending.

    This morning I woke to find a pile of wheels stacked outside our tenement. The thief had a change of heart and returned their ill-gotten gains.

    I'm very grateful that they returned the wheels, but a little bemused as to why bother steal them in the first place.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. crowriver
    Member

    The power of the Evening News, eh?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. earthowned
    Member

    http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/edinburgh/stolen-bike-wheels-returned-after-theft-reported-in-evening-news-1-2468284

    Ye gads, that's a terrible pic of my double chins!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Uberuce
    Member

    Nah, the lighting and angle really brought out their contours. Good job, EEN photo person!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. Roibeard
    Member

    *waves* Hi Theo - UoE seems to be disproportionately represented on this forum...

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. chdot
    Admin

    "UoE seems to be disproportionately represented on this forum"

    A lot of curious minorities cluster here.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  28. earthowned
    Member

    *waves* Hi Robert - it's only just struck me that if you're sat at your desk right now you must be literally about 10m from me (albeit at an oblique vertical angle).

    Posted 12 years ago #

  29. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    "A lot of curious minorities cluster here."

    But we're all human beings.... Awwwww....

    Posted 12 years ago #

  30. tammytroot
    Member

    thieves cut through my neighbours fairly substantial cable lock at the weekend. Fortunately must have been distubed as the bike was still there!
    Seeing as we have been victims before, and I was away on business at the weekend, my wife moved all our bikes into the flat which now resembles a used bike showroom and is impossible to navigate. Might be forced to sell a couple of the bikes! n-1?? :(

    Posted 12 years ago #

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