Left my bike locked up at a rack on a road for pedestrian and commercial vehicles. Two hours later and I return to find that the bike has been flipped over the rack and both wheels are warped. Police have been unhelpful, saying for myself to request CCTV footage and that they won't investigate as no one person had been injured.

I'm so pissed, had this bike for one month now, its been a dream to ride, and some fuck probably in a commercial vehicle didn't care to check mirrors while parking, then drove off without leaving any detail.

The bike repairshop are saying the bike frame has a 5mm misalignment, both wheels will need replacing..

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[–] 45 points 3 months ago

they won’t investigate as no one person had been injured.

Fwiw, this is the same response I got when my car was stolen. They insisted I had to goto the station to file a report, but couldn’t say how I was supposed to get there ….. and they used that to mail me a ticket weeks later for β€œabandoning” my stripped car in a bad neighborhood…… including already a week of β€œstorage”

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  • [–] 81 points 3 months ago (14 children)

    Now imagine your car being obliterated in a similar way and the Police saying "Nah, we won't investigate that..."

    And bike frame 5mm bend basically is a 100% economic damage if it is made of aluminium or has carbon fiber components.

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  • [–] 57 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    In my area of the US at least, that is basically how it goes even for cars. If it was a hit and run and you weren't in the car they're just like "well good luck wkth the insurance company bro that really sucks"

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  • [–] 30 points 3 months ago* (5 children)

    Wow, didn't know that.

    In Germany, where I come from, "Unfallflucht" ("fleeing an accident") is a criminal offense, and for criminal offenses the police has to investigate by law.
    And it's also no joke, the penalties are potentially severe.

    Basically this also applies to damaging a parked bike with your car, only the final penalty for the offender might be lower, depending on amount of damage, but it would still be a criminal offense (as opposed to a purely civil matter).

    Wouldn't have expected the US to be that different, especially given the grim no-joke-reputation the US police forces have...

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  • [–] 26 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    It's also a crime anywhere in the US. Whether the police will do much to investigate beyond typing up a report probably depends on how easy it is for them to solve, whether you matter, etc.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    depends on [..] whether you matter

    My original point exactly.

    *insert Peter Griffin traffic control meme here, but with a car vs. a bike instead of light vs. dark skin color*

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago

    My poor '98 Honda civic's front bumper was literally ripped off in a mall parking garage - someone backed into it, then must have hooked something, and floored it. The police said they couldn't do anything because it's private property, and the mall said they didn't have any security footage because, "we don't film the garages - it would be a liability". I'm in the Midwest of the US.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    Why do you expect wealthy people to get better treatment??

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

    Why do you expect wealthy people to get better treatment??

    Not wealthy people.
    Car people.

    You know, real traffic participants!
    /s

    Not considering bikes part of normal traffic and also as being so low cost as to being not worth to bother is still a mindset surprisingly common, especially in the older parts of population.

    And regarding the poor/wealthy distinction:
    Where I live, it is by now often the other way round:
    The poor drive car, because they have to, while the more wealthy ride bikes, because they have the opportunity to do so.

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  • [–] -3 points 3 months ago* (1 child)

    Those aren't poor people, unless that car is also their home. Poor people cannot afford to drive. When the crunch hits, the first thing you do is get rid of your car.

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  • [–] 10 points 3 months ago*

    Highly depends on where you live, as "poor" is defined relative to the money the median person in your specific environment earns.

    Here in Germany, a single person with net earning of less than ~1800€ per month is considered officially poor, while for a family of 4, the limit would be ~4200€.
    (and keep in mind that's for Germany, where stuff like health insurance and basic social insurance is already included).

    The jobs in this pay region are much more likely to depend on owning a car, partly because of work hours, but also because low income jobs are more likely to be in rural areas.

    Whereas higher income jobs offer e.g. flexible work hours, home office and funnily enough, often fewer work hours (as these jobs often are union controlled), making it much easier for the employees to use bikes as their main mode of transportation.

    So the mentioned inversion of poor and wealthy regarding the mode of transportation is probably only a thing in developed countries with general higher standards of living.

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  • [–] 27 points 3 months ago

    That’s infuriating!

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  • [–] 19 points 3 months ago

    That's awful, I feel for you. Where I live the police don't care about stolens bikes. Similarly, my old 1989 Ford car got stolen and they didn't seem to care about that either, until it was abandoned out the front of some house blocking their driveway. Then I had to pay the impound to get it back.

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  • [–] 13 points 3 months ago

    I'm so sorry. That sucks!

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  • [–] 23 points 3 months ago (9 children)

    This is what stops me from using my bikes for everyday transportation. I love my bikes. I wish I could do everyday things on them, but they are so vulnerable. Even if I bought a shitty bike, it would be impossible for me not to end up putting time into it fixing it up and making it cool and I would fall in love with that bike too. If I lock my bike up somewhere there is a good chance someone will steal parts off of it or fuck it up :(.

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  • [–] 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

    If you love tinkering with your bike, let me introduce you to the well-known German concept of "borutizing" your bike!

    This advanced concept might cover both your need for personalization and substantially increase inbuild theft protection!

    Link to site (naturally original only available in German, use your preferred translator to get most out of it):
    https://borumat.de/fahrrad-diebstahlschutz

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago (6 children)

    using my bikes

    You have several?

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago* (2 children)

    8, lol

    hardtail mtb, full suspension mtb, gravel bike, plus tire bikepacking bike, bmx dirt jumper, polo bike, old polo bike, random 27" vintage bike.

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    I don't/can't even ride a bike and this made me sad when it popped up in All. Is there such a thing as bicycle insurance, like auto insurance? It seems like it would be expensive but so is having to just accept that your bicycle could be a total loss at any moment, and having a big organization to push for better policing of malicious damage and the creation of bike-safe streets would be helpful. I guess I'm seeing a League of American Bicyclists but how about some kind of insurance co-op with a monthly fee that pays out (at least a portion) in a case like yours?

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 8 points 3 months ago*

    Is that a Mavic A719 rim in the rear? Those things tend to be indestructible.

    Was gonna say that only the wheels look dead but if the frame is bent, given it appears to be aluminum... yeah.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 months ago

    Much sympathy for you. People suck.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago

    Damn, I'm sorry this happened to you.

    This kind of bullshit is why I started using folding bikes and bringing them inside with me (either a Priority Folder or w Ride1up Portola). Once I get to work, they just come in with me and fold up under my desk.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago

    That Salvador Dali shit in the lower photo is just heartbreaking.

    Is it worth repairing or are you looking at a new bike? In either case, a gofundme might help. I know as a long-time bike commuter, I would chip in for someone in your situation.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    I’m sorry to suggest this too late, but this is why I paid for bike insurance through my lock.

    You basically share with them some evidence the bike was locked when a theft occurred, like a police report or picture of discarded lock. That said, I don’t know whether they cover vandalism.

    And yes, it’s many orders of magnitude cheaper than car insurance.

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  • [–] 5 points 3 months ago

    I feel with you. I once experienced the same.

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  • [–] 5 points 3 months ago

    Fuck that really sucks

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago

    Shitty, any chance it's steel? Frame might be recoverable.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago

    Oof, I know the pain of a broken bike when it's your favorite transportation. My condolences buddy.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    They have to at least take a property damage report. If they refuse go and complain.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago
    [–] 5 points 3 months ago

    More likely a mentally ill person than a car. In my area there are a couple guys that go around wrecking shit until they get locked up again. Tearing down flags, smashing pots, tipping over kiosks, and stomping bike tires are all pretty regular.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    That's just aweful, friend, I'm so sorry.

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  • [–] -1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 child)

    If you gotta leave it in a busy public place, it should be really cheap an replaceable

    (I'm sorry your nice bike got broken, I wish the bastard itchy hemmorids until he dies)

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 3 months ago*

    I disagree

    The bike was relatively cheap as bought from a local bike charity who fix up and sell bikes. Price makes no difference. The bike could have been a gift and I would still be at the same level of annoyance

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  • [–] -3 points 3 months ago

    Sometimes life throws us curveballs. No point getting upset cuz you will just suffer. Let solid objects pass right through you; mind over matter. I'm sorry for what you are experiencing. The magick of the mind is that the suffering goes when you let go of it and let it be. Emptiness follows, and from the still waters of consciousness comes clarity and what is best in the present situation. Hope it resolves well for you.

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