Job Discussion Forums

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 3:56 pm Post subject: bike stolen!

Ok so I bought a used bike for about 9800 yen with gears and it wasn't fancy but I was pretty statisfied. So Bike and I become ONE. After only two weeks, Bike is my best friend in my small town. Then I go by the 100 Yen shop and lock bike up outside. After 20 mins, I come out and Bike is gone. I reported it to the police, but now I am sooo lonely all over again and every place seems so much further away. Maybe I am being lazy, but is it likely I will get my bike back???? I mean I am in the land of the honest, right? Confused

Lindsay · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 29 Location: kitakyushu, japan

a friend of mine had her stolen bike returned to her after it was found, TWO YEARS LATER! so, they must find some of them!

another friend of mine was given a secondhand bike as a gift. then one day the police stopped her, took her and the bike to the police station where they interrogated her for 3 hours because the bike she had received was stolen!

my bike was stolen a few months ago. i was a ninny and left the key in the lock. whoops. serves me right. i think i was drunk at the time. anyway, i have since purchased a scooter (no more drinking and driving!) i never did report my bike stolen, i think i was too embarassed to admit that i left the key in the lock!

taikibansei · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 811 Location: Japan

I had three bikes stolen on me and only one returned. The police found the latter one over a year later...with two flat tires.

I'd buy another bike and a better lock--never had a bike secured with one of the more expensive locks stolen on me!

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

Someone stole my bike last month too. And it had two locks on it. I reported it too, but alas...I paid 27,000 yen for that thing. Evil or Very Mad

Fortunately, your chances of recovering your bike are not completely hopeless. Many times people "borrow" bikes. You might find it nearby or in some random location. And the police are sometimes out in full force stopping bicyclists and demanding to see their papers. So if you reported it to the police, you at least have a fighting chance of seeing it again. Using a marker or paint to put your name on the bike will help deter theft, by the way.

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

No one steals a neon pink bike. That's just something to think about.

chi-chi- · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 194 Location: In la-la land

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

blue jay · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 6:06 am Post subject:

I once left a bike my roommate lent me overnight by the Nakatsu subway entrance, the next day it was gone. I was too ashamed to tell her so I pretended that I had parked it somewhere else for a couple of months. Then she saw it outside the same subway and asked me why it was still there. So I went back and got it and locked it up more tightly. In fact I don't think I rode anymore after that. But boy was I ever glad to see it!

The next time I got a bike it was called Mr. and Marie and I loved that bike even though the basket creaked when I rode it. I never felt so free when I was riding Mr. and Marie down some back alley in Tsukaguchi!
However I was constantly getting into arguements with the bike brigade over where I parked it. To this day I don't understand why I could park my bike in certain areas and not in others near the Tsukaguchi train station. I have a beautiful mountain bike now named Princess but I'll always remember dear old Mr. and Marie very fondly. I miss that bike!

bshabu · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 200 Location: Kumagaya

My friend's bike was stolen and had found it the next day in front of the the local Tsutaya. So he helped himself to his own bike. If were me I would have waited for that little punk to come out of the store.

Eric · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Hawaii

I also had my bike stolen about two months ago. It was stolen right in front of one of the schools that I teach at. I didn:t think that I needed to lock it because it had an ugly pink gadget under the seat, but my bike was stolen anyway.

I have been looking for my bike ever since but I believe it is gone for good. Next time I will be more careful.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Interesting story:
My wife found an excellent bike in the ditch near our house. It had been there for about 3 weeks and wasn't touched. We took it home with us and called the police. Turned out the bike was stolen from a HS kid a month before and they were thrilled to have it back. We were a little bummed at first because we would have loved the bike. However, a few months later the kid ended up as my private student and then that led to another private. So instead of a bike, I get over 11,000 yen/week from the 2 classes. Pays to be honest, never know what'll happen. Laughing

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 2:50 pm Post subject:

Well thanks for the info. Does it help to have a really good lock, or is it like in the States--"if someone wants your car bad enough they'll steal it anyways"??
Confused

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

If you've got a bike you like then the only way it won't get stolen is to keep it inside. For the most part that's impossible here so my advice is to go to the local hardware store and buy the biggest thickest length of chain you can find and combine it with a padlock of similar magnitude. If that is not convinient for you then resign yourself to the fact that your "deadly treadly" may go walkabout at some stage.