Korean Job Discussion Forums

SweetLou · Joined: 26 Sep 2003 Location: mt. bu

After having three of my friends get their bikes stolen in the last 4 or 5 months, I've become an unfortunate member of the club.

Some time between going to sleep at midnight and my roommate coming home at 1am, my bike got stolen right from in front of my place. As does everyone these days (I don't remember this being such a common thing a year ago), I had a lock going through the wheel as a deterrent, but it looks like somebody decided to freeze (?) the lock or something and proceed to bust it open with a rock. The metal barrel of the lock, along with the hard plastic shell it was encased in, are completely cracked in half. Obviously they made such a small amount of noise that it didn't wake me up 20 meters away.

As a final piece of tragi-comedy, the jerks decided to leave the rock in front of my entrance along with the "ajossi motorcycle gloves" that were attached to the bike.

So, let this serve as a bit of a warning to those of you that have bikes. Don't think that, just because you put a standard lock on your bike, that it's gonna be safe. Get a super-duper heavy-duty one and be vigilant.

This country is cool in so many other ways too....it's a shame events like this have to tarnish my image of it.
'
Pissed off in Seoul,

-SL

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Korean guys often chuckle at my big steel chain wrapped around the backhandle. It looks like it could moor the Titanic. I'm very, very sorry to hear of your loss. No excuse for it. Thanks for the warning.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

Ive been lucky so far.

But I live in a small town where everybody knows who I am, and the bike I ride. I dont think a thief would get very far without being dogpiled by a mountain of elementary school children dong chimming him to death. Laughing

When I lived in Suwon I had my mountain bike stolen, the cheap Chinese made lock on it busted open and my 700,000won Trek was gone. I brought a kickass lock from Canada the last two years and while you can see where someone has tried to break it, cut it or smash it they didnt have any luck, damn thing is indestructable. Very Happy

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

I use a disc lock and a chain. I should use a Kryptonite, too. I left it unlocked for a while, every night someone would come and tear off the fairing to try to get at the ignition switch. Fortunately, they didn't. It's not safe out there, actually. Violent crime is low, but property crime exists for sure.

Yangkho · Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Location: Honam

One of my students went through hell last year.

Her car was in the shop, so she borrowed her friend's motorbike.

It was stolen that very night.

My student, feeling bad, went to a shop and bought another one for her friend.

That very night it was stolen.

Her friend said, don't even bother buying another one.

Personally, I make sure no one is around when I pull in on mine. Somebody tried to cut my chain, but only succeeded in shaving off part of the rubber casing. Somebody with proper tools could easily cut it, though.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

I had a 500Vulcan for a year, now a 750Virago. When I first got the Vulcan it has enough power to haul a chain wrapped around the backrest. A very heavy chain that can't be cut with snips, and a padlock made in Italy the bolt the same thick diameter as the chain. Put the bike out back, away from the parking lot, where there's grass and nobody. Inconspicuous, like, but right outside the balcony. The chain was from a 'chain shop' at the 'tool street' part of the city. He cut the length using an electric steel saw. Two meters was 60,000 and the padlock 80,000.