Saw a dodgy bike trade taking place.

[Rooster1]

Was sat outside my daughters student halls of residence and saw a chap get off his bike and speak to the driver of a car parked up.
Driver was checking the bike over and asking the "owner" some questions about it. Owner was a young kid with a small shoulder bag.
Driver asked, how will you get around ? "Owner replied "don't need it anymore"
Cash exchanged, bike loaded into car, deal done.
This is all a few feet from a Police Station btw

I could have said something, I wanted to ask the bike "owner", whats in the bag ? Nice cable cutter I imagine.

The whole thing just stank of stolen goods, but I am not the police.

What would you have done?

 

[Arjimlad]

Not sure, possibly take a few discreet photos including the bike and the car reg, then keep an eye on local stolen bike pages.

 

[alicat]

Hope I would have gone over and said 'Can you prove to the officer inside that police station that that bike is yours to sell?'

 

[Roseland triker]

Probably on finance

 

[annedonnelly]

I saw a chap sawing away at a bike lock recently. I went up to him and said "I hope you're not stealing that". He wasn't. It was his bike and the lock had broken. We had a chat about it and how his son's bike had been stolen the day before.

I couldn't have walked past and let someone have their bike stolen.

 

[biggs682]

I saw a chap sawing away at a bike lock recently. I went up to him and said "I hope you're not stealing that". He wasn't. It was his bike and the lock had broken. We had a chat about it and how his son's bike had been stolen the day before.

I couldn't have walked past and let someone have their bike stolen.

That's very brave of you indeed

 

[Roseland triker]

That's very brave of you indeed

Sure is.
You would most likely get a gun poked in your face in Northampton

 

[DCLane]

Intervene if you're in public, photos if unsure; whilst the bike seller is may not be traceable without a clear photo a car registration usually is.

It could be genuine, particularly with students who've over-spent at this time of year. But ...

 

[annedonnelly]

That's very brave of you indeed

He looked a fairly harmless chap & it was a very public place.

 

[Jody]

The whole thing just stank of stolen goods, but I am not the police.

What would you have done?

Situation that arose recently with a local kid and Facebook detectives.

Spotted often riding a £5k+ E-MTB in his grey Adidas trakkie with matching cap and man bag. Very suspicious as it didn't have a battery on it. Lots of people taking pictures of him when spotted, plastering it all over the site, trying to track the owner and whether they should tell the Police.

Turns out he won it in a competition and it was rightfully his.

Not everything is as it looks.

 

[winjim]

Was sat outside my daughters student halls of residence and saw a chap get off his bike and speak to the driver of a car parked up.
Driver was checking the bike over and asking the "owner" some questions about it. Owner was a young kid with a small shoulder bag.
Driver asked, how will you get around ? "Owner replied "don't need it anymore"
Cash exchanged, bike loaded into car, deal done.
This is all a few feet from a Police Station btw

I could have said something, I wanted to ask the bike "owner", whats in the bag ? Nice cable cutter I imagine.

The whole thing just stank of stolen goods, but I am not the police.

What would you have done?

I probably would have done exactly what you did.

 

[Cycleops]

Strange isn't it, or maybe not, that people will buy goods like this and in all probability know or suspect it's stolen but have no qualms about doing the transaction. The society we live in today I guess. Very sad.

Regards the incident walk up take a photo making a show of it. Their reaction will tell you what you want to know.

 

[biggs682]

He looked a fairly harmless chap & it was a very public place.

Just keep yourself safe