Should I report this? Possible bike theft

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

gemsno4

Active Member
Location
Southampton
I was just sitting behind a van at some traffic lights in the car and a guy wheeled up a bike, opened the side door and put it in. Then jumped into the passenger seat and they sped off.

Obviously it could be completely innocent but I cannot think that the guy gets picked up there every day as there isn't anywhere to stop. I didn't see where he came from either. I just know that if someone nicked my bike I would hope someone would report it! This was just around the corner from my house so there is the possibility it would be mine next.


So should I inform the police or forget about it as I have no proof they were doing anything wrong?
 

CharlieB

Junior Walker and the Allstars
It couldn't do any harm to do so. You obviously have your suspicions, given the circumstances you've laid out, and that they looked as though they were in a hurry. Hope you've got the index number of the van?

Best of luck.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
FFS how many times do I need to post this on here? Every Police force has a non-emergency number where you can report bad driving. Just ring up, report your suspicions and the vehicle reg will be logged. Next time the plate is spotted by a patrol car equipped with ANPR they will be stopped for a chat and given a "producer" if they've no documents. More than three reports on the same reg earns them a home visit and further investigations including possible confiscation of the car. What harm can it possibly do to report that?

In Lancashire the number is 0845 1 25 35 45, in Greater Manchester it's 0161 872 5050, put your local number onto your phone.
 

Armegatron

Active Member
Globalti said:
FFS how many times do I need to post this on here? Every Police force has a non-emergency number where you can report bad driving. Just ring up, report your suspicions and the vehicle reg will be logged. Next time the plate is spotted by a patrol car equipped with ANPR they will be stopped for a chat and given a "producer" if they've no documents. More than three reports on the same reg earns them a home visit and further investigations including possible confiscation of the car. What harm can it possibly do to report that?

In Lancashire the number is 0845 1 25 35 45, in Greater Manchester it's 0161 872 5050, put your local number onto your phone.

The non-emergency number I call for Cleveland Police seems to send me into an alternative Catherine Tate universe, where Im sure the operator is repeatedly whispering... "Bothered?".

Reported 1x assault with plenty of witnesses - driver let off because he "didnt know the area"

Reported 1x driver who almost crashed into me going through a traffic island, then shouting abuse at me while texting on his phone - supported by video evidence and a statement from me the police have done nothing.

Reported 1x driver who threatened to steal my bike - again on camera but the officer hasnt got back to me

Reported 1x driver who reversed into me, then threatened to smash my camera up - while on phone to police the driver returned, the guy on the phone told me to discuss the matter with the driver and leave it at that (ie its ok to go round reversing into people and threatening violence).

Chatted to a police officer about what to do when incidents like one that had just happened (car overtook and passenger shouted abuse), the officer took my details, asked me to drop the footage to the station, got back to me within a week, and gave the owner of the car a section 59 notice.

Hence Id rather just phone 999 and get an officer to the scene to deal with it insead, although I realise that Lancashire and GM are diffferent. Just my experience with Cleveland Police (cycling and non cycling incidents) has always been negative.
 
Globalti said:
FFS how many times do I need to post this on here? Every Police force has a non-emergency number where you can report bad driving. Just ring up, report your suspicions and the vehicle reg will be logged. Next time the plate is spotted by a patrol car equipped with ANPR they will be stopped for a chat and given a "producer" if they've no documents. More than three reports on the same reg earns them a home visit and further investigations including possible confiscation of the car. What harm can it possibly do to report that?

In Lancashire the number is 0845 1 25 35 45, in Greater Manchester it's 0161 872 5050, put your local number onto your phone.

keep your hair on.
 
OP
OP
gemsno4

gemsno4

Active Member
Location
Southampton
Update: I did report this to Hampshire police on their non-emergency number. Couldn't tell if they were that bothered, but they did take all the details and repeated them back to me.

I wouldn't ever bother reporting bad driving - in Southampton good driving is the exception rather than the rule, but the traffic moves so slowly never really poses a great threat to me on my bike (hope that isn't tempting fate!)
 
Top Bottom