Theft on trains

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swansonj

Guru
I see Paul Tuohy (CTC boss) had his Brompton stolen while stashed behind his seat on a train. I am an occasional not regular Brompton train user but I have wondered about the security of leaving a Brompton in the door area of commuter stock while seated, or even more so in the luggage areas at the ends of intercity carriages.

What do you more frequent users do?
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Cheap lock through the luggage bars
 
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jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
My neighbour had his nicked on the Winchester to Waterloo line. Only stops at Woking. The fast trains only have the option of leaving them in the bike area/door area - no space behind the seats in the main carriages. I keep an avid eye open and usually get up and stand by the bike in any stations. I will think about a light lock though
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
When I did, cable lock to part of train structure.

BTP tell our local cycling forum such thefts are commonplace on the London - Brighton and London - Arun Valley lines.
 
If I ever have to ‘train’ the bike, I sit somewhere near it, and make sure I’m looking at it, when the train is stopped, at whichever station we’re at. I’ve never had one nicked yet. It would be very easy to stop anyone at most train stations, because of the ticket barriers, at most stations.
 

robjh

Legendary Member
In clear view at all times.
I no longer know if we're just talking about folders, but supposing we've moved onto all bikes, then watching them gets harder when you have to store them in things like this, at the end of a carriage
Bike on train Stockport-Birmingham 20100424.JPG

In cases like this I try and sit within view of the nearest exit onto the platform, and check at each station that no-one is wheeling my bike away. I would have to react quickly if they were though. Not a perfect system, but I haven't had any losses so far.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Lock it to the train (and fark any train company that says it's against their rules, but don't block any exits) or stand/sit by it.

No comment on this being a metaphor for CTC leadership, then? ;)
 

srw

It's a bit more complicated than that...
Chiltern class 165 stock has a useful between-seat space in its quiet zone - always assuming it's not full of Brompton from further out. On class 168 stock (on the rare occasions I have to use it) it gets left in the lobby. On the underground it sits next to my seat. When I used to use SWT regularly I either had it next to my seat (on the suburban trains) or sat right next to the lobby (on the long-distance train).

I've managed 21 years without a theft, and I've never carried a lock of any kind on my Brompton, so I must be doing something right.
 
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