Thefts of GPSs in cafes.

[midlife]

I thought all Garmin could do was block updates?

 

[NorthernDave]

I did an overnight charity ride in 2014 - my first cycling 'event' since the 90s. Was amazed by how much tech was left unattended on bikes. And with only 1000 riders spread over a nearly 70 mile course, plenty of opportunity for it to go missing.

Took mine with me.

It never ceases to amaze me at sportives how many riders leave their bikes, let alone anything else, unattended and out of sight while having a feed.

I did one in August and there were bikes propped up against the fence 20-30 yards away from the food stand and completely out of sight of the riders. I only use a basic cafe lock, but I'm fairly sure that it would be enough to mean my bike was still there when looking at all the exotica left lying about.

Regarding the Garmin, if Livetrack was enabled, would it show where it had gone to, or when it was next used? Although I suppose a switched on thief would know to turn it off.

 

[mustang1]

Funnily enough I was at a coffee shop when I first read this thread and my GPS was with me. Now I'm at another shop and and the GPS is left on the bike but the bike is a mere 3 metres away from me.

 

[Globalti]

I've left my bike outside Biketreks in Ambleside and wandered inside, stupid of me because anybody strolling past could just casually wheel it away. Must do better next time and use at least the café lock.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Having spent a couple of decades in Africa, I never leave anything for someone else’s temptation. If I do, I have only myself to blame.

Last summer, there was a chap who was hungry/dehydrated/tired at the control/café long into an Audax, who had his charging battery and cable ‘stolen’ and was in a right panic. He was asking everyone and I’m sure I know that he suspected it was someone on the event.

Then someone pointed out that it was hanging round his neck

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Having spent a couple of decades in Africa, I never leave anything for someone else’s temptation. If I do, I have only myself to blame.

Last summer, there was a chap who was hungry/dehydrated/tired at the control/café long into an Audax, who had his charging battery and cable ‘stolen’ and was in a right panic. He was asking everyone and I’m sure I know that he suspected it was someone on the event.

Then someone pointed out that it was hanging round his neck

Had he plugged in his glasses by mistake?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I've left my bike outside Biketreks in Ambleside and wandered inside, stupid of me because anybody strolling past could just casually wheel it away..

People who live in quiet low crime areas or places where they know their neighbours tend to be very complacent. The locals might be honest but they forget that any strangers passing by might not be. I recently watched a nice bike being propped against a wall and the owner wandered off across the road and round the corner to visit a village shop. There was no building with windows in it overlooking the bike, no CCTV and no other people out on the street. I was yards away sitting in a Transit van and although it was locked with a weedy cable lock through the frame and front wheel I still could have just picked up the whole bike and slung it in the back and driven off in seconds if I was that way inclined, with no witnesses. Unless a bike is in full sight at all times, just locking a wheel will not stop a thief with a vehicle making off with it in the blink of an eye.

 

[Racing roadkill]

If it isn’t nailed down, some tosser will nick it.

 

[HLaB]

I've never experienced it but I wouldn't be surprised. We once had a surveyor who was late for work because somebody smashed up her car. They did so for a tiny stone glass etching stone

 

[Richard Fairhurst]

By GPS?Quite easy for them to block the unit.

They can't block a GPS receiver - it doesn't have any internet connectivity and I don't think the US military are going to agree to send special signals to brick a consumer-grade product! Garmin can potentially stop it from talking to some of their added-value fripperies like Garmin Connect (presumably their apps can read the serial number via USB/Bluetooth), but no more than that. The app could maybe attempt to brick the unit itself in such circumstances, but that would be a pretty risky thing for Garmin to do...

 

[nickyboy]

If it isn’t nailed down, some tosser will nick it.

That's true, but a bit of common sense never goes amiss. A Garmin is £250 or so. Absolutely nobody would leave £250 in cash in their helmet in a café unattended so why would anyone leave a device of similar value? FWIW, in a café I pause my Garmin and put it in by jersey pocket. It's not victim blaming, it's wondering why people don't apply common sense

 

[Sniper68]

They can't block a GPS receiver - it doesn't have any internet connectivity and I don't think the US military are going to agree to send special signals to brick a consumer-grade product! Garmin can potentially stop it from talking to some of their added-value fripperies like Garmin Connect (presumably their apps can read the serial number via USB/Bluetooth), but no more than that. The app could maybe attempt to brick the unit itself in such circumstances, but that would be a pretty risky thing for Garmin to do...

Mmm strange.
A few years ago now I bought a Garmin edge 800 off ebay and it was locked out.The seller told me that he had restored factory settings but didn't have the unlock code.It took a while of toing and froing with Garmin and the seller before Garmin were happy it wasn't stolen and provided a code to unlock it.Maybe I'm mistaking this for Garmin being able to lock devices on request?
That said if a Bank can lock your card/credit card surely it wouldn't be too difficult to design something to lock electronic devices?
Can your mobile be locked form source?I'd be very surprised if it can't.I know they can easily be Network unlocked anywhere for a tenner but can the actual device software be locked?

 

[classic33]

Mmm strange.
A few years ago now I bought a Garmin edge 800 off ebay and it was locked out.The seller told me that he had restored factory settings but didn't have the unlock code.It took a while of toing and froing with Garmin and the seller before Garmin were happy it wasn't stolen and provided a code to unlock it.Maybe I'm mistaking this for Garmin being able to lock devices on request?
That said if a Bank can lock your card/credit card surely it wouldn't be too difficult to design something to lock electronic devices?
Can your mobile be locked form source?I'd be very surprised if it can't.I know they can easily be Network unlocked anywhere for a tenner but can the actual device software be locked?

Your bank card isn't blocked, it's locked out of the system.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

A few years ago now I bought a Garmin edge 800 off ebay and it was locked out.The seller told me that he had restored factory settings but didn't have the unlock code.It took a while of toing and froing with Garmin and the seller before Garmin were happy it wasn't stolen and provided a code to unlock it.Maybe I'm mistaking this for Garmin being able to lock devices on request?

I think I may have this wrong, but as others have said, Garmin can lock it out of their system so you can't link it to your own Garmin account, so the device will still work but you won't be able to upload it to Garmin & it won't update, whether you can upload to Strava/RidewithGPS etc. I don't know but would think so.

 

[lazybloke]

Your bank card isn't blocked, it's locked out of the system.

Yes, every card transaction is electronically authorised. So it's easy to lock a card out.

Garmins can be used entirely offline (as in not connected to Garmon or the Internet) so the possibility of blocking/locking/disabling can be avoided.

Got mine new from Amazon in case you're wondering