You seem to be advocating the 'do nothing' stance.
He didn't see anything, he knew nothing about it, there's only so much you can do anyway. Besides, there are so many variables that might have led up to that moment, you just don't know.
Why would a bike thief hold onto the beater bike? Dump that, cycle the road bike home quickly so you don't attract attention and pick a new beater bike anywhere with a pair of tin snips. No, I think this was legitimate.
Unless you've got a reason to do anything about it (which you don't) then I'd say it's best to keep your thoughts to yourself. What would you actually do anyway, confront him? That could end badly.
Exactly, if I was confronted by someone just because of my appearance I'd tell them where to jump (although not with those words).
It doesn't always require a head-on confrontation.
There have been a couple of occasions when I've seen people struggling with their lock or pushing one that seemed rather flash compared to the person's appearance.
Stop being such a judgemental **** for a start! Sorry, but it has to be said.
I simply rode over and asked in a friendly manner whether my toolkit could be of any use. It's one way of getting the person to talk about the bike and find out if he seems genuine and you can then make up your mind on whether it's as dodgy as it looks. It also lets you get a decent description of the guy in the event that you decide to report it to the police.
GC
Thanks for the heads up, I'll be out looking for ya now!
Seriously though, I have no doubt your intentions are good enough with helping people out, its just the implied air of suspicion I dislike, that's all.
Except I have what would be classed as a good road bike, and rarely do the 'lycra thing'. And I quite often have a Carradice roll tied to the saddle & stem. Shock horror
. Even my OH is a slave to convention..... but I'd rather wear baggy shorts. If I got stopped every time by the fashion police, I would be extremely pi$$ed off.
I never do the Lycra thing either, and have even been seen riding my TT to/from places in clothes that are far from suitable. SHOCK HORROR!! LOCK ME UP OFFICER!!
Ok, same quote as above....
Harsh language maybe, but you obviously have not been unfairly judged enough in the past purely down to your actions/appearance etc. I have, its not pleasant.
That was good policing and I'd have had no objections to being stopped by a cop who spotted something didn't square with the rider compared to the bike. It's called being observant.
See above.
If you see something suspicious, notify the police. That's called being community spirited. You know, looking out for other people and their property.
Or you could just shrug your shoulders and carry on.
Unless you can be sure, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, it might just end up biting you on the bum, that's all I'm saying.
