But there’s other places…
by Matt
This is from the June 19, 2006, issue of American Bicyclist Update.
Top 10 Worst Cities for Bicycle TheftKryptonite, the bicycle lock company, has announced its Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft in 2006. Kryptonite uses its own data to create the list. This is the eighth time the company has published the list, which is compiled by theft data that Kryptonite has accumulated over three decades.With the latest FBI Uniform Crime Report (2004) showing a property crime every 3.1 seconds, Kryptonite warns cyclists everywhere to always lock their bicycle when not in use especially in the following areas:Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft
- New York, N.Y.
- San Francisco, Calif.
- Chicago, Ill.
- Washington, D.C.
- Boston, Mass.
- Eugene, Ore.
- Philadelphia, Pa.
- Oakland, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Miami, FL
All not surprising, and wouldn’t the Kryptonite folks love to sell locks to every bicyclist in every one of those ten big cities? ;)But in my neighborhood (in the heart of the “Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut”), a neighbor put two bikes out last week that were obviously meant to be discarded. They weren’t bad, really — one was a road bike and the other some kind of hybrid — but they were covered with years of neglect.First stop: near the end of the driveway, inside the sidewalk, parked neatly. No takers for two days.Second stop: on the curb (this was on the eve of our regular trash pickup, which customarily does not pick up bulky items). No one, for three days, so much as touched them.Third stop: after a lawn mowing, on the grass next to the sidewalk. Might as well have pasted radioactive warning symbols on them, they were so safe from anyone bothering them.I finally saw them in a heap at the front of the garage, and then gone with a load of other bulky items.A Kryptonite lock probably would have made them look a lot more attractive.Ritual DisclaimerI absolutely support the use of locks when you leave your bicycle unattended. The subject of bicycle theft makes me feel sad. 
