Neighbours "Stolen" Bike

You could say, "I have just come back from a 10 day holiday, and when I uncovered my bike there was another one under the cover with it. Did you look under all the covers when your bike went missing? It might have been there all the time!"

If the strangers pocket was on the side in the same place I left the keys then sure!

While I agree she is making more fuss than needed, I also think what you did is really bizarre. You should just have parked your bike in another rack and covered it - very strange behaviour to cover someone else's bike too. You give the impression you think it is 'your' space when it isn't, even though it is your habitual space. I think you should contact her, explain what happened and apologise that your thoughtless behaviour caused her stress and inconvenience. And make sure you don't repeat it another time!

Do you look in strangers' pockets though in case they've "nicely" hidden them 🤣

I'd look at what was in the space I thought I'd left my bike in. And had she done that, she'd have found your cover wasn't secured and her bike was under it.

But I would admit it in the chat 'sorry, I stuck my cover over both bikes as I had no choice, but left it unsecured. I've only just seen this and just assumed the owner of the bike I covered would look under the cover.'

So then she has to admit, she's a muppet who didn't look. Or demand CCTV and then discover she is a muppet who didn't look.

I don't understand the issue people are having with the whole bike rack cover set up - you have to lock the frame to the bike rack, locking the wheels is no good. If you connect bike to rack via the frame, you can only either pull the cover down over both bikes or 1 bike + frame. If you tried to cover half a bike, that'd be pointless and the cover would blow off pretty quickly.

Tbf whenever I cant see my keys where I left them on the side I always assume I've lost them and replace the door lock instead of looking around 🤷‍♀️

Cover it up again, wait a week, see if she posts anything again.

Even better, cover the new bike, then alternate between covering each one.

She might think the bikes are magically changing into each other

That is nuts. Of course you would look under the cover. When my bike was stolen outside a shop, I pointlessly looked all round the local streets in case I'd mistaken where I'd left it. I wouldn't just shrug and go home!

Regardless of whether OP was being territorial about a bike rack or not (and I don't think it really matters whether she was!) it is so utterly ridiculous to buy a new bike because your one has been covered up. If the thought of lifting up a cover to check a bike is enough to drive you to needlessly spend £300 then you need your head checking.

Surely before one can declare an item 'stolen' they must first be sure it is actually missing? It was more effort to post on the group chat than lift the cover fgs.

Yep! I mean OP had been using it for two years, she thinks it belongs to her now!

Should’ve moved her bike and lock elswhere, OP states

I've parked my bike in the same spot for the last two years, and there are always spare racks.

but then, it’s

There were no entirely empty racks close by. Why should I not be able to cover my bike bc she decided to lock her's to the rack I've been using for the last 2 years?

so the other bike would’ve had to share with someone, but OP didn’t want it to be her!

Or there were other spare racks?

Seems like the PA behaviour has back fired @FergalHunter

While yes I would have looked under the cover. You were still unreasonable, even wrong to cover her bike.

She might have forgotten exactly where she parked her bike and not wanted to look under peoples covers.

I don't fully understand the bike parking thing, could you not 'half shimmy' the cover over your bike? When your bike is fully covered can another person still use the other side?

I've looked at your picture, but I haven't cycled in a LONG time and never had a bike I covered. can you not cover the bike fully, then d-lock one of the wheels to the bottom of the bar? You could also lock the front wheel to the frame.

Good point. When the cover is over your bike does that prevent/deter another bike being fastened to the stand? I think the other woman didn't remember exactly where she left her bike and wouldn't think to lift other people's covers (which are usually locked in place anyway).

Exactly. Passive aggressive behaviour

I think you are being a bit unreasonable to have covered both the bikes. I also am in flats and bike theft is a really problem, so I do understand but I don't think the unsecured cover was adding in any extra security. In fact, I think if they're unsecured it just makes them seem worth stealing.

Also, if I do have to put my bike on a rack that I don't normally use, I never remember where it was when I go back, so I'm not sure I'd have thought to look under the covers of the other bikes, because I think it's just a bit of an odd thing to do covering someone else's bike.

If I'd posted about it being gone and no one suggested where it might be, I'd definitely have to replace asap as it's my mode of transport.

So to secure your bike and cover it you take up two spaces?

Why didn't you just use a different space. Then there would have
been no confusion.

Not surprised she thought it was stolen. You can't see it! And if the bike is indoors why does it need to be covered in the first place?

Why didn't you tell her you had covered it, particularly when you heard it had been stolen?

I think you should post your explanation in the group chat and watch people roll on the floor laughing.

I think you have to tell the group chat what happened here, but in a way that’s like you’ve just solved a puzzle.

‘I think I know what’s happened here. Did you park your bike in the rack where my D lock always is? When I was locking one there (it was the only space left and anyway I always park there), the only way I could cover my bike to keep it dry while I was away was to cover yours too.’

She's done an insurance job. There is no way someone competent enough to ride on roads instantly went to "gosh, my bike was there, now the space where it was has a cover over it. My bike has obviously been stolen" 😂😂

Is nobody else thinking that the owner of the "stolen" bike has used the opportunity to report her bike stolen, and get a second, newer bike with the insurance money (assuming the concealed bike was insured)? Given the police don't follow up reports of stolen bikes, it would in theory be an easy win for her.

Oh come on, it sounds like you were pissed off she used "your" space so you hid her bike to inconvenience her and now you're worried you'll get found out.

Because you can't always get what you want....

YABU here ... you shouldn't have 'hidden' someone else's bike which is exactly what you did with your actions.