Neighbours "Stolen" Bike

[FergalHunter]

A very curious incident occurred in my block of flats recently that I am eager to hear the forum's perspective on.

Our development runs along the corner of two roads. There are three buildings with about 55 flats in total. There's a shared garden at the back with a covered bike store where I keep my bike. There aren't any allocated spaces, but people tend to leave their bikes in the same spot and leave their locks on the stand when out for a ride. I've parked my bike in the same spot for the last two years, and there are always spare racks.

When I leave my bike there, I use a D-lock, a cable, and a bike cover. There are about 4-5 other people also using covers. I usually put another small lock on to secure the cover. This might sound like overkill, but we've had multiple instances of bikes getting nicked while I've lived here.

Anyway, onto what happened. A couple of weeks ago, I took my bike out to head to the gym, leaving my D-lock and cable attached to the rack in my usual space. When I came back about 90 minutes later, another bike was attached to the same rack. I'd seen the bike before, but don't know who owns it. Not a massive issue, but a little annoying considering there were racks nearby with spaces where people don't cover their bikes.

I was due to head on holiday for 10 days early the next morning and didn't want to leave my bike uncovered that long, so I threw the cover over both bikes. It wasn't locked down and could easily be lifted up. I didn't think it would be an issue, if anything, her bike was getting the benefit of the cover too!
While I was away, someone posted in the residents' chat that her bike had been stolen. Like I said, this isn't an uncommon occurrence, so I didn't think too much of it.

When I returned from holiday 10 days later, her bike was still sitting under the cover right next to mine. I took my bike out for another 90ish minute gym trip and when I got back, I decided I'd move my bike to an empty rack next to it so I could go back to my normal setup. I moved my bike and my cover over to the new rack, leaving her bike completely exposed on her rack.

About an hour later, the same woman posted on the residents' chat claiming her bike had been "returned", but that she'd already bought a replacement!
I'm flabbergasted that a supposedly grown adult seems to lack basic object permanence. Arriving back at her rack, seeing a cover draped over it, and immediately concluding her bike was stolen, without taking two seconds to lift the sheet, is genuinely mind-boggling to me.

Now she's on the chat insisting someone must have stolen it, taken it for a joyride, and returned it, and she is demanding CCTV access.

Is it worth trying to engage with someone like this?

Admit to it, put an end to the mystery.
it’ll make her theory more ridiculous. You should not have covered her bike, it was easy for her to assume that it was stolen.
A lot of people get blind sided when they can’t see what they need in front of them.

But op wasn't being nice, they were passive aggressive to send a message "this is myyyyyyyy rack".

I actually wouldn't have looked under the cover... I probably wouldn't have paid that much attention to exactly which rack I locked it to, would have come back looking for it 'about' where I left it, and if it wasn't there, knowing there were bike thefts in the past, I also would have assumed stolen. I'd be looking for my uncovered bike, not under other people's covers.

Bike woman should have checked under the cover - I don't understand why she didn't.

But also if you were going away for 2 weeks you'd be taking up a bike rack space someone else could be using so I would have taken my bike into my flat.

Also if she started looking under covers and was confronted, she'd have to say "I was looking for my bike and thought perhaps somebody had put their cover over it", and the person confronting her would say "that's batshit nobody would do that, thief!"

So where is she parking her new bike now?
DH is exactly the kind of person who would look for his bike and if he couldn't see it, he would think it was stolen. I don't think he's unique in this.

If I was totally certain that was where I parked mine (and I'm quite often wrong when I leave mine somewhere, sometimes it's a rack over or whatever), I would look under a cover. But I would also be worried of being accused of stealing, or CCTV of my "behaviour" ending up on Facebook.

It wouldn't have occurred to me that someone could possibly have covered my bike and gone away for two weeks. If I had to cover my bike in that exact spot, I would have left a note on the cover.

Why couldn't you put your bike plus it's cover on a different rack? Why did the cover need to go over her bike? That's the bit I don't get.

It's quite amusing though the whole saga but I'd just be watching from a distance laughing. I definitely wouldn't try and explain to her what happened.

She'd feel even more foolish and blame it on you no doubt. Actually accusing you of stealing it or something.

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.

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.

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.

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" 😂😂

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.’

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

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

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 just use a different space. Then there would have
been no confusion.

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

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.

Exactly. Passive aggressive behaviour

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).

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.

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

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.

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.

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!