Yesterday evening I rode to the ROM for dinner at c5 up in the crystal. When I went to lock my bike I realized I had left my lock key in another jacket. Spring means rapid changes in temperature and wardrobe. Consequently I’ve found myself in the same situation two other times in the last few weeks, where I didn’t remember to switch all the pocket items over. Those other occasions I leaned my bike up against a ring and post, as if it was locked, and returned to find it there. Last night the posts were all taken, so I rested my bike on the wrought iron bars of the Philosopher’s Walk gate (Bloor end). Four hours later when I emerged from the ROM the bike was still there, untouched. I admit I worried a few times during dinner, but the food, magnificent space and view of the Toronto skyline slowly lighting up as the sun goes down was a strong distraction. The cocktails may have helped too.
The entire city was packed with people last night. Spring has sprung and people aren’t at their cottages or weekend getaways yet, so the sidewalks were full of activity. I wonder how many people walked by my bike and took no notice of it — parked bikes are so ubiquitous in Toronto likely nobody looked at it closely (at least none of the scoundrels looked). Perhaps there is a statistician or risk-manager reading that could posit how much greater the chances are for a bike to be stolen when locked and when not. I’d guess it’s greater, but not dramatically so. Bike theft risk in Toronto is high already — how much did my forgetfulness increase that?
At any rate, I feel OK about Toronto’s odds today.
Photo by Valstula.
20 comments
Choosing a busy street is what helped. Too many witnesses. A quiet street, you would have lost your bike.
Interesting experience. I’ve noticed an unusually large number of unlocked bikes around the city this spring, usually in very conspicuous locations, but sometimes just kind of sitting off to the side of a bike path. In all cases, there’s been no obvious owner nearby. Either many more people than usual are choosing to trust Toronto or someone’s running a bait bike program.
It’s just a matter of luck. I once left a bike unlocked by the Rogers Centre for a couple of hours, and it wasn’t stolen. Maybe it’s a matter of proximity to bicycle resellers. I’m not sure. Bikes do get stolen in the U of T area often though.
I bet that guy who forgot his violin a couple of weeks back wished he had your luck. Instead he got creamed in the Star because the guy he got it back from had paid a homeless person $30 bucks, who in turn had made $30 by appropriating lost property but who the letter-writing handwringers thought should have made $500.
Hah, my bike was stolen today. I am not upset, but this post made me laugh.
For the record, three other bikes were stolen from right beside it – the chains are all on the ground, the locks and bikes missing. Damn thieves.
Oh well! I needed a new one anyway.
Couldn’t you keep your bike lock key on your key chain along with your house keys, etc., and thus avoid this problem entirely?
Tom, such a simple and obvious solution would result in missing out on this interesting experience. Why ruin things with solutions?
I took my bike key off my keychain in deep winter, so I didn’t have to carry it around. Since I started riding again about a month ago, I have thought many times that I should take 10 seconds and attach the bike key to the house key, but then I don’t do it. I might do it now, but probably not. Tomorrow I will maybe…….
“I bet that guy who forgot his violin a couple of weeks back wished he had your luck. Instead he got creamed in the Star because the guy he got it back from had paid a homeless person $30 bucks, who in turn had made $30 by appropriating lost property but who the letter-writing handwringers thought should have made $500.”
This isn’t entirely related to the story, but its not the violin-guy who the public was angry at.. it was the guy who saw the violin with a “bag lady” (his words) on the street, offered her $30 for it, and then went and collected a $500 reward. That’s kinda ddirty.
Lucky you. One of the first pieces of advice that I got in Toronto was, don’t fall in love with your bike (because you will eventually lose it.) Too late. I have since learned that bikes are one of my weaknesses and I DO get attached. With luck and conscientiousness, I haven’t lost any of my bikes. The last one that I got was a foldable, so there’s really little chance that someone will cart that away while it’s sitting next to me in a restaurant.
Props to you for your luck. And for being so zen and unattached to your transport.
You were lucky, but maybe not overly so. When someone has decided to steal a bike it really doesn’t seem to matter how well you’ve got it secured as they will find a way.
I’ve had two locked-up bikes stolen since moving to Toronto, not from on the street, but from the “secure” bike area at my building. Grrr.
Not to push Kryptonite, but those locks come with several keys… So you can keep a spare in a different jacket. 🙂
Or better yet, why not get a little bike pouch to attach to the bike and keep a key in there?
It is a Kryptonite lock, came with two keys. Does anybody know where their second key is? I have no idea. Maybe in that drawer with the other mystery keys.
I usually bring my bike inside when I’m at home and work to prevent theft. However, there have been times recently that I’ve left my bike in precarious circumstances. I’ve twice left my bike basically unlocked in the backyard of a house near Dundas/Ossington and Broadview/O’Connor. Both times my bike was still there after the party. This past weekend, I “locked” my bike up in Kensington. But when I came back, I realized that I didn’t fully engage the locking mechanism and it would have been easy pickings for a thief. I’ve never had my bike stolen, but pretty much everyone I else I know has.
On a couple occasions I’ve locked the front wheel and the frame but missed the little triangle on a Cora bike rack and come back after a day doing of doing stuff to find my bike where I left it. Luck … or maybe nobody wants to carry a bike with the front wheel locked.
When I was a courier in Ottawa, I left my bike unlocked during the middle of raging blizzard while I picked up a package. Came back and the bike was gone. Who steals a bike during a blizzard?
My son had his bike’s seat stolen this morning, after his first ride to school with a new bike. We’re going to have to get a fixed seat for him since he isn’t strong enough to work the mechanism on removable seats. Poor kid, though. What a bummer!
andy> A friend was a courier in Vancouver said he never locked his bike. Just leaned it against the building or post or etc. I was doubtful, but he assured me it worked and he didn’t suffer theft.
Uh, I would not want to give anyone the advice to leave their bike unlocked in Toronto. That’s a very bad set of lottery numbers to play.
I’ve had okay experiences with lost items of value in the last year, but if I showed up to a dinner without being able to lock my bike i would take it in or go home.
I keep my key on my keychain. I can’t leave the house without locking my door, and therefore I have my key with me always.
I once left a bike unlocked overnight outside of my York University residence (I was so tired that I didn’t even realize that I wasn’t locking it). It was there the next morning.
However, a few weeks later I did lock it for the night, but the next morning it was missing.
i too feel uncomfortable leaving my bike out unlocked sometimes. but i find i can trust this city more and more as days go by.