Ouch - 'first bike' nicked



M

Mark Thompson

Guest
Not my bike, one of the shop's.

A scrote wandered out pushing a £2,000 bike and (unsurprisingly) never
returned. Busy shop, understaffed[1], a colleague unlocks a bike and
wheels it off the display to show to a customer. Moves on to another bike
a few metres away without locking it back up and the scrote strolls into
action.

This is bad enough in a normal business, but the chain is owned by about 60
workers[2] so it's a bit like nicking just over £30 from every single one
of them. New! Improved! security measures are now in place to stop his
friends from doing the same, and matches and kindling[3] have been
distributed to staff.

The New! Improved! measures are working - two customers on test rides were
within seconds of being chased down after a couple of colleagues forgot to
wave them off from the front door.



[1] recruiting now if you're interested...

[2] the rest in the business not having worked full time for a year.

[3] What happened to the bullets? Bike thieves don't get the luxury.
 
Mark Thompson wrote:
> Not my bike, one of the shop's.

> A scrote wandered out pushing a £2,000 bike and (unsurprisingly) never
> returned. Busy shop, understaffed, a colleague unlocks a bike and
> wheels it off the display to show to a customer. Moves on to another bike
> a few metres away without locking it back up and the scrote strolls into
> action.

This sounds like it could be a distraction job.
The customer may have just been pulling your attention away from his
accomplice who road off on the bike.

I suggest getting a set of them rf/rfid[1] detectors by your doors, and
put a sticker on each bike to set off an alarm.


[1] like in HMV etc.

Martin.
 
On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:27:57 GMT, Martin Dann <[email protected]>
wrote:

>> A scrote wandered out pushing a £2,000 bike and (unsurprisingly) never
>> returned. Busy shop, understaffed, a colleague unlocks a bike and
>> wheels it off the display to show to a customer. Moves on to another bike
>> a few metres away without locking it back up and the scrote strolls into
>> action.
>
>This sounds like it could be a distraction job.
>The customer may have just been pulling your attention away from his
>accomplice who road off on the bike.
>
>I suggest getting a set of them rf/rfid[1] detectors by your doors, and
>put a sticker on each bike to set off an alarm.

I had great fun is Sainsburys last month when the checkout assistant
failed to deactivate the tabs on my new razor blades.

The alarm went off and I was instantly surrounded by burly shelf
stackers and security guards demanding to search my purchases. When I
refused this indignity, while a little voice at the back piped up,
"Look, it's Mr Crispin!" there was little they could do.

Anyway, moving back on topic, I made my get-a-way by calmly unlocking
my bike and cycling home.
 
> This sounds like it could be a distraction job.
> The customer may have just been pulling your attention away from his
> accomplice who road off on the bike.

Possibly, although we think it was just opportunism on the part of the
thieving scum - there're pricier bikes they could have targetted.

> I suggest getting a set of them rf/rfid[1] detectors by your doors, and
> put a sticker on each bike to set off an alarm.

It's been suggested, but declined for various (prolly poor) reasons by the
company. The main thing we're now doing is, apart from a higher level of
awareness, escorting test riders to the door and 'waving' them off. The
idea being that anyone wheeling something nice and shiny out of the door
without a member of staff by their side will be checked.

Roll on RFID tags on everything thobut.
 
Mark Thompson wrote on 27/04/2007 07:20 +0100:
>> This sounds like it could be a distraction job.
>> The customer may have just been pulling your attention away from his
>> accomplice who road off on the bike.
>
> Possibly, although we think it was just opportunism on the part of the
> thieving scum - there're pricier bikes they could have targetted.
>

Unlikely. Do you think they were just hanging around all day waiting
for an opportunity or did they manufacture an opportunity?


--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell
 
> Unlikely. Do you think they were just hanging around all day waiting
> for an opportunity or did they manufacture an opportunity?

I'll ask what the other person was like, but as it isn't thought it was a
distraction job I'm assuming the other person was a perfectly respectable
chap. It'd be like that Mr. Crispin nicking razor blades and using his
school children to cover him ;)
 
Mark Thompson wrote on 27/04/2007 07:47 +0100:
>> Unlikely. Do you think they were just hanging around all day waiting
>> for an opportunity or did they manufacture an opportunity?
>
> I'll ask what the other person was like, but as it isn't thought it was a
> distraction job I'm assuming the other person was a perfectly respectable
> chap.

Yes, they're good at it.


--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell
 
Mark Thompson wrote:

> [1] recruiting now if you're interested...

Applicants at least 2m tall and 2m wide with martial arts experience
preferred... ;-/

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
On 27 Apr 2007 06:47:53 GMT, Mark Thompson
<pleasegivegenerously@warmmail*_turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com> wrote:

>> Unlikely. Do you think they were just hanging around all day waiting
>> for an opportunity or did they manufacture an opportunity?
>
>I'll ask what the other person was like, but as it isn't thought it was a
>distraction job I'm assuming the other person was a perfectly respectable
>chap.

Did the other person buy anything?
 
On 26 Apr, 22:55, Mark Thompson
<pleasegivegenerously@warmmail*_turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com> wrote:
> Not my bike, one of the shop's.

Wot no CCTV?
 
>>> Unlikely. Do you think they were just hanging around all day
>>> waiting for an opportunity or did they manufacture an opportunity?
>>
>>I'll ask what the other person was like, but as it isn't thought it
>>was a distraction job I'm assuming the other person was a perfectly
>>respectable chap.
>
> Did the other person buy anything?

Dunno. I doubt the theft was any more than opportunism, but the
possibility is something we're all aware of. We've got ex-Harry Hall staff
and ex-Evans staff in the shop, so if Manchester shops were being targetted
in this way I'm sure we'd have been informed. Opportunist thefts of
unlocked bikes from the shop floor is very relatively common in some shops
thobut.
 
>> Not my bike, one of the shop's.
>
> Wot no CCTV?

Yeppity, but CCTV is well down the list for preventing theft. It's more of
an evidence gathering tool for after the event, and only deters people
without a baseball cap or similar. More awareness from the staff and the
New! Improved! methods we've got will stop any more.
 
Mark Thompson wrote:
>[CCTV] only deters people without a baseball cap or similar.

See? *Another* reason to wear a cycle helmet


-dan
 
Peter Clinch wrote on 27/04/2007 08:43 +0100:
> Mark Thompson wrote:
>
>> [1] recruiting now if you're interested...
>
> Applicants at least 2m tall and 2m wide with martial arts experience
> preferred... ;-/
>
> Pete.

Reminds me of a comment a friend made describing two people he had met.
"One's six foot ten and the other's the same volume"

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell
 
> Did the other person buy anything?

Asked today, and he bought £2,000 worth of bike. And paid £1,600. Word
from head office is "bugger, maybe 20% off is a bit too generous".
 
>> Yeppity, but CCTV is well down the list for preventing theft. It's
>> more of an evidence gathering tool for after the event, and only
>> deters people without a baseball cap or similar.
>
> Surely all you'd need is a small camera at chest height either side of
> the door?

But it won't stop people stealing. It's only useful for recording evidence
of the theft, unless you've got someone watching it. Even then they'd be
more cameras than people (and plenty of blindspots). On-the-ball and well
trained+motivated staff is what you need.
 
On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 08:00:14 +0100, Tony Raven
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Mark Thompson wrote on 27/04/2007 07:47 +0100:
>>> Unlikely. Do you think they were just hanging around all day waiting
>>> for an opportunity or did they manufacture an opportunity?
>>
>> I'll ask what the other person was like, but as it isn't thought it was a
>> distraction job I'm assuming the other person was a perfectly respectable
>> chap.
>
>Yes, they're good at it.

Yeah, you have to admit spending £1,600 just to avoid any hint of
suspicion is really *class* ;-)
 
Mark Thompson wrote on 27/04/2007 11:41:
We've got ex-Harry Hall staff
> and ex-Evans staff in the shop, so if Manchester shops were being targetted
> in this way I'm sure we'd have been informed. Opportunist thefts of
> unlocked bikes from the shop floor is very relatively common in some shops
> thobut.

An aside...

Did you say you worked at the Manchester Edinburgh bicycle co-op? I had
an invite through the door today inviting me to your opening next
week... are you open yet, or not?!

Peter

--
http://www.scandrett.net/lx/
http://www.scandrett.net/bike/
 
> Did you say you worked at the Manchester Edinburgh bicycle co-op? I
> had an invite through the door today inviting me to your opening next
> week... are you open yet, or not?!

Yep, opened a while ago, although we opened secretly. There was the Secret
Opening on a Wednesday a month or so ago, the Unofficial Publicised Opening
the next day, then there's the Official Opening next week. The idea being
that as almost all the staff are pretty much learning on the job it was
best to open slowly, if you see what I mean.

Mailshots were sent out to people, with those living closest to the store
being told first. There is 20% off everything until the end of May, but
the vouchers are 'running out' (which is another way of saying Head Office
have realised that 20% is a little too generous). I'll keep a stash for
those customers willing to give backhanders.
 
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