How to steal a bike in NYC

uneasysilence0 HN recommenders · 2009–2015
305K views · demo · evergreen · Uploaded 2006-07-18

A 2006 video showing a man openly cutting the lock and stealing a bike in New York City while passersby, including police, ignore him.

HN cites it as a demonstration of bystander indifference to bike theft.

Watch on YouTube

3 comments from Hacker News

@justlearning2009 · in “French Ideal of Bicycle-Sharing Meets Reality”

stealing - reminds me of this video showing indifference in NYC (even with cops in sight).(substitute NYC with any major city) [VIDEO]

@Jach2014 · in “What happens to your bike after it’s stolen”

Bit of a difference from harsh punishment not deterring theft of something you need to live vs. theft of something like a bike. When the punishments for stealing anything at all are as severe as hanging, exile, or losing a hand, do you really expect much else besides necessities to be stolen? I suppose you still might expect all sorts of things to be stolen if the chance of getting caught is nil, as it is with bikes -- you still need a strong enough probability of getting caught to back up whatever punishment is decreed, which is why bait bikes can be a helpful tool. I doubt better locks would work, I remembered this video from years ago on how even ridiculous methods of stealing a bike won't get much attention: [VIDEO] (And if they did, a thief can probably convince most people it's their own bike and they lost the key/combo -- I kind of suspect that possibility goes through the minds of onlookers anyway.)

@jrockway2015 · in “Lockpickers 3-D Print TSA Master Luggage Keys from Leaked Photos”

Perhaps. Here's an old video about stealing bikes in NYC: [VIDEO] Note that the guy is hacking away at the lock and the police show up. To tell him to not sit in an active traffic lane.