News: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_487589.html
If you read the news today- Home section, p. 14, you will probably see a familiar sight - bike theft! There's this picture of Joel Chia, and behind him, a bike rack. Just as I predicted, when you lock your expensive bike on a bike rack, the chances of getting it stolen is almost close to a guarantee. I think I have written about it before, so yes, maktub.
The problem with bike racks is that it gives a false sense of security. Ah! So many bikes here, let me just do as they do! What most fail to notice is that bike racks usually house cheap and cui bikes. Anything above $100 is bound for the Thieves' Market. My Urata got stolen there, as did my Wheeler. Now everytime I see a bike rack, I shudder.
I don't get why everytime the ST does an article about cycling, the Safe Cycling Taskforce always appears, but Steven Lim mentions something about bike registration. I never lived in the years of bike registration, so I don't know how effective it is, but from what I see, it's never gonna come back.
But one cardinal mistake of all cyclist is evident in the later portion of the article: people with $500 bikes do not lock it adequately. A chain is not enough. A $8 cable lock cannot tahan much abuse. I only believe that a U lock can adequately protect a bike from a thief, especially when combined with a cable lock, notably, both a U lock and cable lock can vary very distinctly in quality and you pay for what you get.
My bike has not been stolen ever since I learnt how to disguise it, and I use decent locks. If you want to know some tips of leaving a bike unattended, check out: http://bikecommutinginsg.blogspot.com/2010/01/avoiding-bike-theft.html
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