Opinion: Everyone assumes their bike is safe and securely locked until one day their bike is gone. This belief lets the bike thieves run free with campus not batting an eye, and this needs to change.
———-
To whoever stole my bike,
When I came back from spring break, I was met with a devastating sight. My sturdy, Amazon-purchased bike lock was in pieces on the pavement, and where I had expected to find a teal Batch Lifestyle there instead was an absence. My bike, my prized possession, the Rocinante to my Don Quixote, had been stolen. I was heartbroken.
It’s now been a few weeks since this sad occurrence, but time has failed to lessen the sting of my loss, and I still truly miss my bike. We went on so many adventures over the years, and while I cherish the memories, it will be hard to find a replacement for my companion.
Now, as I go about my days, I am limited in my modes of transportation. I am left walking from destination to destination, or when the distance is too far, resorting to the bus.
I know that I can find another bike, but it simply does not compare, and it is with hope that I ask for you to return my bike. I don’t require that you reveal your identity or replace my bike lock; all I desire is my bike be returned to its original location so I can ride around Eugene in the fleeting moments of nice weather.
Sincerely, Caitlin Tapia.
In all seriousness, many of us go about our days assuming that our bikes are safe and overlook the constant bike thefts because we believe it’s not going to happen to us. It’s this mentality that, “of all the bikes on campus, what are the odds that mine will be stolen?” I too felt like this originally.
The day I moved to Oregon, my dad and I went to lock my bike up outside my building. The first thing we noticed was the amount of miscellaneous bike parts that had been stolen or left behind. There were sad, deflated tires; frames missing their wheels, handlebars and seats; and a slew of cut chains lying on the ground.
Despite this sight, my dad and I were confident that the combination of a U-lock and chain would protect my bike from the stolen bike market. This was clearly not the case.
I hope that as a campus, we can change the culture from brushing off stolen bikes and not worrying about it until it occurs to being more aware.The most important way to do this is report any possible bike thieves you witness to campus police. When walking by bike racks, stop turning a blind eye and making jokes about stolen bikes. Then when a friend’s or your own bike is stolen, be on the lookout.
Along with more awareness, the best action is to be proactive rather than reactive. In a previous Daily Emerald article, Gavin Gamez lists several ways to protect your bike from bike theft. In terms of locking your bike up, avoid using chains as these can be easily cut. Instead, look to U-locks that are secured around the frame and back tire of your bike. Also be sure to register your bike with organizations such as Bike Index and Project 529 in the event that your bike is stolen.
Bike theft on and around campus isn’t going to stop, but it doesn’t have to be as bad for future victims of bike theft as it was for me.
