My long run of a couple of decades without incident came to an end on Monday when someone tried to snatch my E-Bike while I was sat on a bench next to it! They first sat at the same bench, which was a little odd to start with as there were plenty of empty ones, then tried to engage me in conversation about the bike "how fast it goes?" "How far have you been?" then "How heavy is it?" I was giving vague answers, I was minding my own business and wasn't really interested in a conversation. After asking how heavy he got up and went over to the bike as if to lift it and see, I asked him not to touch it, alarm bells started ringing in my head, I was on my feet, though at this point I still thought he was being obnoxious rather than a threat.. Then he was off, trying to wheel the bike away and mount it, I hung onto the rack (Hampered by the phone still in my hand, which I'd have been better of dropping, it ended up on the floor anyway and is in a protective case), then it all gets a bit blurred, there was a scuffle, I ended up on the floor, but held onto his leg, some staff came out from the building I was outside (Derby Velodrome) told me I could let go and basically chased him off (I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I thought when they told me to let go they'd have detained him) Police involved, they have CCTV and a good description, they've taken my coat for fingerprints because apparently it's a more serious offence if there's evidence he laid hands on me!
Still a bit shaky about it, I don't know whether to laugh or cry, there was no way he was just going to ride off on it, there must be easier ways to steal a bike. On the other hand, I wonder if I should just have let him, I acted on instinct, but these things can escalate, I'd rather have lost the bike than stabbed or kicked in the head while on the floor. I have a sore wrist from hanging on and a grazed knee from hitting the floor, but it could have been worse. Then there's all the times when I've been sat next to the bike and he could have got away with it, I'm often sat on a park bench with the bike behind it, engrossed in a book or the phone... if, if, if...
It has reinforced my opinion, expressed a couple of posts up, that many of those who would steal bikes have no concern about being seen and recognised.
I don't want to get paranoid, I just tried a nurses lock I have kicking around but it won't go round the 60mm tyre, maybe I'll look into a bigger one. But then maybe it'll be another twenty years till the next incident.
