The photo above, by m.aquila, has nothing to do with the crime. It’s just funny.
Bike thieves are often very run-of-the-mill crooks; they cut your chain and ride away on your wheels. Ho-hum.
One suspected thief on the Upper West Side, however, showed quite a bit of creativity.
The NYPD is seeking the balding mustachioed gentleman in the video below, who went so far as to borrow a ladder, climb up said ladder, and maneuver the bike up the poll to which it was hooked, Gothamist reported. This all happened on May 26 on West 76th Street. He then dropped the bike to the ground and took off — but not before returning the ladder to the brownstone where he got it!
How thoughtful of him.
The man is in his 40’s or 50’s and is about 5’10”. If you know anything, go to the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or text tips to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577.
UWS Bike Thief from Gothamist on Vimeo.
Bike theft should be a felony punishable with jail time. The police are way to busy to pursue these criminals. The city transportation department needs more assistance to install bike rings for the growing cyclist population. Curbsidedon
This doesn’t make sense if you watch the video, especially at the end. The guy doesn’t ride off on the bike, he takes it into the building. The same building where he takes the ladder. This seems like one of those maintenance guys or owners who think they have a right to the signposts in front of them.