Some questions about when your bike is stolen.

[adri]

Bike is missing, I need some advice for what happens next.
Oh, and I put some underlines not because I think you're stupid, but because this is long and I wanna help make things clearer for you in hopes you'll help me... please

I got home from work around 12:40 AM, parked one bike next to the other on the street. When I woke up, only one bike was there.

I had apparently been written a ticket at 12:53 AM on the remaining bike. The one that's missing was parked closer to a fire hydrant but I believe still beyond the 3 meter limit.

I called the police about it and called my insurance company. I was not covered for fire or theft on the vehicle (a very noob-ish mistake I made 8 months ago - it was my first bike, I wasn't getting financing, and as a student I was naively cutting corners, my mistake).

The cop seemed more interested in why the stolen bike (a scooter), had green plates, and how fast it could go. These questions all seemed pretty redundant. He didn't even ask me for the VIN number. Is this normal? I would assume this would be one of the first things they would ask for.

Also, the cop I talked to called me from Unknown Number. I didn't have a pen to write down anything, so he said he would call me once again and leave me a voicemail with my record # as well as his badge #, but he never did. Is this normal?

I called up a towing place, and they said the cops would check with them whenever a vehicle was reported missing, but this cop I gave my report to over the phone really didn't seem professional at all. What can I do to find out for certain if my bike is/is not towed to some lot somewhere?

By the way, my current plan:
- Ask around all of the nearby houses
- Alert the nearby riders (Dufferin & Bloor area)
- Contact the night shift supervisor at Parking Enforcement and attempt to see if the guy who issued me a ticket can recall seeing anything bizarre last night or maybe be able to tell me if he issued tickets to the scooter as well.

[psycho44]

man another bike stolen. Bike theft season is just getting started. We should have a section to post pictures of all stolen bikes so when one of us do see it, we all go bash the thieves head in with our helmets.

I'll keep my eye out for a blue scooter. Shouldn't be many.

[adri]

Thanks. She's really scratched up on the sides. It was my first bike, real learning experience I guess. 2,200 miles on the odo.

Could use some answers to my questions if anyone could provide some insight?

[geoff-9]

sorry to hear about your bike going missing,
firstly call the parking and see if they gave your stolen bike a ticket, that will give you a timeline, and ask whether they had it towed,

secondly go to your local police division and ask to see if this crime was listed into their computer system, give them the VIN and file a real police report, you CANNOT file a police report over the phone,
ask whether the bike was towed,

both of these are 24 hour services so go do it now before any more time passes

[leedufour]

Did the officer confirm it wasn't towed?
Sorry dude!

Edit-wow I type and think slow!

[Pegassus]

-
That sucks man, that's why I always enter my baby inside my apartment every evening. What color and make is the scooter?

It's possible some punks took it for a joy ride by pushing it with the engine off, check around bushes and behind large garbage bins.

[adri]

It's a Derbi Atlantis, identical to this one:
except my bike is very battered up (it's been dropped on both sides).
LICENSE PLATE: ABL28

I went to the division, they showed me that the report was in fact properly filed. The officer had looked up my VIN# himself, he simply did not follow up.

I spoke to both my local division as well as the night shift supervisor at parking enforcement, both said my bike was not ticketed nor towed.

I spoke with the home insurance people but even if the bike had been stolen from my driveway our policy wouldn't cover it as it is a vehicle.


Now for the news update:

When I was parking my motorcycle (in the driveway tonight). One of my neighbours from across the street came to speak to me. He told me that two days earlier, some "gangsta"-looking guy on a banana seat bicycle kept passing up and down the street looking at my bikes parked 3 or 4 times and asked "did someone abandon this bike?"

I really wish they had told me this at the time but better late than never I guess.

[Ratsenol]

He didn't even ask me for the VIN number. Is this normal?

Also, the cop I talked to called me from Unknown Number. I didn't have a pen to write down anything, so he said he would call me once again and leave me a voicemail with my record # as well as his badge #, but he never did. Is this normal?

I called up a towing place, and they said the cops would check with them whenever a vehicle was reported missing, but this cop I gave my report to over the phone really didn't seem professional at all. What can I do to find out for certain if my bike is/is not towed to some lot somewhere?

Sorry to hear about your scooter being taken. Hopefully it turns up. If it was some local kid(s) taking it out for a joy ride, it may end up being found somewhere close by.

To answer your questions above - the officer woulnd't have had to ask you for a vin number if he had the plate. The plate and vin are associated to each other, so if you gave him the plate, he'd have the vin. He would just confirm that it was the same year/make/model to make sure the plates were on the right vehicle.

What Geoff said above is wrong - Toronto Police take stolen vehicle reports over the phone. There is no scene for an officer to investigate if the vehicle is gone, so what they'll do is take the report over the phone, and broadcast for the cars in the area to be aware of the stolen vehicle.

As for the unkown number - I'm sure many people whom the police call wouldn't be answering their telephones if call display said it was the police calling! I've been called by Durham Regional Police, and it comes up as either Unkown Caller or Private Name/Private Number.

Lastly, the officer would have checked to make sure the bike wasn't impounded. Any impounded vehicles are listed on the same system where stolen vehicles are, so when the officer checked your plate, he would have seen if it had been towed/impounded.

Hope that helps a little.

[adri]

Yep, thanks. Cleared up most of that through my various adventures around town and on the phone today but thanks.

Now for the news update:

When I was parking my motorcycle (in the driveway tonight). One of my neighbours from across the street came to speak to me. He told me that two days earlier, some "gangsta"-looking guy on a banana seat bicycle kept passing up and down the street looking at my bikes parked 3 or 4 times and asked "did someone abandon this bike?"

I really wish they had told me this at the time but better late than never I guess.

Not sure how it could have been taken simply for a joy ride considering the steering was locked/with no keys but I'm gonna stay optimistic.

The scoot really means a lot to me simply because it was my first bike, kinda taught myself how to ride on it, it was also my first set of wheels... I'm sure you guys all know when a teen dude gets his first wheels, it's a special moment *sigh*point being: it might not be in the best shape, it might not be worth much, but to me it was worth much more the motorcycle I just got. I have a history with that bike.
*cross fingers*

[Rob MacLennan]

As for the unkown number - I'm sure many people whom the police call wouldn't be answering their telephones if call display said it was the police calling! I've been called by Durham Regional Police, and it comes up as either Unkown Caller or Private Name/Private Number.

Think of the flip-side. If the officer's number was known, then how many annoying direct calls to his cell do you think he'd get?

[urameatball]

wow, that really sucks HUGE!!!
I'd be so lost without my scoot, really sorry to hear about your incident.

Just this spring alone, by scooter has been moved from where I originally parked 4 times. Two times were my friends playing tricks on me, the 3rd was because some hotdog stand guy wanted my spot and moved my scoot down the street so he can setup, 4th was last night when security didn't like my scoot in front of their building and started pushing it to the next building (I caught him in the act).

My scoot has an immobilizer so the likelihood of it getting stolen by some random kid is low, but it's still a pain to find the scoot's been moved when I come back to it.

[Fedor]

Must of been a poor *** ***** to steal a scooter.

[Fedor]

Also, you say you didnt have fire or theft, thats why as soon as it was jacked shouldve kept your mouth shut and called insurance company to add theft on you and wait a week to report it.

[Jenerator]

Also, you say you didnt have fire or theft, thats why as soon as it was jacked shouldve kept your mouth shut and called insurance company to add theft on you and wait a week to report it.

Right, because insurance fraud benefits us all!