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news
Bike bunker (c) OC Sheriffs Dept.jpgOfficials clearing California homeless site find bunker containing 1000+ bikes
The discovery of more than a thousand bikes in an underground bunker in California has led police to suspect a large scale organised programme of theft.
Officials clearing a homeless encampment in Orange County discovered several bunkers that appeared to be built by amateurs, one full of more than a thousand bikes.
They were found in the tunnel system under the concrete flood control channel of the Santa Ana river.
The Orange County Register reported that one underground bunker had wood-panelled walls and a support beam, and was accessible only via a hatch camouflaged to blend in with its dirt surroundings.
A gun was also found at the location, with three spent casings.
Nearby San Francisco has such an epidemic of bike theft that one bike is now being stolen every three hours.
“There was a malicious attempt to associate this stash of bikes with the removal of the Fountain Valley encampment,” homeless advocate Mohommed Aly told the paper. .
“The Sheriff’s Department has an incentive to portray the most vulnerable members of our community as criminals. It’s difficult for people not to lose empathy when law enforcement is misrepresenting the facts.”
“A reasonable person is going to assume it’s the homeless, but we don’t have any evidence to back that up,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Puckett, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Latest Comments
- Destroyer666 5 hours 23 min ago
"...the beeswax-based covering magically shuns off whatever might be lurking in the corners. Even after multiple rides, when the bars rattled about...
- chrisonabike 6 hours 37 min ago
I've always wondered - why does the one-armed person in the cloak have their hand in the one-armed person with the cane?
- David9694 6 hours 45 min ago
t-boned
- Rendel Harris 8 hours 5 min ago
I didn't know the blue RA saddle was a holy grail - I had a 1986 RA bought new in 1987 with a blue saddle that lasted me very well until 2002 when...
- newbankgyratory 8 hours 15 min ago
Solution: Put these up everywhere. Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/traffic-signs
- Rendel Harris 9 hours 13 min ago
Glad you like it - this week was the first proper commuting week since I got it, 250kms nice and warm but not boiled, indeed - and when the...
- Rendel Harris 10 hours 46 min ago
As what you have said is demonstrably untrue, given that the event is organised and has been for the last four years by a professional events...
- chrisonabike 11 hours 14 min ago
Accessibility issue. Of course by necessity / co- evolution the Dutch generally provide a fairly "one size fits standard bikes" parking solution -...
- Steve K 12 hours 29 min ago
I'm there now too, if anyone wants a follow/wants to follow me. @cyclingtheseaso
- Shepton 13 hours 5 min ago
I totally agree. I used to commute through Long Ashton and only started getting agro from motorists when the pavement was made to be a shared path....
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18 comments
I think these guys became homeless because they bought too many bikes. I’ll be homeless soon, but the bikes are coming with me!
I suspect the local bike shop
.
"Looks like ... just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B..."
Yeah, and the bike owners have just to walk , after all they are rich enough and have all the time for walking.
"Looks like there's maybe $50usd total value of bikes in that picture. I doubt it's a crime ring... "
Yeah, in fact i even suggest that they complain to the bike owners because their bike is not properly maintained and setup, really no value there.
San Francisco and Orange County are about 600km apart so trying to connect any bike thefts in San Fran to this is a bit of a stretch.
They all used to belong to Damon Albarn.
Ha I enjoyed that somebody else remembers that Albarn said he never locked his bikes and used to buy about 10 a week or something stupid.
Looks like there's maybe $50usd total value of bikes in that picture. I doubt it's a crime ring...more than likely just homeless that steal a bike every time they need to get from Point A to Point B because it's convenient, and have amassed such an inventory. A pawn shop will only offer about $10 on a beater Walmart bike...and if the seller looks homeless...pawn shops won't buy from them. Begging is more lucrative than stealing bikes for homeless.
There's a charity organization meal center near me that also offers bikes to needy for transportation. When I wrenched, I was volunteered a couple times by others to help fix up bikes. It's amazing...you spend two hours fixing up a piece of junk they own, then the every time you see them thereafter, they're on a completely different bike they "inexplicably" now possess.
perhaps they swap the now-fixed bike for a piece of junk plus something else, then get the junk fixed up for free, and the Wheel of Life turns full circle. Entrepreneurial.
Edited my post after you commented, but the type of fixing up is most basic stuff...cables, chains, tires/tubes. Anything else like seat or bars would likely be stripped off old bikes and used. The bikes still wouldn't have good resale for the reason(s) I mentioned in my edited post...But I have no doubt the patrons took advantage of the institution with an unreasonable number of services...how many bikes do people need a month? Certainly not more than one or two.
It seems that a lot of homeless want (or wanted) to get to point B. I wonder what the attraction was.
What do you think?
Do I have to spell it out? I think Jamminatrix is wrong.
Well Lt Phuckup, I call you to task on whether this is a reaonable Trump voter or a reasonable person as a reasonable person would interprete reasonable person being that assumes this...
”a reasonable Trump voter” - contradiction in terms.
a reasonable person wouldn’t assume anything, and Sherff Phuckett should know better.
Something tells me Sherrif Phukwit has an agenda
That would be a reasonable assumption.
"Nearby San Francisco has such an epidemic of bike theft that one bike is now being stolen every three hours."
You'd think the owner would have learnt to lock it up by now.
Yeah! I know, old joke, blah, blah, blah.
I'll get me coat.
Obviously just a case of kleptomania.