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“Bicycle Redistribution Point”: Spoof sign highlights train station’s bike theft problem, as designer slams police inaction and lack of security for cyclists

“My hope is that this will spark some action to improve security and deter thefts in the area,” says the man behind the “depressingly accurate” sign, described as “Chichester’s answer to Bansky”

A recent spate of reported bike thefts from a railway station’s supposedly secure cycle parking facility has inspired one local activist to highlight the problem in perhaps the most original – and scathing – way possible: by installing what locals have described as a “depressingly accurate” sign declaring the area a “bicycle redistribution point”.

The official-looking satirical sign was put in place this week at Chichester railway station by the Chichester Anti-Recreation Partnership (CARP), a one-man campaign which aims to highlight issues affecting the local community in the West Sussex city by installing signage that will make people laugh.

Established in August, after noticing that signs warning or prohibiting locals from doing something were “everywhere”, the campaigner – who wishes to remain anonymous and is known only as CARP – has installed dozens of the parody signs around Chichester, before uploading them to his social media page.

And this week, he turned his attention to one problem that’s currently impacting cyclists across the West Sussex city (as well as the rest of the UK) – bike theft.

Chichester has long featured prominently in studies listing the places in Britain where you’re most likely to get your bike nicked, with the city’s railway station – and in particular its supposedly CCTV-monitored cycle parking unit – a notable hotspot for opportunistic thieves.

“I decided to create the sign after noticing just how many posts were popping up in local community groups about bike thefts, often several times a week,” CARP, who’s been described as “Chichester’s answer to Banksy” on social media, told road.cc on Friday.

“What stood out to me was that the overwhelming majority of these incidents were happening in this specific spot at the station, which made it feel like an issue that needed highlighting in a memorable way.”

The sign, attached to a pole outside the station’s bike parking facility and installed this week, depicts a masked man, huge bolt cutters strapped to his bike, riding away with a presumably stolen bike, with the caption: “Chichester Bicycle Redistribution Point. Many thanks for your donations.”

Logos of both Southern Rail and Sussex Police are also featured in the sign, alongside the satirical disclaimer: “Brought to you by Southern Rail. Police logo included for aesthetics only (they don’t like getting involved).”

(Ironically, and as if to underline CARP’s point, when road.cc approached Sussex Police for comment, we were told to contact the British Transport Police instead. The BTP are yet to respond.)

Posting the sign on social media, CARP wrote: “Involuntary donations accepted daily. CCTV for moral support only.”

> Bike thefts at train stations up 39% year-on-year, research reveals

The post has earned widespread praise from local cyclists, as well as by some who used it to publicise their own bikes which have been stolen in recent weeks.

“Very accurate, unfortunately,” Sara Watkins said of the sign on Facebook, while Heather described it as “depressingly accurate”.

“The moment I read this I suddenly remembered just how many people I know who have lost a bike at that very spot,” wrote Chris Astley.

“So true, and you only get a crime number then nothing – they can’t even be bothered to look at the cameras,” added Brian.

Meanwhile, on Friday morning, Alice noted that “additional bike donation points are also available across the city. My son has now donated three bikes, including one last night from the donation point outside the Festival theatre.”

“This is fantastic. Just had mine stolen this week from here,” said Kieran.

“I’m a cab driver and the amount of times I see them walk up, pull out the cutters and ride off is unbelievable,” wrote Jim. “I’ve given up going into the station to report it. They just say we know, it’s on camera but the British Transport Police won’t do anything about it.”

> Cycle racks “suspended” and taped off outside train station where one bike is stolen every two days

When asked about the reaction to his signs, and the effect it may have on prompting Southern Rail and the British Transport Police to take action to tackle bike theft, CARP told us: “The response has been overwhelmingly positive – people seem to enjoy the humour but also appreciate the way it shines a light on the problem.

“It’s clear that the issue here is lack of action from Southern Rail and the police. My hope is that this will spark some action from them to improve security and deter thefts in the area.

“However, I haven't heard of any changes as yet.”

Southern Rail and the British Transport Police have been contacted for comment.

After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.

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14 comments

Avatar
Mr Blackbird | 1 week ago
6 likes

Reminds me of a similar thing in an area of London, where residents were fed up with their areas being blighted by drug dealing and prostitution. Some residents painted parking spaces on the road marked "Pimp" and "Drug Dealer". It embarrassed the police into arranging extra patrols to tackle the problem. Hopefully these signs will have a similar effect.

Avatar
wtjs replied to Mr Blackbird | 1 week ago
4 likes

It embarrassed the police
I think most police forces are well beyond being embarrassed by anything - just deploy the magic apology, and back to business as usual

Avatar
Mr Blackbird replied to wtjs | 1 week ago
1 like

I suspect you are right. But no harm in hoping.

Avatar
Steve K replied to Mr Blackbird | 1 week ago
1 like

Mr Blackbird wrote:

Reminds me of a similar thing in an area of London, where residents were fed up with their areas being blighted by drug dealing and prostitution. Some residents painted parking spaces on the road marked "Pimp" and "Drug Dealer". It embarrassed the police into arranging extra patrols to tackle the problem. Hopefully these signs will have a similar effect.

You mean these? 

Avatar
workhard | 1 week ago
10 likes

Bike theft from stations on the line south of Gatwick down to Chichester has been endemic for decades. (Used to live in Horsham.) "It's only a bike" being the general response from BTP and Sussex Police.

Ride your bike through the nearby station underpass in Horsham and they'll try to throw the book at you, citing "community concerns". Use "community concerns" as a reason for them to do something about bike thefts and they'll tell you the don't recognise the existence of a "cycling community"!

Proper through the looking glass stuff.

Avatar
Rome73 | 1 week ago
1 like

That's very good. The signs should start appearing everywhere cycles are parked. 

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Sriracha replied to Rome73 | 1 week ago
2 likes

Pretty sure the Police often post their own official signs basically saying the same thing.

Of course, it's difficult to park your valuable bike without it being "on display" - but don't say the Police didn't discharge their duty by warning you!

Avatar
leedorney | 1 week ago
3 likes

"They just say we know, it’s on camera but the British Transport Police won’t do anything about it.”

“However, I haven't heard of any changes as yet.”

Southern Rail and the British Transport Police have been contacted for comment.

Someone's on a cushy no. here - #jobsworthmentality

Avatar
wtjs replied to leedorney | 1 week ago
4 likes

Obviously a Lancashire Constabulary outstation, where they train the police up for getting all reports into the bin as quickly as possible

https://upride.cc/incident/pl24vsx_sportage_redlightcross/

https://upride.cc/incident/ov74urx_polestar_redlightpass/

https://upride.cc/incident/lonsdalebus_route88_redlightpass/

Avatar
Sriracha replied to wtjs | 1 week ago
3 likes

They should be forced to have number plates so that the drivers could be held to account.

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wtjs replied to Sriracha | 1 week ago
3 likes

They should be forced to have number plates so that the drivers could be held to account

Unfortunately, the effect of this is much reduced in the UK by the different versions of the Highway Code accepted by the different forces- in Lancashire, for instance, a red traffic light officially means 'foot down harder!'. This was the view of the driver of Audi Q5 T90 JDT (he's changed to a Range Rover Sport now) when the lights turned red after the 3 seconds amber

https://upride.cc/incident/t90jdt_audiwithcaravan_rljatspeed/

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HLaB replied to wtjs | 1 week ago
1 like

That's an odd shaped cyclist sad

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bensynnock replied to wtjs | 1 week ago
2 likes

That's standard behaviour from many motorists.

The other day when I was in the car somebody beeped at me for stopping at a red light instead of powering through. I think they'd already started to accelerate and had to slam on their brakes.

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wtjs replied to bensynnock | 1 week ago
0 likes

 

That's standard behaviour from many motorists.The other day when I was in the car somebody beeped at me for stopping at a red light

It's not exactly standard behaviour here, but it's routine behaviour at the single set of lights round here (which feature on almost all my RLJ videos). As a result of the police refusal to take action against the offenders, they've had to reprogram the lights with sensors which prioritise and allow through the A6 traffic which puts longer delays on the other 4 roads which meet at this 6-crossroads. This then led to more RLJs...etc

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