STEAL THIS BIKE
photo blog by Ross Mernyk
The Story

I keep walking passed bicycles that look locked up, but really aren't. So I decided to start taking photos of the really dumb ones. I don't count bikes whose owners seem not to have bothered to lock them up well or at all. That often happens with delivery bikes. But when it looks like the owner tried to lock them up and didn't, he gets a fail.

For this blog I assume a thief would not bother cutting/picking the chain or lock, though on weaker ones that may be easy. I also allow the lock to remain locked to the bicycle, as long as it's ridable. Taking the bike must be possible by one person, within 3 minutes, quietly enough not to be noticed.

The Grading System

F - Ride the bike away. No tools needed.
E - Ride the bike away. Simple tools needed.
D - Ride the bike away. Simple tools needed. Cables/spokes may be cut.
C - Thief gets all but a wheel. Simple tools needed. Cables/spokes may be cut.
B - Thief gets all but a wheel. Simple tools needed. Cables/spokes may be cut. Wheel cut away from frame later.
A - The bike is locked. It doesn't get into this blog.

Submissions

You are welcome to send me your own photos, and I will include them in the blog. They should show the entire bicycle and locking system clearly. They must be your own photo, and they remain so, but I am not resposible for what happens to them once I post them. Include in your email the letter grade they get, date taken, place taken, and your name. I will generate a thumbnail, and may reduce the quality factor (but not the resolution). I use a filename structure: grade-yymmdd-yoursequence-name-place.jpg

Grade F



Grade E



Grade D



Grade C



Grade B

Email: website@rossmernyk.com
Updated: January 17, 2011