cycle chic

For those who have read this before I apologise - a brand new story is on its way.  For those who have not, read on!

Today I cycled into Covent Garden from Hackney, parked my bike at Leicester Square to do a bit of shopping and then headed back to cycle to Oxford Circus to meet a friend…When I reached my bike I text my friend to say there would be a delay to my arrival as my bike had been vandalized.  The lock had been totally ripped off, and was gone.  My front tyre was flat, the gears had been messed up and there was a new wire connecting the rear tyre to the bike stand, securing it in place…I couldn’t believe it, my bike was three weeks old, I loved cycling around London and discovering wee nooks and crannies in London town.

So I went to the underground staff at Leicester Square and asked for the local police.  They recommended I head to Charing Cross Police Station.  Access from Agar Street, should you ever need to know.  I queued and waited and got a bit emotional as I told the friendly policewoman that my bike had been abused.  She asked me to take a seat while she tried to locate the Safer Neighbourhood Team.  I met a man who’d just been released from prison after 14 years inside.  A group of people on the street were singing anti Mugabe songs.  Whilst I waited I tried to speak sense to myself, it’s just a bike, no one was hurt, but why had they beaten my bike? Why had they locked it up again? What was the procedure with insurance, reporting the crime?

So I waited and listened to the newly free man rant.  Then I was ushered forward, no one on the Safer Neighbourhood Team was free to help at that time, so I was advised to go back to the underground staff, ask the Transport Police to break through the wire attaching my bike to the stand, retrieve my bike, and bring it home.

So I got back and approached my bike, only to realize that they had in fact also stolen my bike rack, and changed the tyres.  Aghast I raised my eyes a fraction, and looked straight at my bike!…I had spent the best part of an hour reporting and mourning for a bike that was not mine.

Things learnt today, there is more than one maroon bike in London.  Thieves do not steal tyres and replace them with other ones.  If you ever need to report a crime visit www.met.police.uk