With the onset of the new fall semester at colleges and schools across the country, it is a good time to review good habits to help prevent your bike from getting stolen. Bikes provide easier, affordable and efficient means of transport for college students. They help you to save money on gas, keep you in shape, relax your mind and are a faster way of getting across campus between classes than walking. However, they also provide a quick source of petty cash for bike thieves. Bike theft is perhaps the most common crime in college campuses today.
Tips on How to Prevent Bike Theft
Lock your bike at all times-
This is one of the most important strategies to ensure safety of your bike. Nonetheless, it is important to note that a lock may not deter a determined bike thief but it significantly reduces the risk. Use the best lock for your bike. Most of the stolen bikes are either not locked at all or locked with cable or chain locks that are thin and easy to break. Use a U-lock, which is stronger. High quality U-locks may be quite expensive ranging from $8 to $14 but this is not much when compared to losing a bike.
Where to park your bike-
A bike locked with a U-lock and parked with others in a public place cannot be easily stolen. A bike thief will target only those bikes that are loosely locked or not locked at all. Lock the bike in a permanent structure such as bike racks or parking meters to ensure that the lock cannot be easily loosened or lifted over the structure. You may also lock it to the stairwell or inside the college dorm.
Do not ever park anywhere overnight-
It is dangerous to leave your bike parked overnight. This makes it easier for bike thieves to loot in the cover of the darkness by simply lifting the lock.
Register your bike with the college-
If your campus has these provisions, do not fail to register your bike as this may help deter thieves and helps in the identification of the stolen bike. Make sure any markings on the bike are documented for easier tracking.
Avoid very expensive bikes-
Flashy looking and expensive bikes attract thieves because they are easy to sell. If it has to be the expensive model, cover the markings so they aren’t easily accessible.
Alternate the parking place of your bike as often as possible- Some of the bike thieves identify a particular bike and track it for days or even months to find a vulnerable opportunity to steal it. By changing the parking places you deny them this chance.
For those who have been convicted of bike theft, online theft classes are available to fulfill your court mandate. Taking the classes online has many benefits
1) You can manage your time well because you can take them at any time of the day or night.
2) It cuts on the cost you might spend traveling to the classrooms.
3) You remain totally anonymous during the entire course when you take it online.
4) You can take classes in the convenience of your home or dorm room.
5) Online classes provide the same information you would get in a classroom setting but generally at a lower cost.
