John Taranu, volunteer of the Bike Union, provides some tips in helping to reduce bike theft. John also introduces the isthisbikestolen.com app created at the Random Hacks of Kindness / Open Data Hackathon on December 5-6 in Toronto. It lets you check if the bike you're buying has been stolen.
More on fighting bike theft, see bikeunion.to/theft
Coming up this Thursday is the community discussion on bike theft. The event is tied in with the KENK graphic novel that's made a splash over the news. Everyone likes to focus on a big personality like Igor who loved the attention, regardless of whether it was positive or negative. The truth is that bike theft still takes place and the guys who went around stealing bikes are still as active as ever.
Out of curiousity I dropped by the Kenk graphic novel launch party last night. To my surprise, while ordering a beer, I saw Igor Kenk nursing a glass of water (or vodka?) at the bar. He was decked out in the very "I'm Tired" shirt that graces the cover of the book, which seems to encapsulate his world-weary attitude of profligate North American consumerism, while he also profited from it.
There will be a launch party for the graphic novel on Igor Kenk, aptly called KENK. (I'll be on the panel for the subsequent panel discussion on bike theft and Igor Kenk, taking place at the end of May). Details about launch party below:
Thurs. May 6th, 2010 - 7:00pm 'til late
@ The Cadillac Lounge
1296 Queen St West
(includes back patio)ADMISSION IS FREE
During Bike Month, Pop Sandbox and I Bike T.O. present a moderated forum, June 3, 8-10 pm at CineCycle, on bicycle theft and Igor Kenk in Toronto, tied-in with the release of KENK: A Graphic Portrait in May.
Igor Kenk has plead guilty to bike theft and drug possession. Here's the detail: he's plead guilty to just 10 bikes out of the original 48 that he was charged with by the Crown to keep the court case manageable. Charges against his wife Jeanie Chung were dropped. Igor has only 4 months left to serve of this sentence, but still has to face separate assault charges. There's no word yet on when the 2200 bicycles will be auctioned off.
Sometimes the police will take bike theft seriously. Eventually. Spacing reports an interesting story of Heather's stolen bike, how her friend found her stolen bike on Kijiji, and how their persistance got the police to eventually arrest and return her bike. With the cops initially being uninterested in helping to get it back, Heather collaborated with her friends to confront the thief while pretending to buy it.
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