# My bike has been stolen from work :(



## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

Got to the bike racks last night with my key in hand to unlock my beloved go home but no bike there!

Went into security and they checked the CCTV and they found a little kid - about 12 years old had come over and got through the lock (I don't know how at the moment) and then 1/2 hour later come back and taken the bike - was gone by 11.00 am - 2 hours after I parked it there.

I don't know what's worse - not knowing what happened to it or seeing some little toerag ride it away!

I'm absolutely gutted and there is some confusion as to who should be claiming on the insurance - it's a cycle to work scheme bike which I have finished paying my instalments on but still seems to be owned by my company. 

They did invoice me for it £25 but I never paid the invoice and the invoice got written off - so confused and really really upset about the loss of my Trek. 

Not only that - not keen to park a replacement bike in there now - CCTV is all very well and good but not much use if all I can do is watch somebody nick it is it? 

I'm posting on here because only you lot will feel my pain!!!!


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## g00se (8 Jun 2010)

B**ger - are the racks outside the office and any chance from the CCTV of identifying the culprit?


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

Yeah you can see the little git - they are burning it onto a DVD for me so I can report it to the Police but I'll never see the bike again will I?!


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## HLaB (8 Jun 2010)

Thats a bummer.

Its in the small print somewhere that you are responsible for the insurance of the bike regardless of who technically own it.


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## numbnuts (8 Jun 2010)

what sort of lock did you have ??


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

Okay dokey - it's my insurance that I need to contact then!

I had a steel cable sort of lock - like lots of twisted cable together - I don't know what it was called - do you know what I mean?

I'm on hubby's Saracen Rufftrax today - that's got a D lock on it. 

You're all going to tell me that my lock was rubbish now aren't you!?


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## Helly79 (8 Jun 2010)

Im so sorry to here that your bike was stolen, I did the bike to work scheme and looking through my policy I had to insure my bike in case it got stolen. My work was not responsible for insuring it, not sure if thats the same with yours. I hope you have some luck with the police


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## BentMikey (8 Jun 2010)

Shame, poor you. Lots of sympathy, you must be so cross about it.


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## ChrisKH (8 Jun 2010)

Check the position re: work's liability for bikes secured on their property. Do they openly disclaim responsibility for any bikes or cars parked on the premises? If not you may have potential to claim on their insurance.


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## fossyant (8 Jun 2010)

Really sorry about your bike, but the lock is no better than leaving the bike without a lock - cables are just rubbish..... You need a Gold standard D - like the top of the range Abus or NY Fag Locks - it's the only way.

Hopefully your insurance will cover it (even on cycle scheme it's your insurance that has to cover the bike).

Look forward to the 2010 version of your bike hopefully. !!


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## g00se (8 Jun 2010)

Check the ride to work scheme small print before claiming as to who is responsible for insurance but if it's cyclescheme - and if you haven't yet taken possession of it at the end - then you are responsible for insuring it.

Also, if it's stolen, and not fully paid off yet, you need to pay off your employer the FULL amount of the bike - that's why they say to insure it - otherwise you may end up out of pocket. Not sure what the deal is with the position you are in. 

Before claiming, check the policy as it may require the bike to be locked up with an approved locked - check that the lock you had is included in the list before claiming (usually as 'sold secure' gold, silver or bronze). If it's not covered, you may want to see if work covers their bike racks?

A tip for locking up - always lock it next to a more expensive bike that has a worse lock on it....


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

LOL - unfortuantely my bike is the best in the rack!

I have got it insured so there shouldn't be any problems there - it's just a pain in the arse and I'm so unreasonably upset about it.

Disclaimers all over the racks about "left at own risk" etc etc 

I just thought with security etc and cctv it might be safer than left on the street.

Will get a better lock next time!


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## jonny jeez (8 Jun 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> LOL - unfortuantely my bike is the best in the rack!
> 
> I have got it insured so there shouldn't be any problems there - it's just a pain in the arse and I'm so unreasonably upset about it.
> 
> ...



ARGHHHH!!

this is rotten news, sorry to read this. I cant imagine how annoying it must be to watch footage of yiour bike being nicked.

Still, as fossy puts it, the new years range beckons (there's always a silver lining)

Here's to a swift insurance settlement and a new shiny trek


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## arallsopp (8 Jun 2010)

So sorry to hear this.


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## threebikesmcginty (8 Jun 2010)

That's a real bummer - hope it all works out for you.


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## JiMBR (8 Jun 2010)

jonny jeez said:


> Still, as fossy puts it, the new years range beckons (there's always a silver lining)
> 
> Here's to a swift insurance settlement and a new shiny trek




+1 Every cloud!


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## Jezston (8 Jun 2010)

You have gone to the police, right? Well, I assume you have to to claim on your insurance.

Kid could be a local scumbag well known to the police. If so they'll catch him, and they might even be able to get your bike back as I'm sure a 12 year old can be more easily pressured into telling the cops who he gave/sold it to. Could even result in someone dealing stolen bikes getting done which could have a massive effect on local bike thefts.


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## jonny jeez (8 Jun 2010)

Jezston said:


> I'm sure a 12 year old can be more easily pressured into telling the cops who he gave/sold it to. .



I think not.

12 year old kids are "outside" the current legal system and the crappackets that do this type of stuff know this all too well.

it probably WHY he does this for a living, becuase the law cannot stop him.

He'll probably be a much tougher nut to crack than a mature villan with real legal and personal responsibilties.

Worse, he was probably enroled, because of his age, by a bigger bike theif/fence


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## nosherduke996 (8 Jun 2010)

The main problem is to get a good lock and chain cost a fortune and weigh a ton.


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## Jezston (8 Jun 2010)

12 year old kids are not outside the legal system - they are _just_ inside it. A year younger and he wouldn't be.


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## jonny jeez (8 Jun 2010)

Jezston said:


> 12 year old kids are not outside the legal system - they are _just_ inside it. A year younger and he wouldn't be.



fair point...but then the cctv doesn't show a copy of his birth certificate, So I wouldnt mind guessing, if he is that blatant, that he is one of those who "just " made the cut.

(i really thought it was 12 though, so thanks...you learn a new thing every day)


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## mknash (8 Jun 2010)

Security at work once watched some kid steal my bike, then caught himm and handed him to the police.

Not bad in all respects, but my bike was held for 3 days for evidence whilst they cautionned the kid.......

So got bike back but still had to train for a few days.

Hope you find a good replacement and a place to keep it


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

I just phoned the Police and they are going to call me back later - they were v.interested in the cctv though. The security people say he may be older than I think so hopefully they will be able to do something.

Just got one quote back from a bike shop for a Giant Avail 3 as a replacement - looks nice - waiting for the other quotes to come in now!

It's murder on hubby's bike - feels like a weighs a ton!


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

> I-Cycle in Harborne (Harborne Cycle Surgery) do Giant. Have you tried them?



Nope not yet - I'm not familar with them - are they a good place - I've always used Halesowen Cycles before but now have discovered that they are closed down! Gutted!


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## Crankarm (8 Jun 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> Okay dokey - it's my insurance that I need to contact then!
> 
> I had a steel cable sort of lock - like lots of twisted cable together - I don't know what it was called - do you know what I mean?
> 
> ...



Yep. Cable and combo locks are as much use as string however meaty they look.

Buy an Abus Granit X Plus D-lock for your replacement. Beter still buy two.


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## Crankarm (8 Jun 2010)

nosherduke996 said:


> The main problem is to get a good lock and chain cost a fortune and weigh a ton.



Still cheaper than a new bike and a lot less hassle . Don't think they weigh quite as much as a ton. Would that be an imperial or metric _tonne_?


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## dondare (8 Jun 2010)

Three feet of anchor chain and a lock that costs more than the bike will deter most 12 yr olds. 
Unless they're _really_ determined.

Look for your bike on ebay.


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## g00se (8 Jun 2010)

You can always leave a serious bike lock at the racks at work - then you don't have to carry it about when you're just commuting between home and the office.


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## potsy (8 Jun 2010)

g00se said:


> You can always leave a serious bike lock at the racks at work - then you don't have to carry it about when you're just commuting between home and the office.


+1 for this advice,then you have a quality lock but don't have to keep lugging it about everyday.
Sorry to hear about the theft,it's one of the reasons I'm thankful we have an indoor bike area at work,apparently years ago there was a spate of thefts from the outdoor one so the company made some room inside for it,no problems anymore.
Lets hope the police know who he is and you get it back.


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

I hope the Police know him too - they are coming down to look at the cctv footage so at least they are taking an interest. 

I will be keeping the lock at work on the racks now - it's a great big thing that hubby says is v.good - he would have to it's now attached around his bike!


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## HLaB (8 Jun 2010)

g00se said:


> You can always leave a serious bike lock at the racks at work - then you don't have to carry it about when you're just commuting between home and the office.


+1 But a word of caution. Its a tactic of some thieves to superglue the keyhole, so when the rider comes to lock their bike they can't an whilst its unlocked the thieves strike


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## fossyant (8 Jun 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> I will be keeping the lock at work on the racks now - it's a great big thing that hubby says is v.good - he would have to it's now attached around his bike!



Let us know the name and model of the lock and we'll happily give you piece of mind and let you know how good it is. Folk's opinion of v. good varys.....


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## threebikesmcginty (8 Jun 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> I hope the Police know him too - they are coming down to look at the cctv footage so at least they are taking an interest.



If he's the sort of scroat that makes a habit of nicking stuff they'll know who he is.


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## clarion (8 Jun 2010)

I'm wary of just having locks at home and work. There are any number of reasons why you might want to secure it elsewhere in between. I carry a decent lock with me all the time. Yes, it's heavy. But I've had two bikes nicked, and I was absolutely bereft each time. I don't want that to happen again.


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## the reluctant cyclist (8 Jun 2010)

clarion said:


> I'm wary of just having locks at home and work. There are any number of reasons why you might want to secure it elsewhere in between. I carry a decent lock with me all the time. Yes, it's heavy. But I've had two bikes nicked, and I was absolutely *bereft *each time. I don't want that to happen again.




That's the word I was looking for !!!!!


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## summerdays (8 Jun 2010)

Jezston said:


> Kid could be a local scumbag well known to the police.





threebikesmcginty said:


> If he's the sort of scroat that makes a habit of nicking stuff they'll know who he is.



I suspect if he has the confidence to go onto a workplace bike shed to nick a bike that he will be well known to the local force. Maybe get a photo of him printed up and give to the security guys in case they see him loitering around again?


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## hackbike 666 (8 Jun 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> Okay dokey - it's my insurance that I need to contact then!
> 
> I had a steel cable sort of lock - like lots of twisted cable together - I don't know what it was called - do you know what I mean?
> 
> ...



Im using a cable lock and it makes me realise how slack I am....Sort of like im complacent...I should be using D lock...I have one there as well.I haven't had a bike nicked since 1990 but when it happens it's horrible....Don't remember the locks but generally if it's been nicked a cable lock or two is involved.

Hope you can replace your bike asap.


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## Twenty Inch (8 Jun 2010)

TRC you have been through the mill with this cycling stuff, haven't you? I am sorry. I know how much it hurts and how much aggro it is. My sympathies.


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## hackbike 666 (8 Jun 2010)

clarion said:


> I'm wary of just having locks at home and work. There are any number of reasons why you might want to secure it elsewhere in between. I carry a decent lock with me all the time. Yes, it's heavy. But I've had two bikes nicked, and I was absolutely bereft each time. I don't want that to happen again.




I always carry a spare U-Lock as a few times I have had to dump the bike for various reasons.Last time was when I had all that chain trouble at Mile End and got onto the tube...(2008)


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## perplexed (9 Jun 2010)

> Oh, and check the Bargain Pages or Ebay. You might find it.
> 
> I was after a winter bike a couple of months ago and saw a cheap Carerra Subway in the Bargain Pages. I rang and some lad answered and asked which bike I was interested in. When I asked him how many he had, he gave some suspicious story about him and his brother having one each to sell because they were moving house. He then rang me the next day to ask whether I wanted to buy it.



A chum of mine's bike was nicked a few years ago. He went to the local auction house a week or two later in the hope of picking up a cheap replacement, and lo and behold, there was his nicked bike.

He told the auctioneers and the police. They arranged for the auction to be "rigged", and nicked the thieving scum when they turned up to get the "winnings".

Result!


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## HLaB (9 Jun 2010)

perplexed said:


> A chum of mine's bike was nicked a few years ago. He went to the local auction house a week or two later in the hope of picking up a cheap replacement, and lo and behold, there was his nicked bike.
> 
> He told the auctioneers and the police. They arranged for the auction to be "rigged", and nicked the thieving scum when they turned up to get the "winnings".
> 
> Result!


I do like happy endings


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## Dayvo (9 Jun 2010)

jonny jeez said:


> 12 year old kids are "outside" the current legal system and the crappackets that do this type of stuff know this all too well.



Under the legal age or above it, it doesn't matter! He'll feel a lump of 4x2 round the head as well as anyone!


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## threebikesmcginty (9 Jun 2010)

Dayvo said:


> Under the legal age or above it, it doesn't matter! He'll feel a lump of 4x2 round the head as well as anyone!



Sorry Dayvo that's illegal! 


Metric sizes now, you'll have to use 50 x 100mm


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## ttcycle (9 Jun 2010)

Just reading this now, sorry to hear about your bike - hope you get a new one soon on insurance but worth getting a better lock as the one you describe is really easy to cut.

Hope you're on your own bike soon-really feel your pain


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## Headgardener (9 Jun 2010)

Perhaps security should get a rap on the knuckles for only noticing at the end of the day that some juvenile scrote had been loitering around the cycle racks, twice.


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## Vikeonabike (9 Jun 2010)

jonny jeez said:


> 12 year old kids are "outside" the current legal system and the crappackets that do this type of stuff know this all too well.



12 year olds are well inside the legal criminal age. It starts at 10 (ten). Although some lilly liberal do gooders are trying to raise that.


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## martyp (2 Jul 2010)

Horrible feeling reluctant......had a new Raleigh routier stolen outside the library many moons ago...


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## martyp (3 Jul 2010)

little sod should be locked in a room and forced to listen to jason donovan records...


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## the reluctant cyclist (4 Jul 2010)

martyp said:


> little sod should be locked in a room and forced to listen to jason donovan records...



Yup - that should do it! 

The Police finally picked the CCTV footage up 2 days ago! 

Makes me laugh because my husband had a car that had a broken gear box and it has been parked (abandoned bascially) behind my (rental) flat for the last 4 years or so - not taxed insured etc and worth about £500 (less than my bike!).

Last week it got nicked and he phoned the Police on Tuesday afternoon about it - Tuesday evening they were in my living room taking a statement!!!! 

I wanted to give them a mouthful about my bike but thought better of it!!!


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## wafflycat (5 Jul 2010)

A word on insurance. It is not uncommon for insurance policies to state the kind of lock to be used in order for the insurance to be valid. You *need* to check the small print. If you aren't using an 'approved' lock then you may well find that the insurance is invalidated just at the point when you are making a claim. You may often find that if a specific lock is not named, a specific *type* of lock is. For example, a cable lock may well not be valid, but a D-lock is. It's also common for it to be stated as to what a bike can be locked to in order for the insurance to be valid, with the phrase 'immoveable object' being a common one in use. They key is check the small print - phone up the insurance company and check - better to be safe than sorry.


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## PBancroft (5 Jul 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> Yup - that should do it!
> 
> The Police finally picked the CCTV footage up 2 days ago!
> 
> ...



I do think that's worth putting in a complaint about actually...


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## levad (5 Jul 2010)

> Got a nre bike yet RC?



Practiced your touch typing lately User


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## the reluctant cyclist (5 Jul 2010)

> Got a nre bike yet RC?




No - still on my mountain bike - gutted!

We only got final confirmation that we weren't insured on Friday so my next step is to try and get work to claim - the bike is still officially theirs and they are sort of reluctantly thinking about doing a claim on their insurance - I have tried to guilt them into it by pointing out it was stolen in work time on work premises from a place that they told me would be okay to park (I did complaint that I wasn't comfortable about the parking arrangements!)

If they come back with a definate no (which will take them weeks) then the next option is another cycle to work scheme bike.... one of the Partners has said he will support me so it shouldn't be a problem.... however I reckon all this will take AGES!

I am going to go for a Trek 2.0 I think WSD - whaddya reckon?!!!!


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## taxing (5 Jul 2010)

Bummer, how come they've said you weren't insured?


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## arallsopp (5 Jul 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> The Police finally picked the CCTV footage up 2 days ago!
> 
> Makes me laugh because my husband had a car that had a broken gear box and it has been parked (abandoned bascially) behind my (rental) flat for the last 4 years or so - not taxed insured etc and worth about £500 (less than my bike!).
> 
> Last week it got nicked and he phoned the Police on Tuesday afternoon about it - Tuesday evening they were in my living room taking a statement!!!!


I suppose the perceived risk of the car re-appearing full of plastic explosives/bank robbers/ram raiders/or just on fire is probably higher.

Daft though. I had a pair of bikes nicked from the shed and the police turned up a few days later to 'check for prints'. On damp wood. After a couple of nights of rain. Oddly, they didn't find much.


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## the reluctant cyclist (5 Jul 2010)

That's the one! It's supposed to be a good replacement for my pilot 1.0 - I really liked the black colour of the old one but I am sure I can get used to silver!

I've never been to Birmingham City Cycles either - I was going to get it from Daves Cycles in Walsall.

By the way the insurance is really complicated. We started with Royal and Sun Allianced and they got taken over by Norwich Union (or rather our policy did) and then they got changed to Aviva - somewhere in all this our details were swapped from one policy to another - they have said that we never had original cover for the bikes but hubby says he is adamant he did. Unfortunately they are unable to find the original policy schedule that hubby signed (and so is he) so there is just a stalemate between us. 

Hubby says he has run out of time and energy to do this now and as the policy is in his name only I can't liaise with them!

Hubby has offered to pay half the cost of a new bike so will let him off just this once! 

Feels like a long wait though and a long ride on my mountain bike... to make it worse my daughter's boyfriend has just got into the cycle to work scheme and I have been helping him to pick a bike and will be showing him my route and that so really want my new bike now!


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## shrew (5 Jul 2010)

threebikesmcginty said:


> Sorry Dayvo that's illegal!
> 
> 
> Metric sizes now, you'll have to use 50 x 100mm



lol..

on the note of your lock, there isnt much you can really do to stop someone getting you bike if they really want it, unless you want to carry around a motorcycle lock with you, sorry to hear of you loss, with any luck, the kid got beaten up in an alley riding it home and got his "new bike" stolen...


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## Harbornite (10 Jul 2010)

the reluctant cyclist said:


> > I-Cycle in Harborne (Harborne Cycle Surgery) do Giant. Have you tried them?
> 
> 
> 
> Nope not yet - I'm not familar with them - are they a good place - I've always used Halesowen Cycles before but now have discovered that they are closed down! Gutted!



I have visted the cycle surgery twice in the past couple of months - quite simply brilliant service, can't recommend them highly enough.


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