Teenage son's bike nicked - sympathy?

[porteous]

When he was 12 we got a one year old ex hire Saracen from a bike company in the New Forest and gave it to him for Christmas. 6 years later some toerag nicks it from the Malvern Station bike rack and:

1. He was just using a cheap cable lock, despite having a decent D lock.
2. He has lost all the paperwork, including the frame number, which he was given to keep safe.
3. He doesn't have a photo of it despite having phone cameras, digital cameras, etc etc.


I have my bikes and the wife's bike on a security site (immobilise), told him over and over to get a pic and give me the details to add his, but nothing!


Am I being a cold hearted beast for not having (or showing) much sympathy?

 

[badkitty]

Yes. You are a cold hearted beast.

He's a teenage boy, he's got more important things to be thinking about than bike security.

Well, hopefully.

 

[summerdays]

Look at it this way ... some things you have to learn for yourself ... the hard way. And depending on how nice you are you can rub it in a little too!!! Sad for the poor bike though. Is it worth looking to see if it was dumped locally?

 

[porteous]

I only rubbed it in a little. The police (Both W Mercia and BTP) have been very good BUT since it was nicked when the station lights were out and the CCTV doesn't work in the dark there is little chance of finding it.

 

[snorri]

When he was 12 we got a one year old ex hire Saracen from a bike company in the New Forest and gave it to him for Christmas. 6 fears later some toerag nicks it

A second hand bike bought six years ago has been stolen, I think your son has done very well to hold on to it for so long.
Anyway, the lad is 18 now, don't you think it would be nice to buy him a car for Christmas :?:

 

[PaulSB]

1. He was just using a cheap cable lock, despite having a decent D lock.
2. He has lost all the paperwork, including the frame number, which he was given to keep safe.
3. He doesn't have a photo of it despite having phone cameras, digital cameras, etc etc.

My lads are 18, 22, 24 and I would still keep a copy of this sort of stuff at home for them, assumming I know what they have that is. It might sound like wet nursing but in my experience young men are hopeless at this sort of thing. The eldest's flat was burgled a few weeks back. Did he have contents insurance? No. Has he bought contents insurance now? Yes.

Sadly they only learn by painful experience but I have learned that being able to magic up the required paperwork at the last moment does help things along a little. So when he lost his digital camera at some festival in eastern Europe who was it that could supply a copy invoice for the travel insurance claim? Moi!

 

[dellzeqq]

be fair. His head is full of fluff and sperm. He's worried about his complexion. His clothes don't quite fit, and he's really, really in to breasts (or the boy equivalent, I shouldn't make assumptions). His homework is a puzzle to him, and his future is, apparently, rioting on the streets of London. What space is there between his ears for bike security?

 

[snorri]

be fair. His head is full of fluff and sperm. He's worried about his complexion. His clothes don't quite fit, and he's really, really in to breasts (or the boy equivalent, I shouldn't make assumptions). His homework is a puzzle to him, and his future is, apparently, rioting on the streets of London. What space is there in his head for bike security?

I wish to nominate this contribution as Post of the Month.

 

[trj977]

I wish to nominate this contribution as Post of the Month.

+1

 

[Corvette chic]

dellzeqq

oh and sorry lost my train there.....

blimey my 21 nephew's been coming round to help me with my other vehicle all week gets here today 9 mobile phonecalls later - to him from various m8s he effs' off saying i'll be here tomorrow

oh right CC see above post by dellzeqq DOH!!!!

 

[dellzeqq]

well, thankyou. (I did just go back and smarten it up a little)

 

[Ticktockmy]

be fair. His head is full of fluff and sperm. He's worried about his complexion. His clothes don't quite fit, and he's really, really in to breasts (or the boy equivalent, I shouldn't make assumptions). His homework is a puzzle to him, and his future is, apparently, rioting on the streets of London. What space is there between his ears for bike security?

I could do with a recharge of Fluff and sperm..LOL

 

[gb155]

I wish to nominate this contribution as Post of the Month.

Nahhhh, Post Of The YEAR !!!!

 

[beanzontoast]

I have sympathy for anyone who locks their bike and gets it nicked. I'd find it harder to sympathise if the bike hadn't been locked tbh.

 

[dellzeqq]

well our kid came back home earlier this year in tears. Her new Ridgeback Cyclone had been nicked. She confessed that she was not sure that she'd locked it up properly (happily this came out before I made what would have been a false insurance claim). She'd just had too much on her mind.

She was in her last A-level year. Everything, but everything was rush and worry (and boyfriend). We sometimes forget how fraught those late teenage years are.