Mad as Hell about Lifted lights

This week I'm as mad as hell.  I rode my mountain bike down to the local football ground to meet up with a few other coaches to sort through our gear for the coming season.  I locked my bike up to a secure post in a well lit place about 10 metres away from the building where we   were working, thinking it would be fine.  I walked out an hour later to retire to a local establishment only to discover my bike had been relieved of its lights.These were no ordinary lights, they were Knog Frog Strobe lights.  They are great little lights not much bigger than my thumbnail, visible from up to 600 metres away, waterproof and so easy to put on and take off in a couple of seconds, which makes me wonder why I didn't.



It goes to show that sometimes I trust people to much to do the right thing.  What I've learnt from this experience  is to make sure my equipment is adequately secured and if it can't be, then remove it from the temptation of others.  If you've got a decent bike, then you need a decent lock.  If you've got lights which are not bolted onto your bike then take them with you. 



For whatever reason someone decided to take my lights I hope they realised they deprived a fellow cyclist of a safer than usual ride home.  Cyclists without lights are an accident waiting to happen.  They think they are visible or safe off to the side of the road, where in fact they only become visible up close and that close might be too late for a driver travelling at speed. I see them every night riding home and it's not something I aspire to.    Fortunately that night I was able to stick to the bike path and footpath for most of the short trip home, but I'd hate to be exposed on a busy road.  The other fortunate thing is I didn't get pinged by the police for riding without lights,  which in Victoria is a $176 fine.  I know people's motivations for stealing things go way beyond what they need.  To all those riders out there riding without lights, day or night, be bright, get a light, just don't take mine.






    

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