The first time someone stole Lina Ramirez's bike, she was in Walgreens getting a snack. She was only going to be a second, she thought, so she didn't lock it.
About a month later, the 21-year-old mathematics and economics junior parked her new bike at home, but she struggled with a flimsy lock. She thought it was locked, but apparently it wasn't. Someone stole that one, too.
"It sucks," Ramirez said. "The first time, I was really really upset, and the second time I was like, ‘Oh God, not again.'"
Ramirez never recovered the bikes. She didn't report them stolen, and neither was registered with the University Police Department.
UPD registered 1,493 bikes in 2011. There were 112 bicycles reported stolen in 2010, and 152 bikes were reported stolen in 2011. UPD bike officer John Savona said a lot of bikes are stolen each year, but many people, like Ramirez, don't file a report.
Savona said UPD offers free registration and bike-engraving for students, faculty and staff.
Bikes can be registered with any police officer on campus or with the front desk of UPD's office on Museum Road.
The numbered decals give owners a much better chance of recovering missing or stolen bikes. Savona said the decals provide proof of ownership, which is critical when trying to identify a recovered bike.
"As soon as we register a bike, it gets entered in our data system," Savona said. "If I stop someone and I see they have a decal, I can match it up to the owner."
Savona registers some students' bikes in lieu of writing them a citation, he said, in order to deter thieves.
"One time, I arrested a bike thief, and I asked him why he didn't take this one bike," Savona said, "and he said he didn't want to take it because it had a UPD decal."
If someone lost a bike or fears it was stolen, but didn't register it, Savona said there is little more that a person can do aside from filing a report with UPD. Even after that, the chances of getting the bike returned are slim.
Ramirez now rides her friend's old bike, which she fixed herself. She said despite her bad luck with bikes, she won't register this one any time soon.
"I hate this bike," Ramirez said. "If I got a new bike that I actually cared about, I would."
