MUNCIE, Ind.(NewsLink) -- 2 million bikes are stolen each year in North America—which means every 30 seconds, someone’s ride is going missing.
Bike thefts are common—and it is an issue that has gone into higher gear with the coronavirus pandemic as more people take to the sidewalks with bikes as their main mode of transportation.
On Ball State’s campus, several bikes are stolen every year. One of those belonging to Botsford/Swinford Hall resident assistant Draven Rasler.
“I came back from class-looked over to where my bike should’ve been, and it was not. It was just a wire lock from Walmart. They clipped it and rode off on it,” Rasler said.
Thankfully, it was recovered months later by university police.
“They just told me it was on the other side of Muncie. They called me and said, “Hey we have your bike. You can come pick it up... I got it that day,” Rasler explained.
Rasler dodged a bullet this time as he did not register his bike as recommended by the university. All he had was a receipt of purchase with the bike’s unique serial number.
Unfortunately, luck was not in Ball State Junior Grant Covey’s pocket. He had his bike stolen in October2020 and still has not received any word on its whereabouts.
“It was in an enclosed public indoor storage facility. The lock had been cut right off and the bike was taken out of there. It was not registered. I did file a police report when the incident happened though,” said Covey.
University police say you should always use high-quality locks and consider registering your bike.
For more information in how, you can head to UPD’s website.
For any comments or concerns, contact the author aalmanza@bsu.edu
