The initial feeling when you walk towards an empty bike-rack is complete and utter disbelief - did I really leave my bicycle there? Realisation dawns and emotions quickly turn to sadness and depression; I know it’s only a bike but, as anyone who’s ever had anything stolen from them will know, it’s a horrible, horrible experience.

In my case, this sadness and the ‘Oh for fuck sake!’ mindset then turns into a deep, dark anger. An intense rage at the thought that someone has been wandering around the city centre with the intention of stealing a bike and you wind yourself up with thoughts of what you would do if you caught them! The final kicker is angry desperation - why MY bike?

Having never owned a car, or sadly never even got round to passing my driving test, I am a massive bike rider and when I need to get to somewhere in Bristol, I always pedal there. I love my bike and have had some beauties in the past (a particular favourite being an orange mountain bike with racing tyres) but in my 3 years in Bristol I have had 3 bikes stolen and the experience never gets any easier or the anger any less fiery. During the latest episode, after roughly two minutes of me standing staring at the newly vacated bike-rack space, arms tucked behind my head in the classic disbelief stance, I wandered off in a daze, confused and speechless.

It was a Saturday afternoon in Broadmead and the walk home up Gloucester Road afterwards was the worst I had felt out of all the 3 thefts. Dragging my feet feeling helpless, I stared intently at every bike that went past or was locked up, probably looking like a bike snatcher myself but I was in no mood to appreciate the irony.

Unfortunately the Police can’t really do anything as the officer was honest enough to say when I rang to report my loss. Bike theft is a massive problem in Bristol and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. To ensure I’m never victim again, I now have 3 locks for my bike which I insist on using every time I stop. People see me locking up and think I’m a weirdo but it works out as one lock for every bike I’ve had stolen so let them stare.

Crime Reference Number: 98745 – 08

Illustrations by Ian McDonald at Carving Lines - carvinglines@googlemail.com