Rigged Pole Trick

A few years ago on Dateline or 20/20 or some show like that I  watched a segment on bike theft and the tricks thieves employ to thwart locks. One of the most memorable is the rigged pole trick. The thief finds a pole in an area where people are likely to park a bike but where there are no adequate bike racks. In the picture the pole is in front of a Trader Joe's. The thief unscrews the bolt at the base of the pole so that if somebody locks their bike to it they can lift the pole, snag the bike, and worry about the lock when they get home. A really advanced thief will use a securing bolt with an oversized nut so that at a glance the pole with look secure. In this case the pole has been shimmed with washers and twine to keep it from spinning and attracting attention.

My advice is to never lock up to a pole if you can help it. Even one that looks safe and well-bolted can be rigged, making your $75 Kryptonite U-lock useless. (or they could just pick the bugger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvjp0qGPBi4&noredirect=1)