Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

The Way This Mom Got Back Her Stolen Bike From The Thief After Police Refused To Help Is Brilliant
User submission
3.2K
285.7K

Woman Sets A Trap For A Thief That Stole Her $915 Bike After Police Refuse To Help Her

ADVERTISEMENT

This 44-year-old mom has become an inspiration for Londoners who have been wronged by bike thieves. Recently, Sharron Jenson has taken upon herself to get back her $915 bike after police closed the case due to ‘lack of evidence.’ And she went full undercover detective mode to do so, too.

Just days after her bicycle got stolen from her local high street, Sharron found an ad for it on Gumtree. “[The police told me] to contact the guy, but not to go see him on my own. They said to stall him and tell them, and they could see if someone could go with me to get it,” she said.

Despite getting the thief’s first name, his address and phone number, the authorities refused to help her. “All information was reviewed and it was decided that there was insufficient information to proceed with an investigation,” a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

Jenson, however, couldn’t give up. Posing as a potential buyer, she then bought a cheap sim card and contacted the seller, scheduling a ‘test drive.’ “It has made me realize how bad the state of policing is here,” Jenson said. “It’s unbelievable that victims of crimes are having to investigate and then collect their own stolen items. And then nothing is done still. It makes me so angry.”

The housewife went alone to meet the thief. “We met elsewhere and walked to the house. He asked me multiple times to go into the house but I said no,” she added. “It was really frightening. I thought, ‘What am I doing?’ I know he’s only a bike thief, but here I was confronting him. I was really nervous.”

ADVERTISEMENT

She identified that the bike was indeed hers and asked if she could ride it. Jenson even thought to leave the thief with an empty handbag she had brought along as a decoy. “I was thinking, ‘This is so dangerous,’ but I knew it was my only chance. I cycled away and got to the corner and thought, ‘It’s now or never.'”

She pedaled harder and harder and went faster and faster. “I saw he wasn’t following me and just kept going.”

Jenson found safety in a corner shop, where the staff kept her bike while she fetched her car. Eventually, the thief understood what was happening. He texted her, demanding to bring the bike back and then later called – but laughed and hung up immediately after she said the bike was hers.

(h/t dailymail)

Recently, Sharron Jenson lost her $915 bike to a bike thief

However, she found an ad for the bike on Gumtree just days later and contacted the police

ADVERTISEMENT

They, however, refused to help due to ‘lack of evidence’ even though Jenson provided the name, address and phone number of the thief

Sharon decided to take matters into her own hands and messaged the ‘seller’ posing as a potential buyer

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

She identified that the bike was indeed hers and asked for a test ride: “I saw he wasn’t following me and just kept going”

The thief texted her, demanding to bring the bike back and then later called

But laughed and hung up immediately after she said the bike was hers

“No wonder criminals think they can get away with it – because they can”

ADVERTISEMENT

People had a lot to say about Sharon’s struggles

ADVERTISEMENT

286Kviews

Share on Facebook
Gerda

Gerda

Author, Community member

Read more »

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

Read less »
Gerda

Gerda

Author, Community member

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

What do you think ?
Add photo comments
POST
tarebear
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it odd to anyone else that the title specifically said that she was a mom? Why does that even need to be said? There's literally no need to say it, would this be less of an impressive story if she was a single childless person??

Marina Rios
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always see this c**p! I guess it humanizes people in one word which makes stuff get more clicks. But it also looks so dumb- mom gets back bike with one weird trick u won’t believe!

Load More Replies...
bob
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Happened to a friend in London as well. Luckily, she had a custom handlebar installed and managed to prove it to the police by showing an old picture. The police took action. So yeah, it's not really the police not wanting to do their job, but rather police wanting to do their job properly. If she has no way to prove that the bike is hers, then tough luck...

Mae
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

bob Exactly. A friend of mine just got his bike stolen, and the police wouldn't do anything because he couldn't provide the serial number of the frame. But there's no way there could be another bike like that because he bought it abroad and changed and tuned a lot of things on it. But still they couldn't do anything when he didn't have the serial number.

Load More Replies...
Load More Comments
tarebear
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it odd to anyone else that the title specifically said that she was a mom? Why does that even need to be said? There's literally no need to say it, would this be less of an impressive story if she was a single childless person??

Marina Rios
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always see this c**p! I guess it humanizes people in one word which makes stuff get more clicks. But it also looks so dumb- mom gets back bike with one weird trick u won’t believe!

Load More Replies...
bob
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Happened to a friend in London as well. Luckily, she had a custom handlebar installed and managed to prove it to the police by showing an old picture. The police took action. So yeah, it's not really the police not wanting to do their job, but rather police wanting to do their job properly. If she has no way to prove that the bike is hers, then tough luck...

Mae
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

bob Exactly. A friend of mine just got his bike stolen, and the police wouldn't do anything because he couldn't provide the serial number of the frame. But there's no way there could be another bike like that because he bought it abroad and changed and tuned a lot of things on it. But still they couldn't do anything when he didn't have the serial number.

Load More Replies...
Load More Comments
You May Like
Related on Bored Panda
Related on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda