Jamaica Plain (Boston) Thief Alert!

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:40 am

Perhaps this is not really news but there are scooter thieves in the Boston area. Yesterday morning, just before 5 AM, my room mate heard banging outside her window and saw a kid in a hoodie trying to steal my Buddy 125! Fortunately, she scared him away and he ran off before he could do any real damage.

My scooter was covered and chained with an Onguard chain lock to the fence, so I'm not sure how he was going to get that off. It was also parked behind a car in a driveway. The thief was quite brazen. The seat is a little loose, so I think he tried to open the seat but couldn't. This afternoon, I took the scooter out for a short ride and realized that he messed with the ignition because at first, I couldn't turn the key. The ignition lock is a little messed up now but the key goes in if I turn the front wheel towards the center a bit. I'll have to get the Scooters go green guys to look at it.

Secure your scooters!

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:20 am

It looks like the guy came back and stole my Buddy 125 this morning. I had it chained to the fence and he unbolted the back part, where the chain was looped through. Filed a police report right away. Arghh!!! Here are some pictures, in case anyone in the Boston area sees my funny-looking scooter. I purposely made it weird-looking so that thieves would not steal it!

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:31 am

So, here's a detailed description:

The left mirror is a black tear drop plastic type of mirror.
The right mirror is the regular chrome round Buddy mirror
Cuppini windshield.
Random strips of reflective tape all over it (front, sides, back) - red, orange, white
Had Formosa saddle bags (they roll up and there is a silver reflective strip sewn on each bag)
Plate: 1E7702, with a 13 sticker on it (because I forgot to register it at the start of the year)
Chrome is a bit rusty because I stored it outside all year round.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 12:32 pm

Really?! He came BACK to do the job?

That's balsy!

I hope you get your scoot back, and I hope he gets run over by a logging truck.

KrispyKreme · Post by **KrispyKreme** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 2:06 pm

So sorry about your Buddy. This is NOT the first scooter theft in Boston I've read about on this forum. Very sad.

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 3:08 pm

I still don't understand why there are so many scooter thefts in Boston? What is it? a teenage right of passage? Are they just easy to steal and get away with or practice before they graduate to cars? Are the police even looking for the stolen scoots?

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:15 pm

I just talked to a neighbor two doors down from me and he said his scooter was stolen when it was parked at the back of his house. It wasn't even in plain sight and the thieves broke the chain. No one heard anything. I used to live there too and had no problems last year and the year before (when I lived there). The guy at the motorcycle store also said that they're stealing scooters left right and center this year. I'm not sure why it's so bad this year. Maybe it's because the poor getting poorer and they're getting desperate. I don't know.

Anthonyf953 · Post by **Anthonyf953** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:34 pm

Sorry to hear that man. There has been a lot of scooter thefts in the area and it seems like they only get worse around summertime. I live in Dorchester so I'll keep an eye out for it. With any luck the cops will recover it soon.

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 8:46 pm

Oparu wrote:It looks like the guy came back and stole my Buddy 125 this morning. I had it chained to the fence and he unbolted the back part, where the chain was looped through. Filed a police report right away. Arghh!!! Here are some pictures, in case anyone in the Boston area sees my funny-looking scooter. I purposely made it weird-looking so that thieves would not steal it!

By the back part, what do you mean? The rear rack? Or the rear-shock above the rear wheel? A rack would be way too easy to unbolt with just a pair of pliers.

At home, I made sure to have enough chain to wrap it around the entire floor-board of the scooter, though I know they can be slipped out of that with enough effort, if it isn't chained tightly enough. At work, I put the chain around the rear shock. I figure someone likely wouldn't be trying to remove that, during the day, on a busy Boston street.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 9:34 pm

A chain can be easily and securely looped through the frame on the underside of the Buddy. On the 50 there's a crossbar that connects the two sides of the frame (between the side stand and the center stand) that's great for this: they'd need to use serious cutting tools and wreck the frame (or cut the chain) to get it off. I'm still working out the best spot on the Buddy 125, but there are similar structures on the underside where the center stand is connected to the frame. These are going to be more secure than any method that involves "wrapping around" or that connects to a part than can be removed with tools (e.g. rack, wheel, stand).

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Thu Jun 26, 2014 11:45 pm

Yeah, I should have secured it around the floor board. I had the chain looped through the back part where you would install a top case. I suppose it worked the first 2.75 years I had it and it was okay and I got complacent.

TVB wrote:A chain can be easily and securely looped through the frame on the underside of the Buddy. On the 50 there's a crossbar that connects the two sides of the frame (between the side stand and the center stand) that's great for this: they'd need to use serious cutting tools and wreck the frame (or cut the chain) to get it off. I'm still working out the best spot on the Buddy 125, but there are similar structures on the underside where the center stand is connected to the frame. These are going to be more secure than any method that involves "wrapping around" or that connects to a part than can be removed with tools (e.g. rack, wheel, stand).

Oparu · Post by **Oparu** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:40 am

I just got a call from the recovery department. They found my scooter in Mattapan on Harvard Street. It has been towed and I'll probably pick it up later this week. The BEST NEWS is that they arrested the jerk who stole it!!

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:56 am

Oparu wrote:They found my scooter in Mattapan on Harvard Street. The BEST NEWS is that they arrested the jerk who stole it!!

Sweet! Catching the bastard is even better! But if Boston is anything like California, they'll let him go and he'll be right back at it this evening.

az_slynch · Post by **az_slynch** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:44 am

Oparu wrote:I just got a call from the recovery department. They found my scooter in Mattapan on Harvard Street. It has been towed and I'll probably pick it up later this week. The BEST NEWS is that they arrested the jerk who stole it!!

Wow, that's having your cake and eating it too! I hope the bikes in decent shape still. If he damaged it, get a quote for damages and submit it to the police. Might as well bump up the charges if possible.

Stinkdyr · Post by **Stinkdyr** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 12:58 am

Your welfare $$ at work!

Aint it wunnerful??

Boston is a welfare magnet city. We literally breed criminals here.
Think about it, next time you vote.

KrispyKreme · Post by **KrispyKreme** » Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:30 pm

Stinkdyr wrote:Your welfare $$ at work!

Aint it wunnerful??

Boston is a welfare magnet city. We literally breed criminals here.
Think about it, next time you vote.

Wrong forum, bro. Think about THAT the next time you post.

Modern Buddy

Jamaica Plain (Boston) Thief Alert!

Jamaica Plain (Boston) Thief Alert!

Scooter actually stolen! - Jamaica Plain, Williams Street

having trouble uploading pictures!

Re: Scooter actually stolen! - Jamaica Plain, Williams Stree