Bike Thefts Spike as Students Take to 'Borrowing'

Author: Taylor Johnston

Though Middlebury College often sells itself as being a liberal arts community, it appears students may be overdrawing from the principle of communal living. Bike theft at Middlebury College has increased exponentially since the start of October, due in part to some students' liberal definition of "borrowing." Lisa Boudah, director of Public Safety, states the problem simply. "We are still trying to work with students to understand [the concept] 'don't take something that isn't yours.'"

Yes, though some may not realize it, the idea of private property is still alive and well at Middlebury, according to the Department of Public Safety. "Students are borrowing without permission and depriving the owner of use," explains Boudah. "There's a chance [the owner] might not get [the bike] back. In my mind, that's stealing."

Ricky Klein '07 has already had three encounters with this "borrowing" problem this semester, leaving his bike only to return and find it gone. As has most often been the case with Middlebury bike thefts, each time he later recovered the bike from a place where the "borrower" abandoned it on campus.

"The thing is that people aren't malicious," says Klein. "It's usually more like, 'Crap, I have to get to class. Who was dumb enough not to lock their bike?' If it was malicious, they would have taken the bike apart or something. And I really don't think there's much of a black market here at Middlebury."

The inclination to use any bike without a lock may come from a misconception about the yellow bike program, Public Safety suggests. "Many students don't have a clear understanding that they had to join the program to use a bike, and also that if the bike is privately owned you need the owner's permission," explained Boudah.

The Middlebury Campus recently interviewed some bike "borrowers," who commented anonymously on the increase in theft. One student referenced the yellow bikes specifically, claiming he steals any bike as "an uprising against the fact that there are not enough yellow bikes [on Campus]."

Some collect bikes from various places on campus (both while drunk and while sober) and then park them outside their own dormitories, ready for their own use.

Though Public Safety would tend to disagree, one bike "borrower" claims he does not consider this action theft "because we don't sell it to a chop shop. Stealing requires removing it from campus. We don't damage them." And, of course, they "made a pact not to take bikes with shocks."

Do these "borrowers" ever feel any kind of remorse? "No, because it happened to me. Security found my bike in a ditch across from Stewart," one explained. And what would happen now if they caught someone stealing a bike they stole? "Wonderful irony! But then I'd chase them."

According to these students, "the most frustrating part is when you come outside and see someone boosting the bike that you just boosted."

Public Safety has record of 24 "boostings" in the month of October, up from just four in September. According to Boudah, this may reflect an increase in the number of students registering their bikes and reporting theft rather than a dramatic increase in theft itself. Also, the Department now makes a more concerted effort to keep statistics of bike theft on campus.

"We are trying to get better with reporting to create awareness that this is actually happening. We had people [unofficially] report bike theft, but it was not reported to the community. [The deans] have commented that thefts are really up. We tell them, 'There would be an increase because now we are telling you [about them],'" explained Boudah.