Modern Vespa

I work in Foster City and every day for 3.5 years I've parked behind my building and my scoot is waiting for me untouched. Today, I go out and some ass-hat has stolen my helmet from the underseat peg on my GTS 300.

I have no clue why someone would want a 1.5 year old medium sized white HJC helmet covered with reflective stickers. Stuff like cats, and skulls.

But I hate you. I now have to sit here at work for over an hour while a friend goes to my house in Sunnyvale and picks up one of my spare helmets and drives it up here. All so I can ride home legally.

I am hungry and pissed off that you're making miss my choir practice tonight.

If I see it on you, retard, I will be sure to run you down.

Now ass-hat and all his friends know where you park your scooter. You better take some precautions or you're liable to find it gone one of these days. Soon.

Security. Alarm. Park where there is a camera. Chain it to something! Keep it safe.

I'm surprised there's no camera pointing at the bike. I assume you checked around. Try taking a pair of low powered field glasses to the spot and looking around for a mounted camera. Just don't leave them on the bike. Most office security people would love to jump in and help.

That stinks. I find myself taking chances leaving my helmet, thinking it's only a minute, in plain sight....but, also an invitation to some idiot who wants a freebie. I don't like being paranoid, but a little doesn't hurt. (Of course it doesn't hurt that have a big head and know that actually fitting someone is unlikely )

Sorry about the loss. Makes one feel violated. Though it seems a long shot, hope you can catch the perp one way or another.

^^^ That's not paranoia, it's prudence!

How did they get your helmet if it was locked to the peg under the seat? I'm assuming that the "D" ring was over the peg and the seat was locked?

I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you but the silver lining in this poo cloud is that it wasn't an expensive helmet. I've known several people who have had helmets stolen when left with their bikes and read enough stories on forums to convince me to always take mine with me. There are tons of low-life, bottom feeders in the world and they will steal anything that they can get their hands on, even though they may not have any use for it. It sucks but it's the way it is in today's world. When I was growing up in the 50's, my parents left the keys in the car and we never locked the doors to the house. Neither did our neighbors and I never heard of one incident of theft. Those days are gone. At least they didn't steal (or attempt to steal) your scooter.

Druggies have been known to cut straps. Useless then, I know.

So sorry and that sucks. I hate people who steal. Bad karma to them. I always take my helmet with me or put it in somebodies topcase if there's room on a ride. We never locked our doors either growing up. Only when we went away on vacation and then my parents could never find the key. Were fairly lax over here in places.

Bright side: New helmet shopping just in time for Black Friday Deals! That's how I got my Shoei a couple years ago (online through Cycle Gear) - saved a ton over the going rate at the time...

post deleted by Salima

Can you be more specific about where it was parked and what the helmet looked like?

I'm occasionally in the area so I'll be on the lookout, and this will also let me know where I should avoid parking...

That sucks, why would anyone steal a helmet from a fellow rider?

Probably someone that wants to sell it for a quick buck...or some that really, really likes cats...and skulls...and the combination of the two.

I'll keep an eye out.

Some thieves wait for you to buy a new one and come steal that, it was their goal in the first place to get a new one.
Happens with motorcycles and scooters all the time.
I take my helmet with me always anyway, A guy told me a story that someone urinated in his helmet and ever since I don't leave it on my bike unles I am standing close by.
Mega.

For those who are wondering, my scoot is parked behind a building on the Gilead Campus. This area does have security cameras and it's regularly patrolled (security comes through several times in an hour because occasionally we get 'big pharma' protestors).

However, the parking lot is separated from a public sidewalk by a low chain link fence and a landscaped berm, so it's possible to access it from the street side.
I've been parking my scooter here (along with other employees, it's a busy and crowded lot) for about 3.5 yrs, so I've never had it molested in any way. The area is very secure generally. No one has ever had a vehicle break in. Which is what makes the theft so unusual.

I do have a grip lock, but never felt the need to use it. I think at this point that I'll just have to keep locking my helmet in my GIVI top-case rather than using the seat-peg. When I'm at the mall and such I always use my top-case, but never really felt the need to at work.

I was mostly P.O'd by the fact that I had to make my friend drive for 40 min one way up to me with a replacement helmet just so I could get home. And that I really liked the reflective stickers I put on my helmet and they'll be hard, if not impossible to replace (the company may no longer be in business). And just that it was such a senseless theft.

BleuBelle: I'm curious as to whether the helmet was secured with the "D" ring over the peg under the seat and the seat was latched and locked. I know someone could steal a helmet by cutting the strap but it would then be worthless as Masala has said. The reason I ask is if everything was secure I would think it would be rather hard to steal any other way than cutting the strap and you would have the remainder of the strap still in the pet carrier. If it wasn't totally secure then the posibility of someone you work with pulling a prank might be a possibility. It sounds like a pretty secure area for someone to just enter and steal a helmet that was securely attached to a scooter. If it was a prank you may get it back in a few days, who knows. Wish you the best of luck.

I feel your pain. Been there done that!

The answer to your questions are yes, yes and no, not a prank. My co-workers in this building are not pranking types. Plus I reported the theft to security, so that would be a corporate no-no.

I should qualify my d-ring statement by saying, as the chinstrap on women's helmets are notoriously short, I had a small (less than 2 in long) locking carabiner on the d-ring. This gave just enough length to secure the strap to the peg by the carabiner (otherwise I was unable to close my seat).
Now someone could have reached under the lip overhang of the seat to the carabiner to unlock it (as it's not visible any other way) But the only way to do that is if they intended to steal the helmet in the first place. The seat is always locked and the locking column engaged. I have plenty of expensive stuff (like gloves and a lap apron) in my pet carrier so I don't ever leave it exposed. Nothing else was taken or molested.

sorry to hear this. i always place my helmet in the top case, but am looking to upgrade to a givi e470 because i want to stash the helment, lunch pail and laptop backpack in the top case in case i wanna hit the mall or other store on the way home from work.

best of luck to you!

There is a special place in hell for helmet thieves/vandals.

Thanks for clearing that up. Human beings are such a strange and sad species as this demonstrates! As others have said, Karma will get this perpetrator in the end. It is just so unfortunate that you will never know how he/she will pay for this deed. Put it behind you, get a new helmet and ride on!