Bikes are good crime indicators

Bicycle theft is a big problem all over Britain, and people naturally take precautions to stop their bike being stolen. I've noticed that the degree to which someone goes to prevent the bike being pinched is a good indication of general crime levels in a community. Whilst living in Kent, I would often see bikes chained to railings, and they would be there when the owner returned. In London today I saw a telling sight. A cyclist stopped on his bike, jumped off, and the started dismantling his bike. The handlebars went in his backpack, where the seat soon joined it, and the wheels were hoisted over his shoulders, leaving the frame to be chained to a gate.