?

What I mean is, could the theft of bicycles be morally justified if it prevents the inconsiderate parking displayed here?

Is there a connection between the fact that people leave bicycles everywhere, and the fact that there is little bicycle theft? I think that is what you suggested. You did not suggest a mechanism at first.

I think that there may be a connection, and as you say it may be complex too.

All I show in this video is that bicycle locks are quite small in Japan. This is very true compared to the UK.

It should also be noted that number one reported crime in Japan is bicycle theft. If it were not for bicycle theft then Japanese crime statistics would fall through the floor.

I am not actually sure that there is LESS bicycle theft compared to the UK. There is LESS theft of unlocked, or only lightly protected bicycles, but it may even be the case that there is more theft of bicycles in general since so many are left unlocked and such bicycles do get "borrowed."

It should also be noted that the bicycles are also predominantly of the same style. There are very very few mountain bicycles and road bikes. 95% are step-through "shoppers." The few quirky people that ride mountain bicycles do generally lock them up.

The facts that (1) people do not lock up bicycles, (2) that bicycles do get "borrowed" unlike other possessions in Japan (the theft rate in general is very low), and (3) that bicycles are all of the same style, may suggest that bicycles in Japan are seen as a sort of common property.

And this view of bicycles as a sort of common property, may be related to the fact that Japanese park their bicycles in such an unruly way. They may have less of an awareness of it being *their* bicycle. It is just a bicycle and bicycles hang out in public places because they are public property.

I don't think I have been very persuasive above, but I really do think that there is a complex connection between the two seemingly unconnected facts - bicycles are only lightly clocked and bicycles are parked in a very unruly manner.

It is also weird how few "good" bicycles there are.

As an aside, I take pleasure in beating all the students to school in the morning but I can only do it because they are on these sill schopper things and I am on a 15 speed lightweight hybrid road bike. It is still fun though. I am 42.

We try to attain a higher standard of commentation.....yer you don't arf sond posh, how'd you park your bike them...what it got to do with you....whats your problem mate...

are all things you won't find posted....ah...
so If bikes do not get stolen, what does?...

It seems to me that the Japanese have a high standard of morality when it comes to visible things, but lower standards when it comes to invisible things such as prevarication, copyright, goverment funds, then the Japanese are more lax. But bicycles are a bit of an exception to that rule.