I have a couple of bike locks. One barely qualifies for the label. It can survive gentle attacks by scissors and not much more.

Regardless, I carry it in my small seat pack, with my wallet, cell phone, keys, tire levers, and patch kit.

I figure it will keep honest people honest,¹I believe this is a noble civic goal, in addition to the direct benefit it provides to me. slow down the stupid,²Maybe my use of stupid is ill-advised. Unresourceful might be better. After all, who carries around cable (wire?) cutters? Yeah, I really don’t want to know how common that is. and be barely noticeable to the criminally devious.³To stop the criminally devious is impossible. They will steal water bottles, pumps, and cycle computers. They will steal anything attached with only quick-release levers. They will saw through a bike rack in broad daylight to steal a bike.

To be “safe,” I use it only around honest and stupid people,⁴
I expect there is some overlap in these first two groups.  and even then, not for long.

Last time I used it, I had stopped briefly at Starbucks for a mid-ride refreshment.⁵I’ll let you judge for yourself whether I was surrounded by honest and stupid people. ;-)

Day 11 on the bike.

• 1
  I believe this is a noble civic goal, in addition to the direct benefit it provides to me.
• 2
  Maybe my use of stupid is ill-advised. Unresourceful might be better. After all, who carries around cable (wire?) cutters? Yeah, I really don’t want to know how common that is.
• 3
  To stop the criminally devious is impossible. They will steal water bottles, pumps, and cycle computers. They will steal anything attached with only quick-release levers. They will saw through a bike rack in broad daylight to steal a bike.
• 4
  
  I expect there is some overlap in these first two groups. 
• 5
  I’ll let you judge for yourself whether I was surrounded by honest and stupid people. ;-)