> The joke was always that if your bike is stolen when you get back, you'd just steal another one and keep the circulation going.

I saw a post-War Italian movie a while back in which the main character was lucky to get a job placing advertising posters around the city. He only got the job because he had a bike. While doing the job his bike was stolen. He tried to steal another so he could keep working to support his family, but was caught in the act and thrown in jail. I can't remember the name of the movie.