Normally we’d say there’s nothing funny about trying to steal a bike but this would-be criminal is so hilariously inept it’s hard no to laugh.

The thief was targeting Woodinville Bicycle, a charity that collects donated bikes to the Village Bike Project. It stores the bikes in its porch and this hapless thief decided he should be one of the recipients.

In a video that plays out like a Charlie Chaplin sketch, the thief tries (and fails) to use a footstool and a ladder to grab the bike and at one point is hanging off it entirely. The police eventually arrive but the robber scarpers before they can catch him.

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The footage has been sped up but the shop claims that the incident took place over 17 minutes of slapstick action. The shop has since confirmed that the criminal was caught, which isn’t really surprising given his general ineptitude