I’ve heard this is a real problem, if I was in your situation, I would.
[ul]
[li]Fill the offending lock with epoxy. (I must start carrying a small tube)[/li][li]Go straight to the police in person with proof of ownership, or at least pictures of you riding your bike and its manual/warrenty.[/li][li]Hopefully they’ll cut it for you, if not, then you’ve CYA legally-speaking when you cut off yourself, or ask a locksmith to do it.[/li][/ul]
You don’t have to CYA if you own the bike.
I don’t know how common this is, but around here, bike owners can register their bikes with the police (and, in fact, are very strongly encouraged to do so). When you get a new bike or move into town, you go to the police station, and fill out a form with a description of the bike and so on. They give you a sticker with a number on it, and you put it in a prominent place on the frame (the stickers they use are almost impossible to remove). Then, if there’s any question about who owns it, you can show them ID, they check the name in the records, and see if it matches the number on the sticker.
That’s a good idea, Chronos. I’ll mention it to the people involved, and do it myself when I get my long-awaited bike. I bet that would make her feel much better.