property

paulp · 05-01-2010, 17:54

Hi all

my eldest and youngest boys (12/ 15) were victims of an attempted robbery last night.

My eldest put up a brave fight so that they, about 8 to 10 youths run off with nothing.

Both got hit a few times but thankfully nothing serious.

This all took place on a bus at about 6.30 pm and the only person to help was a black woman with a child.

The bus driver did not help, I do not blame him for not getting out of his cab but seeing as he was in a bus station he did not need to refuse to sound his assault alarm or call the police.

Any way the police who attended were excellent and he gave me a web site that helps you record all the details of your valuable items.

http://www.immobilise.com/

hope this helps as the times are now getting worse.

I thought we had little of any value but by the time the TV's ganes consoles etc add up I was surprised.

Happy new year

paulp

lacroupade · 05-01-2010, 18:58

Birch the little bastards I say.

And bring back the days when a copper could give a no-good kid a thick ear without retribution.

Sorry to hear that Paul but glad they are both OK....top marks to your eldest lad....why don't you get him on a bit of a self-defence course of some kind? Good time to catch his attention.

paulp · 05-01-2010, 19:19

thanks for the kind words and the best suggestion for punishment.

I got a few thick ears from our local bobby, not for robbery though and when my parents found out I would get another and when my nan found i would get another, and so on - it did not take to many thick ears to work out it was not worth the agro.

I will speak to him about self defence, good idea thanks

regards Paulp

dsgrnmcm · 05-01-2010, 19:23

Sorry to hear that mate, well done to the eldest, blody kids bet they wouldn't of tried in 1 on 1.

dan

paulp · 05-01-2010, 20:31

pack animals - have not got the bottle on theirown

paulp

Paul · 05-01-2010, 20:42

Paul which bus company was it? Firstgroup & Stagecoach are almost all fitted with CCTV, This will show all what happened & show there faces, only downside is you will need to get the Police to ask for a download asap, the hard drive only lasts a week before if starts over again.

paulp · 05-01-2010, 21:09

Hi it was East London Buses run by stagecoach.

The Police have already requested the CCTV download.

Thanks for the advice and the time to give it out

Best Regards paulp

Paul · 05-01-2010, 21:14

Paul, if it's a main bus station they will also have CCTV, they show almost all the inside of the bus at the stand..

As a bus driver I can't get over how alot of drivers won't help, having said that we are told not to, (2 writen warnings from this)

lacroupade · 05-01-2010, 21:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Paul, if it's a main bus station they will also have CCTV, they show almost all the inside of the bus at the stand..

As a bus driver I can't get over how alot of drivers won't help, having said that we are told not to, (2 writen warnings from this)

what the hell is the warning based on for gods sake????

paulp · 06-01-2010, 00:42

Hi I understand what you are saying about written warnings.

I was a fraud investigator for London Transport for about 10 yrs.

I can apprieciate why the driver did not get out of his cab, because if he was hurt he would not be covered for industrial injury pay or insurance - but he refused to set off his alarm and to call the police. when he was asked for his details he was rude and refused to give them.

As a bus conductor I also recieved a written warning as you are often put at odds between company policy and moral duty.

I am really pleased about the amount of interest everyone has taken in this issue.

A couple of tips the police gave was to get a £10 asda special deal phone so if challenged for it it can be given up with no loss.

No custom ringtones as this also suggests a high end phone.

Also to change ear phones on I pods and the such because these thieves know what they are looking for - predominently white earphones are supplied with I pods.

Any way thanks for the interset and responses

paulp

Deleted account DD · 06-01-2010, 00:49

Hope the kids are ok paul

Be wary of encouraging self defence classes unless they are the sort of lads who would be handy anyway. Problem is most scrotes up the anti and if your kids have my level of luck they'll end up opposite someone with a weapon and that changes the ball game. The cops advice was good.

btw I reckon the bus driver is a tosser. Cant see any reason on this earth why he couldnt set the alarm off.

paulp · 06-01-2010, 00:54

Hi Daved

A bit bruised

My eldest is a big lad and a bit handy to.

Plays alot of rugby and football so pretty fit with it.

You are right, fortunatley this cowardly bunch run off but it could have gone the other way

thanks again paulp

Deleted account DD · 06-01-2010, 09:06

he may well be a candidate then

I had a mate who was in the national judo squad, he made second dan. when we were 18ish at college he was leaving work (supermarket) down a back alley when a couple of youths told him he was going to give them his money etc. He said he wasnt.

To cut a long story short one of them was arrested at A&E getting treatment for a broken arm he said had occurred when he fell down the stairs at home

I had a "do" a few years back where a couple of scrotes on a motorbike tried to nick some stuff from a petrol station. I was there in my car kids in the back (they enjoyed the show) minding my own business

Again cut a long story short one of thiefs who went into the shop part ended up embedded head first in the summer toys display (footballs and inflatables) with 2 helpful members of the public sitting on him

It can be done

Tell your two not to be nervous and dont worry after this episode.

vatco · 06-01-2010, 09:47

Sorry to here that and glad your lads are OK

The driver was wrong.........anyone with any moral standards would say that.

Not that I'm gonna defend the driver here but, he was prob. just scared.
If the yobs where local (and they usually are) he would have to deal with it later when they picked on him. And if they are that way inclined then they would prob. do it when he was not on his bus so he would not be afforded that protection.

It's difficult isn't it? I too was bought up in an era when the bobby would give you a cuff round the ear for bad behavior. Our local plod was a family friend but wo betide us if he came around with his hat on! --- Someone was for it.

We now live in an age where corporal punishment is taboo; we are not even supposed to slap our kids if they misbehave.

Where I was bought up, if you where behaving badly in public then some adult--any adult would challenge you. Kids where seen to be everyone’s responsibility. Consequently, you didn't misbehave because you would not only get it in the neck there and then but someone would tell you dad or worse, your mum

Personally, I refuse to drop those morals and have nearly been in big trouble a few times because of it. Our local copper has said to me more than once “we will end up arresting you for assault" my answer is "so-be-it" but, when I still lived in the town the kids around us respected us and quickly learned that anti social behavior was not worth it.

Now I'm not saying I am right it's just the way I am but I don't get any trouble and neither did my neighbors. In fact the opposite. One old dear ended up being escorted twice a week by a posse to get her shopping because some lads from out of the area took her pension book off her one week at the local shopping centre (bout a mile and a half away) So maybe it is about time that we looked at this situation again and started to take responsibility for our kids in a different way with a measured aproach.

In the UK we have a history of going over the top when something needs changing. If we decide that something is not right we take a U turn and do the opposite instead of taking a more measured aproach and finding a middle ground. The result is that we end up with laws that are at best useless and unenforcible or worse, laws that are wrong and undermine society.

It is an interesting and true fact that in areas where there is a strong local community spirit the young are more likely to be better behaved and less antisocial.

At the end of the day Humans are pack animals and hunter killers. If we do nothing to teach our young different then they revert to what is a natural state.

vatco · 06-01-2010, 09:49