Trouble at the video shop

[pk]

Keef Wrote:

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> As an aside, I love the way a lot of these older

> shop keepers from India have names like George,

> Michael and Harry ;-)

have you ever thought why it is like that?

[MadWorld74]

the Empire?

[pk]

my guess would be that those aren't their given names, but rather names they have adopted as their punters couldn't be bothered to make an effort to pronounce their real names correctly

might be wrong

[MadWorld74]

yeah maybe...

I get called all sorts. I don't have an English name. I know how they feel. Although I'm glad I'm not called Michael...me being a lass and all that.

[ratty]

Back on track. So far we in ED have been completely surrounded by gun / gang crime but little has actually happened in ED. Stockwell, Clapham, Brixton, Peckham and New Cross, have seen 10s of gang related murders in the last year but not here. I would suggest that the old bill are fairly relaxed about these junior gangsters topping each other, but should one of us white faced johnnies in plush ED get nutted then all hell would break loose.

The book Cupcake - an autobiographical account of the life, including the gang life, of Cupcake Brown describes how when the Gangstas were shooting each other the police and very often ambulance services were not even interested and left then to die in the corner of the road rather than waste battery power on a siren and a blue light. I would suggest that we are on the verge of the same attitude here. Some may say it's a good thing and some say it's a bad thing. Me, I think if you pick up a gun then you forfeit all rights that society may or may not have granted you. You take yourself outside of the rights that everyone else enjoys.

Gun Crime, and the desensitisation surrounding it is the reason that I am desparate to leave London. Leave all these pathetic soles to carry on shooting each other over respect.

[Xanadustar]

'A couple of years ago poor old George who ran the little post office on the corner of Pellat Road got shot about a week before they were due to close up and retire! Fortunately he was okay, but if ever there was a nice shop keeper who didn't deserve that sh!t it was him!'

I remember that day well as it was the day before I got married and I live very close to the PO. Came back from having my nails done and my road was cordoned off. Boiling hot day and the poor copper must have been melting. I'm so glad to hear that the owner was OK, althogh I hate to think what emotional damage he and his family have suffered. The Post Office do not look after people who have been victims of this sort of crime and treat them appalingly so it's no wonder that the shop is now no more.

[MadWorld74]

Gun Crime, and the desensitisation surrounding it is the reason that I am desparate to leave London. Leave all these pathetic soles to carry on shooting each other over respect.

here here

[SeanMacGabhann]

Madworld, be careful what you wish for.

London does pretty well with crime considering it's history, size and poulation. Give me 2007 above 1907 anyday in this town. Mark is correct to caution against overreacting - it may appear from time to time that things are getting out of hand, and no-one should advocate passive acceptance - but having a sense of perspective is hugely important. Is it really getting worse, and if it is, is it not just one of those temporary blips than happen? Some things seem to me to be getting worse (public manners) but many other things seem a lot better (violent crime is down, burglary is downetc - that doesn't mean it won't happen to me or you, but if we are saying things are getting worse, well.. that's not wholly accurate)

As for moving out to the sticks (wherever that is...) I find town centres in even the smallest British towns far more frightening than anything I see in London. If sleepy Devon can scare me on a Saturday night (as it did last week) then give me London any day

Oh - and what were all the locals talking about? Crime, shootings, blah blah. The weirdest stories and the most horrific crimes I read about in the national press always happen in Sleepington, Humfordshire or somesuch

Stick with us dear, you'll be fine

[ratty]

I guess I am lucky in that I have an exit plan, and somewhere nice and safe (ish) to move to!

Don't even get me started on terrorists! :)

[Nero]

-- moved topic --

[Administrator]

Lounged

[mockney piers]

Actually I'm finding myself agreeing with Ratty on this.

I do believe that every effort has to be made to battle the underlying causes of gun/gang culture and youth crime. Social deprivation, inequalities of education and opportunity, sink estates, general hopelessness, plus the self-defeating, resentful, ugly machismo of gang culture.

Once a gun has been picked up however, and especially if actually used, 'you forfeit all rights that society may or may not have granted you. You take yourself outside of the rights that everyone else enjoys.'

Nicely put.

[ratty]

cheers babe

[shaman]

used to live opposite Georges very bravely defending his wife, unfortunately happens all the time both my sons have been mugged at gunpoint in recent years in area

[Keef]

pk Wrote:

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> Keef Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > As an aside, I love the way a lot of these

> older

> > shop keepers from India have names like George,

> > Michael and Harry ;-)

>

> have you ever thought why it is like that?

Yes of course I have.

Edited because I was having a bit of a victim complex at the time of writing :-$