Hose thief?

[cazza]

Around 8.15 this morning I caught a guy trying to take the hose pipe off my water butt in the front garden. I was sat in the living room watching him. At first, I thought it was a bin man trying to untangle the hose from the wheelie bin but after 5 mins he was still there.

I banged on the window and he said he was looking for a hose pipe to drain a radiator down the road and he was going to return it! He said he had already asked some neighbours and they didn't have a hose. Anyway I basically told him he couldn't have it (as I didn't think I'd ever see it again) and he scarpered pretty quickly.

He was white, probably in his twenties, grey bomber jacket, short brown hair and to be honest seemed a bit of a "pikey". I certainly wouldn't want him doing any work my house - especially if he's going to nick the tools to do the work.

Anyway I thought I'd better post something about the incident. As it was a strange encounter.

[HonaloochieB]

How disappointing, I thought you'd left the 'r' out.

[DonGee]

Doesn't this description of the guy who was thought to be following a lady from the underhill road area one morning when she was on her way to the train station - fortunately she made it to into the police station. Can't find the thread but the description definately rings a bell to something I have read on here previously.

[Sue]

cazza Wrote:

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> >

> and to be honest

> seemed a bit of a "pikey".

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What's that supposed to mean?

[ianr]

He'll be on to panties before he can help it.

[DulwichFox]

How ever Politically correct one is, We all know what the term 'Pikey' suggests.

Pikey's most common contemporary use is not as a term for the Gypsy ethnic group, but as a catch-all phrase to refer to people, of any ethnic group, who travel around with no fixed abode.

Source

Pikey = Homeless. ??? Maybe.

Cazza's use of the term "pikey" which was in inverted commas to suggest questionable, should not distract from that fact that there was some guy trying to steal her property.

Cazza was just describing this guy to warn others.

[expat]

Your source also have

"as a pejorative slang term used mainly in the United Kingdom[1][2] to refer to Irish Travellers, gypsies or people of low social class.

[DJKillaQueen]

Hmm semantics again.....

c/o Wiki....

Pikey is a pejorative slang term used mainly in the United Kingdom to refer to Irish Travellers, gypsies or people of low social class. Pikey is also sometimes called a piker in the United States, but a piker in Australia means someone who refuses to do something within a group.

Yep, very annoying that someone tries to steal a hose pipe but yet again, surely it's enough to give a description without making some unfounded assumption on the ethnic/ or social origin of the culprit. For all the OP knows he could live round the corner with his very English mum.

*crossed posts expat :)*

[DulwichFox]

Cazza described the person as White ... No complaints from any one.

I Feel that if this person had been described as Black. There would of been calls saying racist.

Too many people jumping in the whatverist band wagon.

It was a Guy Sexist. ???

He was in his twenties ageist. ???

It is a real shame someone invented language.

[ratty]

The term "Pikey" helped me visualise him actually! Possibly sad but definitely true!

[DJKillaQueen]

DF you miss the point. Black, White, Male, Age etc are not slang terms with sometimes derogatory connotations. Pikey it can be argued, when used in certain ways is - hence the request for clarification by some on the context of it's use.

[camberwell70]

Cazza, when you say 'pikey' don't you just mean poor/working-class white? Tut.

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Cazza described the person as White ... No

> complaints from any one.

>

> I Feel that if this person had been described as

> Black. There would of been calls saying racist.

>

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Only if it was irrelevant that the person was black.

In this case, skin colour was an important part of the description - as would be gender, hair colour, height, age, clothing etc..

And "pikey" is a derogatory term in this country.

[SteveT]

Pikey gives me a picture of a thieving bar stud who should keep his hands to himself, it is people like him who knicked my door handle for the brass.

I do not think cazza has written anything to be chastised for.

[cate]

I know the term pikey, however I am not sure what seeming a bit of "pikey" means. Is it someone dressed in a certain way? Dirty and greasy looking? Badly nourished appearance?

[peterstorm1985]

When I was growing up 'pikey' was a term used to mean someone shifty and likely to steal anything they found, regardless of value or damage caused. They might very well be of no fixed abode but it didn't have any particular racial connotation, simply someone who had 'gone bad'. We would never have used it for the travellers that visited once a year and who came to the door looking for scrap metal (They had a glorious Romany caravan.) Nor would it have been applied to the very few tramps (as we then knew them) who might occasionally ask for money but weren't expected to steal anything.

I suspect the OP put the term in inverted commas recognising that they might get shot down in flames but I immediately got the image that I think was intended.

[Sue]

peterstorm1985 Wrote:

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> I suspect the OP put the term in inverted commas

> recognising that they might get shot down in

> flames but I immediately got the image that I

> think was intended.

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So if he'd put the N word in inverted commas, that would somehow make it OK?

There was a television programme on earlier in the year about gypsies, and they made it quite clear that they found being called "pikey" extremely offensive.

[cazza]

When I started this thread this morning I had a screaming sick baby on my hip as I typed the post. I was trying to be economic with words, as well as trying to give people a close description of the young gentleman. He had bad teeth, no distinct accent and he wasn't dressed for the day at the office.

I put the term pikey in inverted commas, because I knew it probably wasn't the most pc expression, but at the time I couldn't think of a better way to explain his shitfy activity and his physical description in one go. I was using the term to describe the possible tribe he might belong to. If a young lady in pearls was trying to acquire my hose in the same way he was, I might have said she was a bit of 'sloane'. Peterstorm's 1985 description of pikey is exactly what I meant.

Anyway what bothered me about the encounter was that I had the light on in the living room and I wasn't sure if he could see me but was carrying on regardless. Also when he left I looked out the front door and he was very quickly walking away in a 'trying to be casual but getting the hell out of here sort of way'. I was thinking why didn't he carry on knocking on neighbours doors like he claimed he previously done? And why doesn't he buy some hose pipe from the Plough hardware store round the corner?

I posted the thread because I thought he might be involved in something bigger, didn't care too much for the hose. A cowboy house renovation or have a dodgy colonic irrigation practice. I've been out of the country for 10yrs and recently returned. Has the word pikey become more offensive in my absence?

[huncamunca]

Pikey was originally used to describe the itinerent people who camped alongside the road junctions -where they could trade and make a living - the turnpikes, back in the day.

This historical background however does not mean that Pikey is a very nice term to use - its not a good policy to use lazy shorthand to stigmatise whole sections of society.

[Tarot]

Cazza. I hope you are ok after your incident, with your "intruder" today. Did you call the police? IM sure the last thing you expected was to come on this forum and get pilloried, and chastised by the self appointed P.C. squad.

[Sue]

Tarot Wrote:

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> chastised by

> the self appointed P.C. squad.

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Speaking for myself, I just don't like to hear people being described in derogatory stereotypical terms.

If that makes me part of the "PC Squad" then yes, I'm proud to be part of it and I'll stand up and be counted.

Make me "self appointed", Tarot.

ETA: Don't expect you got off your arse and went to Barking to take action against the BNP, did you? No, thought not.

[Tarot]

See what I mean Cazza, You will be cyber bullied by the likes of the P.C. brigade on this forum. They will have you with a pointy hat on your head before you know it. L.O.L.

[DJKillaQueen]

To be fair Tarot, isn't it better to have a world where prejudice is minimised rather than a world where it is rampant?

Personally I don't think the OP intended any offense. Nonetheless there is no harm in exploring if any offence may have been taken.

[Tarot]

I agree D,J,K. but making wild accusations and bullying people is wrong. It will be a while .not in our lifetime before we reach Utopia.if ever.

[Sue]

Tarot Wrote:

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> I agree D,J,K. but making wild accusations and

> bullying people is wrong. It will be a while .not

> in our lifetime before we reach Utopia.if ever.

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Who's making "wild accusations and bullying people"?

No, we certainly won't ever reach Utopia if people don't speak out about things they see as wrong, particularly when those things potentially affect other people.