Man in balaclava on Crystal Palace Road

[geobz]

JohnL Wrote:

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> I would possibly try a friendly nod and smile and

> see

> what came back.

Prolly your face on the ground and your wallet missing ;)

[JDR]

I have also seen someone with this description on Lordship lNe near Mount Adon. I felt uncomfortable enough I called my husband and spent quite a few minutes checking over my shoulder. Balaclavad man on street with no obvious bike/cause for balaclava. All very odd, quite correctly people want to warn others. I'd rather warn people and it be unnecessary than not and something bad happens and they didn't know to have increased awareness

[toto]

I think it is wrong to wear a balaclava in public. We should have a ban on face covering like they have in France

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ban_on_face_covering

Or an anti-mask law as in many countries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_laws

[Sue]

JDR Wrote:

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I'd rather warn people and it

> be unnecessary than not and something bad happens

> and they didn't know to have increased awareness

Completely agree.

[INMCD]

My 3 children were just walking home through Peckham Rye Park and walked into the path of a man wearing a balaclava. They were absolutely terrified (my 6 year old was really, really upset) - they ran home v. quickly. My 13 year old tried not to scare her brother and sister too much so kept very calm. My husband's at home and called the police and they've sent a car out to the park. It may be completely innocent but on a warmish, sunny day like today a man in a black mask covering his whole face (eyes and mouth as well) is reason to be concerned. I've seen this guy (assuming its the same one) barrelling down Rye Lane and I was a bit scared.

[benfaulkner]

INMCD Wrote:

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> My 3 children were just walking home through

> Peckham Rye Park and walked into the path of a man

> wearing a balaclava. They were absolutely

> terrified (my 6 year old was really, really upset)

> - they ran home v. quickly. My 13 year old tried

> not to scare her brother and sister too much so

> kept very calm. My husband's at home and called

> the police and they've sent a car out to the park.

> It may be completely innocent but on a warmish,

> sunny day like today a man in a black mask

> covering his whole face (eyes and mouth as well)

> is reason to be concerned. I've seen this guy

> (assuming its the same one) barrelling down Rye

> Lane and I was a bit scared.

Any updates on this?

[rendelharris]

Possible I suppose that the guy could be a sufferer from severe Lupus, where sufferers have very severe reactions to sunlight - I knew a girl with it once who couldn't go outdoors even on quite cloudy days without a broadbrimmed hat and a beekeeper type veil. I would have thought anyone up to no good would be at pains to avoid wearing a balaclava on a sunny day, that being the most obvious way possible to draw attention to oneself. Scary for your kids nonetheless, I appreciate.

[Penguin68]

There are numbers of acceptable reasons why someone might wear a face-mask - including as mentioned above light sensitivity from lupus - but also to conceal severe or disfiguring scaring - someone wearing a mask in a very public place and in daylight, if unaccompanied by other mask wearers (which would be threatening), may well be no threat at all. I think that other behaviours also need to be taken into account (the OP had a very different experience) - and in many cases context is key. Clearly children may be worried (or at least surprised) but sometimes the benefit of the doubt is the right approach to otherwise 'strange' incidents. As someone not in the first flush of youth I still find myself avoiding (and being worried about) people talking and (sometimes) shouting to themselves - the use of blue-tooth (or even wired) connectivity to concealed phones notwithstanding. When I was young those were real symptoms of erratic and 'crazy' behaviour to be wary of.

[TE44]

Unless this guy behaved in a way that was frightening, I don't get this. I can't understand how the police would even follow this up unless there is more to the story.

[INMCD]

I agree with the above, I just think the reason my daughter was freaked out by it was that she'd seen the same guy on Rye Lane walking menacingly down the road. He was walking in a dead straight line & everyone seemed to be jumping out of his path. Possibly she & I over-reacted but the police seemed to take it seriously enough.

[Fellbrigg Josh]

I sometimes wear my hood up in the extreme sunlight and heat to protect my head from sunburns which I am woefully susceptible to. Scary to think that some people here would jump to violence the second they feel they are threatened.

Is it just balaclavas people are adverse to? What about people who are a different colour?

[NewWave]

INMCD Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My 3 children were just walking home through

> Peckham Rye Park and walked into the path of a man

> wearing a balaclava. They were absolutely

> terrified (my 6 year old was really, really upset)

> - they ran home v. quickly. My 13 year old tried

> not to scare her brother and sister too much so

> kept very calm. My husband's at home and called

> the police and they've sent a car out to the park.

> It may be completely innocent but on a warmish,

> sunny day like today a man in a black mask

> covering his whole face (eyes and mouth as well)

> is reason to be concerned. I've seen this guy

> (assuming its the same one) barrelling down Rye

> Lane and I was a bit scared

Perhaps the guy is just a bit of an eccentric..I won't say a 'nutter' but some people do wear strange things and behave oddly-doesnt mean they are out to mug or cause harm.

Dont assume the worst...I think a solitary man in broad daylight wearing a mask is weird but harmless.

at 3am on a deserted street I'd view this very differently.

[lavender27]

Have you considered east Dulwich forum, at 3am his brain and face might have been frozen, all of you in east Dulwich should wear them, as you are cold and it may have escaped your attention that your coldness rubs off onto others less fortunate, etc etc etc

[rendelharris]

Fellbrigg Josh Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I sometimes wear my hood up in the extreme

> sunlight and heat to protect my head from sunburns

> which I am woefully susceptible to. Scary to think

> that some people here would jump to violence the

> second they feel they are threatened.

>

> Is it just balaclavas people are adverse to? What

> about people who are a different colour?

In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll's amusement.

P.S. The word is averse, not adverse.

[Fellbrigg Josh]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fellbrigg Josh Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I sometimes wear my hood up in the extreme

> > sunlight and heat to protect my head from

> sunburns

> > which I am woefully susceptible to. Scary to

> think

> > that some people here would jump to violence

> the

> > second they feel they are threatened.

> >

> > Is it just balaclavas people are adverse to?

> What

> > about people who are a different colour?

>

> In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/,

> /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on

> the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting

> people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or

> off-topic messages in an online community (such as

> a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the

> intent of provoking readers into an emotional

> response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal,

> on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll's

> amusement.

>

> P.S. The word is averse, not adverse.

What you did there was fail to be sarcastic. Unless you think some of the responses here are justifiable? You think it is acceptable to attack someone on the street because you think they might be a threat?

Ps, couldn't give any less of a frig about the spelling, ya mug.

[Fellbrigg Josh]

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Fellbrigg Josh Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I sometimes wear my hood up in the extreme

> > sunlight and heat to protect my head from

> sunburns

> > which I am woefully susceptible to. Scary to

> think

> > that some people here would jump to violence

> the

> > second they feel they are threatened.

> >

> > Is it just balaclavas people are adverse to?

> What

> > about people who are a different colour?

>

> In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/,

> /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on

> the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting

> people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or

> off-topic messages in an online community (such as

> a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the

> intent of provoking readers into an emotional

> response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal,

> on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll's

> amusement.

>

> P.S. The word is averse, not adverse.

Except I'm not a troll. I'm asking a serious question. You lowlife moronic