Brazen Scooter Theives

[Dahling Life]

So, week one (having moved from North London) and I head downstairs to my front garden to begin the tiresome but necessary task of unlocking all my chains from my scooter......only to find 2 pathetic pieces of cut chain strewn over the font pavement..... and no bike? 😩🛵

Welcome to the neighbourhood!

Police tell me they have more important things to do. That the bikes are used for drive-by crime and that they don't bother to pursue them. Basically it's a free-for-all on motorbikes and scooters. A risk free crime.

The following week I'm walking back from the station in broad daylight, down my street, and am stopped in my tracks by the sight of 2 men in hoodies with a cordless angle grinder going to town someone else's scooter, anchored in their own driveway.

I yelled and took a step forward, (😬 brave or stupid?) but my anger quickly turned to self preservation when they both stood up and raised the angle grinder in a gesture that needed no explanation.🤐

What the hell is going on??

Instead of 2 locks + the steering lock....... I now have 4 locks (D lock Gold Sold Secure, Chain Lock CEN5, Alarmed Disc lock, normal disk lock).......with an angle grinder that should add at least another ....5 mins to their task? 😕🙏

[Caesi01]

last night?

I witnessed (and captured on cctv) a scooter2 up checking out my bike 4am this morning. (happens at least biweekly)

I have given up on the police; underfunded my understanding.

Write to [email protected] instead

almax chain

http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/

[kford]

Get some alarmed locks too. And a cover.

[Dahling Life]

Caesi01 Wrote:

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

> last night?

> I witnessed (and captured on cctv) a scooter2 up

> checking out my bike 4am this morning. (happens at

> least biweekly)

> I have given up on the police; underfunded my

> understanding.

>

> Write to [email protected] instead

>

> almax chain

> http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/

THANK YOU, not last night, I'm new-ish to the area and had previously parked my bike down the road away from me with one chain and no problems for years in North London. SE22 SE23 seems to have a bit of an epidemic going on, everyone has a story!

Good call on the CCTV, I'm sure it's a deterrent 🙏

[Beulah]

If you do call police you must tell them that you "think" you saw them armed with a knife and that you "think" they threatened to kill you.

Otherwise they won't do owt.

Welcome to the 'hood.

[redjam]

Poor you. If it's any consolation, the second night after we moved to East Dulwich (from north London) some ars*hole broke into our car and nicked some random bits of engine from inside it. It was only a crappy Ford but they obviously needed the parts and thought they'd just help themselves!

That was ten years ago and - touch everything wooden in sight - we've not suffered any more crime since.

It's a nice place really. We're not *all* thieving peasants round here.

[SpringTime]

Horrid stories, all of them. Sorry to hear of your frustrations and compromised security and safety. All of you.

Amazing to think that in a world capital with a brilliant jobs market, subsidised housing, versatile and accessible education etc. the every day person is faced with such parasitic, violent and cowardly scabs.

Or am I taking the wrong stance?

[JoeLeg]

It's not the 'wrong stance', but we all know that anywhere you go there'll be someone happy to advance themselves at the expense of others.

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose...

[rendelharris]

SpringTime Wrote:

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

> Amazing to think that in a world capital with a

> brilliant jobs market, subsidised housing,

> versatile and accessible education etc. the every

> day person is faced with such parasitic, violent

> and cowardly scabs.

They are indeed PVCS, no argument there. But given that London has 6% unemployment and that a large number of those (approximately 20%, or 700,000) in employment are receiving less than ?10 p.h. (and many can't get enough hours), that council housing is nowhere near able to cope with demand and that the education system is creaking at the seams under the pressure of cutback after cutback (believe me, I've seen it) I'm not sure London is doing quite as well as you think. I adore the place and wouldn't live anywhere else, but it's a long way from brilliant.

[Abe_froeman]

Yeah, but who is to say that the victims of these thefts wont join the 6% when they cant afford to go to work any more?

A lot of people that seem to be doing ok are very much hand to mouth and the loss of a big ticket item like an essential ?500 commuter scooter could derail the whole show.

The fact its bad for some doesnt justify it becoming worse for others.

[rendelharris]

Abe_froeman Wrote:

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

> Yeah, but who is to say that the victims of these

> thefts wont join the 6% when they cant afford to

> go to work any more?

>

> A lot of people that seem to be doing ok are very

> much hand to mouth and the loss of a big ticket

> item like an essential ?500 commuter scooter could

> derail the whole show.

>

> The fact its bad for some doesnt justify it

> becoming worse for others.

Which is why I prefaced my comment by agreeing that the thieves were cowardly parasitic violent scabs. Thought that might make it obvious that I wasn't trying to justify their actions. My apologies if this wasn't clear to you.

[Sue]

rendelharris Wrote:

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

I'm not sure

> London is doing quite as well as you think.

Springtime's post was supposed to be sarcastic, wasn't it?

[rendelharris]

Mmm...possibly, so apologies if misunderstood, but one of the joys of the EDF is that opinions one is convinced must be ironic turn out to be a true reflection of the commenter's views...

[SpringTime]

You can take what I said with a pinch of salt but they're still scum. I know that provision and access aren't where they need to be though it's not every unfortunate urchin's answer to trespass and thieve, and threaten people with tools. They have no honour. Like many others my family and I would be hugely compromised by equivalent losses.

[i*Rate]

It's what they call 'The Law of the Jungle' around here; just be very wary and streetwise.

The only time I've seen police on the streets is sometimes on a Saturday morning when there about six police cars parked around the area and you see the officers queuing up at the cashpoint in Lordship Lane and in The Dulwich Cafe, next to the Parmisan, having brunch!

What ever happened to 'Bobbies on bicycles, two by two' and Dixon of Dock Green - Ah - the good old days.

It's a riot - are it was a few years ago!!

[treehugger]

Love the sound of the Parmisan - is it near the Cheese Block?

[rcmacf]

I've had several scooters/bikes taken, and more recently the police have been very helpful. They've had me in the back of a car trying to find recent perps, and have scared some off (if unable to pursue. It's not that they "can't be bothered" they simply are not allowed to closely follow two mopeds or scooters.

Also, they have recovered 2 of our Vespas and charged one perp with GBH based on DNA pulled from my bike.

ALWAYS call the police, always be helpful, and always give them as much info as you possibly can. The police recover nearly 50% of bikes. Want some stats?

https://maps.met.police.uk/globalassets/foi-media/disclosure_2017/april_2017/information-rights-unit--motorbike-and-scooter-thefts-in-london-from-2012---2016