Rogue moped riders operating in this area

[binkylilyput]

Really helpful rendelharris, thank-you.

I could easily lock my bag to my bike, I hadn't thought of that. Bit concerned that in the event of someone trying to snatch my bag this would make it more likely that I'd be pulled off my bike...... but pros and cons I guess.

[Robert Poste's Child]

My panier was on the inside and the guy was reaching across behind me.

I've started carrying a broken phone with me in the hope I'll be able to palm them off with that if it comes to a mugging. It still looks good and seems to work. They won't know it fell down the loo (but I will...).

[NewWave]

binkylilyput Wrote:

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> Similar thing happened to me a few weeks back on

> the Brockley Rise/ Honor Oak junction at about

> 6pm. I was waiting to cross at the traffic lights.

> Group of lads on mopeds and quad, scarves over

> face etc. Revving their engines and excitedly

> talking about having mine or other bags. A lady on

> the opposite side of the road looked at me when it

> was time to cross in front of them as we were both

> clearly concerned about what was going to happen.

> I did cross in front of them and then scooted

> around the corner and put my bag behind me to the

> wall until they went off.

>

> I probably shouldn't have risked crossing but I

> really didn't want to be intimidated by them.

>

> The posts about cycling does make me concerned

> about my pannier bag now......any more tips on

> what can be done to stay safer? Clip the pannier

> bag on the inside nearest the pavement rather than

> on the right? Anyone know of any alarms that

> easily attach to the handle bars?

this is so awful...What the hell are the police and local councillors doing about it?

It is so very wrong that in a supposedly civilised society woman ( and men) risk having their hard worked for belongings snatched everytime they leave the bloody house?

I lived in New York in the '80's and 90's in what was then the pretty rundown areas of soho and chelsea

but I always felt safe even as a lone woman walking through the then deserted streets of downtown because there were plenty of cops relatively near and driving round the streets.

government cuts in policing have given these thugs free reign

[alice]

The invulnerability of youth

[Applespider]

My panniers are the Ortlieb ones where you need to pull up on the ?handle? to release the clips. I often clip the closing strap over the top of the handle which makes it less easy to get off quickly as you need to do both actions. I started doing it after seeing a guy stopped at the traffic lights lose a bag to a passerby who ran off.

[Robert Poste's Child]

I wonder if areas like Dulwich, that have felt safe and stable for years by comparison with some parts of London, are struggling more with the police cuts. Many people say they always feel safe in the centre of Brixton, for example, because it's well lit and has a strong police presence.

[James Barber]

If someone is or has just tried knocking you from your bike call 999. They are imperilling you and the Police will priorities this amongst other emergencies and send a car as appropriate. Where possible the Police want to catch such people and only 999 gives them that opportunity.

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> I was buzzed twice in the space of one and a half

> hours tonight. Neither came to anything so I can't

> call them thieves but posting for awareness.

>

> As I cycled up towards the top of Woodwarde Ave at

> about 8.30pm one came up very close behind and

> then alongside me, pushing me in towards the

> parked cars. I braked hard and shouted something

> stupid, as you do, like, 'are you trying to push

> me off?'. He then braked a few yards ahead and

> started shouting abuse at me about my '#hit bike'

> and me not paying road tax (hello, you can own a

> car and a bike). He then rode off, looking back at

> me from time to time. He was young, very dark

> skin, greyish moped, I think with an L plate on

> the front, a light-coloured helmet worn partly

> back off his head, and I think a Deliveroo box

> carried on the front.

>

> Later, cycling back up CPR about 9.50pm a very

> similar guy, except no turquoise box, passed me

> two or three times driving up and down the road

> looking closely at everyone he passed.

>

> I assumed the first one was going for my bike

> panier, but like I said, nothing was taken so I

> could be wrong. I suppose it could even have been

> sexual - female in a pretty dress seen from

> behind, so he wouldn't see I'm older at first.

> Theft more likely though.

>

> Tried calling 101 twice, once at DLC (thank you to

> the very nice girls on reception tonight) and once

> when I got home, but couldn't get through so gave

> up. I've tried the online tool a couple of times

> before and it seems to be a dead end or placebo.

>

> Getting really tired of all the antisocial

> behaviour every day. If anyone knows of a campaign

> to fix the policing crisis without actually

> joining a right wing party, please tell me.

>

> And be careful out there.

[Robert Poste's Child]

I didn't have a phone with me at the time and by the time I got to DLC five minutes later I felt it was no longer an active enough situation, plus when you're the victim, even a potential one, it's all rather confusing at the time and you're not sure if it was a crime or not.

[rendelharris]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> I wonder if areas like Dulwich, that have felt

> safe and stable for years by comparison with some

> parts of London, are struggling more with the

> police cuts. Many people say they always feel safe

> in the centre of Brixton, for example, because

> it's well lit and has a strong police presence.

This is very true - police cuts have meant they just squeeze on some areas which shifts the crime elsewhere. Years ago I lived down near the Camberwell end of Coldharbour Lane, which was quite safe until the police launched a massive crackdown on the Yardies from Loughborough Junction towards Brixton, which resulted in a massive increase in dealing and shootings down our end. It's all about police capacity, and the cuts are the primary problem.

[Annasfield]

I?ve been paranoid about my pannier for a while now. I?ve an old ski lock so have been locking it to my frame. It?s horribke feeling vulnerable. :(

[LLTM]

Saw two guys on a moped use a taser on a woman outside her home and then try to take her bag and phone yesterday on East Dulwich Grove at around 5pm. A van drove across from the other side of the road to spook them and they fled without anything but were using fake plates, and wearing balaclavas under their helmets.

Be vigilant...

[JohnL]

This lot are active around here.

https://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/news/croydon-news/live-moped-gang-robbery-london-2008175

[Froglander]

LLTM Wrote:

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> Saw two guys on a moped use a taser on a woman

> outside her home and then try to take her bag and

> phone yesterday on East Dulwich Grove at around

> 5pm. A van drove across from the other side of the

> road to spook them and they fled without anything

> but were using fake plates, and wearing balaclavas

> under their helmets.

>

This is very frightening. Is the woman OK?

> Be vigilant...

[Sonners]

A friend of the poor lady posted this on Facebook:

Hi just forwarding something that happened to a friend this weekend on Saturday in East Dulwich Grove. Please be aware.

?A little warning to all my lovely south London dwelling friends...yesterday afternoon at 4.50pm while waiting for an Uber outside my flat on East Dulwich Grove I was attacked by two men dressed in dark colours on a motorbike. They drove onto the pavement, knocking me to the ground, the pillion got off the bike and tried to taser me. They were not interested in my phone or my bag, they wanted my watch. Luckily passers by came to my aid and other than being very scared I was not seriously hurt. The police told me this was part of a series of attacks by men in their 20?s trying to get people watches, jewellery etc. It was the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight and I had no reason to feel unsafe outside my home. The police said I was a attacked because I was on my own and was well dressed and clearly waiting, which made me an ideal target. Please be aware that this is going on the local area and take lots and lots of care. I don?t want to scare anyone, but I also don?t want anyone to experience what I did yesterday.?

[Froglander]

I am gobsmacked. That is a very measured post after going through such an experience. Tasering must be a new method.

[robbin]

Tasering is also a very dangerous method which could end up with a murder, particularly if these scumbags are targeting elderly people.

[Penguin68]

Teddy Roosevelt's maxim ('speak softly and carry a big stick') might be entirely, and literally, apposite here.

[robbin]

How?

[sillywoman]

Poor poor woman, and poor poor us that our society is crumbling to the point where this can happen on our streets and the outcry is ...well... muted. Almost as if we've become immune to this type of brutality. I think that the Police cannot protect us anymore we are at a tipping point, the other side of which is that motorbike gangs rule the streets. It's all very very scary.

[uncleglen]

The outcry is not muted- I think most people are speechless, especially when elderly women are attacked- it is the lowest of the low- but then we have attracted the lowest of the low to London and there is NO deterrent

[singalto]

I am an older person on crutches and am now concerned about going out even during the day. Horrible..

[NewWave]

I'm dreading the winter when it gets dark early if these crimes are happening in broad daylight in busy places at the weekend when theres more people around.

could someone pass this thread onto the Evening standard or something? If I didn't read these forums I wouldn't know and would be at greater risk through ignorance of how dangerous it is round here now.

As a middle aged woman I find my quality of life is getting more and more limited through fear of crimes such as these.

Do I leave my wedding and other rings off at all times outside my house? do I wear a watch? (any watch can be assumed valuable even when it is not)do I carry a handbag?

Do I go out anywhere at all alone other than to and from work?-and even then the begging on the overground can sometimes be aggressive.

What are our councillors doing? what is the government doing?

Imposing more cuts most likely.

As a londoner born and bred I have never before felt vunerable and afraid in my home city and turf.

I grew up in Notting hill and lived there in the 60's and 70's and 80's on a council estate when the area was rough but I felt safe.

My late parents in their 70's and 80's lived on the same estate and lived without fear, there was crime, yes in fact I was mugged-but really it was nothing like now and then at least the police came.

now there is zero police visibility due to cuts as there are too few officers spread too thinly.

London is turning into a complete s**th*le

normal working people like myself are the ones being robbed of items they've worked hard for or of sentimental value.

What is anyone going to do about it?

Nothing I fear.

[Sue]

uncleglen Wrote:

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> there is NO deterrent

There would be a deterrent if our police force hadn't been cut to the bone by government cuts.

[NewWave]

Sue Wrote:

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

> uncleglen Wrote:

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

> -----

>

> > there is NO deterrent

>

>

> There would be a deterrent if our police force

> hadn't been cut to the bone by government cuts.

Agree....its a bloody mess.

The lunatics have taken over the asylum

[uncleglen]

Sue Wrote:

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

> uncleglen Wrote:

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

> -----

>

> > there is NO deterrent

>

>

> There would be a deterrent if our police force

> hadn't been cut to the bone by government cuts.

That doesn't follow- even if busier roads have police patrols the crims would go down the back streets and single out lone people at night- there is a hard core of 'people' who want as much as possible for minimal work. And even if they get caught (fake plates, mopeds going down alleys etc) what then? The CPS have to have evidence..and even if convicted they MAY go to a place where they learn even more anti-social behaviours. And whilst society is telling them that THEY are the victims they will act with impunity