Beware! Romanian gypsy scam?

[Domitianus]

Earlier today a couple of women dressed in ethnic Romanian gypsy clothing were walking up and down Lordship Lane attempting to change ?20 notes in local shops. About a week ago one of these women went into the shop of a local trader known to me and attempted to make a small purchase using what was recognised as a counterfeit ?50 note. The trader wisely declined to accept the note and was not 'stung'. It is clear, however, that these women are attempting to pass off false currency to local businesses. Beware!

[karter]

Dom.

I too have experienced this by the women wearing romanian gypsy outfits ( they actually are Romanian). The police were called but they managed to get away on the 176 bus.....

[Keef]

That has to be the first time a 176 has turned up for someone in a rush! Wish it would turn up for me when it's cold after the pub! ;-)

[rob]

One of the all-time great routes, the 176. Up there with the 19 and the 31 in my book... Sorry, is this a bit off-topic?

[Keef]

I agree Rob, just wish there were more of them sometimes! (usually quite late at night).

[Mark]

How on earth could someone escape from the police on the 176? I can see the front page headlines on the South London Press:

"Escape on the 176"

"176 used as getaway vehicle"

"forgers escape after low speed bus pursuit"

"criminals swap GTi Turbo for bus, they say it's greener and more efficient" or

"Squirrels addicted to crack"

[Domitianus]

The assumption is that the police arrived all sirens blazing, within seconds of the call to them being made. Err....they didn't! In fact I imagine that they could have waited a few decades to hitch a ride on Halley's Comet and still got away from the long (ha-bleedin'-ha!) arm of the law. My views on the attitude and effectiveness of the local plod have been elucidated previously on this site.

[Michael Palaeologus]

The 176 has its own page on Wikipedia...

brace yourselves for lounging

[Ko]

Mark Wrote:

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> "criminals swap GTi Turbo for bus, they say it's

> greener and more efficient"

Mark - you're wasted in your day job, you should be a reporter!

[CrystalClear]

I think the lovely thing about the 176 is that it's sooooo easy to end up in Penge at three in the morning. Such a great place to visit (Penge) especially at that time of day!

[Polly D]

Mike are you serious? CC - I thought Mr Hairy Smelly Love was the only one who did that. Maybe one day you'll meet and share the return taxi fare home to ED!

[Polly D]

Ok, I actually just tried to search for that but, I think Mike, you wuz joshin'. By the way, did anyone else have a horrendous bus journey to work yesterday morning? Is this already lounged? Don't know what's happened to the 185 lately, every 10-12 minutes my a*%e. I waited at least 25 mins yesterday and then it terminated at Camberwell Green on a whim - soooooo useful.

[Keef]

Polly, CC is not joking, alas it happens to the best of us!

[CrystalClear]

Don't worry Polly, I have it under control these days - I never leave Dulwich! It works well.

[Polly D]

It was Mikewbate saying that the 176 had its own page on Wikipedia that I couldn't believe. Falling asleep in a haze on the bus is something even I do! Hairy Smelly Love has mixed up the 37 for a 137 too in the past *drunkenly squints with one eye*. I don't remember where he ended up that time. And CC on the never leaving Dulwich factor, I commend you!

[Keef]

About 4 years ago I was at some club charity night on Oxford Street, and left early as it was a week night (believe it or not). I jumped on a route master 12 going to Dulwich Library, and fell straight to sleep... I woke up to find that it had gone to Dulwich then turned round and gone all the way back to Notting Hill with me still on it!!!!!

Ended up paying some dodgy "cab" a fortune to get me home about half 3 in the morning!!! Work the next day sucked, and to add salt to the wound, I found out that my friend who I had left at the club, had left 10 minutes after me, after his sister insisted on paying for a cab for him.... He was home by half 12!!!!!!!!:X

Since that day, I have made a point of never being sensible again! :)-D

[Michael Palaeologus]

I must have been drunk, cos I am sure I found it when I was searching for something else. I have got on the wrong train before now.

My own best bus story was on a 40 half way up Walworth Road. The driver was having a row with a stroppy traveller - I needed a pee badly - dived off the bus, found a tree (on the Walworth Road!) had said pee and still had time to get back on the bus I had got off. Driver thought this was very funny and let me back on without buying another ticket. Thank the lord for boy bits.

[Domitianus]

and amidst all this gleeful chatter and swapping of travellers' tales the gypo scam artists are still at large!

[spadetownboy]

thats nothing i got on a 40 at camberwell just opposite the green ,thing was empty.to my surprise the driver hopped out of the cab,mumbled something in my direction about keeping an eye on the bus which was ticking over he nipped into the offie beside the stop and emerged a minute later with a half bottle in a brown bag protruding from his uniform pocket,thanked me an took off.he didnt charge me so i spent the whole journey sweating incase the inspectors jumped on.

[louisiana]

Mark Wrote:

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> How on earth could someone escape from the police

> on the 176?

Actually, two blokes tried to escape onto a 176 bus I was on in Camberwell a couple of months back. They were running out of a small supermarket (the first one on the left going north, near the Green), and rushed up the stairs. Police officers were in hot pursuit and they grabbed both guys on the stairs. One went quietly, the other tried to wedge himself in the staircase, so a bit of a struggle. I though the load of them were going to land on my head.

Back to the Romanians, I wonder whether these were the same two that got onto my northbound 176 bus last week - both very shabbily dressed in vaguely ethnic loose clothing with big headscarves. One sat down next to me, while the other stood over her. Romanian No. 1 then tried to slide her hand into the large bag on my lap. I was reading the paper with the paper propped up on the bag, but had my wits about me enough to figure out what was going on. She withdrew her hand, looked at me, and then went fishing in one of her own two big bags (seemingly full of many newly purchased items), with Romanian 2 trying to shield the bag. Then they both got off about three stops after they got on. The bus was packed, so little chance of doing anything about what happened.

Louisiana

[monica]

What crackes me up is the same 2 ladies with the headscarves came in to my shop with different headscarves and tried to change their dodgy notes again.I mean please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[louisiana]

I'd normally have taken photos of them (usually puts the fear of god in them and sends them scurrying off), but sand got into the camera on holiday last month and it's a write off. Waiting for the insurance money to replace.

I tried this trick on 'gypsies' working the Ramblas in Barcelona (pairs of eastern European women waving cardboard around to divert attention from thieving) and it worked a treat: they hid behind trees, then leapt into a passing taxi!

With photos, you could post them around the neighbourhood.

Louisiana

[Domitianus]

I should have thought of that but I was hoping (lauhgh at me, I deserve it!) that the fuzz might show up in time to scoop them. I have to say though that I suspect it was the sight of me trailing them up Lordship Lane with my mobile to my ear that caused them to scarper.

[ratty]

I once robbed Habitat on the Kings Road and got away on a 45a (as it was in those days) so it is possible. It just takes timing!

I will be running classes on this upstairs at the EDT on Monday nights. It's non smoking FFS, I SAID FFS!