Well done (for assisting a lady after she had her phone snatched

[Sophron]

Well, yes, there is. That is if your satisfied that the application of the law in London is effective. In pratice I'm not sure that you would get your collar felt if you had used reasonable force to apprehend the perp (perhaps not running him over). Then again if you were being judged by some on this forum you would probably get a tougher sentence than the mugger.

[PokerTime]

I think though, in a world where so many people get away with exactly this type of crime, any help to bring these thieving scumbags to account is to be applauded. The Police can't be everywhere, but sometimes, ordinary people are. If a person feels confident and competant enough to go after a thief, then I for one applaud that.

[El Pibe]

To be fair most of the commenters were disturbed by the calls for his execution and the irresponsiblity of cars mounting pavements than some bleeding heart push for hugging a hoodie!

[Otta]

She wasn't actually mugged. He ran by and snatched the phone, it's not as if she was held at knife point.

Not saying that's okay, but at the end if the day she's unhurt, still has her phone, and hopefully will be a bit more aware of her surroundings now when she's walking down the street reading her phone.

[StraferJack]

That's a consistent theme el pibe - in any of these discussions as soon as the calls for hanging/shooting burglars/driving onto pavements start and get applauded, anyone who suggests that might not be a good way for society to go is accused of standing up for the bad guy

[Jessie]

And being from the 'liberal elite', whatever that means. It's a phone, she got it back, bravo passers-by who helped her and I'm sorry she found it so distressing, but some attitudes of posters on here disturb me quite a bit.

[JohnL]

I doubt the guy was acting alone either.

[lildeakin84]

The victim in question is a friend of mine and I actually pointed her in the direction of this thread yesterday. Thankfully she does see the humorous side of the comments, but I agree that I'm not sure the whole 'mounting pavements' was necessary. But, it was the heat of the moment and people react in different ways in these situations so I'm not sure we should be condemning anyone for doing what they thought was right.

Surely, at the end of the day, the fact nobody was hurt and she got her

Phone back without any consequences is the most important thing here?

Most annoyingly to her is the fact she thanked him when he gave it back- aren't we so politely British sometimes!!??!!

[*Bob*]

I'm sorry, but there's no room for this kind of rational, common sense type post - delivered by someone actually connected with the event itself.

Let's get back to red-faced bloodvessel-busting wailing moronic hyperbole asap please.

[Penguin68]

There is nothing wrong with 'mounting the pavement' - assuming you do so with good care as to what else is on the pavement - I have had to do so to get past vehicles blocking the way, to give room to emergency vehicles and so on. A car acts as a good barrier to stop a fleeing person - people 'giving chase' can be as responsible as anyone else. There doesn't seem to be any suggestion that the pavement mounter was attempting to hit the culprit, simply block his escape, as far as I can see (despite the less than charitable wishes from some posters as to a suitable penalty for mugging and street theft).

[StraferJack]

"Surely, at the end of the day, the fact nobody was hurt and she got her

Phone back without any consequences is the most important thing here? "

spot on

"Most annoyingly to her is the fact she thanked him when he gave it back- aren't we so politely British sometimes!!??!!"

I have a funny feeling that is exactly what I would have done in heat of the moment too

[Jeremy]

StraferJack Wrote:

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

> Going all The Professionals over an iPhone is ott

> at best and dangerous at worst.

The thought of someone snatching someone's property in broad daylight completely unchallenged depresses me.

[StraferJack]

on page one: I said: "Like the OP and Otta, I'm glad people stepped in to help and try and apprehend him - but subsequent posts crossed a line"

At no point have I said it should go unchallenged - but you don't see the problem with people mounting pavements in pursuit, or with an eye to blocking the guy? It's very easy to say "if the coast is clear and no driver would do it if it put anyone at risk" but come on

[Jeremy]

Yeah yeah yeah... I'm basically in agreement... I can see how it can happen in the heat of the moment but of course everyone knows in the cold light of day that it's dangerous.

Me? I wouldn't want to damage my suspension...

[StraferJack]

well that's yet another complications! - you see the troubles this kind of debate rises..

[cle]

Otta Wrote:

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

> She wasn't actually mugged. He ran by and snatched

> the phone, it's not as if she was held at knife

> point.

>

> Not saying that's okay, but at the end if the day

> she's unhurt, still has her phone, and hopefully

> will be a bit more aware of her surroundings now

> when she's walking down the street reading her

> phone.

Wondered how long it would take to blame the girl. How dare she have her phone out, the tease...it's on a plate for him!

[StraferJack]

You saw blame in any of that? Weird

[Alan Medic]

Theft is a fact of life these days. Mobile phone theft is very common. It has happened around here many times. The girl hasn't been blamed but if you have something worth stealing you need to have a bit of awareness about you. I don't have a top of the range phone but I find that if people are moving to get off the train for example and I'm using it, I hold onto it just a little bit tighter, in case.

[Louisa]

How dare she brazenly walk about with her phone on display, teasing would be opportunists. It's not on. This country has gone to the dogs etc

Louisa.

[Otta]

cle Wrote:

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

> Otta Wrote:

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

> -----

> > She wasn't actually mugged. He ran by and

> snatched

> > the phone, it's not as if she was held at

> knife

> > point.

> >

> > Not saying that's okay, but at the end if the

> day

> > she's unhurt, still has her phone, and

> hopefully

> > will be a bit more aware of her surroundings

> now

> > when she's walking down the street reading her

> > phone.

>

>

> Wondered how long it would take to blame the girl.

> How dare she have her phone out, the tease...it's

> on a plate for him!

Yeah, because that's what I was saying.

[ohmyemily]

If he gave the phone back then I'd guess it's got his finger prints on it. I'd hope the police take a look at that, just in case he's known to them already.

[Sophron]

Now thats a good idea, nice one ohmyemily.

[lildeakin84]

*Bob* Wrote:

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

> I'm sorry, but there's no room for this kind of

> rational, common sense type post - delivered by

> someone actually connected with the event itself.

>

> Let's get back to red-faced bloodvessel-busting

> wailing moronic hyperbole asap please.

Haha, this did give me a chuckle I have to say!

[cle]

I think there is certainly a hint of blame/backhandedness in:

"hopefully will be a bit more aware of her surroundings now when she's walking down the street reading her phone. "

[StraferJack]

many a time someone has started a thread on here along the lines of

"just to make people aware

i was walking down paxbury grove, engrossed in my phone, when some scrote whizzed by and whipped my phone out of my hands

just wanted to let people know and be aware of your surroundings"

it's simple advice, which many of us ignore from time to time. But it's only advice. well, more a reminder really, as it's something we all inherently know right?