Stay safe - there are thieving idiots everywhere!

[RJ]

8pm I found a lineside near Cricklewood, waiting for 47813 to come. After a few mins, a red car stops, three men get out and walk towards me. I had my camera in my hand, which I put into my pocket when I noticed them approaching me. One says to me "where you from, how old are you etc. Then he went on to explain about some survey he was doing on 15 year olds from South London, about what phones they have. I told him that I didn't have one. The third goes "bull****, its in your pocket, give him the phone" One of the other ones goes "If I find a phone on you I'm gonna punch you up and leave you to die bleeding on the floor." Yeah right, like I'm gonna hang around for these men search me. I spotted a car coming full of people. The people were watching these 3 men giving me trouble but drove on. I thought "Time to go." I BLEW, I ran like the wind! Right behind the car onto the main road, then I hid for a couple of minutes. Two of them grabbed me but I ran with more power than I knew I had, and my weight they hadn't budgeted for - they had to let go. Strange, because a security guard appeared earlier to see what I was up to. Where was he??? One of the crappest things about some adults is that they won't step in when they see a kid getting robbed. Afterwards I caught a bus heading home...

 

[66526]

Oh.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Stay safe - there are thieving pricks everywhere!

10 out of 10 for stating the bleeding obvious...

Call me cynical (no, really, please do!:mrgreen: ), but is a 15 year old photting alone, at night with an expensive camera/phone etc not asking for trouble?

 

[RJ]

Well the moral is don't ever go to places which are dodgy, and if you're outnumbered and you think you've got no chance, if you can, run like wind. Either that or get robbed or they beat you up or you get kidnapped or whatever. I'm pretty lucky...

 

[Lewisham2221]

I'm pretty lucky...

T'would appear so...

 

[RJ]

10 out of 10 for stating the bleeding obvious...

Call me cynical (no, really, please do!:mrgreen: ), but is a 15 year old photting alone, at night with an expensive camera/phone etc not asking for trouble?

Yeah I agree with you, but they're unavoidable - they wait outside school to get people sometimes etc. I try not to let it stop me from doing stuff.

 

[Ben]

Reported it to The Police?

 

[AlexS]

Strange, because a security guard appeared earlier to see what I was up to. Where was he??? One of the crappest things about some adults is that they won't step in when they see a kid getting robbed. Afterwards I caught a bus heading home...

I wouldn't bet against the security guard having had something to do with it.

And if you saw three men roughing someone up, would you risk a knife or a screwdriver in your guts?

 

[Simming]

[rubs it in]

ah, the joys of living in cornwall, bar the local pikies kicking your head in in town, or illogan and all its drug dealings, its pretty quiet down here!

[/]

 

[RJ]

What's the point? What will the police do?

 

[Dennis]

Catch 'em. On second thoughts.......

Anyway, good to hear you're still in one piece.

 

[Lewisham2221]

What's the point? What will the police do?

1) If they were considerably older than you (you refer to them as 'men' so I guess they may have been) there's a pretty good chance the Police will investigate it.

2) If the same gang are doing this regularly, in the same car etc and enough people bother to report it, then they may investigate.

 

[DescendingSadly]

I once got a good f*cking chase off chavs all the way from Huddersfield bus station through Kingsgate and then into the bus station...don't ask me why I went the long way

 

[16CSVT2700]

Personally I try to go places with mates or in a group of 2 or more.

I never have my personal items on display (i.e phone) and during nedding sessions I keep my camera in my camera bag if i am not using it.

All you need to do is to stay safe Joe, if you're weary about going somewhere new, go with a mate or 2 and scout the place out first.

 

[Dave A]

10 out of 10 for stating the bleeding obvious...

Call me cynical (no, really, please do!:mrgreen: ), but is a 15 year old photting alone, at night with an expensive camera/phone etc not asking for trouble?

Sadly in todays world it is! :angry7:

As for the police, I wouldn't waste my time personally. It takes them forever to process it, and in the end it may be more trouble than its worth. E.G. My brother was a witness to an attempted kidnapping over a year ago, and it went to court in April this year!!

If I were you Joe, I'd lie low for a bit, just to be safe, as I have found in past experiences, they'll be looking out for you next time they're about!

 

[RJ]

Well, my camera was in my hand - and my arm was through the pallisade fence - you can't see anything coming through those things and I was expecting 47813 any second, so that's the only reason my camera was out. I'm not going to Cricklewood again in a hurry - must admit I was scared when I saw these guys coming out of their car and slowly walking towards me .

 

[Lesjordans]

They need a right good kick up the A*se, Is it a quiet bit you were photoing

 

[devon_metro]

Wow, quite lucky! Glad you're ok, and still have your camera!

Simming: There are too many old people in Cornwall no wonder it's so quiet

Or like they do in somewhere on the A38 too busy making scarecrows and driving slowly

 

[Ben]

1) If they were considerably older than you (you refer to them as 'men' so I guess they may have been) there's a pretty good chance the Police will investigate it.

2) If the same gang are doing this regularly, in the same car etc and enough people bother to report it, then they may investigate.

Exactly what i was Thinking.

 

[RJ]

I doubt they'd do anything, a total waste of time... Anyway I've forgotten all about it - another day in London as far as I'm concerned, I had a wicked day out today which didn't involve trains - with a mate and two girls. I think I'm gonna take a break from the train enthusiasm for the time being......

 

[Ben]

No Sympathy for you if you didnt report it.

 

[Coxster]

They really expect anyone to believe they were doing a survey on what phones 15 year old South London kids have? If such a survey existed then surely it'd be done in South London.......

 

[RJ]

No Sympathy for you if you didnt report it.

You think I want your sympathy? ROFL! It's obvious you don't live in London... If we grassed every idiot that tried to rob me or my mates, we'd probably be disfigured as most of them hang around our school...

I only needed to see the car stop and them approach me to realise they wanted my phone. That survey crap was a bit cheesy....
[EDIT]

They really expect anyone to believe they were doing a survey on what phones 15 year old South London kids have? If such a survey existed then surely it'd be done in South London

That's how you know they were North London boys. South London boys just tell you to hand over your phone. This time I stalled them then escaped instead of talking myself out of it. Never surrender!

 

[TheSlash]

Sounds like you need to start carrying one of our pway spanners

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Sounds like you need to start carrying one of our pway spanners

sounds like an idea and a half!

 

[Tom B]

It would be an idea to report it, though one report might not do much if you continually report things again and again, somethign will happen.

 

[ChrisM]

It would be an idea to report it, though one report might not do much if you continually report things again and again, somethign will happen.

Have to agree.
If no-one reported things then nothing would ever get done, at least if reported others will be aware and be more careful in that area.
By not reporting it then others could become a victim and may not be as lucky as you were.

 

[TicketMan]

Personally I try to go places with mates or in a group of 2 or more.

I never have my personal items on display (i.e phone) and during nedding sessions I keep my camera in my camera bag if i am not using it.

All you need to do is to stay safe Joe, if you're weary about going somewhere new, go with a mate or 2 and scout the place out first.

Trouble with camera bags is that they LOOK like camera bags!

 

[yorkie]

Sorry to hear about this Joe, glad you're OK.

Personally I try to go places with mates or in a group of 2 or more.

Agreed.

Was this on Monday? You were very welcome to join our photting trip. Of course it is your choice to go alone, but I wouldn't recommend it, for the reasons you describe.

If you want to do your own thing, it's entirely at your own risk.

At least with a big group we can look after each other against dodgy people (or desperate grippers who make up rules in the case of Chiltern )

 

[RJ]

Yep - I was with you guys then I went off to get some lunch, when I got back, everyone had gone! Then I went to South Kenton footbridge then the next thing I was told you were on your way to Aylesbury....