Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...en-to-order.do

"One man was recently fined more than £1,000 for handling stolen goods."

A grand! They'd only have to sell 10 or twenty bikes to make that back.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On Aug 4, 10:38*pm, Basil Jet wrote:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...e-23863285-.do

"One man was recently fined more than £1,000 for handling stolen goods."

A grand! They'd only have to sell 10 or twenty bikes to make that back.

Indeedy. As the Hammersmith copper quoted in the article says, "Pedal
cycle theft appears to have become the crime of choice for many low-
end criminals because of the quick reward and low risk of being
caught", before going on to say that they're trying to do something
about it.

Part of the problem is that there are enough people in London who're
quite willing to buy 'second hand' bicycles which they know full well
are stolen - they're not all being shipped off to eastern Europe by
any means. It's such a scumbaggy thing to do, stealing a bicycle, that
most basic of conveyance - that said, the bikes that are being
targeted are hardly basic ones (e.g. ultra-light and ultra-expensive
carbon fibre frames etc). There's undoubtedly something to be said for
having an unflashy steed that doesn't turn eyes.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

"Mizter T" wrote in message
...


As the Hammersmith copper quoted in the article says, "Pedal
cycle theft appears to have become the crime of choice..."

If you want to spend your life travelling at 30 miles an hour on the
pavement terrorising pensioners and small children, bicycles really are the
only option.

Ian

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 04/08/2010 23:14, Mizter T wrote:

On Aug 4, 10:38 pm, Basil wrote:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...e-23863285-.do

"One man was recently fined more than £1,000 for handling stolen goods."

A grand! They'd only have to sell 10 or twenty bikes to make that back.

Indeedy. As the Hammersmith copper quoted in the article says, "Pedal
cycle theft appears to have become the crime of choice for many low-
end criminals because of the quick reward and low risk of being
caught", before going on to say that they're trying to do something
about it.

Part of the problem is that there are enough people in London who're
quite willing to buy 'second hand' bicycles which they know full well
are stolen - they're not all being shipped off to eastern Europe by
any means. It's such a scumbaggy thing to do, stealing a bicycle, that
most basic of conveyance - that said, the bikes that are being
targeted are hardly basic ones (e.g. ultra-light and ultra-expensive
carbon fibre frames etc). There's undoubtedly something to be said for
having an unflashy steed that doesn't turn eyes.

Is there also an element of no-one caring about crime involving bikes -
instead people just drone on about having once seen a cyclist
slaughtering wimmin-n-children on the pavement, or - even worse - the
time a car had to give way at a junction because a cyclist was on the
/road/, rather on the pavement where "it's safer, innit"?

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

Greetings.

In article
,
Mizter T wrote:
It's such a scumbaggy thing to do, stealing a bicycle,
that
most basic of conveyance - that said, the bikes that are being

targeted are hardly basic ones (e.g. ultra-light and ultra-expensive

carbon fibre frames etc). There's undoubtedly something to be said for

having an unflashy steed that doesn't turn eyes.

Really? There was an
article about bicycle theft in a recent issue of the Evening Standard; it
claimed that the decoy bikes used by the police in their successful sting
operations are of "medium value" (or words to that
effect).

Regards,
Tristan

--
_
_V.-o Tristan Miller
Space is limited
/ |`-' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- In a
haiku, so it's hard
(7_\\ http://www.nothingisreal.com/ To finish
what you

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 5 Aug, 08:00, Arthur Figgis wrote:
On 04/08/2010 23:14, Mizter T wrote:







On Aug 4, 10:38 pm, Basil *wrote:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standa...e-23863285-.do

"One man was recently fined more than £1,000 for handling stolen goods."

A grand! They'd only have to sell 10 or twenty bikes to make that back..

Indeedy. As the Hammersmith copper quoted in the article says, "Pedal
cycle theft appears to have become the crime of choice for many low-
end criminals because of the quick reward and low risk of being
caught", before going on to say that they're trying to do something
about it.

Part of the problem is that there are enough people in London who're
quite willing to buy 'second hand' bicycles which they know full well
are stolen - they're not all being shipped off to eastern Europe by
any means. It's such a scumbaggy thing to do, stealing a bicycle, that
most basic of conveyance - that said, the bikes that are being
targeted are hardly basic ones (e.g. ultra-light and ultra-expensive
carbon fibre frames etc). There's undoubtedly something to be said for
having an unflashy steed that doesn't turn eyes.

Is there also an element of no-one caring about crime involving bikes -
instead people just drone on about having once seen a cyclist
slaughtering wimmin-n-children on the pavement, or - even worse - the
time a car had to give way at a junction because a cyclist was on the
/road/, rather on the pavement where "it's safer, innit"?

--
Arthur Figgis * * * * * * * * Surrey, UK- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It would be nice if it was just "once" that you could see a cyclist on
the pavement, going through red lights etc. But it happens on a daily
basis. On my daily walk from Kings Cross tube to my office on York
Way, you quite often see cyclists on the pavment going towards Kings
Cross, because York Way is a one way street at the point, and to get
to Kings Cross using the road would require them to use the long way
round via Wharfdale Road, Caledonian Road and Grays Inn Road. Perhaps
that is why they also regularly also go shoot through the red lights
at the junction of Wharfdale Road and York Way.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 2010\08\05 08:00, Arthur Figgis wrote:

Is there also an element of no-one caring about crime involving bikes -
instead people just drone on about having once seen a cyclist
slaughtering wimmin-n-children on the pavement, or - even worse - the
time a car had to give way at a junction because a cyclist was on the
/road/, rather on the pavement where "it's safer, innit"?

Never mind droning on, have you ever heard anyone even complain a single
time about a car having to give way to a bike at a junction, unless the
bike was driving through a red light or shooting off a pavement?

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 05/08/2010 12:43, Basil Jet wrote:
On 2010\08\05 08:00, Arthur Figgis wrote:

Is there also an element of no-one caring about crime involving bikes -
instead people just drone on about having once seen a cyclist
slaughtering wimmin-n-children on the pavement, or - even worse - the
time a car had to give way at a junction because a cyclist was on the
/road/, rather on the pavement where "it's safer, innit"?

Never mind droning on, have you ever heard anyone even complain a single
time about a car having to give way to a bike at a junction, unless the
bike was driving through a red light or shooting off a pavement?

Yes, of course I have. Have you not?

A not uncommon situation is a motorist shouting at a cyclist who is
waiting for safe time to move, the driver thinking there is a gap
because she* doesn't realise there is moving traffic which the cyclist
can see but the motorist (presumably) isn't aware of. A lot of people
also don't seem to realise that bikes can't easily go backwards.

*it usually is IME. My totally unverified theory is that a male driver
might be more likely to use a bike himself.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 05/08/2010 11:55, Paul wrote:

It would be nice if it was just "once" that you could see a cyclist on
the pavement, going through red lights etc. But it happens on a daily
basis.

Yes, of course it does. Just as cars go through red lights on a daily
basis, train passengers fare dodge on a daily basis, people have overdue
library books and walk on the grass on a daily basis.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 5 Aug, 21:50, Arthur Figgis wrote:
On 05/08/2010 11:55, Paul wrote:

It would be nice if it was just "once" that you could see a cyclist on
the pavement, going through red lights etc. But it happens on a daily
basis.

Yes, of course it does. Just as cars go through red lights on a daily
basis, train passengers fare dodge on a daily basis, people have overdue
library books and walk on the grass on a daily basis.

--
Arthur Figgis * * * * * * * * Surrey, UK

The fact that car drivers, train passengers, pedestrians who walk on
the grass and people with overdue library books break the rules does
not excuse cyclists. Still, throw some mud and see if it sticks.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 6 Aug, 08:06, Paul wrote:
On 5 Aug, 21:50, Arthur Figgis wrote:

On 05/08/2010 11:55, Paul wrote:

It would be nice if it was just "once" that you could see a cyclist on
the pavement, going through red lights etc. But it happens on a daily
basis.

Yes, of course it does. Just as cars go through red lights on a daily
basis, train passengers fare dodge on a daily basis, people have overdue
library books and walk on the grass on a daily basis.

--
Arthur Figgis * * * * * * * * Surrey, UK

The fact that car drivers, train passengers, pedestrians who walk on
the grass and people with overdue library books break the rules does
not excuse cyclists. Still, throw some mud and see if it sticks.

Doesn't mud-throwing generally involve general crimes and a specific
person?

And non-sequiturs are a thing too.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:

bikes can't easily go backwards.

Really? They could when I were a lad.

--
David Cantrell | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

Human Rights left unattended may be removed,
destroyed, or damaged by the security services.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 2010\08\06 16:51, David Cantrell wrote:
On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:

bikes can't easily go backwards.

Really? They could when I were a lad.

They do when ever I try to ride them up Highgate Hill.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 6 Aug, 16:51, David Cantrell wrote:
On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:
bikes can't easily go backwards.

Really? *They could when I were a lad.


Fixed wheel bikes are still used for some purposes. I've never ridden
one though.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On 06/08/2010 16:54, MIG wrote:
On 6 Aug, 16:51, David wrote:
On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:
bikes can't easily go backwards.

Really? They could when I were a lad.


Fixed wheel bikes are still used for some purposes. I've never ridden
one though.

Neither have I, though I tried a unicycle, which had "direct drive".
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On Fri, Aug 06, 2010 at 08:54:47AM -0700, MIG wrote:
On 6 Aug, 16:51, David Cantrell wrote:
On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:
bikes can't easily go backwards.
Really? =A0They could when I were a lad.
Fixed wheel bikes are still used for some purposes. I've never ridden
one though.

They're mostly used by couriers, and so mostly used for riding through
red lights.

--
David Cantrell | A machine for turning tea into grumpiness

Good advice is always certain to be ignored,
but that's no reason not to give it -- Agatha Christie

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On Aug 9, 12:08*pm, David Cantrell wrote:

On Fri, Aug 06, 2010 at 08:54:47AM -0700, MIG wrote:

On 6 Aug, 16:51, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:
bikes can't easily go backwards.
Really? They could when I were a lad.

Fixed wheel bikes are still used for some purposes. *I've never ridden
one though.

They're mostly used by couriers, and so mostly used for riding through
red lights.

Not true any more - 'fixies' have become very fashionable of late,
they're the choice cycle of all sorts of folk - well, trendy folk.

Derisory sentences for cycle thieves
 

On Aug 6, 4:54*pm, MIG wrote:

On 6 Aug, 16:51, David Cantrell wrote:

On Thu, Aug 05, 2010 at 09:50:29PM +0100, Arthur Figgis wrote:
bikes can't easily go backwards.

Really? *They could when I were a lad.

Fixed wheel bikes are still used for some purposes. *I've never ridden
one though.

Fixed wheel bikes have become pretty popular of late in London, at
least amongst modish folk.

Quite a different riding experience, but actually fairly well suited
to nipping around un-mountainous London town, though if one were
intending to ascend the hills of say Highgate or Crystal Palace on a
regular basis then I think they might not be the wisest choice! (The
way of handling a hill of any substance is basically to absolutely
hammer it right up to the top.)