Bike thieves in Portsmouth.

[Brandane]

I"m passing through Portsmouth en route to France on the overnight ferry. Went looking for something to eat (and failed, so ferry food it is).
Near Portsmouth and Southsea station, at bike rack opposite Santander bank if any locals know it, there were 2 dodgy looking yoofs sawing away at the U lock of a tidy looking white Trek MTB or maybe hybrid.
They were sawing as if their lives depended on it, and were trying to keep faces hidden from the CCTV.. So I don't think it was the rightful owner having lost the key. 19 years in the Polis taught me something!

Sadly all I could do was nip round the corner and phone the local Police. Stupidly I used the 101 non emergency number which wasted about 5 minutes. I was hoping the Police van I had seen 2 minutes previously might have appeared but no.... By the time I gave details the bike and suspects were gone. They will look at CCTV, but that's about it.

Posting in the off chance that any Portsmouth members might hear about the theft.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I would have shouted "hey! what are you doing to my bike!!"
They would have scampered, you would have saved the bike.

 

[classic33]

I would have shouted "hey! what are you doing to my bike!!"
They would have scampered, you would have saved the bike.

Outnumbered two to one though.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Outnumbered two to one though.

I didn't say @Brandane was to fight them: a loud "hey you" would have scared them off, maybe attracted other passers by too.

 

[Drago]

Outnumbered two to one though.

I know, wouldn't be fair on them, but I've have still gone all Jack Reacher on their asses.

 

[swansonj]

They managed to saw through a U lock?

 

[Brandane]

I would have shouted "hey! what are you doing to my bike!!"
They would have scampered, you would have saved the bike.

They might have found it strange that I was riding ANOTHER bike... There was hardly another soul about, apart from another group of yoofs nearby squaring up for a fight. Another thing I learned in the Polis - don't get involved when you're on a hiding to nothing. These types think nothing of leaving you in a pool of blood.. As for scampering, I think you've been reading too much Enid Blyton. It rarely works that way these days, they have no fear. Don't get me started on the reasons for that, or the wishy washy hand wringers will be out in force.

 

[Brandane]

They managed to saw through a U lock?

Some are made of cheese.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

They might have found it strange that I was riding ANOTHER bike... There was hardly another soul about, apart from another group of yoofs nearby squaring up for a fight. Another thing I learned in the Polis - don't get involved when you're on a hiding to nothing. These types think nothing of leaving you in a pool of blood.. As for scampering, I think you've been reading too much Enid Blyton. It rarely works that way these days, they have no fear. Don't get me started on the reasons for that, or the wishy washy hand wringers will be out in force.

''Oi, that's Mad Dingo Dave's bike! You really don't want to be messing with Mad Dingo....''

 

[Drago]

I kmow joke about going all Schwarzenegger at them, but in reality Brandane is right. The little herberts are tooled up, full of adrenaline, and high on goofballs or worse. Unless you've no other choice it's not worth confronting them.

 

[theclaud]

Oh well. I suppose we just have to hope that when someone is attempting to nick our much-loved bikes, it's someone like Pat that's passing by.

 

[Brandane]

Oh well. I suppose we just have to hope that when someone is attempting to nick our much-loved bikes, it's someone like Pat that's passing by.

At least I phoned the police, more than most would have done. And hung around to ID the scumbags if the police had turned up. If you want to risk serious injury or worse over someone else's bike, be my guest....

 

[theclaud]

At least I phoned the police, more than most would have done. And hung around to ID the scumbags if the police had turned up. If you want to risk serious injury or worse over someone else's bike, be my guest....

I sympathise - I've phoned 101 in different situations before, but found it about as useful as you did, and subsequently decided it would have been better to get closer to the situation in order to decide whether it warranted an emergency call. The 101 thing appeals to some myth that there's a friendly community copper nearby who will pop round and have a look, but of course there mostly isn't. But Pat wasn't suggesting picking a fight - just making a useful clamour.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The last time this thing happened in Southampton, There were a couple of plod about a few yards round the corner, so I told them I had my suspicions about the intent of the two guys smacking the crap out of a bike lock I’d just passed, and the scrotes sprinted off quicker than Usain bolt, when they spotted the 5-0.

 

[Dave7]

Personally I would have ridden at them full speed and at the last moment lept on them from my speedy bike.....all the while shouting "go for your hacksaw you sons on of a bitch".
Not entirely sure what would happen next though.