Cycling Mikey and third party reporting

[ebikeerwidnes]

We were talking about this last night at home

there is a fine line between a citizen reacting appropriately to a crime in progress - and vigilante

if you look the word 'vigilante' up on the various dictionaries on the WWW then the definition varies

it seems to be anything from
a) a person who takes it upon themselves to intervene in a crime - which could be a crime in progress - in spite of not being part of a legal law enforcement group

up to

b) a member of a GROUP who take it upon themselves to enforce the law and implement punishment because, in their eye the legally entitled forces of law and order are not doing it right/at all

clearly my phrasing

so - at one extreme - we have cyclingmikey

at the other we have - to go WAY to the extreme - Hitler's brown shirts and all that


some bloke seeing a woman being stabbed several times and driving his car at him - closer to cyclingmikey - crime on a different level leading to a response on a different level

but not a group - which one dictionary said - of people enforcing a different law that was somewhat different to the one on the statute books


but could be inside the definition - but only just and at the justifiable end

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Not so in the Bristol case; the guy that died was believed to have committed several burglaries in the area i.e. in the past.

So because of that, the acquitted was a vigilante was he? You know, the man who spotted him (the man widely believed to be responsible for a series of thefts in the immediate area, as was accepted by the Judge as fact) outside the property he works in as a live-in-carer, and who detained him until the police arrived.

You not sure you're stretching any definition of vigilante just a tad now?

Or let's say he is, for the sake of argument - draw me a distinction between him and Mikey, since you are rebuffing any attempts to label the latter thus.

For the record, I do not label Mikey a vigilante, nor do I label the acquitted one for exercising his legal right.

 

[Alex321]

When I read this case, it made me laugh that people are ranting about Mikey the "vigilante":

Well I haven't5 seen anybody doing that, but never mind.

Presumably then you would laugh at somebody who shoplifts a £10 t-shirt from a shop being labelled a "criminal", since murderers are criminals?

 

[classic33]

Well I haven't5 seen anybody doing that, but never mind.

Presumably then you would laugh at somebody who shoplifts a £10 t-shirt from a shop being labelled a "criminal", since murderers are criminals?

Nothing against that, they are. And they get a lot more leeway than many other criminals out there if & when it gets to court.

 

[Alex321]

Nothing against that, they are. And they get a lot more leeway than many other criminals out there if & when it gets to court.

Agreed. I was making the point in response to matticus that if he laughs because Mikey is described as a vigilante (which he is) when there are far more serious cases around (which there absolutely are), then presumably he will similarly "laugh" at those people being called criminals because there are far more serious cases around.

 

[classic33]

Agreed. I was making the point in response to matticus that if he laughs because Mikey is described as a vigilante (which he is) when there are far more serious cases around (which there absolutely are), then presumably he will similarly "laugh" at those people being called criminals because there are far more serious cases around.

Now you're saying that cycling mikey is a vigilante?

Even shoplifting was split years ago, with a limit/value placed on the amount before police would be involved*. Assaults aside whilst the theft is taking place. Take a number of £10 items from different stores and it's down to the stores to take action.
Multiple murders are not on the same level. Especially when it gets to court. Less likely to get let off with a warning of "not to do it again".

*The police had more serious incidents to deal with, and not enough officer's to deal with them. Private security companies stepped in to fill that gap. They have no more power than you or me, or shop staff.

 

[Alex321]

Now you're saying that cycling mikey is a vigilante?

I always have said that. (But not "ranting" about him being one).

 

[matticus]

... then presumably he will similarly ... [etc etc ...]

It's all about perspective. I happen to think that mine is about right on this matter.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’d add to this vigilante conversation, but sorry I need to head out and fight crime

 

[Alex321]

It's all about perspective. I happen to think that mine is about right on this matter.

I'm not quite sure what you are saying here.

It would appear that you are saying that from your "perspective" he can't be a vigilante because there are people who are far more seriously vigilantes.

Is that actually what you are trying to say, or are you saying something different that I'm just not getting?

 

[matticus]

You've just beautifully illustrated how perspectives work!
(sorry for not answering your actual question, but then I'm not under oath, or under any other obligation ... )