Violent bicycle mugging

[steve52]

this bring forth the choice ,do we give away a bit of replacable steal and plastic (ok carbon) and let then win and we ride the decline of society? or do we risk it and gouge there eyes out ? (= fight back) for me its the later i dont want to live in a world where i chose to become a victim and live in fear? yes there will be loses but we all lose people evey day.

 

[psmiffy]

About ten years ago I was out on the bike doing some window shopping for a new car – two geezers approached me and asked me the time – as I looked down one of them punched me hard in the chest ( first reaction when I saw his hand move that it was a knife– quite relieved when it was only a hand) and I fell to the ground – the other guy snatched my bike and they started to leg it – at which point somehow I got a hand on the bike and took it back – they both knocked me to the ground again and started to give me a good kicking to try to dislodge my grip on the bike

I would like to be able to say that I fought them off but it was the wailing banshee of my cries for help that eventually persuaded them to cut and run – Police photos of my upper body and some of my face were a bit gruesome but considering the number of blows I took to the head I was on the whole relatively undamaged considering the circumstances – moral of the story is wear a helmet

 

[Zoiders]

One of our neighbours' kids was mugged for his bike in Hounslow. No actual violence or explicit threat, just a bunch of teens saying "we're having your bike".

I don't think it was a valuable bike, his mother's only concern was the emotional damage the kid had taken.



Wrong place? At his front door, or at a pub where he was clearly able to keep an eye on it and was presumably with friends?

At a pub?

If people are going to be so wilfully Bertie Wooster about the issue it does make you wonder just how in touch with real life the Guardian journalist was.

Pubs attract thieves and con artists, they always have, a lot of wrong uns like pubs as it's a good place to pick out victims.

 

[Origamist]

Pubs attract thieves and con artists, they always have, a lot of wrong uns like pubs as it's a good place to pick out victims.

Very true, I avoid pubs at all costs. I find wine bars and brasseries attract a much better clientele, but there is still the odd gentleman villain who'll go after pocket watches, cigarette cases, and dura ace mechs.