Non-motoring > Law and Order / London	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Fullchat	Replies: 38

New Tue 9 Apr 24 10:49   Law and Order / London - Fullchat

Mrs FC completed the Half Marathon in London on Sunday so we made a family weekend of it staying near Marble Arch. Yesterday morning was spent walking into Hyde Park to kill some time before heading to catch our train. As we returned along Oxford Street I saw two males dressed in identical grey tracksuits, wearing balaclavas, on pedal cycles slowly cycling towards us on the opposite side of the road. A male was pulling a suitcase and talking on his phone. It was clear what was about to happen. The phone was snatched out of his hand and the two casually road off into Park Lane. The victim made a futile shout, "They've stolen my phone" And that was it another victim of an undetected crime. I felt sick for him. So blatant. Nothing he or anyone could do. The only place I had seen Police on the beat was around New Scotland Yard and the train stations. (BTP). The rest were driving around in vans. Every shop had its own security guards. How bad is it going to really get? London? Homeless and Beggars on the streets and then gratuitous displays of wealth, Supercars cruising the streets and high end shops with two security guards in them and next to nothing on the shelves. But it has always been. Ok to visit but I think I'm glad to be back in Yorkshire :) Last edited by: Fullchat on Tue 9 Apr 24 at 10:50 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 11:58   Law and Order / London - sherlock47

Not this year, but interesting. www.statista.com/statistics/866788/crime-rate-england-and-wales-by-region/ Undetected crime ? If the victim reports to police to enable an insurance claim, does it become a detected crime? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 12:13   Law and Order / London - Fullchat

No. Its not 'detected' unless there has been some official sanction against the perpetrator for a reported and recorded crime. Plenty of crime goes unreported as victims see no benefit in doing so. Much property crime is only reported for insurance purposes. Last edited by: Fullchat on Tue 9 Apr 24 at 12:16 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 12:20   Law and Order / London - zippy

I agree. Last month Mrs Z and I accompanied Miss Z and her beau to a do at the Royal College of Surgeons. Afterwards I treated them to an afternoon tea at the OXO Tower. We then headed back along the south bank and it started to rain quite hard. I was the only one without a rain coat so hurried on a head to get to one of the bridges to hail a taxi. I was about 100 yards ahead when suddenly Miss Z appeared at my side and body slammed a guy next to me to the floor. His hand was in my blazer pocket fishing out my mobile! She said she had seen him "stalk me" like some prey and instinct took over. She was more interested in making sure I was OK and the guy just got up and legged it, shouting some expletives. The only casualty was a slightly ripped pocket seam which Mrs Z has since repaired. Last edited by: zippy on Tue 9 Apr 24 at 12:21 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 12:25   Law and Order / London - Bromptonaut

Loads of reports of people being mugged for Brompton bikes in the capital. If I still worked there I don't think I'd let it stop me but might be more careful about routes than I used to be. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 16:01   Law and Order / London - Zero

In around 1983, I was walking around Florence late at night taking pictures. I had a camera bag over my shoulder, I heard a vespa coming up behind me on the pavement, I knew what was coming, and being prepared, he tried to snatch my bag, and I had him off the Vespa in a heap. Its not new, its not a London thing. As for Yorkshire I bet you your pension it happens in Bradford. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Tue 9 Apr 24 16:10   Law and Order / London - Bromptonaut

>> In around 1983, I was walking around Florence late at night taking pictures. Around the same time Mrs B and I were holidaying in Spain - Malaga IIRC. She was warned by bar staff to wear her shoulder bag like a bandolero, with the strap over her, to lessen the risk of it being snatched. Indeed the term 'bag snatching' has been current for years. When I arrived to work in London c1979 the underground had plenty of posters about pickpockets and bag snatchers. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 16:27   Law and Order / London - Kevin

>In around 1983, I was walking around Florence late at night taking pictures... Who is Florence? Last edited by: Kevin on Tue 9 Apr 24 at 16:28 Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Tue 9 Apr 24 18:10   Law and Order / London - James Loveless

"Who is Florence?" She is known as Firenze in Italy and lives in the Tuscany area. Quite old, apparently, but not past it, and is... ahem... well visited. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 19:29   Law and Order / London - Zero

>> >In around 1983, I was walking around Florence late at night taking pictures... >> >> Who is Florence? She is a well known puttana di strada and no thats not my entry into the cars named after places thread. Last edited by: Zero on Tue 9 Apr 24 at 19:29 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 21:06   Law and Order / London - Timeonmyhands

>> Who is Florence? >> Girl on the Magic Roundabout. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 21:09   Law and Order / London - tyrednemotional

...that might explain why Zebedeero was walking round her... Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 16:28   Law and Order / London - Terry

We all know, if out and about, anything of value should be kept secure, and that ostentatious displays of relative wealth leave you vulnerable to theft - occasionally with force. Tourists are inevitably an easy touch. This is not confined to the UK - possibly less where law enforcement is more effective and penalties if caught are higher. Brompton bikes are vulnerable as noted above - easy to sell - there are over 300 on the bay right now with prices up to £1000+. Same applies to watches, jewellery, and phones - all easy to dispose of for decent money with limited traceability. Premium cars are vulnerable if only for the parts or complete to more remote corrupt overseas buyers. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 22:57   Law and Order / London - Runfer D'Hills

In 1982 I was living and working in Florence. I was employed by the British division of a Swiss company and they knew I spoke German so they sent me to work in their Italian office. Yeah, I didn’t really get that either but I wasn’t completely complaining. I was 23, single, on quite a good salary plus expenses, and had a red Alfa Romeo as a company car. Lived in a nice apartment in a converted medieval building funded by the company. I’d like to say life got better after that, and indeed there have been some good days, but y’know… Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Tue 9 Apr 24 at 22:58 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 06:46   Law and Order / London - legacylad

>> It’s not new, it’s not a London thing. As for Yorkshire I bet you your >> pension it happens in Bradford. >> I was born in Manningham, Bradford. The city is a cesspit. City of Culture 2025 my arras. Fortunately I’m currently here for 3 days with my Spanish walking group…a different planet valenciamountainenthusiasts.com/the-hanging-bridges-of-chulilla/ It’s cloudless and low 20s..absolutely amazing place. Last edited by: legacylad on Wed 10 Apr 24 at 06:48 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Apr 24 23:19   Law and Order / London - Bobby

I know we have discussed this before but what exactly do they do with stolen phones? I thought iPhones could be wiped remotely by the owner and this rendered them useless? But assume thieves can overcome that? I know there is now a setting that stops a thief from being able to turn off your mobile data simply by swiping down. Though I guess if swiping phones out your hand then there is a good chance they were probably unlocked? On a separate note, we are going down to London next weekend for the ABBA Voyage concert and the missus wants to spend the day in London beforehand…. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 00:08   Law and Order / London - zippy

>>ABBA Voyage Enjoy! Miss and Mrs Zippy went there last year and had a wonderful time. Mrs Zippy is threatening to take me. On the subject of music events - recently saw OMD and James Blunt (separately). Both were very good, in very different ways, and if you get the chance I would recommend them. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Wed 10 Apr 24 11:28   Law and Order / London - Bobby

On the further subject of music events, went to see Elio Pace with The Billy Joel Songbook at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at the weekend. Was excellent. Sometimes wary about” tribute acts “ but he was very good with an excellent supporting band. If you like Billy Joel I would recommend going along if he is in your area www.eliopace.com Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 19:58   Law and Order / London - zippy

Thanks for the recommendation re Billy Joel! The real mcoy is in Cardiff this summer but tickets are too expensive for me :-( I am seeing the Boss at Wembly though :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 20:11   Law and Order / London - Bobby

Saw The Boss at Murrayfield last year. What a concert! Just in total awe at the energy he has, think it was 3 or so hours solid! Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 00:20   Law and Order / London - Runfer D'Hills

Suggest you strategically “forget” your credit card Bobby. You know how it will be… ;-) Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Wed 10 Apr 24 11:19   Law and Order / London - R.P.

My "spare" iPhone which I used for "work" purposes was nicked 18 months ago - I stunned it remotly. I traced it to an address, and because the Police weren't interested, I paid a visit myself, the occupant was described to me as a "character" by somone who knew. He denied all knowledge of course. The phone remains on my "find my phone" app. It's not been turned on since I lost it. Why steal a worthless paperweight ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 13:17   Law and Order / London - VxFan

>> The phone remains on my "find my phone" app. It's not been turned on since I lost it. Or maybe it's been wiped or had a new identity (IMEI changed) by some other dodgy geezer with a laptop down the local flea market. Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 10 Apr 24 at 13:17 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 13:47   Law and Order / London - Bobby

Watched a YouTube interview with an American iPhone thief from his jail. The secret seems to be to make sure your PIN is hidden. Sometimes he would watch over shoulders, or film from his own phone as the PIN was entered or even as bold as chatting to folk in a pub and giving them their number “ give me your phone and I’ll put my number in- oh can you unlock it first” By the time he got a block away he had find my iPhone turned off and facial recognition changed to his own face which gave him access to all the banking etc on the phone. Of course the latest iOS update protects against that as long as you have it turned on! Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 14:40   Law and Order / London - Terry

Are phones stolen because of their s/h value as a phone, or for the information on the phone (banking etc). If the former - why invite trouble with a £1000+ phone when a £100 will deliver 95%+ of the functionality - even better if it is a little scruffy. Won't work for those who value the cachet of a premium brand or the ignominy of being seen with a Tesco cheapie. If both - £1k+ phone is a transparent clue that the contents may also be worth accessing - belonging as it does to an individual with deep pockets, uber brand awareness and their entire personal existence embedded on a chip. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 15:01   Law and Order / London - CGNorwich

A more expensive phone will give you a better quality screen image, be a lot quicker and probably most significantly to a lot of people a much better camera. It’s the same as cars. Why do some people buy BMWs when you buy could say a Vauxhall will do 95% of what the BMW will do? I guess that extra 5% is important to them. The difference in cost of an expensive phone compared to the cheapest amounts to not a lot over four years or so and for many people they will use it far more than their car. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 15:36   Law and Order / London - Manatee

I've had a couple of £100 phones and they weren't very good. so I take the point. The boss's £200 Moto G84 however seems pretty good. The Edge 40 I bought for £300 would be too if I could get the wifi to work consistently at home. It might have to go back. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 15:41   Law and Order / London - Zero

>> The Edge 40 I bought for £300 would be too if I could get the >> wifi to work consistently at home. It might have to go back. Google Pixel 7a. you'll thank me for it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 17:32   Law and Order / London - Manatee

>> >> >> The Edge 40 I bought for £300 would be too if I could get >> the >> >> wifi to work consistently at home. It might have to go back. >> >> Google Pixel 7a. you'll thank me for it. How's the battery life, does it last a day? They were £300 a couple of weeks ago, then went up. Now £350-380. Also only 128GB and no expansion. Edge 40 is 256GB. If I can stop the wifi slowing down at home it'll be OK. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 19:01   Law and Order / London - Zero

Yes it lasts a day, and 128gb is plenty. In air accident investigations, when they cover Crew resource management, I think you have fallen into "Confirmation Bias" Last edited by: Zero on Wed 10 Apr 24 at 19:01 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 19:14   Law and Order / London - Manatee

>> Yes it lasts a day, and 128gb is plenty. In air accident investigations, when they >> cover Crew resource management, I think you have fallen into "Confirmation Bias" >> I'm not saying I'm not biased, but how is it confirmation bias? Serious question. I actually wanted to buy the Pixel. I was havering about the storage when it went up which made the decision for me. I don't suppose I'd go bankrupt if I paid £380 for a phone but one is from Yorkshire. I had 160GB free on the Poco, so 90GB used...but that's where I'm starting from on the next phone if I just copy it over. Of course one has to cut one's coat according to the cloth, and I would have left some of the camera roll in the cloud. As I will have to eventually. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 19:37   Law and Order / London - smokie

I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that 128Gb wouldn't be much good for me. I don't use cloud storage (much) so carry a half decent amount of movies and music with me. The phone is 256Gb and I have a 512Gb cared in, both are pretty full. I did look at the Pixel (and a couple of other more expensive ones) but tbh as I seem to change them about every 2 years so if I can find a cheaper one which des it for me then I'm happy. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 20:02   Law and Order / London - Zero

>> I'm sure it won't surprise you to hear that 128Gb wouldn't be much good for >> me. I don't use cloud storage (much) so carry a half decent amount of movies >> Surprises me not one jot you watch movies on a phone screen. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 21:10   Law and Order / London - smokie

the 55" doesn't fit on the tray table... Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 20:05   Law and Order / London - Zero

>> I'm not saying I'm not biased, but how is it confirmation bias? Serious question. Serious Answer, Classic case of confirmation bias in air accidents is an issue arises, and crew try to justify carrying on doing an action, rather than factor in and quantify an issue and change a course of action. Last edited by: Zero on Wed 10 Apr 24 at 20:06 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 20:25   Law and Order / London - Manatee

Right. I thought confirmation bias was something else - interpreting and selecting any new information in a way that supports an existing belief. I think what you describe might be "anchoring bias". Hanging on to a belief past the point where it makes sense. Looked it up. journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/believing-overcoming-cognitive-biases/2020-09# They seem to overlap: "Confirmation bias is the selective gathering and interpretation of evidence consistent with current beliefs and the neglect of evidence that contradicts them.4 It can occur when a physician refuses to consider alternative diagnoses once an initial diagnosis has been established, despite contradicting data, such as lab results. This bias leads physicians to see what they want to see. Since it occurs early in the treatment pathway, confirmation bias can lead to mistaken diagnoses being passed on to and accepted by other clinicians without their validity being questioned, a process referred to as diagnostic momentum.5 Anchoring bias is closely related to confirmation bias and comes into play when interpreting evidence. It refers to physicians’ practices of prioritizing information and data that support their initial impressions, even when first impressions are wrong. It often manifests when the first piece of information given to a physician is relied upon too heavily when making decisions.3 For example, a patient’s back pain might be attributed to known osteoporosis without ruling out other potential causes." Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 11:29   Law and Order / London - Bobby

Ha ha I have heard you need the credit card to afford the drinks in there! Will be starting at her brother’s in Dorking so need to check the best routes to and fro. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 22:17   Law and Order / London - bathtub tom

How long will it be before someone puts an explosive charge inside a 'phone case and walks along, carelessly holding it. Not that i'm suggesting it.............................................. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Apr 24 22:30   Law and Order / London - Ted

Tubby Tom....Thanks for the email. Yes ,been hacked. Sorting it out ok. Ted Reply to this message | Report message