Totally unnecessary confrontation yesterday (bike theft/"Falling Down" content)

Ice pick in a bag just in case someone pulls a knife? Purleease,you think you’d have time to fish it out? Perhaps you could ask them to wait until you are both tooled up to make it fair. Bit like a Brick Lane version of the cliff top sword fight in the Princess Bride!

There is only one sensible option if someone pulls a knife that that’s trying your very very best to outpace Usain Bolt.

The ice axe was for one situation and one situation only, namely, in case someone pulled a knife on me when I confronted them for my bike.

I know it was heat of the moment but if some one pulls a knife on you run the other way. Do you have any experience trying to disarm somebody with a knife, will you panic if blood starts pumping out of your arm when slashed. Even if you grab his arm how do you know one of his mates isn’t going to clock you.
Knives have the potential to cause catostrophic injuires quickly and up close – even what’s meant to be a warning stab in the leg or arm can kill you quickly. I was told on a course that armed US police officers would not let a knife wheelding man within 21 feet if their guns were still holstered, thats how quickly they’ll be on you and stab you.

As an asisde we did a role play where we tackled someone with a knife, unless you stood back and cs’ed the guy straight away someone got slashed every time. It’s not worth dying over a bike, if he produces a knife retreat, let the police know and they will deploy adequate force to neutralise the threat.

Ps an ice axe looks like a pretty crap choice of weapon as well.

Ice axe lol
By the time you had pulled it out of your rucksack, got it snagged on some fancy elasticated straps etc , he would have battered you senseless, and youd have been eating through a tube.

If you are going to fight someone, then go up to them and hit them hard straight in the face, and then dont stop until they either run off or are unconscious.
as for hugging him and saying youre going to kill him, Im surprised he didnt just knick your wallet.

have a go hero bollocks.

Bit of a tangent but:

My mate’s sister married an absolute barsteward, he and his dad used to talk about how they’d ‘get rid’ of the new member of their family. They came up with the idea for an ice axe, but one made from ice…

Melts away no murder weapon.

Bit of a tangent but:

My mate’s sister married an absolute barsteward, he and his dad used to talk about how they’d ‘get rid’ of the new member of their family. They came up with the idea for an ice axe, but one made from ice…

Melts away no murder weapon.

fantastic 😀

Can’t remember if Mythbusters did that or not – they did a great episode about trying to kill people with bullets made of ice though!!

I’m quite surprised nobody’s accused jhw of making it all up yet.

<edit- notices tag. Is not surprised any more>

They came up with the idea for an ice axe, but one made from ice…

Melts away no murder weapon.

I’m sure there was a Tales of the Unexpected where the murder weapon was a frozen leg of lamb, which was then served to the victim’s unsuspecting relatives.

Not that I’m encouraging jhw to go down Iceland or anything.

How close are we to a charge of conspiracy on this thread?

Well I find this all morally reprehensible..

A Pick Axe wielding racist doesn’t get banned and I did and I didn’t even threaten to kill anyone, where’s the mob justice?

As to the OP, an ice axe? You went to a gun fight with an ice axe?

I’m sure there was a Tales of the Unexpected where the murder weapon was a frozen leg of lamb, which was then served to the victim’s unsuspecting relatives.

To his colleagues

Thegreatape – no – it was served to the police investigating the crime

Derekrides – lol on what basis am I a racist?!? But I’m amused by your post as a whole.

Oh it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt…

http://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/

who would actually take the time to note their serial numbers on websites?

Thegreatape – no – it was served to the police investigating the crime

Who were colleagues of the victim, a policeman murdered by his wife.

Touche sir.

Just spotted the tags at the top. Er…I’m ashamed to admit that unfortunately none of the above is bulls*it. A deluded, quixotic exercise, yes, but not bulls*it…

I think having the axe gave the man the courage to go and have a word even if he wasn’t going to use it.
In the riots I had hammers,chisels and a Stanley at the counter in my shop if it kicked off. Probably wouldn’t have used them but gave me options if needed. We had a letter from the cops saying we could more or less do what we liked to protect our shop before anyone mentions me getting arrested.

That’s very interesting.

Would you be OK with disclosing more precisely what the letter said? In particular, did it say that it was actually legal for you to have those weapons in the shop (I cannot see how that’s possible); or did it merely say that, whether legal or not, they wouldn’t prosecute you as a matter of policy? (I’d say that’s an illegal exercise of their discretion?). The approach in this letter makes practical sense but sounds unlawful on the police’s part.

There’s truth in what you say about it adding confidence. There is no way, no way in hell, I’d have had the confidence to go down there and challenge these people otherwise.

I’m surprised more people don’t get riled in this way. You know…it was my bike. I built it. I bought it at a time when I really didn’t have much money, and I had to starve a bit to do so. So yeah. One isn’t going to just shrug one’s shoulders.

What are the laws on police using discretion? So we can work out if it is illegal or not? And I think you are allowed to have DIY equipment in your own shop, are you not?

Jhw sent you an email as I have no idea how to post pictures.

Thanks a lot, I’ll check it when I have access.

I *think* it all comes down to intention. That is, self-defence (including of property) is allowed as long as it’s an immediate response to a threat, and not premeditated. Carrying a DIY tool (or an ice axe) would be illegal if the necessary intention were there. I think.

But of course I’d guess that the problem is practical, that is, evidential – if you choose your DIY tool carefully enough, how can the police prove you intended to use it as a melee weapon? I’m guessing all of this.

Why has the poster been called a racist? I keep checking back to see if anyone tackles this point (as it’s something that shouldn’t be said lightly), but everyone seems to be stearing clear.

Did I miss something, because I’ve re-read his original post 3 times now, and can’t see anything that justifies 2 other posters branding him a ‘racist’??

I’ll kill you!!!! I really am LOLing! 😆

I’ll kill you! haahahahahahah

Like the Clown in It?

Yeah I know, silly See You Next Tuesday fair enough, but racist?

I’d say it’s more racist to assume that the “rasta” I referred to was black.

I just really, really value my bikes….

But not enough to insure them?

It was £250 a year! I stupidly thought…”I’ve already been riding in London for 6 years with no problems…QED my security arrangements are robust”. Wrong. No matter how good your lock is, it’s just a matter of time ’til some bastard comes along with a van full of electric tools to cut through it (or the fixture it’s attached to). Here endeth the lesson.

jhw – Member
Thegreatape – no – it was served to the police investigating the crime

Derekrides – lol on what basis am I a racist?!? But I’m amused by your post as a whole.

Oh it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt…

*I read someone called you it, the term gets bandied about here quite often, why indeed even my own fair persona has been so branded, it’s a STW mob thing, I shall look back and see where it was i saw it..

Certainly not my opinion, mine was of the event rather than the players therein.

Sorry to hear about your bike, although you’re probably well rid if it was a road machine, karma.

*seventh post down, houns, who i believe is a regular STW member so therefore above reproach and the fount of all that is true here. I shall just check and see where he resides on my list.

Hmm Houns, as yet uncategorised, i shall put him down temporarily under ‘minor cocks’ with all the other abusers and accusers, then study him further…

Yikes!

It is posts like this that keep me coming back to STW.