Pickpocket North London Line

Thankfully in 40 plus years of travelling around London this is only the
second time someones tried to get my wallet and both times they failed.

I got on the 8:06 Richmond train out of Highbury & Islington this
morning and as usual it was packed. A guy pretending to be half asleep
with what looked like a full backpack in front of him kept leaning on
me, but I thought nothing of it. Luckily I have velcro on my pockets
flaps and I felt it being pulled and I then looked down to see his
fingers pulling at my pockets. I pushed his hands away and he did a big
waking up, not really knowing what was going on routine. He looked
awkward until the train came into Gospel Oak, where he got off and ran
up the platform. I did notice the rucksack was in fact empty and he'd
folded it over to make a hollow half football shape to hide his hands.

He was in his early 20's, about 6 foot tall and quite thin. Pretty
scruffy in trainers, jeans and a blue T shirt. Short dark hair with a
spotty face and really strong East European features.

So watch your valuables on the East London Line, the vermin pick pockets
are about !!

--
Edward Cowling "Must Go - For He Is The Kwisatz Haderach"

On Fri, 8 Jun 2007 19:44:16 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
<edward@genghis0.> wrote:


>So watch your valuables on the East London Line, the vermin pick pockets
>are about !!

I have always watched my valuables no matter which area of London I
happened to be in, I never relax in London and I am always pleased
when I am boarding the 17.45 out of Euston to come back up north .

Edward Cowling London UK wrote:

> Thankfully in 40 plus years of travelling around London this is only the
> second time someones tried to get my wallet and both times they failed.
>
> I got on the 8:06 Richmond train out of Highbury & Islington this
> morning and as usual it was packed. A guy pretending to be half asleep
> with what looked like a full backpack in front of him kept leaning on
> me, but I thought nothing of it. Luckily I have velcro on my pockets
> flaps and I felt it being pulled and I then looked down to see his
> fingers pulling at my pockets. I pushed his hands away and he did a big
> waking up, not really knowing what was going on routine. He looked
> awkward until the train came into Gospel Oak, where he got off and ran
> up the platform. I did notice the rucksack was in fact empty and he'd
> folded it over to make a hollow half football shape to hide his hands.
>
> He was in his early 20's, about 6 foot tall and quite thin. Pretty
> scruffy in trainers, jeans and a blue T shirt. Short dark hair with a
> spotty face and really strong East European features.
>
> So watch your valuables on the East London Line, the vermin pick pockets
> are about !!

By the last paragraph he apparently managed to turn your map sideways!
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

In message <5kuoj4-4gg.ln1@greenberger.no-ip.com>, David of Broadway
<david.of.broadway@> writes
>Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
>
>> Thankfully in 40 plus years of travelling around London this is only
>>the second time someones tried to get my wallet and both times they
>>failed.
>> I got on the 8:06 Richmond train out of Highbury & Islington this
>>morning and as usual it was packed. A guy pretending to be half asleep
>>with what looked like a full backpack in front of him kept leaning on
>>but I thought nothing of it. Luckily I have velcro on my pockets
>>flaps and I felt it being pulled and I then looked down to see his
>>fingers pulling at my pockets. I pushed his hands away and he did a
>>big waking up, not really knowing what was going on routine. He
>>looked awkward until the train came into Gospel Oak, where he got off
>>and ran up the platform. I did notice the rucksack was in fact empty
>>and he'd folded it over to make a hollow half football shape to hide his hands.
>> He was in his early 20's, about 6 foot tall and quite thin. Pretty
>>scruffy in trainers, jeans and a blue T shirt. Short dark hair with a
>>spotty face and really strong East European features.
>> So watch your valuables on the East London Line, the vermin pick
>>pockets are about !!
>
>By the last paragraph he apparently managed to turn your map sideways!

Sorry North London Line.... I'm sure the East London line is chock full
of Nuns, Saints and little boys who are always polite to their Mums :-)

--
Edward Cowling "Must Go - For He Is The Kwisatz Haderach"

In message <i6fj63dsrb9gi85k3o476cv43hqobiaeqb@>,
clavox@ writes
>On Fri, 8 Jun 2007 19:44:16 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
><edward@genghis0.> wrote:
>
>
>>So watch your valuables on the East London Line, the vermin pick pockets
>>are about !!
>
>I have always watched my valuables no matter which area of London I
>happened to be in, I never relax in London and I am always pleased
>when I am boarding the 17.45 out of Euston to come back up north .

Saying that I did once pay the fare of a young and fairly distressed
young oriental girl who was being given a hard time by a ticket
inspector on a train from Oxford into London. All my friends told me I
was a fool and I'd never see the money again.

A few weeks later I got a letter from her enclosing the money. So I try
not to be completely cynical....... but I do know what you mean.

--
Edward Cowling "Must Go - For He Is The Kwisatz Haderach"

On Fri, 08 Jun 2007 21:40:21 +0100, clavox@ wrote:

>On Fri, 8 Jun 2007 19:44:16 +0100, Edward Cowling London UK
><edward@genghis0.> wrote:
>
>
>>So watch your valuables on the East London Line, the vermin pick pockets
>>are about !!
>
>I have always watched my valuables no matter which area of London I
>happened to be in, I never relax in London and I am always pleased
>when I am boarding the 17.45 out of Euston to come back up north .

So are we.

Can you board the 17.45 away from utl, please?

In message <1181396954.189633.43380@g4g2000hsf..c om>, allan
tracy <thunderbird57303@m> writes
>
>If it's any consolation to you and assuming he was on drugs then he
>will surely pay a far higher price eventually (pretty soon usually)
>than anything the law can throw at him.
>
Thinking about it he was far scruffier than if he was going on a
building site for the day and his face was covered in spots. Perhaps
this is his way of feeding a habit.

Personally I'd like to see all drugs dreciminalised for adult use. It
would stop the crooks making fortunes, and stop people needing to steal
quite so much to afford them.

--
Edward Cowling "Must Go - Tony Blair says he's not going !"

"Edward Cowling London UK" <edward@genghis0.> wrote in message
news:d8l$zbQFmraGFwDb@genghis0....
>>
> It is funny when this sort of thing happens. We all like to feel we'd
> behave in some macho, but ultimately heroic way :-)
>
> I just looked at him, looking uncomfortable for about 30 seconds until the
> train pulled into Gospel Oak. Jamming my brolly into him just seemed
> inappropriate for some reason. Maybe that's what these guys rely on,
> civilised people playing by the rules ?
>
Saying VERY loudly and clearly, "Oy, Spottyclock! Get your hands outta my
pocket!" makes them very uncomfortable and makes other people take a good
look and remember them.

Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
>
> When I was burgled a few years back the police turned up next
> morning. A lone officer who was told it was a car theft !

You should have told the police a disabled person was double-parked outside
your house, they would have had two squad cars around in three minutes.

Edward Cowling London UK wrote:
>
> Personally I'd like to see all drugs dreciminalised for adult use. It
> would stop the crooks making fortunes, and stop people needing to
> steal quite so much to afford them.

And put strichnine in one pack per thousand.