Success story from Brick Lane Market - A play in three acts

Wow lenni. Amazing.

What I don't really get about the way police deal with this ... why don't they just stop all hawking? Surely that in itself is illegal, whatever the origins of the 'goods' (or bads) they are selling. That means that it would be harder for these pricks to set up their little 'stalls' on the kerbs around sclater street.

Except it's so busy down there that it's quite hard to make a quick getaway. Plus just because you're away from the market doesn't mean that you're safe, the gang seemed to be all over the place collecting new bikes from the local area.

That's another point too. The bike enforcement officers down there said that a lot of the bikes are left locked up around the local area ready for the thieves to bring in quickly, so if you do go down on a Sunday, keep wandering around the backroads as it may be left there unattended. Smack your own lock on it, hide and call the police.

They could stop the hawkers if they wanted to.

Look at how many police are at the average football match. Or anti-capitalism demo.

football match police are paid for and the demonstration police turn up for free to get some aggression out of their system by beating women and olderly men. it's like a stress relief for these thugs.

the police don't even bother with Critical Mass now as they believe there are enough people to manage themselves.

but you are on to something. one copper with a list of stolen bike numbers for an hour a week could put a stop to all that tom-foolery daaan the maaaarket

Nice story. Glad it worked out well. Thieving fuckers

Great story - very pleased for you!

And if you're buying a great-looking bike at a knock-down price from some hoodlums on Brick Lane who don't seem to accept Visa and Mastercard, you are just turning a blind eye to the fact that it's stolen. So if it's taken back off you moments later and you're out of pocket, I am shedding no tears.

Awesome news, Lenni. Well done to you, your brother and Tim. Definitely the most effective way of getting your bike back without the possibility of getting your head kicked in by those scummy bastards. Good thinking.

I just saw in the Linkbacks section (scroll down to the bottom) that this thread is linked to by ... Pistonheads!

the police video protesteors these days at any big march demo etc
a video or still of the toerags selling bike on brick lane a " MOST WANTED LIST " would be fun to get set up
rogues gallery thread showing people who are almost certainly theives and don't give me any of the we are stepping on their human rights the police have videoed most of us going about our daily business with out so much as a bye your leave

glad to hear some of the scum are getting their come-uppance arrests and chasings
we just got to keep on keeping on

its not stepping on anyones human rights for a civilian to take photos of them in public. but who really has the nerve to do this. its not like we're bmx bandits with a big cartel selling njs stuff on the black market.

Ha ha, they love us really!

Not that surprising though, this is the kind of thread decent people love to read.

I wish the cops would stop filming anti-capitalists (and arresting them when they ask for their badge numbers) and start filming bike tea leafs instead.

I think they could do a lot more to stop the hawking. Don't you need a licence to do it or something? A bit of police 'education' of potential buyers could work wonders.

I just saw in the Linkbacks section (scroll down to the bottom) that this thread is linked to by ... Pistonheads!

Nope, you're in a public place, I can take your picture. The problem is I'm not going to take my £700 zoom lens down Brick Lane and point it at crims because they will probably break it. Or my legs. I once (accidentally) included a drug dealer in a photo I took of Harlesden High Street (if you know it you'll know it's quite hard to take a picture there **without **a dealer getting in shot), it didn't go well.

its not stepping on anyones human rights for a civilian to take photos of them in public. but who really has the nerve to do this. its not like we're bmx bandits with a big cartel selling njs stuff on the black market.

I'm amazed that someone who could be dragged 100m by a guy on a bike would have the balls to stand up to anyone! So go you!

Of course I'm talking metaphorical balls because if you had any of substance the culprit may have stopped in 50m.

Peace

Any arguement against buying pirate DVDs should not just be solely about copyright, rather it should be about the fact your purchase supports bonded labour; or is slavery too strong a term to describe the relationship between the dvd sales people and their wholesalers...

A circle of people formed around us and I shouted "I have evidence! I have evidence!" and held my brother's insurance papers in the air like in a bad movie. The crowd turned against the guy on the bike and I sorta shouted "Lets see the frame number! Lets turn the bike around." I managed to turn the bike around and a market trader helped me to read the number from the BB shell. "It his! He's right!" he shouted and the crowd nodded approvingly.

brilliant, quite brilliant.. I'd argue it's more like an Ealing comedy than a bad movie - I could almost hear the crowd cheering as well..

good one lenni!

@Pajamas - Ha ha... me too.
Lenni, you should write TV dramas
Good work, and well done

brilliant, quite brilliant.. I'd argue it's more like an Ealing comedy than a bad movie - I could almost hear the crowd cheering as well..

good one lenni!

I was thinking more along the lines of Allo Allo and bad David Cameron jokes - "Vhere are your papers??"

Its not better, I just think certain dudes would rather confront the purchasers as they aint got the nuts to fuck with the rudies, me personally ...find the ol bill...let them scarper, if that don't work take their picture on the sly and then with a pal or two get yer bike back. If it all fails go to police with the picture they often know these dudes names and at least when they finally get cought it will be another crime to the list.

Nope, you're in a public place, I can take your picture. The problem is I'm not going to take my £700 zoom lens down Brick Lane and point it at crims because they will probably break it. Or my legs. I once (accidentally) included a drug dealer in a photo I took of Harlesden High Street (if you know it you'll know it's quite hard to take a picture there **without **a dealer getting in shot), it didn't go well.

Later in the afternoon I was watching them selling near where the old tube station used to be, a random tourist walked by and got his camera out to take a photo of some artwork behind one of the scumbags. The seller quickly looked down, pulled the peak of his baseball cap over his face.

Its not better, I just think certain dudes would rather confront the purchasers as they aint got the nuts to fuck with the rudies, me personally ...find the ol bill...let them scarper, if that don't work take their picture on the sly and then with a pal or two get yer bike back. If it all fails go to police with the picture they often know these dudes names and at least when they finally get cought it will be another crime to the list.

Bravado. I love my bike but I wouldn't risk getting stabbed for it. I doubt my mates would either.

Later in the afternoon I was watching them selling near where the old tube station used to be, a random tourist walked by and got his camera out to take a photo of some artwork behind one of the scumbags. The seller quickly looked down, pulled the peak of his baseball cap over his face.

a 400mm ish lens on a camera from about 50M should sort that. Any good approach angles?

Sounds like a group of us should hang about there from time to time and keep an eye out for more stolen bikes, so we could have more success stories.

+1

(with pickaxe handles and lumps of wood with nails in them)

Originally Posted by GA2G
You are as wrong as being born a hermaphrodite...... .....obviously copyright theft is more important than being a hermo-phobic facist nazi... But we'll leave it there.

fixamatosis.....

Win on the bike situation...

Lady, I don't know you, but I think you need to back up a bit with that Facist Nazi shit.
If you didn't like my quip, .....fine, but don't go getting all nasty and personal with me. Its not called for.

Ooh on top of a building with an old film SLR like in the wire!

My zoom is only 300mm, I'm out ;)

a 400mm ish lens on a camera from about 50M should sort that. Any good approach angles?

Ooh on top of a building with an old film SLR like in the wire!

My zoom is only 300mm, I'm out ;)

I"m not, SWMBO takes pix of wildlife.... grin and I could borrow[tm].

actually, 300mm might be ok depending on all the usual photo things. yeek.

(time to move this to private? :-)

Massively epic win!