Had an Almighty Row in Trafalgar Square Today

Certainly seems the case sometimes.

I really need that "they see me rollin'..." t-shirt that someone posted in another thread :)

you can lock your bike in traf square outside the Chandos, charring cross road as it leaves the square in north east corner outside pret opp side of road to portrati gallery just past st martins in the fields to the north.

there is even an NCP car park on the cockspur street side of T Square - enter it via Spring Gardens. dedicated bike parking.

Ask and you will receive

Superprecise throw a mountain bike at him.

what is an english heritage warden? i mean, what do they do there?

They protect the great british heritage from the likes of you.

"pirate-like, unshaven but not a beard."

Pirate-like? What, did he rattle his cutlass and go "Arrgh"?!?

You should've set your mother on him, nothing scare's the shit out of people like maternal rage.

I knew it! Thurley's secret pirate army!

Seriously, if you still want to complain (about the Heritage Wardens, not EH), here's the details: http://www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare/contact.jsp

juicy dangler!

You can’t leave a man – get him all juiced up, leave him dangling like that....!!

you locked up your bike IN THE MIDDLE of Trafalgar Sq.?? for 2 hours??

erm .. i don't think you're allowed to do that.

oh shit. this is a year old.

date fail.

I knew it! Thurley's secret pirate army!

Seriously, if you still want to complain (about the Heritage Wardens, not EH), here's the details: http://www.london.gov.uk/trafalgarsquare/contact.jsp

Dear Sir.

Over one year ago, my bike and lights suffered minor damage at the hands of some ruffian security guards, who proceeded to berate me in front of my mother. I believe this is unacceptable, and wish to make a complaint. I would have done so earlier, but unfortunately, I was unable to locate your correspondence address on the interwebs. After a year of searching, this situation has been resolved thanks to a kindly poster on an interweb forum dedicated to fixed gear bicycles, and I can now raise the issue with you. I look forward to your speedy reply.

Sincerely yours,

ihatelaw

It's always 1648 in EH...

Wait, it's not 2008? Shit, I knew it was a heavy night, but that's taking the piss......

What is with this dragging up year old threads? I'll tell you something though, having watched that tv programme about English Heritage their CEO seems like a right cock.

Oxford Blue, did you search 'pirate' on the forums and post in the first thread that appeared?

^ I quite enjoyed the episode about Park Hill Estate last week - but surely the tweedy regional officer must have know the TV crew would be setting them up to look ridiculous?

Perhaps the threads have to be dug up and turned over now and then, a bit like a charnel house

Yeah I saw that! Good stuff. Not sure much setting up was needed - I don't doubt his commitment to his job/knowledge and he was right about the concrete, what urban splash were proposing just had zero awareness of the heritage value of the concrete, grr (sorry, angry modernist!) but you have to question why English Heritage were putting all that money in with seemingly feck all guarantees of anything.

As soon as he squared up I would have dropped him. Not acting tough but dude's like that get my goat.

If it was my mum, she'd've dropped him for me.

And if they're so fucking prissy about their railings, why don't they put up a small notice. At least if they'd pointed at one, they might've had some justification.

Among English Romani Gypsies the term Pikey refers to a Traveller that is not Romani............in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the definition became even looser and is sometimes used to refer to a wide section of the (generally urban) underclass of the country, or merely a person of any social class who "lives on the cheap".
from wiki

So.. not a slight against romani at all then. Used to work for a guy who grew up gypsy style, had no problem referring to himself as a pikey, his nickname was pike and didn't mind the term at all. Can't speak for all of em tho.
Pikey is a state of mind/attitude, not an ethnic group. At least not nowadays. This is the english language, have you not noticed that pretty much any word, offensive or not can be twisted quite happily to fit any situation?

Swearing in front of peoples mums is not cool...

No, what that means is that "pikey" is an offensive word for (a) Irish tinkers and/or (b) white working or sub-working class people.

Either way it is racist and not a word to use. It might not have the historic connotations of the "n-word" but is equally improper.

coolio, will avoid it's use in future if the consensus is no.

no offense intended y'all

I often have to remind myself that not everyone in London are cunts. However, there seems to be a higher incidence of cunts amongst those who get given a uniform as part of their job package.

Go to your LBS - they'll have a load of light brackets from ex-display models etc. and if any good will probably give you a replacement gratis (if they have one).

And rise above it. They've got a shit job. You've got a nice bike and (what sounds like) a good future career.

What is a "LBS"?

apologies I'm a noob! thats noob not nob. I've seen how people's posts get destroyed in these forums, lol

Local Bike Shop - if you'd hovered your mouse over the underlined LBS, you would've found that out.

i've seen how people's posts get.... rewritten, improved and made far more amusing on these forums, whilst hopefully showing the re-writer in a very positive light.

ftfy

'pirate-like'

What the fuck does the that fact he looked like a pirate have to do with it?

I'm sorry, but I only bring it up because pirates are one of the last social groups whose discrimination is not only generally acceptable, but actively encouraged by the media and costume shops.

We need to think about our words, some people are just out there trying to get an honest ransom - how would they feel to read this shit associating them with mere bike vandals?