Here’s an interesting little snippet:
Britain is in the grip of a violent crime wave as thugs run riot on mopeds and motorbikes. Shocking figures released yesterday show the armed thieves are striking more than 60 times every day. In a chilling illustration of the crisis, a young woman was fighting for her life last night after her mobile was snatched by moped-riding thieves. And a motorcycle gang targeted yet another luxury store in London on Tuesday. In Birmingham, a masked gang rammed a car in broad daylight before smashing the driver’s window with a machete and hammer. And masked attackers targeted Michael McIntyre when they stole his £15,000 Rolex.
So, my British friends: how’s that “no handguns in private ownership” thing working out for you, then?
And for all those idiots who start wailing about the horrors of “pitched gun battles in the streets”, allow me to ask how that’s so much different from what’s happening to you now? Other than the fact that almost all the victims are innocent people, not criminals?
I wonder why we don’t have the “moped-gang” problem in Texas. Oh yeah, that’s right: we carry guns, and the bad guys know it. And as a bonus, we don’t have pitched gun battles in the streets — except of course when the criminals start having wars over drug turf in their own neighborhoods, which doesn’t count because it’s a self-canceling problem.
We certainly don’t have mass stabbings in our streets, because — oh wait! we carry guns, and the bad guys know it. (And yes: I know the latter story comes out of Australia. Where they too aren’t allowed to own handguns.)
Strange how that all works out.
Moped gangs are an import from Italy and the Med.
So you’re just telling me it’s immigrants adding their cultural artifacts and customs to Diverse Britain?
Several years ago I had a friend in Dallas who was over there where the mopeds roam, he was stupid enough to have a little tourist travel leather small pack ‘Man Bag’ over his shoulder with all his money, passport, credit cards and the rest in the bag so pickpockets could not get to it. As he was entering his hotel he heard a noise behind of a moped up on the sidewalk and he felt a tug on his shoulder as the rider on the back of the moped used a razor blade to cut the strap and then he watched the moped duo disappear down the street leaving him with none of the money/ID stuff that is important when you are over seas. Next few days were spent getting new passport and credit cards instead of playing tourist.
I would also think that is a person were to stick a walking stick (cane) or a folded umbrella in the spokes of the moped the police would charge the person defending with aggravated assault of a disadvantaged person just making a living.
Stupidest thing we Brits did was to ban hand guns – like the bad people are going to take notice of that, right? Logic says if you’ve not got a gun, use a knife, if you’ve not got a knife use a stick. Hell, if you’re a crim use any weapon you can get your hands on to ply your evil trade eh?
If the gun law were repealed I’d have one like a shot (no pun intended) and whilst you’re at it, routinely arm the Police too. Because, as a good friend of mine said “if I’ve not invited someone into my home, and they cross the threshold, then they do so at their own peril” and I’m not about to defend what mine with a crappy stick!
OldTexan:
some handbags now come with an internal cable in the strap to keep that scenario from happening. The drawback is you end up with the attacker trying to yank you off your feet as he pulls on the bag. I’m thinking an external, obvious chain, mounted to the outside of the strap, might be beneficial. Riding around with bolt cutters might become the new method, though.
If I had a cane or umbrella? I’m not aiming for the spokes…