bad week

[jameslxdt]

it all started to go wrong last thursday, on my way to work i get knocked off my bike, i wasnt hurt, i get up, the car had buggerd off, typically no one saw anything, the bike was mullerd so i push it work, then i find out i have to work the next day, which was bank holiday friday
so after work on friday, i go to my local bike shop and price up the bits to fix the bike, £250, so i figured it wasnt worth it, and bought a new bike for £450, go back to work the following thursday, not a problem, apart from working till about 8 at night, then today i had to go in at 6am, then arround 11am, i happend to go past where i keep my bike.... gone
not even a week old and some f*cker (pardon my french) nicked it, and typically, its not on any cctv camera, so i had to walk home in the rain
so how was your week...

[mjb]

That really sucks. Insured?

[steve_earwig]

Oh sh*t James, that sucks. Even if it's not individually insured it might be covered on your house insurance, stranger things have happened... And next time, buy a lock too, you live in England!

My week's been cold, wet and boring, the highlight was repainting a lawnmower

[DaiRees]

Oh crap James, sorry to hear that matey

I suppose the plod were as much use as a chocolate teapot?

[jameslxdt]

That really sucks. Insured?

nope

And next time, buy a lock too, you live in England!

i have 2, the best money can buy, but i forgot my keys this morning

[TooT]

Thats bad. Its getting to the point were there is just no point having anything nice in this world, you just end up worrying about it all day till sum scum does something to it.

[steve_earwig]

i have 2, the best money can buy, but i forgot my keys this morning

Bugger. I have combination locks because I'm crap with keys and tend to leave them somewhere stupid, I know everyone can crack them but it takes time. I also have a combination lock on my workshop with a spare set of keys inside, I can crack that one myself but it would take a couple of days if I didn't know the code.

[mjb]

And next time, buy a lock too, you live in England!

i have 2, the best money can buy, but i forgot my keys this morning

Dumbass

I'd have not let it leave my sight unlocked, and would have had a breaker bar with me at all times, but I've had far too many bikes stolen in the past... :/ The worst thing is you know it's probably changed hands at least 4 times now and has "earned" people about £300 worth of drugs

My bike has a reasonable lock, but I keep the lock mounted on it despite the weight, and treat it a bit like my car - I don't go anywhere on it without unlocking (and locking it again) first - good habit to get into. Mind you, with a Yale lock on the front door I'm buggered (and seriously out of pocket) if I leave the house without my keys anyhow

[STALLED]

Sucks to hear mate!

Some people are such scum. I get the feeling that the crime in the UK is alot worse than it is here...is the UK really that dodgy? Just asking from a potential UK resident?

[DaiRees]

Obviously some areas are more crime prone than others, but I wouldn't say the UK is generally all that bad. I wouldn't go out and leave the house unlocked and I am conscious of where I park the car and all that kind of stuff, plus I'd think twice about walking around some areas at night alone, but I'm lucky enough to live in a nice quiet area of what is a notoriously rough town (one of the localities of Merthyr was once named in one of those pointless polls as 3rd roughest place in Europe! ).

When I go the the big cities the city centres usually feel very safe at any time of the day or night, but as with anywhere else, there'll be places you don't wanna go.

[steve_earwig]

Mind you, with a Yale lock on the front door I'm buggered (and seriously out of pocket) if I leave the house without my keys anyhow

Don't you have any local friends/relatives you'd trust with a spare key? Also, a friend of mine had her handbag pinched while we were in London (nicked off the table by someone masquerading as staff). It was the second time it had happened to her and she had insurance for just such an eventuality, I just had to wait with her for the locksmith to turn up.

Just out of interest, this was on the BBC the other day.

I don't think there's any where in the UK where there isn't any crime, however it's a different story in the US. About 10 years ago a buddy of mine was living in Lexington VA, there was so little crime there that someone having their bike stolen was big news! I heard a radio show a few years back about Hershey, PA (home of the chocolate company), where there's so little crime people leave their houses unlocked all the time, there were even people who didn't know where their front door keys were. If someone came to do something in their house, say a builder or plumber or something, no-one bothered to stay home to let them in or anything, they just got on with it while the owner was at work.

Croatia's getting worse but on a walk through a small village you'll still see door keys hanging out the locks and not many people bother to lock up. Ok, in the cities there's mugging and stuff but it's very unusual.

[mjb]

I get the feeling that the crime in the UK is alot worse than it is here...is the UK really that dodgy? Just asking from a potential UK resident?

I imagine it's a hell of a lot worse than oz, but you get used to it. Just always keep your property locked up, never leave anything on display in the car, don't get your mobile phone or wallet out where someone could snatch it or when there's a congregation of youths around, don't walk through dodgy areas alone and never look at anyone in the street after 11pm unless it's a group of youths in which case make it clear you've got your eyes on them (but not staring, else you'll end up stabbed)

And don't buy a house in Nottingham ;)

Don't you have any local friends/relatives you'd trust with a spare key?

I do now, a couple of miles walk away. It's usually when I'm just nipping out to the car for something, realise i've not got my keys and hear the CLICK that means I'm walking a couple of miles in the rain in my socks ;)

[steve_earwig]

So, you've not got any spare shoes and socks you can leave with the spare key?

It could be wose, I once left an ex-girlfriend in my car with the engine running while I went to pick up a curry. About 5 minutes later she came in the shop to tell me someone wanted me to move the car. The problem was she'd locked the car when she got out and it had central locking, I had to get my borther to use my spare key to go in my house and pick up my spare car keys and bring them down to me. Worse still, the curry got cold

[teamster1975]

It could be worse, I once left an ex-girlfriend in my car with the engine running while I went to pick up a curry. About 5 minutes later she came in the shop to tell me someone wanted me to move the car. The problem was she'd locked the car when she got out and it had central locking, I had to get my borther to use my spare key to go in my house and pick up my spare car keys and bring them down to me. Worse still, the curry got cold

Bloody 'ell, had she left the engine running?

[steve_earwig]

Of course!