Picture the scene, you're sat in the car outside a row of shops waiting for the missus, four scroats on the pavement near by, two of them on a motorbike with no helmets or number plates. A van pulls up behind you and out gets a bloke with some boxes which he delivers into one of the shops. Quick as a flash one of the scroats from the motorbike puts the vans side window through, grabs a bag and is on the back of the bike and off before you could say thieving ba****ds. Other two scroats start to saunter away as the driver comes running out already on his mobile to the cops.
As title says, what would you do ?

Apart from chasing after them to chop their hands off.....give your details to the van driver in case you can be of any help as a witness.

Apart from chasing after them to chop their hands off.....give your details to the van driver in case you can be of any help as a witness.

Would you go after them though?

I wouldn't, but hubby/sons might.

I wouldn't, but hubby/sons might.

Most people would say they would aprehend them but when push comes to shove most people would bottle it. Quite rightly as well in my opinion.

Would you go after them though?

Risks and morals notwithstanding, no car is going to chase down a bike. He can weave between standing traffic and you can't. Short of ramming him, and leaving yourself open to an attempted murder charge, it wouldn't have been practical to give chase.

Would you go after them though?

definitely not.They may pull a knife on you.!!!!

Risks and morals notwithstanding, no car is going to chase down a bike. He can weave between standing traffic and you can't. Short of ramming him, and leaving yourself open to an attempted murder charge, it wouldn't have been practical to give chase.

I was meaning the two on foot who sauntered away. Not guilty of the crime but could certainly help the Police, not that they would.

definitely not.They may pull a knife on you.!!!!

Sensible response.

I'd ring the cops too and monitor the route of the sauntering scrotes
I'd provide descriptions of the whole lot - as there may be something you've seen that the driver hadn't

But hey, I'm the sort of person who believes in standing up for what's right :roll:

Risks and morals notwithstanding, no car is going to chase down a bike. He can weave between standing traffic and you can't. Short of ramming him, and leaving yourself open to an attempted murder charge, it wouldn't have been practical to give chase.

A car chased and rammed a bike with two handbag snatchers on it two years ago. The cops shook the lad's hands and said thanks for catching them. Thieves have less rights in Malaysia.
Pity the scumbags have rights here.
In answer to the OP, no I would not bother. If I got hold and they took any injury at all I get into trouble. Waste of time as the scumbags would only get a nothing slap on the wrist anyway.

I was meaning the two on foot who sauntered away. Not guilty of the crime but could certainly help the Police, not that they would.

Fair point. Those two, you could track down, if only to tell the police where they'd gone; but it's a stone-cold certainty that they've never seen the two on the bike before in their lives, don't know anything whatsoever about them, and can't give any useful information.

......And if you gave chase, risked your life in a confrontation if you caught them, risked prosecution yourself if you used any force, risked any possible revenge attacks by their friends and then helped the police in any prosecution of them.....................................what do you reckon their 'punishment' would be ?

Sadly, in this day and age, it's a lot more sensible to just get on with your life and by-pass all the hassle involved. The chances are the police would appreciate what you did or tried to do........but, later, the police are elsewhere and the thugs still rule large areas of our streets.

......And if you gave chase, risked your life in a confrontation if you caught them, risked prosecution yourself if you used any force, risked any possible revenge attacks by their friends and then helped the police in any prosecution of them.....................................what do you reckon their 'punishment' would be ?

Sadly, in this day and age, it's a lot more sensible to just get on with your life and by-pass all the hassle involved. The chances are the police would appreciate what you did or tried to do........but, later, the police are elsewhere and the thugs still rule large areas of our streets.


Unfortunately you are right but by thinking like that aren't you just as much to blame ? Not you personally, by you I mean law abiding people in general, no offence meant.

Walter Wall--------well, I see what you mean and I'm sure that YOU are quite correct. It's because the general public don't get involved enough that things are so much worse--------so far, so good.

However, it was not always like this and in many other countries people are more willing, no doubt, to support the authorities.Is it because British people have slowly turned more cowardly or negligent ? I don't think it is, personally. I think the two main reasons are :-

1] People are paying more taxes than they have ever done in the history of the U.K. In return for this, they feel entitled to expect that their streets and life in general, should be safer. Stamping down hard on robbery and violence in the streets and Housebreaking should be the priority of the police.The public feel there are not enough police on the streets and that the police spend too much money on other things.

2] Linked to number 1 is the fact that the public don't feel that hooligans......et al.......or criminals in general, are dealt with harshly enough even when they're convicted. Also, the respectable citizen has to be very careful in his/her contact with suspected criminals, in case the suspected criminal's human rights are violated.This is bound to lead to a mood of, "Why should I get involved ?"

Another aspect of all this is the danger of vigilantes. If the general public feel angry enough about the situation and can't see any alternative, there may well be a back-lash, with gangs of people, roaming the streets with base-ball bats...........in fact, it has already happened !
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