Thieves on the Oxford Canal

[NB Alnwick]

I was unable to refill my generator with petrol on Friday evening because some time earlier, some selfish, dishonest, thieving scum had lifted our Jerry can containing ten litres of newly purchased fuel.

 

OK, I am sure some will say that we shouldn't have been so trusting in leaving it on the deck without chaining it down - or perhaps we should have kept it locked inside the boat, although I have never been happy with the thought of petrol stored inside. Nevertheless it is a very sad state of affairs if we have to keep everything on the boat under lock and key because other members of our community cannot be trusted to keep their thieving hands off other people's property.

[Liam]

A good few years ago there was a communal genny which was free to use, along with a 25L jerry can of petrol for anybody to use...

 

Unfortunately every time somebody went to use the generator, the petrol tank and gerry can was always empty. One of the moorers decided to fill up the gerry can out of his own pocket and topped it up with another unknown liquid. It didn't take long for one of the moorers to complain about having a dead petrol powered outboard engine. Funnily enough we never had problems with missing petrol again.

[Greybeard]

Sign of the times really.

 

Went for a pump out this morning.

 

Bought card - moored up - took out caps - went to pump to find someone has stolen the nozzle from the end of the pipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I mean what ******* good is to anyone?

 

Mad world we live in.

 

GB

 

edited to say.

 

Sorry off topic.

Edited November 8, 2009 by Greybeard

[NB Phoenix]

Sorry off topic.

 

Disagree these sort of people are all s**t (Need a good pump out)

[Keeping Up]

Went for a pump out this morning.

 

Bought card - moored up - took out caps - went to pump to find someone has stolen the nozzle from the end of the pipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That wasn't the one at Hebden Bridge was it? We were there in July and found the nozzle was missing. BW said vandals had stolen it, the new one had been on order for 3 months and would be arriving the next day if we could wait. We didn't.

[Greybeard]

That wasn't the one at Hebden Bridge was it? We were there in July and found the nozzle was missing. BW said vandals had stolen it, the new one had been on order for 3 months and would be arriving the next day if we could wait. We didn't.

 

Not Hebden Bridge but local marina. They have 2 pumps so still got the job done - just can't understand the mentality of stealing the nozzle.

 

It can only be a boater who's taken it so.........grudge against marina owners OR grudge against other boaters OR just a F****NG idiot.

 

Answers on a postcard please!

 

GB

[NB Alnwick]

What dismays me is that our petrol can was probably taken by another boater - most likely someone passing through. It, sort of, destroys ones faith in the integrity of the boating community.

[Chris-B]

What dismays me is that our petrol can was probably taken by another boater - most likely someone passing through. It, sort of, destroys ones faith in the integrity of the boating community.

 

Tis a common problem Graham, pour yourself a glass of something from Scotland's Highlands and Islands

 

Scrotes like that are not worth getting wound up over....

 

Chris

[g-man]

I was unable to refill my generator with petrol on Friday evening because some time earlier, some selfish, dishonest, thieving scum had lifted our Jerry can containing ten litres of newly purchased fuel.

 

OK, I am sure some will say that we shouldn't have been so trusting in leaving it on the deck without chaining it down - or perhaps we should have kept it locked inside the boat, although I have never been happy with the thought of petrol stored inside. Nevertheless it is a very sad state of affairs if we have to keep everything on the boat under lock and key because other members of our community cannot be trusted to keep their thieving hands off other people's property.

 

Thieving's not a modern phenomenon, my old mum in her 80's thinks I'm mad leaving wood, coal, petrol and assorted kit around my boat. But, as i say to her until proved otherwise I'll trust my fellow boaters around me. Of course if I ever caught some scrote nicking stuff I'd skin em alive, the irony would be I'd probably give a fellow boater the odd gallon of petrol if they were short...

[Nickhlx]

Thieving's not a modern phenomenon, my old mum in her 80's thinks I'm mad leaving wood, coal, petrol and assorted kit around my boat. But, as i say to her until proved otherwise I'll trust my fellow boaters around me. Of course if I ever caught some scrote nicking stuff I'd skin em alive, the irony would be I'd probably give a fellow boater the odd gallon of petrol if they were short...

 

 

I like that idea - Just leave a can of doped fuel around - that will cost the thief a lot more than the fuel he stole....

 

Nick

[MrCJ]

I like that idea - Just leave a can of doped fuel around - that will cost the thief a lot more than the fuel he stole....

 

Nick

 

then they take you to court for the damage it has caused there engine and has the courts go you will come off worse and nothing will be done to them for taking it in the first place. Had friend got hold of someone that was taking stuff from his shed twisted his arm to hold why the police turned up friend ended up getting done for holding the guy. whats this world coming to.

[Bones]

strangely enough I have just been told that someone came to GIVE me a bag of coal, and to give my neighbour, Maffi, a bag of coal too. No idea why... a bit of a contrast to the Cropredy thieves.... unless someone is missing 2 bags of coal up there!

[g-man]

strangely enough I have just been told that someone came to GIVE me a bag of coal, and to give my neighbour, Maffi, a bag of coal too. No idea why... a bit of a contrast to the Cropredy thieves.... unless someone is missing 2 bags of coal up there!

 

Just double check it really is coal!

[Nickhlx]

then they take you to court for the damage it has caused there engine and has the courts go you will come off worse and nothing will be done to them for taking it in the first place. Had friend got hold of someone that was taking stuff from his shed twisted his arm to hold why the police turned up friend ended up getting done for holding the guy. whats this world coming to.

 

 

Just deny it was anything to do with you.... if you didn't report the loss, how can it be linked to you ? What would you do if a stranger turned up on the doorstep claiming the item he had just stolen from you was "dangerous / faulty" when there was no such item at all ?

 

This sort of thing drives me insane, and if I were able, I would quite possibly leave all sorts of "lures" around, ( securely) with an explosive charge attached - word would soon get around that theft would be punishable by maiming....

 

We do need a bit more of a Zero Tolerance attitude to crime, with some really very severe punishments - else the crime rate will continue rising / soaring.... Firstly a ten shot dose of public tazering on the village green, then lopping a finger off for the next offence, then a hand, then a limb etc etc... some may say it's a bit extreme but for cases where there is no doubt, and especially repeat offenders I think it is perfectly appropriate...

 

It's a good thing I have no chance of ever being a politician, as this sort of thing would be high on my list to sort out for this country..., not building more hotels for prisoners with colour tvs and re-hab programs at immense expense ( tax burden).

 

Nick

[Leonie]

Sorry to hear it got nicked but remember it wasn't necessarily a boater. Having said that, I had 4 bags of coal stolen over Christmas period last year which was particularly painful as I had just been made redundant. I believe it was a boater who 'borrowed' my coal (without returning it). What can you do? Just because the majority of us look out for each other doesn't mean 'we're' all honest unfortunately.

 

If it was a boater in desperate need, I'd have been kind of okay with them leaving a note and a fiver explaining they were facing a tough winter wihout fuel - or something along those lines. But it just left me more suspicious of my boating neighbours and that's a shame.

[luctor et emergo]

Just deny it was anything to do with you.... if you didn't report the loss, how can it be linked to you ? What would you do if a stranger turned up on the doorstep claiming the item he had just stolen from you was "dangerous / faulty" when there was no such item at all ?

 

This sort of thing drives me insane, and if I were able, I would quite possibly leave all sorts of "lures" around, ( securely) with an explosive charge attached - word would soon get around that theft would be punishable by maiming....

 

We do need a bit more of a Zero Tolerance attitude to crime, with some really very severe punishments - else the crime rate will continue rising / soaring.... Firstly a ten shot dose of public tazering on the village green, then lopping a finger off for the next offence, then a hand, then a limb etc etc... some may say it's a bit extreme but for cases where there is no doubt, and especially repeat offenders I think it is perfectly appropriate...

 

It's a good thing I have no chance of ever being a politician, as this sort of thing would be high on my list to sort out for this country..., not building more hotels for prisoners with colour tvs and re-hab programs at immense expense ( tax burden).

 

Nick

 

You forget stoneing adultering wives....

[David Schweizer]

Thieving's not a modern phenomenon, my old mum in her 80's thinks I'm mad leaving wood, coal, petrol and assorted kit around my boat.........

I agree, but it used to be a rare occurence on the canals . For years I have left my boat quite safely moored unattended on the towpath (legally) and never had anything touched or stolen (apart from one escapade by Mr Finch), then about two years ago the thefts started. Poles and fenders off my boat, fuel from a neighbouring boat, Mooring signs removed, and worst of all, the starter motor removed from the Lister engine on my immediate neighbour's boat.

 

There appears to be an unsavoury element invading the boating community, which is unwelcome, and it is putting some people off. I have now moved my boat to a supervised off side mooring, and my two former neighbours have sold their boats.

Edited November 9, 2009 by David Schweizer

[Sir Nibble]

Just deny it was anything to do with you.... if you didn't report the loss, how can it be linked to you ? What would you do if a stranger turned up on the doorstep claiming the item he had just stolen from you was "dangerous / faulty" when there was no such item at all ?

 

This sort of thing drives me insane, and if I were able, I would quite possibly leave all sorts of "lures" around, ( securely) with an explosive charge attached - word would soon get around that theft would be punishable by maiming....

 

We do need a bit more of a Zero Tolerance attitude to crime, with some really very severe punishments - else the crime rate will continue rising / soaring.... Firstly a ten shot dose of public tazering on the village green, then lopping a finger off for the next offence, then a hand, then a limb etc etc... some may say it's a bit extreme but for cases where there is no doubt, and especially repeat offenders I think it is perfectly appropriate...

 

It's a good thing I have no chance of ever being a politician, as this sort of thing would be high on my list to sort out for this country..., not building more hotels for prisoners with colour tvs and re-hab programs at immense expense ( tax burden).

 

Nick

 

This policy has been tried for a trial period of thousands of years. Crime was higher then than now.

[Nightwatch]

This policy has been tried for a trial period of thousands of years. Crime was higher then than now.

And perhaps it is returning to something like the same lawless levels of all that time ago.

 

We do need a more effective deterrent than we have now though, don't we?

[stewey]

Personally I agree with Sir Paul Stephenson that criminals are getting away with the equivalent of parking tickets:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/c...icle6908004.ece

 

Stewey

[sueb]

We had someone steal a gallon of used engine oil and some chainsaw oil. We have always wondered what he did with it We have also returned to the boat to find a different colour bag of coal on the front.

Sue

[Allan(nb Albert)]

Personally I agree with Sir Paul Stephenson that criminals are getting away with the equivalent of parking tickets:

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/c...icle6908004.ece

 

Stewey

 

I can't understand the mentality of someone who would steal a parking ticket:-)

[tony collins]

I like that idea - Just leave a can of doped fuel around - that will cost the thief a lot more than the fuel he stole....

 

Nick

There is of course the tale of the farmer, who fed up with his tanks of diesel being emptied by members of "the travelling community" did something similar and ended up getting his windows smashed in return.

There just ain't no justice.

 

Tony

[Amduck]

I can't understand the mentality of someone who would steal a parking ticket:-)

 

 

Aha - funnily enough that happened to Mr Amduck. Parked in a car park without enough change for all day. Went back at lunchtime to renew ticket to find already had a parking ticket on the car. Spoke to the warden, who assured him that he might as well leave the car as it was without renewing the payment. When he went back at the end of the day, the ticket was gone. The warden was not surprised. Apparently, people take them and place them on their own car, hoping the warden will not realise that they haven't issued one to that car. Talk about cheek.

 

Problem is, of course, that if he hadn't seen it at lunchtime, he wouldn't have known he'd been done until the reminder dropped through the letterbox, by which time the fine would have doubled.