Scrotes-on-Trent

[Pykebird]

As said before, its quite often how you react to the kids that determines the outcome of the situation. Having just cruised most of the midland over the last couple of month, mainly on my own, I have had no trouble.

I always engage first and make eye contact and smile.

[furnessvale]

As said before, its quite often how you react to the kids that determines the outcome of the situation. Having just cruised most of the midland over the last couple of month, mainly on my own, I have had no trouble.

I always engage first and make eye contact and smile.

Yes, it works 95% of the time, but............

 

I was once approaching Walsall and a gang of youths came onto the towpath. 20 minutes walking along the towpath, laughing and joking with them. At a suitable point they left the towpath and walked into a park. Then they turned and stoned me and the boat. :-(

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Wanted]

I don't think it's irrelevant at all. Perhaps he just wanted to know what typical troublemakers in the area look like?

 

If an area has a history and reputation of incidents (and I don't know the area so I don't know whether it has or not), then surely any description of the assailants without referring to their ethnicity is completely pointless.

 

Your attitude is similar to the politically correct line that the police used to take when issuing descriptions for fear of causing offence. Thankfully they've now largely realised the absurdity of that approach. So I actually think it's your unwarranted, self-righteous reprimand of the OP that does you no good personally.

 

That's my view but that's all I have to say about it...

Of course the Elephant in the room being that the OP has some pretty distasteful form for his interest in people's parentage.

 

Whilst I agree that using race as a descriptor is perfectly sensible, you'll note the OP makes reference to racism which would indicate that he is aware of the amount of times he's been pulled up on it and is alluding thus.

ETA - a paintball gun that is made to fire in excess of 300FPS becomes a firearm.

[twbm]

That's a very nice soap box. You'd better put it safely away before one of those nasty Stokie kids runs off with it.

 

Not as soap box as such, but a reflection on the world we have to operate in whether you like it or not. Anyone who owns a business or works in public office has to be sensitive to such issues, perhaps more so than Joe Public. I do both.

 

 

I don't think it's irrelevant at all. Perhaps he just wanted to know what typical troublemakers in the area look like?

 

If an area has a history and reputation of incidents (and I don't know the area so I don't know whether it has or not), then surely any description of the assailants without referring to their ethnicity is completely pointless.

 

Your attitude is similar to the politically correct line that the police used to take when issuing descriptions for fear of causing offence. Thankfully they've now largely realised the absurdity of that approach. So I actually think it's your unwarranted, self-righteous reprimand of the OP that does you no good personally.

 

That's my view but that's all I have to say about it...

 

This wasn't a helpful description, it was an assumption by the OP based on no facts at all and can therefore can be presumed to be based on some prejudice or preconceptions that he has. And 'scrotes' come in a variety of colours and sizes so any single race description would be misleading.

 

Of course the Elephant in the room being that the OP has some pretty distasteful form for his interest in people's parentage.

 

Whilst I agree that using race as a descriptor is perfectly sensible, you'll note the OP makes reference to racism which would indicate that he is aware of the amount of times he's been pulled up on it and is alluding thus.

ETA - a paintball gun that is made to fire in excess of 300FPS becomes a firearm.

 

Yes, he has.

[Jo_]

Last time we came down Etruria, there was a group of half a dozen lads sitting on/around the lock. It was mid-morning and I approached with my normal sunny smile and asked who was up for helping me because it's a tough lock! Turned out they were on their morning break from the biscuit factory and while the majority slid away, two stayed behind and were brilliant!

[Guest User]

As said before, its quite often how you react to the kids that determines the outcome of the situation. Having just cruised most of the midland over the last couple of month, mainly on my own, I have had no trouble.

I always engage first and make eye contact and smile.

 

Totally agree, when there's a group ahead I give a big smile and say hello. On the two occasions I have been attacked it was whilst underway and totally out of the blue. Once going under a derelict bridge - suddenly stones were hitting the boat, but no one to be seen. I got my camera out and kept going - as I went under the bridge I heard someone running away and thankfully that was the end of it. On the Thames, passing through park land west of Reading, for no reason that I will ever fathom, some youngsters ran up to the bankside and started hurling missiles - I kept the boat out in the middle, and was able to reach my phone and take pictures (not that I took any that weren't blurred) but I think the act of me holding up a camera made them hesitate. They didn't follow and thankfully the next lock wasn't far away, and it was manned and busy. Took me a while to regain confidence after that but I've made a point of not making assumptions about people on the bankside - especially at locks - some of the brightest moments in a day's cruising have been conversations with young lads a locks (and some of the most disappointing have come from other boaters ).

 

LCx

[Alan Saunders]

Emerald Fox: "What ethnicity are we talking about? "White British" I suspect (hmm... bet that's a racist remark!!!)...

Why do you ask about ethnicity? Any comment that introduces that into a subject where it is a complete irrelevance is suspect - as you clearly realise. This is a long way from being the sort of remark that puts the site owner at risk but, we all share a responsibility to the owner to keep the site beyond any reproach .. and there may be some who indulge in a little private stereotyping that does you no good personally.

The comment may be considered 'racist' but it clearly implies, as is my experience, that the vast majority of such problems are perpetrated by white youths.

 

Alan

Edited to remove double post.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Alan Saunders

[Starcoaster]

Of course the Elephant in the room being that the OP has some pretty distasteful form for his interest in people's parentage.

 

Whilst I agree that using race as a descriptor is perfectly sensible, you'll note the OP makes reference to racism which would indicate that he is aware of the amount of times he's been pulled up on it and is alluding thus.

 

 

Yep yep!

 

My advice to genuine askers is, if you truly want to know which group of youths are the ones likely to start throwing rocks at you in Stoke (or troublespots anywhere else), look for the ones holding a handful of rocks... Be careful you don't overlook this small, minor clue while you're prioritising assessing their racial origins or religious leanings out of concern for your own safety though!

[pquinn]

Recent comments about the brick-throwing Mummy's Little Angels of Stoke-on-Trent prompts me to ask at what times of day have the savages attacked? And which week days?

We thought to run through 0300-0900 when the little darlings are asleep or too drunk to aim well.

What ethnicity are we talking about? "White British" I suspect (hmm... bet that's a racist remark!!!)...

Have victims had any joy from the Police?

 

EF

I heard they were black, Irish but i don't believe a word of it.I reckon they were Asian, Muslims.

[Wanted]

Just so I know who to avoid, could somebody tell me what, if any disabilities they had?

 

Thanks...

[ditchcrawler]

Just so I know who to avoid, could somebody tell me what, if any disabilities they had?

 

Thanks...

That is an easy one, Just think about why you would want to through bricks at boats, most people dont.

[lampini]

 

If you were firing paint or pepper rounds from a paintball gun you're not using a lethal barrelled weapon, you're using a toy. Your actions are more akin to using poster paint or tabasco sauce in a supersoaker!

We did this at a festival in Belgium once when we ladies who were working there got truly sick to death of the lazy (male) punters peeing on the unlined Heras fencing. Not a sight you want to see first thing in the morning, and crew camping backed onto the punters skate park. Or maybe it was chilli sauce... Anyhoo, worked much better than the "plz don't pee here" signs! ;-) Edited June 15, 2015 by lampini

[ditchcrawler]

I think I have been stoned 4 times and avoided it once, the avoided one was white male and female on a bridge, I just picked the camera up as I approached so they waited for the boat following.

In Birmingham they were white male, in Coventry white male very young and couldn't throw, in Bedworth white male and coming out of Coseley Tunnel I didn't see them as they were gone before my end of the boat was out..

[twbm]

I heard they were black, Irish but i don't believe a word of it.I reckon they were Asian, Muslims.

 

How are things back there in the seventies?

[DHutch]

On the whole stoke is fine...

Ditto. We go through once or twice most years, and have yet to ever have any issues at all.

 

I have also left the boat moored against 'Hardings Wood', between the junction and aqueduct, at Kidsgrove for 5 days between weekends without issue.

 

 

 

Daniel

[Emerald Fox]

Oops again, I was just curious about what kind of nasty folk in Stoke but as soon as I mention the word 'ethnicity' I get jumped on. I'll write to the Oxford English Dictionary publishers and suggest they remove the 'E' word.

Thanks for replies, have given me a brighter image of Stoke-on-Trent.

Fox on the move...

[MtB]

 

Yep yep!

 

My advice to genuine askers is, if you truly want to know which group of youths are the ones likely to start throwing rocks at you in Stoke (or troublespots anywhere else), look for the ones holding a handful of rocks... Be careful you don't overlook this small, minor clue while you're prioritising assessing their racial origins or religious leanings out of concern for your own safety though!

 

 

You seem to be overlooking the fact that when we got heavily stoned on the southern stratford we never saw the culprits so have no eye deer of their ethnicity. (Or was I with Woolfie then?)

 

The only time I've actually seen the shitbags assaulting Reg was in Banbury, and they were caucasian white scrotes. I fink you were there at the time...

 

 

MtB

[Starcoaster]

 

 

You seem to be overlooking the fact that when we got heavily stoned on the southern stratford we never saw the culprits so have no eye deer of their ethnicity. (Or was I with Woolfie then?)

 

The only time I've actually seen the shitbags assaulting Reg was in Banbury, and they were caucasian white scrotes. I fink you were there at the time...

 

 

MtB

 

 

Your memory!! I was with you that time we got badly stoned, but I can't remember where it was. Those lads were white, I can remember how one of them looked and what he was wearing now! The ones that inexplicably dumped their bikes in the bridge hole to do so?

 

The time we got done in Banbury, those lads were Asian! They were only little and I made it worse by flicking them the V-sign, if you recall... I still have no idea why I did that, because I must have known it was going to wind them up more rather than cause them to stop, innit!

 

Even so, my point was that their ethnicity is irrelevant, and surely as you recall not seeing it on the one occasion and getting it wrong on the other, kind of supports my point!

Edited June 16, 2015 by Starcoaster

[MtB]

Jeez, this reminds me of my (wonderful) (ex) Her Indoors.

 

She is able to quote verbatim things I said in arguments we had 25 years ago. The worst thing is, when she quotes these things, I remember saying them!

Edited June 16, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[Emerald Fox]

Heh! Thank Gawd I don't remember half the stuff I post on here

[Starcoaster]

Jeez, this reminds me of my (wonderful) (ex) Her Indoors.

 

She is able to quote verbatim things I said in arguments we had 25 years ago. The worst thing is, when she quotes these things, I remember saying them!

 

So you remember now!

Also, women are always right.

[MtB]

 

So you remember now!

Also, women are always right.

 

 

Remember wot?