Beware of petty thieving in Dulwich Library

[Robert Poste's Child]

I was working in the library this morning as there are builders upstairs from me making a lot of noise. When I popped to the loo quickly someone stole my glasses.

Such a pointless crime and I can't imagine what was in it for the person unless they were trying to make someone else's life difficult. They were non-designer and 18 months old but I need them to be able to read or look at a screen, I work freelance and I don't have a spare pair.

It was a quiet morning and the corner I was sitting in was empty most of the time I was there so (fortunately) I took my bag and laptop with me but left my power lead, jacket, earplugs and glasses to let people know someone was coming back. When I came back a woman (60s, stocky, short black weave, darker complexion) was sitting at the other table and immediately started to get her things together in a panicky way and rushed off. I immediately noticed my glasses were missing and called after her had she picked them up by mistake. She made a big thing of showing me her own glasses and made a quick exit.

I let the staff know and although it's a petty crime I'm going to report it as the library is a hotspot for this kind of thing and chances are she may be doing it regularly.

If you're going to the library or local cafes, please watch your stuff.

[Rosetta]

Awful. Did you ask if there is any CCTV inside?

[Spaceat61]

I also suffered a theft in Dulwich Library around this time last year. I had my daughter with me in the pushchair, and had gone around to the bathroom, where the disabled toilet/buggy accessible one, was out of action so I had to take her into the bathroom with me, leaving her buggy outside. I stupidly left my mobile phone tucked into the hood of the pushchair. I went around my business in the library and realised my phone was gone. Thought back to last having had it, and realised that it must have been taken then from outside the toilet.

The library staff were kind at the time and helped me to phone the police (obviously I had no phone to do it myself) but the library has no CCTV in the bathroom lobby area so there was never any use in the police looking over the library CCTV anyway.

I was annoying, and upsetting, but ultimately it was my own fault really for leaving it there. It still does make you feel vulnerable as a library feels a safe place more than the usual shop maybe would.

[Robert Poste's Child]

The manager said they'd look at the CCTV footage later and they've got the description of the person. It sounds like it happens a lot, as at DLC. I guess any public building with lots of people coming and going, and children running around, offers easy pickings.

[Rosetta]

I remember reading about a spate of thefts in local charity shops, from pushchairs and bags.

[Robert Poste's Child]

A downside of living somewhere with a strong community feel is it's easy to forget you're in London, with all that goes with it. Still can't see why anyone but me would want my manky old non-designer Mrs-Potato-Head glasses, though.

[JohnL]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> A downside of living somewhere with a strong

> community feel is it's easy to forget you're in

> London, with all that goes with it. Still can't

> see why anyone but me would want my manky old

> non-designer Mrs-Potato-Head glasses, though.

tried them on - oh these are better then mine - I'll have them.

My varifocals cost ?500 a few years back (wouldn't buy varifocals now - don't like them) :)

[Robert Poste's Child]

I'm not shelling out for the 'occupational lenses' (aka bifocals) this time either.

[Robert Poste's Child]

BTW, this has made me realise how utterly helpless and unsupported you are as a victim of crimes that don't involve violence, lots of money or something media-worthy. Another example of how ordinary people count for nothing other than as the politician's favourite placebo phrase 'hardworking families'.

The Victim Support website doesn't even include theft in its list of crimes.

[Robert Poste's Child]

So much for the police having a regular, accessible presence in the library and supermarkets as we were promised when the police station closed.

[Angelina]

what a spiteful theft. it's obviously something you actually need. Makes it a little bit harder to think about. Very sorry you have had to deal with this.

[uncleglen]

How selfish. Who sinks that low?

[Sue]

RPC, sorry about your glasses.

Asda opticians do varifocals at really good prices, all in.

My OH and I both got some recently.

There's one on the Isle of Dogs right next to Mudchute Farm.

Lovely staff, too.

[Robert Poste's Child]

Thanks for all the sympathetic comments. Hadn't thought of Asda.

[Sue]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> Thanks for all the sympathetic comments. Hadn't

> thought of Asda.

My sister recommended them.

She has a really strong prescription, and they do thin lenses included in the price. At least I think that's why she went there. She used to travel from London to Watford to get her Asda specs, before this branch opened!

They don't have a vast range, but I found some I liked and I'm quite fussy :)

[Loz]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

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> Thanks for all the sympathetic comments. Hadn't

> thought of Asda.

Asda are great - and really cheap - but not quick. They have everything made in Vietnam if I recall correctly, so the glasses take a couple of weeks to arrive.

[JohnL]

Oh - I'll try Asda next time - I used one of the well known ones in Canary Wharf last time (and probably got charged full whack)

[Penguin68]

Many household insurance policies will cover thefts of e.g. portable valuables away from home (all risks cover) = it's worth checking to see if you are covered - of course you will have needed to report this theft to the police and be given a crime number for the insurance. The trade-off of course between claiming and any additional future insurance costs is worth considering - as is the actual cost of replacement glasses - these can be quite cheap from some outlets, particularly on-line if you have your prescription. Off-the-shelf reading glasses (if that's what you need, and assuming you don't have e.g. astigmatism or very different left and right eye needs) are also very reasonably priced. But such a theft (effectively stealing from the disabled, as that's what corrective lenses are addressing) is wholly disgusting (and, if the glasses compensate for complex needs) pretty pointless. Maybe it's kleptomania kicking in, rather than a theft for gain?

Amended to add - sorry, hadn't seen the 'where to replace them' thread elsewhere

[alice]

Calm down it's a pair of glasses annoying, yes but hardly makes s library a hotbed of crime or a remotely sensible place for a pc to be based.

[binkylilyput]

a) Being able to see is pretty important to most people

b) Not everyone can easily afford to replace a pair of specs

alice Wrote:

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> Calm down it's a pair of glasses annoying, yes

> but hardly makes s library a hotbed of crime or a

> remotely sensible place for a pc to be based.

[alice]

There's an excellent local ?1 shop for glasses

[binkylilyput]

Maybe set yourself up as the EDF online optician alice since you have remarkable skills in assessing someone's optical prescription without examination or eye test.

Robert Poste's Child I would be really peed off (and also quite disabled until I could get a new pair) if this happened to me.

alice Wrote:

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> There's an excellent local ?1 shop for glasses

[alice]

I truly amaze myself sometimes.

[Sue]

alice Wrote:

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> There's an excellent local ?1 shop for glasses

Pound shops sell cheap reading glasses. They are not opticians.

[Pugwash]

east Dulwich Ward Police meet in Christ Church on a Wednesday. I think it is 12 - 1 pm.

There were too many complaints about the police meeting at the library as they were not given a private interview room and there was a lack of privacy for residents who wanted to discuss their problems/concerns.