Early hours marauders stealing Spare Tyres and Plants (Lounged)

[Curmudgeon]

well I meant that people should be aware how their spare is attached to their cars .. I never realised mine could be nicked...

And also plants in pots outside houses are at risk, so consider whether you're happy to risk the amount you have invested in them.

If you're not interested then that's fine, if you can minimise your personal risk then great. Too late for me. But I don't think it's turning it into a 'crime noticeboard' to warn people of an unusual (IMO) theft.

Thanks for the sympathy though

[Comus]

'Gippos' is well established as a derogatory term for Gypsies (itself a highly inaccurate word, probably a corruption and misunderstanding of 'Egyptians' by earlier misinformed residents of this country).

However, it is as offensive as ?Micks? is of the Irish or ?Jocks? of the Scots ? to name only two of the milder racial epithets.

I accept that you did not deliberately wish to cause offence, but it is ? to say the least ? careless to use such terms.

[Administrator]

Thread title changed to be more "factual" than "alertist", it is just the way I prefer titles. I would rather the alertist titles be used for bigger issues and announcements.

I change titles sometimes and tend not to tell people but as this has been discussed I am telling you all. I mainly just change the ones that are written in CAPITALS, they annoy me.

My sympathies to Curmudgeon for your loss.

[Dave337]

Curmudgeon,

To be clear (if you're happy to say) - did this happen on Heber Rd?

Dave

[Strawbs]

I wish someone would steal my spare tyre!! ;-) I saw a dude on my street stealing petrol from a car the other day, I was shocked as I havent seen that for the longest time..

As for the word Gippo I use it, I certainly dont say it to anyone directly but I sometimes use it to describe people and its not purely meant to describe Gipsys as I always thought Gipsys were called something else.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Amen sister!

As for the G word - it's one of those words that many people use without thought nor malice - but given that it does cause offence to so many (of actual Gyspy origin) it shouldn't matter that no harm was meant - it's surely polite to just drop it?

As a Paddy, that particular word as lost much of the menace it had even 20 years ago - but when people used to be blas? about it it did rankle

[*Bob*]

Jeez, you can't say anything these days.

Personally, I blame The Hun.

[kford]

What about 'diddycoy' or 'tinker'?

[ClareC]

my old next door neighbour (in ED) referred to herself as a gypsy. I dont know whether she really was or not or but she was proud of her gypsy heritage.

[SteveT]

The term gippo's or didicoys, pikey's and 'travellers', all replacements for the word gypsy, from as far back as I can remember.

It is probably offensive to the Guardian reading fraternity, and of course to the politically correct crowd too.

It was not the case when I was being raised as it was commonly used by family, friends, and neighbours.

I do not feel a racist when I use these terms, just victimised because of my great age;-)

[*Bob*]

I'm sure she didn't refer to herself as a 'gippo' though.

[SeanMacGabhann]

The usual suspects hung out as a strawman. Ok - ignore us Guardian types and wander to the nearest Gypsy Camp (they are EVERYWHERE according to some people) and see how politically correct they are when you use the term

[Brendan]

Whether or not a term is offensive has precious little to do with the person using. It has to do with whether or not the person/people being referred to take offence to it. So if grandma used the word and it was never meant as derogatory that doesn?t mean someone should suddenly stop being offended by it.

Although I must say I am strictly against some sort of leftwing-Nazi thought police telling people what they should and shouldn?t? say.

It is just polite for people to take cognisance of whether or not other groups of people take offence to being called something or not. Don?t be a dick and if you insist on being one don?t be surprised if people treat you accordingly.

[mockney piers]

If I was a gippo I'd probably be most offended by Brad Pitt's accent in Snatch.

Mind you if I was a passionate film goer I'd just be offended by Snatch. Kerbala ain't done his mojo no favours has it.

[VeryBerryCherry]

Curmudgeon Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> around 4am this morning we think

>

> am editing to say: people seem to think that 'more

> detail is needed'.. OK .. my neighbour disturbed

> someone around 4am trying to nick his spare tyre

> from his campervan. I smiled when he told me, 3

> hours later drove away my Zafira to a rattling

> noise and found that some bugger had nicked my

> spare tyre (held in a cage under the car), Dell

> reckons ?100 to replace wheel and tyre. Someone

> has also nicked the fig trees from outside Heber

> School.

>

> I have reported to police. I thought I'd do my

> civic duty and warn you lot too.

-------------------------------------------------------

We had an intruder in our 1st FLR FLAT last night!

We live in the Hayes Grove area and we are in a 1st floor flat. We usually shut the patio doors in the bedroom and main room, but because it was so warm, they were open. We don't know what time it happened during the night, but somebody scaled the fences and our balcony and tried to sneak into our bedroom while we were asleep.

They only managed to steel Mr VBC's phone off the radiator on the side! "Thankfully" (6) they didn't get any further because I don't think they excpected anyone to be in that room. But the thought of someone in our room was a scary enough thought.

All windows are now locked, but we were put off with phoning the police as we couldn't imagine them actually being able to do anything about it. However, I'm sure there's foot/finger prints all over our balcony still.

Has anyone else had some thing happen like this?

[*Bob*]

Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Whether or not a term is offensive has precious

> little to do with the person using. It has to do

> with whether or not the person/people being

> referred to take offence to it... Don?t be a dick

> and if you insist on being one don?t be surprised

> if people treat you accordingly.

*round of applause*

[lozzyloz]

when I was being raised as it was commonly used by family, friends, and neighbours

But if that was the case for terms like spaz, wog and paki (terms commonly used in the 60's and 70's) would you still feel that they were acceptable terms to use now because you're of 'an age'? Surely older means wiser not defiantly ignorant.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

VBC:Sorry to hear that.At least the material damage was minimal.Console yourself by thinking that it was only the "opportunist" element of the open windows that created this.I'm sure,thru' vigilance,that you won't have any further problems.Try not to worry!

[SeanMacGabhann]

yep sorry to hear about the breakin VBC - good advice from Tony too

[VeryBerryCherry]

Thanks guys,

yeah we figured it was more of an opportunist thing than a pre-meditated one. And we were very grateful to find only a phone missing and not laptops, TV, wallets, bank cards, which were all strewn aournd our usually "tidy" flat. So we can't moan really. Just be a little frustrated at our momentary stupidity.

we even had a conversation a few weeks before where I was locking them before we went out and Mr VBC said, "Why bother locking them? Who's going to break into a 1st floor flat?" and I agreed. Serves us right for our complacency I suppose.

Lesson learnt and only the tips of our fingers burnt :-$

[lilolil]

My spare tyre was still there this morning :'(

[????]

Sabotaging cars and a thing against plants....has to be a SeanMac/Jrussel dual effort....;-)

[Big Jim]

Curmudgeon, sorry you've had your stuff nicked - it sucks.

But I've got to say, I find all the people being offended on behalf of other people, rather amusing.

Out of interest, how many people have actually had real contact with 'Travellers'. Also, what makes 'Travellers' a seperate race as opposed to it being a lifestyle choice (genuine question 'cos I honestly don't know).

[macroban]

This book is helpful in answering Big Jim's question.

I recommend the full three volumes if you are interested in this subject.

[Jamma]

Gippos? Why were people from Egypt stealing tyres?

I can't believe there's two pages on this thread. The OP was just trying to warn folk and do his civic duty. Isn't that what a forum is for?

Sean Mac I don't believe the quality of stuff on this forum has gone down, there's just more about. I fear you're beginning to sound like one of those folk who says there's nothing on the telly. There's lots of threads on here that you probably would like, just avoid the ones you don't and leave others to it.