The All New Rag & Bone Men!

[Lilysmum]

sundowner wrote: Lilysmum wrote: Lilysmum wrote: Having had three collection bags through my letterbox this week to fill with unwanted clothing,shoes bedding etc made me think that these collection companies who sell the stuff abroad and say they give a donation to some obscure charity are the "new rag men"I'm not convinced they are all bona fide.Charity shops must be taking a real hit from them as it's easier to leave a bag of stuff on the doorstep than take it to their local shop Another leaflet has just been shoved through my letter box (They have stopped including a bag now) requesting unwanted clothing.Also "toiletries ,handbags,cosmetics and perfume are of great help" I bet they are!! This is getting ridiculous,over the last few months I have been getting on average 4 of these a week,(8 in one week being the best so far)I wonder how much of the stuff they collect makes it to the third world countries they are claiming to help? It's a right scam. Dont forget mobile phones also wanted what does someone liveing in the third world need a mobile phone for.Its like asking for gas stoves to give to the bush men who live in the desert in North Africa. There was an item on the news this morning about Lithuanian gangs operating a scam collecting donated goods on behalf on the "Breakthrough breast cancer" charity. This charity DON'T do doorstep collections so if you recieve a leaflet through your letterbox it IS bogus! I get loads of these bags, most of them suspect, well on my way to filling a bag to leave on the doorstep, had 46 since the end of January.

[stutterdog]

Brandy wrote: Lilysmum wrote: Just read in my local paper that last weekends remembrance services were almost cancelled at Guiseley church as the lead had been stripped from the roof a couple of nights previously.The evening service went ahead with water pouring down the columns and now faces a hefty repair bill. We still have stocks in Guiseley maybe the theiving pikeys should be put in them!              SCUMBAGS NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!We had a visit from the romantically named"rag'n'bone men"around our street yesterday and three manhole covers have gone missing along with my next door neighbors iron gates!According to a witness there driving a white transit type pick-up with a blue back,so be on your look out!Its not going to be long before someone gets seriously injured or killed what on earth is wrong with these people??have they no morals at all?This was in the leeds9 area by the way.      I've just moved house and had all the radiators renewed and the gas fire. I put them outside to weigh the in myself. I got up the day after and looked outside the door and it had all gone!Saved me a trip to the scrapyard I suppose and I dont know how much I'd have got .

[Keg]

I live in Rawdon, in a cul-de-sac, so no reason to drive down unless you live there, know somone or are dropping off.In the last week, 2 pikey flat back transits have been seen slowly driving and reversing. I have an old landrover which is my pride and joy and it's garaged, they even clocked that when the door was up and actually knocked on the door to ask if it was for sale.We then get a new Neighbourhood Watch notice round, and in there is a warning about the same two vehicles!

[Lilysmum]

stutterdog wrote: Brandy wrote: Lilysmum wrote: Just read in my local paper that last weekends remembrance services were almost cancelled at Guiseley church as the lead had been stripped from the roof a couple of nights previously.The evening service went ahead with water pouring down the columns and now faces a hefty repair bill. We still have stocks in Guiseley maybe the theiving pikeys should be put in them!              SCUMBAGS NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!We had a visit from the romantically named"rag'n'bone men"around our street yesterday and three manhole covers have gone missing along with my next door neighbors iron gates!According to a witness there driving a white transit type pick-up with a blue back,so be on your look out!Its not going to be long before someone gets seriously injured or killed what on earth is wrong with these people??have they no morals at all?This was in the leeds9 area by the way.      I've just moved house and had all the radiators renewed and the gas fire. I put them outside to weigh the in myself. I got up the day after and looked outside the door and it had all gone!Saved me a trip to the scrapyard I suppose and I dont know how much I'd have got . It's in this week's Wharfedale observer that St oswald's church roof has been stripped of lead again.The repair bill was £13,000 last time! The article also says that scrap copper can fetch up to £1,400 a tonne and lead £800/1,000.

[Si]

stutterdog wrote: I've just moved house and had all the radiators renewed and the gas fire. I put them outside to weigh the in myself. I got up the day after and looked outside the door and it had all gone!Saved me a trip to the scrapyard I suppose and I dont know how much I'd have got . A few weeks ago, I helped a neighbour remove an old cast-iron bath from his bathroom, into the front garden. He said he'd ring round to sell it for scrap.The following morning, as my wife was leaving for work, a white flat-bed Transit arrived, and the driver man-handled the bath onto the back (no mean feat.) As he drove past, my wife wrote down his reg. He reversed back, demanding why she had done this. He explained that he had permission to take the bath, and drove off. That evening, I asked the neighbour if this was so. Of course it was rubbish. The reg number was kosher, and he got done.It makes you wonder how these people's brains work. He was witnessed nicking the bath - he saw the witnesses record his reg plate - he knew he could be traced, and yet, instead of replacing the bath in the garden, he still went ahead and nicked it!    

[Keg]

Si, i think most thieves are stupid, a lot seem to get caught and i would imagine this one thought that the police wouldn't bother themsleves with it.I noticed drivingback from the lakes on Sunday that in Kirby Lonsdale, the broad verges where the Pikeys camped have been fenced off at last !

[Trojan]

Si wrote: stutterdog wrote: I've just moved house and had all the radiators renewed and the gas fire. I put them outside to weigh the in myself. I got up the day after and looked outside the door and it had all gone!Saved me a trip to the scrapyard I suppose and I dont know how much I'd have got . A few weeks ago, I helped a neighbour remove an old cast-iron bath from his bathroom, into the front garden. He said he'd ring round to sell it for scrap.The following morning, as my wife was leaving for work, a white flat-bed Transit arrived, and the driver man-handled the bath onto the back (no mean feat.) As he drove past, my wife wrote down his reg. He reversed back, demanding why she had done this. He explained that he had permission to take the bath, and drove off. That evening, I asked the neighbour if this was so. Of course it was rubbish. The reg number was kosher, and he got done.It makes you wonder how these people's brains work. He was witnessed nicking the bath - he saw the witnesses record his reg plate - he knew he could be traced, and yet, instead of replacing the bath in the garden, he still went ahead and nicked it!     But they do get away with it. They stripped the lead off the former Pavilion Cinema in Morley and no one batted an eyelid because they were wearing Hi-viz jackets.My experience of the police is that unless it's handed to them on a plate they can't be bothered. I've been burgled twice, and had various vehicles vandalised and property stolen from them, in West Yorkshire, and as far as I know no one has ever been prosecuted.

[Keg]

Would agree Trojan, when my mum got burgled some years ago, the police said they knew the gang that did it but couldn't prove it as the stuff would have been moved in very quickly.Sadly, i believe law makes it very hard to get a conviction unless 100% proof is gained. The CPS seemto make the decisions rather than the police themselves.I would go for the 3 strikes then out. if the scum were jailed there woul be no need for evidence.    

[Crazy Jane]

"It makes you wonder how these people's brains work. He was witnessed nicking the bath - he saw the witnesses record his reg plate - he knew he could be traced, and yet, instead of replacing the bath in the garden, he still went ahead and nicked it!"I don;t get it either, some unpleasant creature has been coming round trying to rip off my 84 year old neighbour, he was trying to charge him £150 for an hours hedge strimming among other things.Thing is i can make it quite clear i'm onto the guy and he doesn;t just keep it up in front of me, he starts asking me if i want my house painting and stuff too. They actually don;t seem to see anything wrong with what they do.The guy came back while my neighbours family were round and they sent him packing

[Leeds Hippo]

Trojan wrote: Si wrote: stutterdog wrote: I've just moved house and had all the radiators renewed and the gas fire. I put them outside to weigh the in myself. I got up the day after and looked outside the door and it had all gone!Saved me a trip to the scrapyard I suppose and I dont know how much I'd have got . A few weeks ago, I helped a neighbour remove an old cast-iron bath from his bathroom, into the front garden. He said he'd ring round to sell it for scrap.The following morning, as my wife was leaving for work, a white flat-bed Transit arrived, and the driver man-handled the bath onto the back (no mean feat.) As he drove past, my wife wrote down his reg. He reversed back, demanding why she had done this. He explained that he had permission to take the bath, and drove off. That evening, I asked the neighbour if this was so. Of course it was rubbish. The reg number was kosher, and he got done.It makes you wonder how these people's brains work. He was witnessed nicking the bath - he saw the witnesses record his reg plate - he knew he could be traced, and yet, instead of replacing the bath in the garden, he still went ahead and nicked it! I'm happy to say their body language gave them away - they were working unusually fast!     But they do get away with it. They stripped the lead off the former Pavilion Cinema in Morley and no one batted an eyelid because they were wearing Hi-viz jackets.My experience of the police is that unless it's handed to them on a plate they can't be bothered. I've been burgled twice, and had various vehicles vandalised and property stolen from them, in West Yorkshire, and as far as I know no one has ever been prosecuted. This reminds me of a G.K.Chesterton story "The Invisible Man" - if the criminal dresses like they should be there they can get away with murder - in the story the murderer was dressed as postman and so was "invisible" to the general observer.Mind you it didn't work a couple of years ago when I saw some "workmen" dressed in hi-visibility wear (must be the standard disguise) who were taking some York stone paving stones from the canal path - I contacted the police and they were caught! Their body language gave them away - they were working unusually fast!