Pikey attention ..

Hi All,

I was just going out the car with our daughter the other day when I
saw a couple of 'lads' (5'6", one 20 one 30 maybe) walking down the
side of our house (the young one wearing a HiViz vest), they stopped
and were looking over the fence into our back garden. I think they had
got out of a silver Audi that was parked nearby.

I asked them if I could help them and one said "no, it's ok mate then"
then he said "yes, maybe you can" and continued "we are trying to
return this Oyster card to it's owner, do you know if she lives round
here" and then came over and showed me the card.

At the same time the other one was looking up and down at the other
houses then called to his mate "there is a scooter up here .." and
they both went off in that direction. As he walked off he said "do you
live there" and when I said "Yes" he said. "oh, sorry about that"
(meaning about looking over my fence).

As I drove off with our daughter I felt something was wrong but didn't
know what (this was broad daylight 4 pm or so).

I later heard from a mate that they had gone up to the house with a
scooter parked in the front and were 'looking at it' for a couple of
minutes before the owners Mum came out and asked if she could help
where they went through the Oyster card routine again.

When they had gone the Mum phoned the police and gave them the
registration of their car.

I've not spoken to anyone else yet to find out more but I wondered if
this was a known ploy and what they would be after and why (I mean,
would they nick the scooter to ride or break etc)?

All the best ..

T i m

Nth London / Herts

 

I'd suspect anything of any kind of value. Possibly scooters .

 

Well yes, but it seemed they were looking for something specific,
rather than just 'a scooter'.

In our front garden there were two 'bikes' (under covers) one of them
being a scooter but I didn't see them looking at those (not to say
they hadn't etc).

And all around there are several sports bikes?

All the best ..

T i m

 

IME people like that tend to nick anything. If they saw a laptop, they'd
have it. If you had a pile of batteries waiting to be weighed in, they'd
have them. It's opportunism IMO rather than someone scoping out for an
organised theft. I doubt they'd be bothering to spend much time hacking at
chains to nick your bike out of your garage. OTOH they may well tell someone
else who would if they spot something like that. Much like if you have a
safe in your house - if the burglar who breaks into your house can't break
into it, you can be sure he'll tell someone who can.

 

Ah, so just classic 'Pikey' stuff then. [1]

(that's the hope with our two bikes on the front .. each chained to a
ground anchor at the back and to a trailer at the front. Won't stop
anyone seriously interested (although very much overlooked) but might
deter yer opportunist etc.

Gotcha.

Time for some CCTV then maybe? Anyone know any really useable IP type
(ideally) external cams that aren't megabucks please?

All the best ..

T i m

[a] A mate was re-fitting someone's bathroom and had just put the cast
iron bath out in their front garden. He heard a vehicle door slam and
when he looked out saw a couple loading the bath onto their truck! He
didn't actually care as it saved him a job but they didn't even ask
....?

Is there such a think as Pikey Sat, where they get an alert as soon as
some scrap is left unattended for more than 5 mins?

 

Not IP cams, but I've had a couple of this bloke for not much money -
they've been ok so far.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/id=80470391&ssPageName=STRK:MEFS:MESST

And there's any number of cheap IP cams on ebay
http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=ip+camera
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

 

I'm not sure if I'd worry too much. So long as the locks and ground anchors
are good enough, and they're not in a position where someone could work on
them for a while without attracting attention, and out of sight, you'll
probably be ok. If someone really wants to take it, they will, and I'm not
sure if CCTV is much of a deterrent these days. Certainly doesn't seem to
stop crime in city centres.

I'd get a security light up if you've not got one, perhaps linked to a pull
sensor like electrical shops use attached to the bike? That way, if anyone
starts meddling with the bike, the light'll come on, but it won't come on
for every cat that walks across your garden.

 

Aye. I suspect quality plays a big part in these things - a mate who has
seen CCTV footage from one town told me you'd struggle to recognise your
gran with it, so it seems to be ignored by and large. ISTR there are various
caveats which can make CCTV inadmissable as evidence, which would be worth
checking on.

 

**** the pull sensor operating a light, have it operate a 12 guage aimed
just above the bikes,

 

Thanks for that Dave. Which ones in particular?

'Any number' isn't wrong! ;-)

To be more specific I think something 'less conspicuous' ... like one
of those tinted dome type that I could mount on the front wall of the
house, up under the first floor window sill so it can look down over
the front area without going onto the pavement etc.

Also I thought I'd ask if anyone had had good (or bad) luck with a
specific model (so I'll know what to look out for / avoid etc).

All the best ..

T i m

 

That was the hope Doki. :-(

Hmm, you maybe right, but it might help pin down those responsible
after the case (FWTW these days etc).

;-) I was thinking of something like that .. a 4 core wire 'loop'
like my mate has in his cycle shop (threaded though all the bikes and
valuable accessories etc), except with suitable weatherproof multi
core connectors to allow you to break the cct to get the bike out
easily? I could even thread the 'loop' through the chain sleeves etc,
in case they cut through them, the alarm / switch box mounted on the
front wall but out of plain sight etc?

The actual area is fairly well lit by a streetlight right outside my
next_door_ neighbours house, would that be sufficient for illumination
purposes do you think?

All the best ..

T i m

 

That was what I was thinking Nige, even if they did actually get away
with anything, Plod might (unofficially) get any hunches confirmed by
some decent footage etc.

And / or something to show to some of the 'lads' round here who would
do *anything* for a pint or two. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

 

Dunno. Go and ask all your neighbours if they can see you skulking around
your garden at night .

 

That was one of the reasons I added 'useable' in my question, no point
recording stuff if you can't make real use of it? Similarly why I
mentioned i/p cams, realistically I know I will be more keen to
install something that would allow me to access it easier, locally and
remotely etc (and I have Cat5 not coax all over this house) ;-)

Oh, absolutely, Data Protection, sineage, quality, time / date
stamping etc etc. Alternatively, even if it confirms someone's hunches
re what happened or what they were wearing it might give Plod some
motivation to follow it up?

"Ere, that looks like that little scrote <Name>, I saw him half an
hour ago in a van heading towards his lockup .. " ?

All the best ..

T i m

 

Don't tempt me Gazz .. ;-)

There could be some issues though ..

"Daaaad, did you switch off the security system as I'm just getting my
bike out ... " :-(

All the best ..

T i m

 

;-)

Let's hope they can't see me skulking round the back garden at night
... someone's got to keep 'watering' the compost bin <weg>.

All the best ..

T i m

 

TIMO!!!

I've warned you before.....

 

So it's both what_you_know and who_you_know then Nige! ;-)

Good.

I was going to say best place for him but my mate has a different
solution using a blindfold, a plank and a volcano .. <weg>.

All the best ..

T i m

 

Anything nickable.

 

You'd be surprised.
ebay for night vision scopes. They're dirt cheap now for ex-GDR border
guard versions. "Nachtsichtgerate"

Here's one just finishing...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110252925204
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House