Mopeds

[SydenhamOwl]

May have been nothing but my girlfriend and I spotted two mopeds/motorbikes zooming down the high street last night (around 7pm). The people were wearing balaclavas/masks.

Thought I'd put a warning out there as I know there have been a few 'moped muggings' in Penge and surrounding area recently. I guess just be careful not to walk around with your phone/wallet on display...

[chris 1961]

They overtook me going up the high street around 18.45 by the Alfred (one on inside and one on outside) and at the lights by Mayow Road (which were red) one went up on the pavement and the other just went through anyway.
4 blokes all masked and gloved up so looked a tad dodgy.
If you saw them coming down the high street 10 or 15 minutes later they had either been up to no good or were checking to see if Nando's had finally opened.

[Andyb]

Always wonder wat these idiots parents think the kids are up too as with no helmets on I guess no insurance or even a licence? But also if they crash wat do they think will happen to there heads same as the idiots who drive quads which are not the most stable bikes!! Come on Lewisham use your cctv and stop these idiots before they kill themselves or others!!

[parker]

Always wonder wat these idiots parents think the kids are up too as with no helmets on I guess no insurance or even a licence? But also if they crash wat do they think will happen to there heads same as the idiots who drive quads which are not the most stable bikes!! Come on Lewisham use your cctv and stop these idiots before they kill themselves or others!!

Let the b@stards kill themselves.

[stuart]

Let the b@stards kill themselves.

On reflection I really hope you don't think that.

I didn't see the riders though I did go down the Sydenham Road at 6.25pm. What I did experience was some crazy man in a 4x4 overtake me and pass the wrong side of the keep left sign so he could brake violently to join the queue immediately in front of me in Lawrie Park Road with the junction of Kirkdale/Westwood Hill. I suppose I was lucky he saw me as he was holding something (a phone?) in his hand at the same time.

Not the first time either. If a 197/176 had come round the corner it would have made for an 'interesting' confrontation.

I'm afraid it wasn't the only instance of lunatic driving by mature men who should know better seen by me yesterday. People with a complete contempt for law and safety. Yet we pick out these silly boys who I think Parker is rightly suggesting are mainly a threat to themselves (if also an annoying irritation to the rest of us) and neglecting the rather greater risk to life and limb by people who should check their mirror and attitude when commanding two tons or more of heavy metal in our parish.

Stuart

[chris 1961]

The original post was not "picking on these silly boys" as opposed to inconsiderate and ignorant car drivers.
I think it was more a warning as these type of moped riders (2 up, no crash helmets, faces covered with hoods etc) are similar to the ones mentioned on the news in other parts of London looking to rob passers by or attack rival drug dealers.
Now these ones (and others i have seen recently going up and down Sydenham Road) have no regard for road safety and go from road to pavement and through red lights at will.

[stuart]

Chris - even pompous me rode a motorbike at 16 without a helmet.

It is what silly boys do. Except some of us grow up, in my case, spurred on my the death of a good friend. My point is those that do not mature and leave their silly bravado behind - cause a greater threat. Worse - find it easier to libel lads who, unless I've missed the report, didn't do any smash and grabs up Sydenham Road yesterday evening.

How can we expect to educate and expect these lads to become responsible law abiding grown-ups when they can see those same grown-ups are behaving just as badly? Or are you not noticing it?

Stuart

[JRW]

Re the lack of helmets, I believe that the police keep records of problem bikers helmets for ID purposes. Conceal the license plate and conceal the face, and any barrister could argue that it might be mistaken identity. I think the courts can order repeat offenders to only have one helmet as a bail condition. I'm not an expert on any of this, but I got it from a reputable source.

[Nigel]

I think the original poster was alerting us to potential crimes and unpleasantness visited upon our persons - not bravado , derring do or other winsome sounding ways of describing these young tikes-on-bikes.

I don't actively wish them harm but they are below sparrows , crested newts and hedgehogs in terms of sympathy and hopes for preservation . I think the concern is they might "stab us up" , throw corrosive substances in our physogs, or steal our hard-won accoutrement .

In that spirit , thanks SydenhamOwl for the warning .

A very good evening
Nigel

[SydenhamOwl]

I think the original poster was alerting us to potential crimes and unpleasantness visited upon our persons - not bravado , derring do or other winsome sounding ways of describing these young tikes-on-bikes.

Thanks Nigel. I can confirm an alert was the intention of my post. I have no proof that the people I saw had the intention of robbing/scaring passers by but given recent stories which I'm sure you are all aware off (a few links below if not) I thought I would mention what I saw.

1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england ... -in-london

2) http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/16035 ... h-crowbar/

3) http://www.bromleytimes.co.uk/news/poli ... -1-5154974

As an aside, I live on Kent House Road and the sound of motorbikes (and a seemingly innocent though very irritating quad bike driver) is very common. The ones I see usually wear helmets hence why I thought it would be worth posting a warning about the balaclava brigade.

I personally can't think of anything more dull than doing continuous laps of Kent House Road/surrounding area on a motorbike in my spare time but if that is indeed all they are doing (as opposed to anything illegal) then I have no complaints.

[JayB]

The "silly boys" also run the red lights at Perry Rise, cut through the traffic doing wheelies and on Tuesday night were actually doing wheelies up on the pavement at the junction of Bell Green. Sooner or later some one is going to be seriously hurt or killed regardless as what else they may or may not be doing.

Still, perhaps they need a hug.Or for someone to explain ot them that, unfathomably their behaviour is extremely dangerous and intimidating- as i'm sure being sillly, this thought will not have passed through their heads. Thanks for the heads up Sydenham Owl and the purpose of your post was crystal clear from the outset.

[Pally]

The "sillies" also have a tendency to drive straight at pedestrians crossing the road and laugh when they have to jump/run out of the way, hopefully fast enough to be missed. Happened to me once, seen it once!!

[syd-gal]

SydenhamOwl, I got the impression that the quad bikes and motor bikes are riding around the industrial estate nr Lower Sydenham St, and just use Kent House Rd to get there. But I have to say they are really annoying, hearing the sound of the bikes in the evening, sometimes quite late.

[JRW]

They are doing laps of Fairlawn Park late night. While I also understand teenage urges to break rules, I suspect that some of them are actually adults who never managed to grow up. There is a related issue of furious driving of cars, and spectacularly dangerous manoeuvres driven by positively middle aged types. I know of one person I suspect is involved, but have not got the evidence to support it. He must be at least late 20s now, with a child, and has been delinquent for decades. Every year he just slightly changes the way he annoys his neighbours, and no doubt his child will be brought up to behave the same. Sigh.

[SydenhamOwl]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44045128 - Interesting link in light this this discussion. Sydenham seems to be around mid-table if you imagine league of the most dangerous areas for this type of crime.

[JRW]

It is an interesting article, but the stats are about moped enabled crime such as bag snatching or violence by riders. It doesn't seem to cover road racing or other motoring offences.