[BBC News] Police target wing mirror vandals

[Cret]

Is it not that, respect is earned and not learned? Cret, whats up with you today? someone steal your fluffkins? The point I was trying to make was that people get so het up about cars and image, the car is an object designed to serve a purpose, to get one from place to place, this is what I use mine for, it is not an extension of my husbands penis, it is not an object to impress the neighbours and family with, its just a car and if bits fall off it I will stick them back on with Duck tape and hope for the best. Do cheer up.

 

Nothing up with me at all Dear, I'm in a rather good mood actually.

 

I just fooking despise vandalism. I can appreciate what you're saying from your point of view in terms of having a shed you aren't really bothered about but just because that's the case with you, it doesn't make it the same for everyone else.

 

My car is 19 years old and not worth a lot but I do look after it and it's rare so parts are not easy to get. It's certainly not what people would consider a fanny magnet and I have no need for something like that.

 

But that doesn't change the fact that it's mine, I paid for it, and I take quite an effort to try and keep it in good shape and not looking scruffy etc. When someone criminally damages my property it makes me beyond furious because I work hard to pay for the things I have, and whilst I know material things are not that important in the grand scheme of things, other people have no right to intefere of damage them.

 

Why should I have to fork out hundreds of pounds that takes me ages to earn just because I want to keep my own things in good condition, and some spotty WKD fuelled dickhead is bored? It's way wrong - I'm a bit surprised that you don't understand that it's wrong to feck around with other people's property. We don't live in a giant hippy commune after all!

 

I'm not getting into the old chestnut of whether there's 'enough' for kids to do, because whether there is or not, it doesn't excuse this sort of behaviour.

 

Like I say, I'm quite content today, but this is one of those selfish things that really gets on my manly tits.

[Spartacus]

Parked in Laxey for the blues festival earlier this year and noticed a distinct increase in the number of three types of people:

 

Middle class types with "cool" hats, designer glasses and Surrey accents drinking wine (actual festival go-ers); bored teenagers milling around, waiting for the time the sun sets and they turn feral; and finally a much higher than normal police presence.

 

So, thinks I innocently, "any trouble will be nipped in the bud" and head off to watch the excellent Stone Creation at The Mines. Wrong..

 

The rozzers had obviously fecked off by 9 p.m, the drink had started to flow and my wing mirror was hanging by the metal rod which controls the remote thingy - annoyingly only 2 minutes from where I'd just been sat! So not only was the mirror damaged but so too was the door, as I had to get back to Douglas and I looked disconsolately as it flailed around, despite doing no more than 40 (lord, that too was torture..)

 

Thankfully the wonders of the internet meant that I was able to fix the mirror, but not the door, within a week using this excellent firm:

 

http://www.wingmirrorman.co.uk/

 

They also colour coded the unit for me. I'ts now the best looking bit of the car

 

 

As for the little (or not so little nowadays) darlings who did the damage, what can you do?

Personally, I'd get a set of jump leads and connect my battery directly to their nether regions..

[La_Dolce_Vita]

If someone keyed my car then I'd like them to pay for the damage plus a fine on top, or if they couldn't afford it them I'd be happy to see them jailed instead

 

Maybe you would, but would it remedy the underlying problem. Are they less likely to do it when they come out of jail. I would think they would be more likely. Jailing them is only going to further detach them from a society they are supposed to respect.

 

I think it is about respect, but how do you make people respect others in the community?

 

You teach them to respect the law for a start.

 

But it is not a good start in learning how to respect others. I have respect for other people, but this does not come from any respect of the law. You could try and drum it into a person that they should respect the law but I can't see how much convincing could come from arguing "You should, you just should".

[jimbms]

However, I suspect the people who damage cars do not have one or cannot afford one.

Though going back to the fining, I tend to think if you tried to get the compensation for the property damage and an arbitrary amount for emotional damage the perpetrators would be left very poor indeed. I suspect these are not upper-working class or middle class children running around vandalising things, but rather closer to the bottom rung of the ladder.

"And a good thing too", you may remark, but would they be left more embittered and angry, and more likely to destroy what they cannot own?

Aww diddums my heart pumps purple piss for their plight, but speaking from first hand experience this happened to me across 5yrs ago the scroats got a small fine for the damage and I got nothing so I took it on as a civil case got awarded full compensation for the damage, an amount for the inconvenience and full costs. The scroats laughed it off because they said they had no work and refused to pay...... not for long they got realy pissed off when the bailiffs took half the goods from thier house to pay the award to me, I got my money they lost goods to the amount of about 3 times what I got. RESULT. hit the arseholes where it hurts.

[hboy]

Have the police considered that they should perhaps be looking for a pair of over sized budgies? They are always angrily attacking little mirrors.

[The Old Git]

Are they less likely to do it when they come out of jail. I would think they would be more likely.

 

I'd disagree.

 

Keep locking the fuckers up and they'd eventually stop. They may be stupid, but surely they can't be that stupid.

[Skeddan]

Have the police considered that they should perhaps be looking for a pair of over sized budgies? They are always angrily attacking little mirrors.

No joke - birds can be a terror with wing mirrors. Some are smart enough to untuck the wing mirrors - luckily they're not strong enough.

 

I think it is about respect, but how do you make people respect others in the community? Tough one.

Restorative Justice. Put the vandal with Cret or whoever the victim is. Make them face what it is that they've done - in most cases it is a lot more effective than jail in stopping repeat offending. (It's cheaper too, and has higher victim satisfaction).

[Newsbut]

I hope the Police are still looking into this.....

 

Will get my coat

[Cret]

Put the vandal with Cret

 

Might not be the wisest idea in all honesty even though it sounds effective in principle.

[Sneak]

Why is vandalism on the rise?

 

 

Because society is on the demise.

 

 

 

No respect = No control

 

 

Also, kids with kids.

[Sneak]

Ahhhh the joy of having a car that 'it dosent matter about'. Sometimes people drive too close to parked cars and this type of accident occurs, Im not sure there is much can be done about it, and wing mirrors only cost about a fiver (from the scrappy) so really it seems like a stupid waste of police time.

 

 

Electrical folding wing mirrors with an indicator will cost a lot more than a fiver, even from a scrappy. Plus - most modern car mirrors are colour coded to match the body work.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

However, I suspect the people who damage cars do not have one or cannot afford one.

Though going back to the fining, I tend to think if you tried to get the compensation for the property damage and an arbitrary amount for emotional damage the perpetrators would be left very poor indeed. I suspect these are not upper-working class or middle class children running around vandalising things, but rather closer to the bottom rung of the ladder.

"And a good thing too", you may remark, but would they be left more embittered and angry, and more likely to destroy what they cannot own?

Aww diddums my heart pumps purple piss for their plight, but speaking from first hand experience this happened to me across 5yrs ago the scroats got a small fine for the damage and I got nothing so I took it on as a civil case got awarded full compensation for the damage, an amount for the inconvenience and full costs. The scroats laughed it off because they said they had no work and refused to pay...... not for long they got realy pissed off when the bailiffs took half the goods from thier house to pay the award to me, I got my money they lost goods to the amount of about 3 times what I got. RESULT. hit the arseholes where it hurts.

 

Good you got compensation from them, especially if they thought it was funny.

All I am talking about is the prevention. Is it better to have worse crime but know that those who are caught are executed or imprisoned for life, or better to have ways of stopping it happening in the first place. I mean, I bet you are glad to get your compensation, but you'd of rather have not had the hassle in the first place. And it isn't as if it should be accepted because that is the way the world is, it has only become a problem of recent from what I hear.

 

Restorative Justice. Put the vandal with Cret or whoever the victim is. Make them face what it is that they've done - in most cases it is a lot more effective than jail in stopping repeat offending. (It's cheaper too, and has higher victim satisfaction).

 

But this is having recognition of one's own impact after the event, and probably benefits the victim more than instills respect in the assailant. But it is better to have restorative justice in the present than not, in my opinion.

[thebees]

Electrical folding wing mirrors with an indicator will cost a lot more than a fiver, even from a scrappy. Plus - most modern car mirrors are colour coded to match the body work.

 

I do not drive about in a heap of junk, my car is rather nice. However, when I bought it I thought about how much it would cost to repair etc etc and bought within my means, I especially considered the wing mirrors and decided against electric ones (for the sole reason someone may accidentally knock them and they cost a lot to repair...no brainer really innit?). That said....I dont think Electrical colour coordinated wing mirrors are absolutely necessary to a car anyway, if my car had them and lost one in an accident Im quite sure I could glue the broken fixture back on and bung in the £5.00 mirror I was talking of earlier. Is image really that important? my lovely shiny car, which I cannot afford to fix....hmmm. Anyway, each to their own and all that, my car is very nice, got electric windows and a sunroof (also electric) and the arial goes up all by itself when I turn the car on - ooooh and its shiny and red and has a 'walnut dash' and bonus of bonuses it is parked in the drive everynight, so its quite unlikely to suffer any such vandalism attack - meh!

 

Aye aye Cret me ald sunflower, I do agree that people should not have to put up with mindless vandalism, however, its not the worst thing around and the police really are wasting time, I'd say 7/10 of these vandalism attacks are driving accidents.

[Ronague Ram]

Somewhat ironic isn't it - this crime prevention advice goes out (1st link posted here on 15th) and some 24hrs later a spate of the exact same activity ruins the day (and wallets) of a multitude of car owners.

 

Crime spree

 

Have the police on this occasion actually drawn the attention of the opportunity this form of mindless vandalism presents to someone who may otherwise not have thought to do so? Possibly not, but if it was then what a shot in the foot!

[Saltire]

Electrical folding wing mirrors with an indicator will cost a lot more than a fiver, even from a scrappy. Plus - most modern car mirrors are colour coded to match the body work.

 

I do not drive about in a heap of junk, my car is rather nice. However, when I bought it I thought about how much it would cost to repair etc etc and bought within my means, I especially considered the wing mirrors and decided against electric ones (for the sole reason someone may accidentally knock them and they cost a lot to repair...no brainer really innit?). That said....I dont think Electrical colour coordinated wing mirrors are absolutely necessary to a car anyway, if my car had them and lost one in an accident Im quite sure I could glue the broken fixture back on and bung in the £5.00 mirror I was talking of earlier. Is image really that important? my lovely shiny car, which I cannot afford to fix....hmmm. Anyway, each to their own and all that, my car is very nice, got electric windows and a sunroof (also electric) and the arial goes up all by itself when I turn the car on - ooooh and its shiny and red and has a 'walnut dash' and bonus of bonuses it is parked in the drive everynight, so its quite unlikely to suffer any such vandalism attack - meh!

 

Aye aye Cret me ald sunflower, I do agree that people should not have to put up with mindless vandalism, however, its not the worst thing around and the police really are wasting time, I'd say 7/10 of these vandalism attacks are driving accidents.

 

Electric mirrors aren't essential, but most models come with them now and you don't really get a choice. Why is it okay for you to have an electric sunroof and ariel, but someone with electric mirrors is seen as image conscious?

 

I don't have a driveway my car has electric mirrors, wasn't bought to be flash and isn't new. But regardless of whether I drive a £400 Mini, or a £35,000 Porsche I should be able to come back to my car and not find it trashed by some teenage chav who is bored.

 

How do you know 7/10 of these incidents are driving accidents? If a row of cars is sitting without wing mirrors chances are its vandals, most mirrors are actually designed to fold if hit by another car mirror, not get knocked clean off. (Except your £5 ones stuck on with glue of course)

 

If the police don't stop people with the minor things where will it end? Okay to smash your car windows then if they don't get caught breaking mirrors? Don't get caught smashing car windows,where next, scratch the paintwork, or maybe just torch the car for a laugh?