Vandalism - Devonshire Road and Woodcombe Crescent
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dovetail
Posts: 42
Joined: Dec 2007
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02-02-2009 02:07 PM
Over the weekend, someone has been breaking off the back windscreen wipers on the parked cars along Woodcombe Crescent and Devonshire Road. Please check your cars. My friend didn't and got badly caught out when he was driving in the snow yesterday.
I am so tired of this mindless behaviour. And don't get me started on the fly tippers dumping their mattresses, unwanted toys and Christmas tree in the forecourt of the old Post Office Sorting Office on Devonshire Road.
Why do people treat their neighbourhood like a toilet?
I really don't get it at all.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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02-02-2009 08:40 PM
My sympathy to all those who have sufferred.
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bigbadwolf
Posts: 100
Joined: Jan 2008
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04-02-2009 12:45 PM
I agree. I really can't stand some idiots attitude to the local enviroment. I've seen the stuff that gets dumped at the old Post office and it really is appalling considering some of it could've gone to a good cause had people made a bit more effort. If anyone sees this happening try and get the vehicle registration number but try and be distcreet.
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Cidered
Posts: 50
Joined: Nov 2007
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04-02-2009 03:24 PM
Agree totally on the points about fly tipping. There's the tip at New Cross and of course Lewisham FreeCycle for re-usable stuff, so there's no excuse.
By the way - does anyone out there know what's happening with the old sorting office? It's an interesting looking building, but seems to have been empty now for ages.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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04-02-2009 03:56 PM
I do not know what is happening but believe it is a listed building being one of the few built in reign of good old Edward the 7th.
I am not condoning tipping I think it is criminal but you quote two dumps which are quite a drive away if you even have transport. Maybe a few more local dumps.
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Londondrz
Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
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05-02-2009 02:27 PM
Brian, the dump near Milwall stadium is a 10 minute drive on a Saturday morning from the center of Forest Hill. Not really that hard.
As already mentioned, the council will come and pick up waste if you call them. There is NO excuse for fly tipping or chucking stuff in the street.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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05-02-2009 03:13 PM
I am sure I said I do not codone fly tipping and infact consider it a criminal act.
All I was saying for the many without cars not so easy. I would never fly tip and infact have paid the coucil fee many times but we all know there are people out there who would refuse to pay and would fly tip.
A near neighbour of mine who is over 90 has had flytippers dump loads outside his garage.
He has tried to persuade council to move free of charge ( as not his rubbish ) but they refuse.
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Cidered
Posts: 50
Joined: Nov 2007
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05-02-2009 03:51 PM
Lambeth borough used to collect large items of household waste for free, up to a maximum of 4 times a year, if memory serves. The current system in Lewisham of charging for collections doesn't discourage fly-tipping by the feckless, but as Londondrz says, it is only a 10 minute drive to the tip on a Saturday morning*.
Some time ago I had an argument in the street with someone dumping rubbish - their view was that I shouldn't worry because the council would just come along and pick it up!
(*I actually find it oddly enjoyable to see what's being thrown away at the tip. I admit it, I have a problem).
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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05-02-2009 05:00 PM
Cidered
Again I do not codone the criminal activity of fly tipping but I think possibly only 50% of the good citizens of SE 23 have access to a car.
The council refuse to clear the items dumped on my near neighbours private land.
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Cidered
Posts: 50
Joined: Nov 2007
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05-02-2009 05:21 PM
Yes, the current system run by Lewisham only really works if you have a car, or are happy to shell out the ?10 or so charge to have waste collected.
When I lived in Lambeth they occasionally had a sort of 'clean up your street' day, when they'd come along and collect any large items for free. They even collected piles of old furniture that people had left rotting in their own front gardens for months.
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liza
Posts: 2
Joined: Apr 2009
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14-04-2009 09:53 PM
I live in Eliot Bank and have a scooter that has been vandalised six times since Christmas. It costs c GBP80 to repair everytime and I cannot afford for this to go on much longer. Does anyone live near the Horniman with garage space I could use? Or even better have any ideas on how I can catch the culprits? The police are fairly disinterested and I wait in vain for Neighbourhood Watch to get back to me. . .
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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15-04-2009 07:15 AM
When you say catctch the culprits be very carefull. Law not on your side.
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liza
Posts: 2
Joined: Apr 2009
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15-04-2009 08:14 AM
Thanks Brian. Just an expression I guess.
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Londondrz
Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
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15-04-2009 08:24 AM
Liza, I am afraid that you will end up in a world of bother if you do catch them. I would suggest using a bike cover or failing that hire a garage from the council. Do you have no way of getting the bike under cover? Mine lives in my kitchen.
Pity about the police response. A good few years ago I caught someone trying to pinch mine, called the police and they turned up in a couple of minutes, we then spent some time driving round the neighbourhood trying to find them.
P.S. I have a bike cover you can have if you like, it's a good study one. PM me if you are interested.
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superdanpl
Posts: 5
Joined: Apr 2009
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15-04-2009 08:52 AM
I've recently moved to Devonshire Rd and in the last week I've already seen the evidence of some spiteful, mindless vandalism. Every day I walk down Dev Rd to get to the station, and on my first walk to the station I noticed a lovely BMW M5 parked in one of the drive ways. At worst I was envious of the owner and his awesome car but at the same time pleased that I would get a peek every day as I walked to work. On my way home from town the other day I walked past his car and noticed that someone had keyed it right the way down the length of the boot. I stood there for a moment and wondered what had driven the vandal to deface such a great car. Spite, jealousy and boredom sprang to mind. I would have to live my life once over to be able to afford a car like that and even if I did have the money I still wouldn't own it in London. Some people have no respect for other peoples property and until that changes, random acts of vandalism will continue up and down the country. This is no worse than what Liza suffered (post number 11), and I have great sympathy for anyone who has suffered in this way at the hands of others. I had my ?400 Ford Fiesta stolen 2 years ago from outside my house in Elephant & Castle and it still riles me when I think about it. I have often thought about how I would react if I caught someone in the act of damaging my property and I know deep down that my natural reaction would be to teach them a lesson*. Your average 16 year old chav treats a police warning with contempt and sees an ASBO as a badge of honour. I am not a violent person and I've never hurt anyone other than in self defence but sometimes you need to stand up and be counted and if that means doing the wrong thing for the right reasons then so be it.
*I am not condoning vigilantism, just the right to use reasonable force when your well being - or the well being of your possessions - is under threat.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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15-04-2009 12:27 PM
Fropm 85 to last year lived in Devonshire and always parked car in Ewelme and never had a problem. Perhaps chavs have moved in.
You have my sympathy, not much else I can say.
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Perryman
Posts: 823
Joined: Dec 2006
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15-04-2009 12:50 PM
When people make bold statements and publicly flaunt their considerable wealth in a inner london borough with massive inequality, then some will be in great awe of them.
At the other extreme some will enviably take great offence. Best policy is to treat such displays with indifference.
This is different to the random uninvited acts of vandalism that is perhaps becoming more common in se23 as a whole.
PS Would it be fair to say Devonshire Rd is darker in the evenings with the newer lampposts?
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superdanpl
Posts: 5
Joined: Apr 2009
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15-04-2009 01:34 PM
Whilst owning a car in a not so safe neighbourhood isnt the most practical idea, I don't think it's flaunting anything. A Ferrari maybe, but a car available for under 40k, no. Those who work hard should be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour without reprisals from those less fortunate or less industrious. Unless something is targeted specifically then surely all acts of vandalism are random? In this case and that of Liza both have suffered criminal damage, maybe for different reasons, but with the same end result.
I think "best policy" is to treat ignorance with the contempt it deserves.
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Cidered
Posts: 50
Joined: Nov 2007
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15-04-2009 04:32 PM
Of course, it's possible the car was damaged elsewhere and not by one of SE23's undesirables.
Fortunately, judging by most of the posts on this forum we're pretty lucky in SE23 and usually our annoyances just that - annoyances - although if I ever catch the little *?$! who grafitti'ed my front door in 2005 I won't be responsible for my actions!
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superdanpl
Posts: 5
Joined: Apr 2009
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15-04-2009 06:35 PM
Cidered - fair point, I don't know without asking the owner how the damage was done, but a 2 ft scratch down the boot looks suspicious on a car like that, particularly when it's the rear of the car facing the pavement and I wouldn't be at all surpised if some idiot had done it.
But yes, I agree, it could have been an accident.
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