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Newbury Today Forum _ Random Rants _ Newbury's walking drunks/druggies.

Posted by: Bill1 May 19 2009, 02:05 PM

Nearly ran two over lunchtime on the bend in the current one way road at new cinema. Had to brake really hard, nearly got hit by the car behind me. All I got from them for my troubles was dirty looks and verbal abuse.

Both were quite young (17-21) and carrying alcohol and looked absolutely wasted.

Two questions.

What are the Police doing about this growing problem?

Should I have bothered braking?

Yes the second question is meant as a joke.

Posted by: Good Boy Racer May 19 2009, 02:34 PM

I would of carried on and shouted abuse back and then laugh as i drove off while their flapping their arms in pain. I'm joking, but i would of thought that as i brake. Take a picture next time and i may identify them for you.

To answer your first question, Police don't do anything untill they get called out about an incident, if they see them, they would obviously stop, but i wouldn't count on that.

Posted by: Bloggo May 19 2009, 02:46 PM

QUOTE (Bill1 @ May 19 2009, 03:05 PM) *
Nearly ran two over lunchtime on the bend in the current one way road at new cinema. Had to brake really hard, nearly got hit by the car behind me. All I got from them for my troubles was dirty looks and verbal abuse.

Both were quite young (17-21) and carrying alcohol and looked absolutely wasted.

Two questions.

What are the Police doing about this growing problem?

Should I have bothered braking?

Yes the second question is meant as a joke.


Everything is wrong with this situation.
These drunks give the town a bad image. They can be the cause of an accident when staggering into the road. They probably buy the booze from benefits money (yours and mine) and lastly the authorities, Council and Police, allow it to happen.
Couple this with the degeneration of the shopping experience in the town and the lack of respect. both self and for others of some of those in the town centre is it any wonder that Newbury is becoming asecond rate town.

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome May 19 2009, 04:16 PM

I expect they were just off to the needle exchange in Station Road as well that is positioned nicely next to a Primary school.
Enough said really. I'm just suprised they did not have pit bull type dogs with them as well as the tinnies.

Posted by: GMR May 19 2009, 08:31 PM

QUOTE (Bill1 @ May 19 2009, 03:05 PM) *
Nearly ran two over lunchtime on the bend in the current one way road at new cinema. Had to brake really hard, nearly got hit by the car behind me. All I got from them for my troubles was dirty looks and verbal abuse.

Both were quite young (17-21) and carrying alcohol and looked absolutely wasted.

Two questions.

What are the Police doing about this growing problem?

Should I have bothered braking?

Yes the second question is meant as a joke.



Personally I don't think you should have braked..... Some of those kids are a law onto themselves and the people just stand by and watch.

Posted by: Road User May 20 2009, 01:40 PM

QUOTE (GMR @ May 19 2009, 09:31 PM) *
Personally I don't think you should have braked..... Some of those kids are a law onto themselves and the people just stand by and watch.


Unfortunately if he hadn't stopped he would have infringed on their human rights to blight the town for law abiding citizens..... huh.gif

Posted by: GMR May 20 2009, 03:59 PM

QUOTE (Road User @ May 20 2009, 02:40 PM) *
Unfortunately if he hadn't stopped he would have infringed on their human rights to blight the town for law abiding citizens..... huh.gif



That is the problem.... the human rights only work for the bad ones. When have you ever seen a victimised person have the Human Rights laws help them?

Posted by: random_user May 22 2009, 11:48 AM

QUOTE (Bill1 @ May 19 2009, 03:05 PM) *
Two questions.

What are the Police doing about this growing problem?

Should I have bothered braking?

Yes the second question is meant as a joke.


Two answers

Remind drivers of the sections of the highway code that deal with being ready stop for other road users (including pedestrians who might walk out in front of you - it is mentioned specifically) and being aware of stopping distances in case the car in front has to stop for such a reason. Although in your case it looks as if you and the car behind got it right. You both managed to stop and no one was hurt.

Yes. You wouldn't want to cause anyone to drop their beer and have to offer to get them another ;)

Posted by: random_user May 22 2009, 12:55 PM

QUOTE (GMR @ May 20 2009, 04:59 PM) *
That is the problem.... the human rights only work for the bad ones. When have you ever seen a victimised person have the Human Rights laws help them?


What like cleaning ladies who do the same jobs as their male counterparts who are called janitors getting equal pay?
Like all sorts of minority groups getting crimes against them investigated properly because the Metropolitan Police have changed their training and procedures?
Like the elderly couple who now get to stay together when the council were going to split up because they both had to be taken in to care?

There's a reason you hear a lot of negative stories about the human rights act. It doesn't give 'the media' complete freedom of expression. They have to balance that right with peoples right to privacy. i.e. they can't print everything they want to. Which they don't like but is a good thing in my opinion.

Posted by: Bill1 May 22 2009, 01:28 PM

Rather like the people I originally wrote this about, I'm not quite sure where this is going. :-o)


Posted by: On the edge May 23 2009, 07:10 AM

QUOTE (random_user @ May 22 2009, 11:48 AM) *
Two answers

Remind drivers of the sections of the highway code that deal with being ready stop for other road users (including pedestrians who might walk out in front of you - it is mentioned specifically) and being aware of stopping distances in case the car in front has to stop for such a reason. Although in your case it looks as if you and the car behind got it right. You both managed to stop and no one was hurt.

Yes. You wouldn't want to cause anyone to drop their beer and have to offer to get them another wink.gif



Quite agree - we do only hear the negative aspects, which in my view are often no fault of this Act, simply poor interpretation and incompetence in the criminal justice system itself. The Act is actually a good thing and before we throw it out; we ought to consider what our own public service (!) commisars are up to erroding our present freedoms under the guise of stopping terror.

Posted by: GMR May 23 2009, 10:47 PM

QUOTE (random_user @ May 22 2009, 01:55 PM) *
What like cleaning ladies who do the same jobs as their male counterparts who are called janitors getting equal pay?
Like all sorts of minority groups getting crimes against them investigated properly because the Metropolitan Police have changed their training and procedures?
Like the elderly couple who now get to stay together when the council were going to split up because they both had to be taken in to care?

There's a reason you hear a lot of negative stories about the human rights act. It doesn't give 'the media' complete freedom of expression. They have to balance that right with peoples right to privacy. i.e. they can't print everything they want to. Which they don't like but is a good thing in my opinion.


You've given a few examples... but the majority of cases are for the bad guy. When has the Human Rights ever helped people of abuse; yobs terrorising people etc.

Posted by: jimpanzee May 24 2009, 10:43 AM

The nuisance that is the ambling drunks and crackheads of Newbury has been aggravating me for some time now.

Only the other day I saw a couple with a dog walking down Northbrook street passing what appeared to be some kind of wrap of white powder between them. I rounded the corner and saw a policeman and decided I would tell him. But he didn't seem at all interested.

And not so long ago my friend and I saw a couple outside of the Catherine Wheel drop a pipe, then scuttle to pick it up at which point they said to us, 'you didn't see that did you boys?'


Is there nothing we can do to get these wasters off our streets?


Posted by: GMR May 25 2009, 10:01 AM

QUOTE (jimpanzee @ May 24 2009, 11:43 AM) *
The nuisance that is the ambling drunks and crackheads of Newbury has been aggravating me for some time now.

Only the other day I saw a couple with a dog walking down Northbrook street passing what appeared to be some kind of wrap of white powder between them. I rounded the corner and saw a policeman and decided I would tell him. But he didn't seem at all interested.

And not so long ago my friend and I saw a couple outside of the Catherine Wheel drop a pipe, then scuttle to pick it up at which point they said to us, 'you didn't see that did you boys?'


Is there nothing we can do to get these wasters off our streets?



Don't get me started on that one; it seems the police are not interested in a lot of things, other than the easy tasks. Stopping motorists, harassing innocent people or doing anything that is not a lot of hassle.

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome May 26 2009, 08:47 AM

Lovely day Sunday. Went for a walk. One of Newburys 'finest' was walking his 2 pit bull type dogs with a tin of super strength lager in one hand and his dogs in the other. The dogs stopped and then crapped all over the pavement. Rather than picking the mess up he decided to shout at me to mind my ****ing business when I dared to suggest that he picked the mess up. The Green Goblins that were on duty were walking towards us but seeing that their may be a problem they crossed the road to the other side of the pavement and looked for cars to book on the other side. I notice they are supposed to be 'civic enforcement officers'. Don't make me laugh. They are 'avoiders of trouble and bookers of hard working people that pay their taxes'.

Don't know what made me more angry - The dog crapping man or the Green Goblins.

Posted by: Bill1 May 26 2009, 11:13 AM

"They are 'avoiders of trouble and bookers of hard working people that pay their taxes'."


Who still deserved to be given a ticket if they are parked illegally.

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome May 26 2009, 12:17 PM

Bill1 - I take your point about parking illegally. It just seems that some laws (parking illegally) are enforced and some (drunk dog owners allowing their dogs to foul pavements, and drunks drinking in 'none drinking' zones) are completly ignored).

I think thats the point of this thread?? unsure.gif

Posted by: Bill1 May 27 2009, 08:48 AM

Fair comment TD&H.

Same with the smoking ban which is easy to enforce, whereas drivers using thier mobiles.........

Posted by: TallDarkAndHandsome Jun 1 2009, 03:46 PM

QUOTE (Bill1 @ May 27 2009, 09:48 AM) *
Fair comment TD&H.

Same with the smoking ban which is easy to enforce, whereas drivers using thier mobiles.........



Bill1 - Can you spare us 50p for a cup of tea?*

*tea = money towards an 8 pack of Special Brew. Now where did I put my pit bull?


Posted by: Anon Jun 2 2009, 12:55 PM

I am actually glad that this has become a 'hot topic'

The people we have been discussing have been troubling me and making me pretty angry for sometime now! Most of them are well known to the police and if they aren't I am extremely concerned about the society we live in, as I seem to encounter at least one of them on a daily basis! However if they are arrested they are not generally locked up for long, which is a shame!

Don't get me wrong I do have sympathy for people who are genuinely addicted to drink or drugs and can't get the help they need to kick their addiction, however the people concerned here just seem to be society's wasters!

The more I think about it the madder I get! Unfortunately it's actually a government inniative now that local councils should help people who are homeless in to housing even if they will be using the property as a drug den!! angry.gif

Posted by: GMR Jun 2 2009, 04:24 PM

QUOTE (Anon @ Jun 2 2009, 01:55 PM) *
I am actually glad that this has become a 'hot topic'

The people we have been discussing have been troubling me and making me pretty angry for sometime now! Most of them are well known to the police and if they aren't I am extremely concerned about the society we live in, as I seem to encounter at least one of them on a daily basis! However if they are arrested they are not generally locked up for long, which is a shame!

Don't get me wrong I do have sympathy for people who are genuinely addicted to drink or drugs and can't get the help they need to kick their addiction, however the people concerned here just seem to be society's wasters!

The more I think about it the madder I get! Unfortunately it's actually a government inniative now that local councils should help people who are homeless in to housing even if they will be using the property as a drug den!! angry.gif



I agree, it is one of the things that annoys me.

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