Monday 29 March 2010

Vandalism ... and we accept it?

I subscribe to BW's emergency stoppage alerts. This is useful to see what parts of the system are blocked for whatever reason.

I have just received the alert below....

Stoke Bottom Lock 36 - Trentham Lock 35

Friday 26 March 2010 - Monday 29 March 2010

Expected to be three days. BW staff are working hard to divert water resources to recharge the pound and navigation will resume as soon as levels recover sufficiently.
Loss of water to the five mile pound due to suspected vandalism at Trentham Lock.
British Waterways apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Winding above Top Lock 40 at Etruria or below Bridge 104 Old Road Bridge, North Barlaston.

Enquiries: 01827 252000

Good information - a little late.

This is a very busy pound and a very large one to have been drained by vandals. I expect there is a bit of a queue outside the Wedgewood factory and within the Stoke locks.

The point of the post is that it's vandalism again. It's almost a description like the weather - nothing we can do about it. Well I think there is.

This sort of mindless damage causes a great deal of despair and frustration. Not to mention disruption, in this case to boaters. I really think this is a nasty action against the society that surrounds the perpetrators. Its a local crime that affects local people.

So what better way to spend a Sunday than to see such imbeciles getting a beating in the local market place - then to be put onto public display as someone who care little about you and your property or your community. Then they get carted off in dayglo orange jumpsuits with their names on them to put right the damage they have done.

I'm not interested in their rights - they loose them when they offend against their community.

I really hate vandalism !!

Nev

2 comments:

Chris said...

Hi there,

Good idea - I agree that such a punishment would be appropriate in the circumstances. Don't hold your breath though, because it ain't gonna happen as long as the current policy for 'empathising' with the perpetrators is maintained.

Cheers, Chris.

Jane said...

This was an ongoing problem last year and resulted in the lock being padlocked each evening. Unfortunately anti vandal keys don't help as they know how to open the paddles without them. The funny thing is we often moor at Barlaston by the "pottery bridge" and have never had any problems although we are very close to the lock in question. It's becoming a major problem there and I am not sure what the long term answer is.