Thieves steal plane fuselage and ship's anchor from MoD

[papa_smurf]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12857903

Not content with scrapping a whole lot of our armed forces, now it seems it cant keep whats left safe:nope:.

A plane fuselage, a ship's anchor and a clarinet are among items which have been stolen from the Ministry of Defence since May.
Guns, a bridge and Army ration packs also went missing. In total, goods worth nearly £700,000 were taken in the UK.


A BRIDGE?!?!, how do you lose a bridge?

[Gerald]

WTF,Not good at all that stuff "disappear" :stare:

[Hottentot]

A BRIDGE?!?!, how do you lose a bridge?

I would be more interested in knowing how do you steal one. I can't help thinking all those cartoon shows where the caricature thieves have those shiny magic bags and they just put stuff in them without worrying about, I don't know, laws of physics or something.

Edit: come to think of it, the whole thing looks like some stereotyped cleptomaniac cartoon characters' work. "Hey Bob, look what I found! A freaking anchor! I'm going to hang this on my wall!" "Cool, dude, and check this out. I've always wanted to learn playing clarinet!"

[Tribesman]

I would be more interested in knowing how do you steal one.
A yellow jacket and a flashing light is all thats really needed while you load it up in broad daylight.

[Betonov]

A yellow jacket and a flashing light is all thats really needed while you load it up in broad daylight.
One of those news kiosks was stolen this way. It was closed on sunday and a truck came, some people loaded it up on the truck (the kiosks are made like small containers, they have a hook on the top for loading) and drove off. It wasnt until the next day that the owner reported the theft when he didn't find the kiosk at it's place. It was found in an abandoned warehouse. torn open stripped of everything.

Yes, you only need a yellow jacket, everyone will think you're just a serviceman

[Hottentot]

I once heard of some people stealing a train. I was pretty impressed, until I later learned that some other gang had stolen railroad tracks. Back then I was even more impressed. But this...this is even better.

[Tribesman]

It was closed on sunday and a truck came, some people loaded it up on the truck
Seen it done when someone has only gone for their tea break

Yes, you only need a yellow jacket, everyone will think you're just a serviceman
If you have enough front its possible to get the people working there to help you load up the goods being stolen,.
Its amazing what people will steal, normaly it isn't the whole bridge but just the guardrails.
Though I know a crowd who while over in Britain working the roads went out and stole a whole roadworks set up from a large motorway resurfacing project during the night, the signs, barriers, lights, traffic cones the lot...
Bit of a bugger for the first poor driver who would have found himself driving through a construction site at 70mph with no warning.:down:

[frau kaleun]

A plane fuselage, a ship's anchor and a clarinet

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSVfsW3Eoq1sxG_4iBJMeoThgVy_YWep IqpwqbzzuXgDw5YK9Hd3Q&t=1

[Weiss Pinguin]

A plane fuselage, a ship's anchor and a clarinet
"Hey mate, look a plane fueselage!" "Bugger that, an anchor!" "Dude, check out this wicked clarinet."

[Slyguy3129]

Interesting string of Bandits there.

"What have we got."

"The Bandit was shot twice at close range while attempting to steal this bridge."

*Dons Shades* "Well I guess he just went.........A Bridge To Far......"

"YEEEEeeaaaaaaaaa!"

[Betonov]

Interesting string of Bandits there.

"What have we got."

"The Bandit was shot twice at close range while attempting to steal this bridge."

*Dons Shades* "Well I guess he just went.........A Bridge To Far......"

"YEEEEeeaaaaaaaaa!"

Ahahahhahahahahahahahaaaa :D
You're giving me a heart attack here, good one :D

[Madox58]

Around here?
Lord help you if you have Copper plumbing!
You go to work then come home to no plumbing!
And most of your electrical wireing might be gone also!

You can try calling the Coppers?
:hmmm:
But all that shows up is a Sheriff.
:har:

[bookworm_020]

I once heard of some people stealing a train. I was pretty impressed, until I later learned that some other gang had stolen railroad tracks. Back then I was even more impressed. But this...this is even better.

At one railway station here in Sydney, Australia, thieves stole the ticket vending machine three days after it was installed. It took the railways three months to realise it had gone!:damn::damn::damn::damn::damn:

[Oberon]

I believe I can trump you gentlemen. I was talking to a friend of mine who told me he was aware of a tower crane which had been stolen, a group of men showed up one day with hi-vis jackets and that, took the crane down and made off with it. Naturally everyone around thought it normal until the cranes real owners arrived and found an empty space where their giant crane once was.
The crane disappeared from the UK and only came to light again some three years later when a company in Holland needed some parts for it and triggered an alert in the UK with the serial number.

Anyway, perhaps it is possible that these items have not been stolen but 'stolen'. That is to say that if the MPs had a REAL good look at army depots they might just find the missing bridge at a depot which had a shortage of bridges once, likewise the anchor and fuselage.
Amazing how the supplies system works in the forces sometimes...I'd pay good money to work out how chiefs do it.

[Gargamel]

There's the (proven fake) story of the parking lot attendant who dutifully showed up for work everyday for 40 years at a Hospital Parking lot. One day, he just didn't show up again. After a couple weeks the hospital called the department of parking (?) and asked when the replacement was coming. The department replied that parking lot was supposed to be a free lot.

Just goes to show, if you act like you know what you are doing, nobody will question you. I've gotten into more places I shouldn't by just acting important.

[Oberon]

There's the (proven fake) story of the parking lot attendant who dutifully showed up for work everyday for 40 years at a Hospital Parking lot. One day, he just didn't show up again. After a couple weeks the hospital called the department of parking (?) and asked when the replacement was coming. The department replied that parking lot was supposed to be a free lot.

Just goes to show, if you act like you know what you are doing, nobody will question you. I've gotten into more places I shouldn't by just acting important.

In the UK a few years back there was a kid who was a train fan, and one day he managed to get himself a hi-vis jacket, sneak into a rail yard, start up one of the shunters and move it around a bit. He was smart enough not to put it out on the running lines but it still could have gone very wrong if he had not known roughly how to operate a shunter.

[Gerald]

In the UK a few years back there was a kid who was a train fan, and one day he managed to get himself a hi-vis jacket, sneak into a rail yard, start up one of the shunters and move it around a bit. He was smart enough not to put it out on the running lines but it still could have gone very wrong if he had not known roughly how to operate a shunter. Train fan, that he must have been or are, luckily it did not happen anything serious :doh:

[krashkart]

I'd be keenly interested to know what kind of stuff has been ripped off from our depots in the US. :hmmm:


EDIT:

In the UK a few years back there was a kid who was a train fan, and one day he managed to get himself a hi-vis jacket, sneak into a rail yard, start up one of the shunters and move it around a bit. He was smart enough not to put it out on the running lines but it still could have gone very wrong if he had not known roughly how to operate a shunter.

That's one bright kid. I hope the company was smart enough to show him around a bit and further entice him into a future career choice.

[TLAM Strike]

Just goes to show, if you act like you know what you are doing, nobody will question you. I've gotten into more places I shouldn't by just acting important.

"Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."
-The Tenth Doctor

[krashkart]

I've gotten into more places I shouldn't by just acting important.



"Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."
-The Tenth Doctor


Sometimes learning means going that far. I suspect that some folks in higher positions got there simply by being curious. :yep:


@Gargamel: You didn't get into the Chief's mustache tweezers, did you? :O:

[Hottentot]

I believe I can trump you gentlemen. I was talking to a friend of mine who told me he was aware of a tower crane which had been stolen, a group of men showed up one day with hi-vis jackets and that, took the crane down and made off with it. Naturally everyone around thought it normal until the cranes real owners arrived and found an empty space where their giant crane once was.

This is maybe not as magnificent, but I was just reminded of something along the same lines that (apparently) happened to my father when he was young. He and his friends were hanging out in the town and saw that a man was tinkering with a car's door. Now this was back in the good old days when you could open a car's lock with a teaspoon, so the man got the door open quickly and it didn't seem like anything was wrong.

A moment later he came to them and politely explained that his car seemed to be having some problem and wouldn't start. So he asked if father and his friends could give him a little push. Of course they volunteered to help and the car started easily enough. Off drove the man. And a few minutes later came another, walked to the spot where the car used to be, stared it for a while and then loudly shouted: "Where the **** is my car?!"

:oops:

At one railway station here in Sydney, Australia, thieves stole the ticket vending machine three days after it was installed. It took the railways three months to realise it had gone!

Hey, you stole our railway managers! That sounds exactly like something that could happen in here. Except that in here they would publicly blame either the snow, the heat, the leaves on the tracks or rain for their mistake depending on what season it is.

[Gargamel]

@Gargamel: You didn't get into the Chief's mustache tweezers, did you? :O:

errr.... wut?

[krashkart]

errr.... wut?


Aw nevermind.That joke blew up in my face. :damn:

[papa_smurf]

Anyway, perhaps it is possible that these items have not been stolen but 'stolen'. That is to say that if the MPs had a REAL good look at army depots they might just find the missing bridge at a depot which had a shortage of bridges once, likewise the anchor and fuselage.
Amazing how the supplies system works in the forces sometimes...I'd pay good money to work out how chiefs do it.

Wouldn't be surprised if this is how most equipment goes "missing". Happened at a friends workplace, where £10,000 pounds of equipment turned up during a stock check they had no idea it was there:doh:.

[Jimbuna]

I was once sent to a scene where someone had successfully stolen a herd of about 20 sheep but their lorry broke down and the stupid buggers tried to shepherd them through a towns main street.

[Penguin]

Hey, you stole our railway managers! That sounds exactly like something that could happen in here. Except that in here they would publicly blame either the snow, the heat, the leaves on the tracks or rain for their mistake depending on what season it is.

:)

It sounds like all railroad managers worldwide went to the same clinic when they did the training for their job. They transplate their brains with the ones of a mayfly:

summer: "Oh, all of a sudden this giant fireball appeared. It melted our tracks, sorry for the delays."

autumn: "There were this strange brownish things lying on the railway. We don't know where they came from - we're very sorry for the delay."

winter: "Out of the blue this white stuff fell from the sky. We never saw something like this before - we're extremely sorry"

spring: "All the railroads were blocked by mating animals - we're... Oh, gtfo if you don't like our service you can walk, customer peasant!"

[Hottentot]

winter: "Out of the blue this white stuff fell from the sky. We never saw something like this before - we're extremely sorry"

Or more like "yeah, we kind of know what it is and what it does, but we asked it really really nice with cherry on the top not to come this year, despite of it doing so for the last bazillion years. First time for everything, you know. Maybe we'll be luckier next winter!"

Though to be fair, the drivers have the same problem every year too. "Yeah, yeah, I'll change the winter tyres tomorrow...actually, I'll do it tomorrow...or tomorrow..."
And then later: "Huh? I crashed into this lightpost?! It wasn't my fault! Why didn't anyone tell me it's slippery during the winter? I'll sue God for not mentioning properties of different seasons in the Bible!"

Every year the newspapers have headlines like "the winter surprised the drivers". It's a common joke around here.

Oh, gtfo if you don't like our service you can walk, customer peasant!

Ah, I see the customer service representatives from our railways have found a new job abroad.

[Oberon]

It does sound familiar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1cl3kBQB8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1glI8dunqSc

[Penguin]

Ah, I see the customer service representatives from our railways have found a new job abroad.

Oh, the german railways has a long and proud tradition of despise towards their customers. :D
Every year before christmas they change the plans. So if you want to book earlier than 6 weeks before the holidays they can't say when the trains run. If you want to board an international train: Well **** you for wanting to get out of Germany - they can only tell the price untill the border...
You want informations at the station? Well, pay 2-3 € for talking to the majesties at the "service centre"! The alternative is to call the hotline for 2€/min.

And people wonder why we have so much car and plane traffic here...
I never had this trouble in a foreign country - but I must admit that I never tested the finnish railways... ;)

[Betonov]

but I must admit that I never tested the finnish railways... ;)

or ours

[Hottentot]

Ok, since we apparently stole the topic (har har har), I must ask anyone with a proper railway system to own up now and tell the rest of us how do you do it. Because as a student I need to use ours quite often and I'm honestly starting to get tired of it.

[Penguin]

or ours

Ok, got me, never visited Slovenia, but I have a couple of croatian friends. They never told me bad experiences about the slovenian rail when they travel through your country - but it's not that we especially talk about railroads when we talk about holidays ;)


Ok, since we apparently stole the topic (har har har), I must ask anyone with a proper railway system to own up now and tell the rest of us how do you do it. Because as a student I need to use ours quite often and I'm honestly starting to get tired of it.

lol, we stole a topic about stealing to turn it into talking how railroad companies in our countries steal our time and sanity :D

So it may be that no one answers because this a case of the grass is always greener elsewhere, but I've seen examples of working railroads, there are some essential things:

- being able to board a train without buying a ticket in advance
- being treated like a customer not a cumbersome obstacle, especially when something goes wrong, like delays, etc.
- getting assistance if you don't know your way around (in terms of geography, language)
- prices and travel times that are an alternative to using a car

[Hottentot]

So it may be that no one answers because this a case of the grass is always greener elsewhere

Hmm, I was actually thinking it's very appropriate that no one answered to that question. It sort of underlined the point.


- being able to board a train without buying a ticket in advance

Man, you're picky. I would be happy to be able to board a train in the first place to have some use for the ticket I bought. It's not just one or two times that I have observed that our stations are lacking something. Namely trains, that for some reason are always stuck in the middle of nowhere due to technical problems.

Though seriously speaking I'm little surprised to read that. Here you can board a train and buy ticket in there. There they accept only cash, which some people find inconvenient, but nevertheless. If you could have bought the ticket in the station, there is some sort of extra charge, but it's not that much.


- being treated like a customer not a cumbersome obstacle, especially when something goes wrong, like delays, etc.

Well yes, I would appreciate it if someone told me before and not after waiting an hour in the middle of nowhere that the train is having some minor problems. That is in those rare events that I can get into a train in the first place, of course. Maybe they think I should be grateful for that and shut up.


- getting assistance if you don't know your way around (in terms of geography, language)

I once ran a test and tried to travel from place A to place B speaking only English. Worked surprisingly well. Not that I was treated as anything else than obstacle despite of that, but at least it proved that I can be treated as an obstacle in many different languages. Progress!


- prices and travel times that are an alternative to using a car

And every time we talk about railways in here, someone will inevitably say that it's so much cheaper to use trains in Germany or anywhere else for that matter.

[TarJak]

Ok, since we apparently stole the topic (har har har), I must ask anyone with a proper railway system to own up now and tell the rest of us how do you do it. Because as a student I need to use ours quite often and I'm honestly starting to get tired of it.
Don't look downunder for the answer. Our's is a POS!:damn:

[Penguin]

Though seriously speaking I'm little surprised to read that. Here you can board a train and buy ticket in there. There they accept only cash, which some people find inconvenient, but nevertheless. If you could have bought the ticket in the station, there is some sort of extra charge, but it's not that much.


It used to be the same here, but now you are regarded as a freerider when you walk onto a train with no ricket . You need a lot of talking skills to convince the personal that you are not an evil thieving criminal who wants to bring down the german railways, but a person in a hurry.


I once ran a test and tried to travel from place A to place B speaking only English. Worked surprisingly well. Not that I was treated as anything else than obstacle despite of that, but at least it proved that I can be treated as an obstacle in many different languages. Progress!


:har: At least they treat everyone with the same hostility!



And every time we talk about railways in here, someone will inevitably say that it's so much cheaper to use trains in Germany or anywhere else for that matter.

The same when we talk about our education system here - someone will always mention the nordic countries, especially Finland and Sweden.

For compaprision (just checked it):
One way tickets:
Helsinki - Oulu 72.7 €
Hannover - München (slightly shorter): 119€ :o

[Hottentot]

The same when we talk about our education system here - someone will always mention the nordic countries, especially Finland and Sweden.

For compaprision (just checked it):
One way tickets:
Helsinki - Oulu 72.7 €
Hannover - München (slightly shorter): 119€ :o

Another myth busted then? Figures. I need to bring this comparison up next time someone goes all glass-eyed about how wonderful everything is everywhere else than in Finland.

Now don't get me started on the education too :haha:.
(It actually works, it's actually good, I'm very happy with it especially having compared it substantially with several people living in various countries. But...)

[Betonov]

Ok, got me, never visited Slovenia, but I have a couple of croatian friends. They never told me bad experiences about the slovenian rail when they travel through your country - but it's not that we especially talk about railroads when we talk about holidays ;)

I think they're having the same problem. Croatians are more laid back than us (but not as laid back as the greeks). It takes a one hour delay in croatia to make a croat as nervous as a slovene gets after a half hour delay.

Unless your friends are from Dalmacija region, a one day delay wouldnt upset those people :DL

[Penguin]

Another myth busted then? Figures. I need to bring this comparison up next time someone goes all glass-eyed about how wonderful everything is everywhere else than in Finland.


Actually I thought that mocking their own country is a sport that all Finns like to practice and is a in fact an expression of the deep and weird love they have for their land. ;)

I think they're having the same problem. Croatians are more laid back than us (but not as laid back as the greeks). It takes a one hour delay in croatia to make a croat as nervous as a slovene gets after a half hour delay.

:DL
Really? :o seems like I only know strange people, laid back in a way, but sometimes quite hot-blooded - could also have something to do with the noisy music we listen to :haha: actually one of my friends cemented (betonized;)) the prejudice in his home village that all german-croats are crazy mofos. I like my friends! :DL

(I have the feeling that this now becomes a country stereotype thread :DL)

[Betonov]

:DL
Really? :o seems like I only know strange people, laid back in a way, but sometimes quite hot-blooded - could also have something to do with the noisy music we listen to :haha: actually one of my friends cemented (betonized;)) the prejudice in his home village that all german-croats are crazy mofos. I like my friends! :DL

(I have the feeling that this now becomes a country stereotype thread :DL)

usualy more laid back people are more hot-blooded, the not so laid back people don't have time for being hot-blooded :DL

Btw, off topic, the plus side of having the last name BETON is, you keep poping up in international forums as well, in any country that uses concrete :D

[Jimbuna]

usualy more laid back people are more hot-blooded, the not so laid back people don't have time for being hot-blooded :DL

Btw, off topic, the plus side of having the last name BETON is, you keep poping up in international forums as well, in any country that uses concrete :D

Looks like wew have all lost sight of the price of fish :o

[Hottentot]

Actually I thought that mocking their own country is a sport that all Finns like to practice and is a in fact an expression of the deep and weird love they have for their land. ;)

Sure it is. The same way as we like to express our weird love for other people by getting drunk together and then stabbing them with the first pointy thing that we can find. I mean, you can't be real friends with anyone unless you have at least once beaten the stuff out of each other or at the very least threatened to do that. Some people just like to take it a step further.

[Betonov]

Sure it is. The same way as we like to express our weird love for other people by getting drunk together and then stabbing them with the first pointy thing that we can find. I mean, you can't be real friends with anyone unless you have at least once beaten the stuff out of each other or at the very least threatened to do that. Some people just like to take it a step further.

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs51/f/2009/265/c/0/Sauna_Time_by_humon.jpg

For being known as a sado-mazohist, when can I come over :DL

[Hottentot]

I resent that comic. The action was completely justified and not even pre-emptive: the moron talked too much, and in sauna no less. The others didn't do anything about it, so obviously they we collaborators.

We are not violent people. And if you question this claim, I will kill you very slowly.

(In before the lock :D)