Symbols to watch out for on your house

[mybrainhurts]

Man-At-Arms said:

mybrainhurts said:

I've painted ACHTUNG MINEN on my drive...

you'll probably get a visit from the UN

Nah, they're too busy lying about global warming...

[Dracoro]

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

Really is pathetic tabloid rag.

That supports us against speed cameras.

Oh, that's alright then, jeez..

It's useful stuff like this that deserves our support.

Surely you're sufficiently intelligent to ignore the crap they have to print in order to generate sales and stay alive?

Of course they have to sell rags, and many of the others print rubbish too. Problem is, they try to do so under a veneer of "respectability". I see them as a tabloid rag along with the likes of the Sun/Mirror/etc. I do NOT see them alongside the Telegraph/Times/Guardian/Independent/etc., even the BBC.

Perpetuating an old debunked story that is a myth doesn't help anyone and just adds "fear" to those believing their crap.

Anyway, I don't think they "support us" against speed cameras, they simply see that taking that stance may generate more sales/money for their rag from petrolheads and any others who don't like speed cams or have been caught by them in the past....

[mybrainhurts]

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

Really is pathetic tabloid rag.

That supports us against speed cameras.

Oh, that's alright then, jeez..

It's useful stuff like this that deserves our support.

Surely you're sufficiently intelligent to ignore the crap they have to print in order to generate sales and stay alive?

Of course they have to sell rags, and many of the others print rubbish too. Problem is, they try to do so under a veneer of "respectability". I see them as a tabloid rag along with the likes of the Sun/Mirror/etc. I do NOT see them alongside the Telegraph/Times/Guardian/Independent/etc., even the BBC.

Perpetuating an old debunked story that is a myth doesn't help anyone and just adds "fear" to those believing their crap.

Anyway, I don't think they "support us" against speed cameras, they simply see that taking that stance may generate more sales/money for their rag from petrolheads and any others who don't like speed cams or have been caught by them in the past....

So you don't think they deserve our support for putting pressure where we know it's needed. Ok, then.

[Timberwolf]

P-Jay said:

I suppose this sort of thing can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There’s actually something akin to it going on in my home town at the moment, I'm not sure how many PH's are on Facebook, I know it's not PH cool to admit it, anyway my FB has been full of messages "please cut and paste!!11!!" and "like" and all that nonsense about a man trying to abduct children from outside of local schools.

The story changes regularly from a certain area to another, and the description varies wildly from short fat, to tall thin and everywhere in between and he's been seen driving everything from a pick-up, to a Van to a Fiesta and he's been actively grabbing kids pretty much every week since the middle of last term, he must have poor grip because they've managed to escape at the last moment every time.

That's been going a good 20 years at least, give or take the Facebook posts! Occasionally got as far as the school headmaster giving out a warning in assembly to beware of the child snatcher who may right now be posing as a jobbing builder by driving around in a sign-written van and building porches, walls or other small home improvements... possibly even on the same road as the school.

My favourite, though, was the day we all got told to walk home the long way round because p... *ahem* the alternative camping and caravanning club had stolen the bridge over the canal. They hadn't, of course. You'd have thought that one would be pretty easy to check.

[kev b]

I first read articles like this when I was in my youth and that was quite a while ago.

The difference was that these signs were supposedly chalked up by tramps during the thirties depression to inform other gentlemen of the road of the likely welcome at a property.

I can't recall exactly but the symbols showed if the householder was likely to give a cup of tea for instance supply a meal, work, money etc or on the other hand was a mean bloke with a nasty dog.

Thinking about it I may even have watched this on Blue Peter.

[scenario8]

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

Really is pathetic tabloid rag.

That supports us against speed cameras.

Oh, that's alright then, jeez..

It's useful stuff like this that deserves our support.

Surely you're sufficiently intelligent to ignore the crap they have to print in order to generate sales and stay alive?

Of course they have to sell rags, and many of the others print rubbish too. Problem is, they try to do so under a veneer of "respectability". I see them as a tabloid rag along with the likes of the Sun/Mirror/etc. I do NOT see them alongside the Telegraph/Times/Guardian/Independent/etc., even the BBC.

Perpetuating an old debunked story that is a myth doesn't help anyone and just adds "fear" to those believing their crap.

Anyway, I don't think they "support us" against speed cameras, they simply see that taking that stance may generate more sales/money for their rag from petrolheads and any others who don't like speed cams or have been caught by them in the past....

So you don't think they deserve our support for putting pressure where we know it's needed. Ok, then.

Ken Livingstone was against the war in Iraq. He didn't get my support at the polling booth as reward. One laudible campaign does not make up for all the other major failings. It'd be like holidaying at Sellafield because the beach is secluded.

[BrabusMog]

kev b said:

I first read articles like this when I was in my youth and that was quite a while ago.

The difference was that these signs were supposedly chalked up by tramps during the thirties depression to inform other gentlemen of the road of the likely welcome at a property.

I can't recall exactly but the symbols showed if the householder was likely to give a cup of tea for instance supply a meal, work, money etc or on the other hand was a mean bloke with a nasty dog.

Thinking about it I may even have watched this on Blue Peter.

I'm sure I saw that on The Simpsons.

[Dracoro]

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

mybrainhurts said:

Dracoro said:

Really is pathetic tabloid rag.

That supports us against speed cameras.

Oh, that's alright then, jeez..

It's useful stuff like this that deserves our support.

Surely you're sufficiently intelligent to ignore the crap they have to print in order to generate sales and stay alive?

Of course they have to sell rags, and many of the others print rubbish too. Problem is, they try to do so under a veneer of "respectability". I see them as a tabloid rag along with the likes of the Sun/Mirror/etc. I do NOT see them alongside the Telegraph/Times/Guardian/Independent/etc., even the BBC.

Perpetuating an old debunked story that is a myth doesn't help anyone and just adds "fear" to those believing their crap.

Anyway, I don't think they "support us" against speed cameras, they simply see that taking that stance may generate more sales/money for their rag from petrolheads and any others who don't like speed cams or have been caught by them in the past....

So you don't think they deserve our support for putting pressure where we know it's needed. Ok, then.

Yeah because that's exactly what I meant

[Pothole]

kev b said:

I first read articles like this when I was in my youth and that was quite a while ago.

The difference was that these signs were supposedly chalked up by tramps during the thirties depression to inform other gentlemen of the road of the likely welcome at a property.

I can't recall exactly but the symbols showed if the householder was likely to give a cup of tea for instance supply a meal, work, money etc or on the other hand was a mean bloke with a nasty dog.

Thinking about it I may even have watched this on Blue Peter.

or you could have read it in the post from 02.24 this morning.

btw, I got an e-mail from DC Steven Fleetwood this afternoon. He's going to give me a call tomorrow.

[BadBob]

I got home a couple of year ago to find some cryptic symbols unobtrusively sprayed on the wall of my house, half hidden behind a climbing plant and at ground level. I went to some trouble to obliterate them to foil the impending break-in.

It turned out to be BT planning where to re-route my telephone wire.

[Pothole]

I've had an interesting e-mail exchange this afternoon with DC Steven Fleetwood of Torquay/Torbay CID. Here's a précis of his response to my questions:

DC SF said:

We had information from a colleague down in Cornwall that someone had told him the signs had been spotted. We did some open source research and networking amongst the force and a couple of other signs very similar had been spotted in Devon but there is no factual link to any of our recorded burglaries so in essence it is as much of a {mystery} to us as {it is to}any member of the public.

In trying to interact with the public we hoped that by showing them they would bear them in mind and if any crop up they would report it to a local officer, PCSO, neighbourhood watch etc. By doing this if we do start compiling factual details as to where they appear then in the future we can use them as another of our many analytical options in seeing if there’s any cross reference to any burglaries.

I see the article you sent suggests they are urban myth and this may well be so. I have done a local radio talk today just to re-iterate it is not a scaremongering exercise, just a bit more knowledge for the public which may or may not help in the future.

Ironically the Daily Mail picked it up, took a few quotes off me and ran the story and have definitely beefed it up but then I guess that’s journalism from them and naivety from me. What I have researched today is that they themselves pretty much ran the same story a few years ago anyway. I have heard other forces are also receiving reports but could it be criminals or could it be kids is a very good question.

In hindsight I was just trying to do some good and help inform people but I think the press have massively overhyped it. I did categorically tell the Daily Mail there is no factual link to any of our burglaries, it is merely crime prevention.

Typical DM bullst, then.

(EFformatting)

Edited by Pothole on Thursday 10th January 20:55

[condor]

I had a white chalk mark (x) on my front door about 6 years ago - I noticed it straight away and rubbed it off. Nothing happenned, but I was concerned.

A gullible friend of mine used to always be targetted by 'lucky heather' sellers and fortune tellers at her shop and usually gave them £20. It was only when she had the outside of the shop re-painted she stopped getting them in.

[Shaw Tarse]

So cheap security?
I chalk a zero with a cross outside my house,
Then walk down the lane & chalk a cross outside me old mate Tony Martin's 'ouse?

[mat777]

BadBob said:

I got home a couple of year ago to find some cryptic symbols unobtrusively sprayed on the wall of my house, half hidden behind a climbing plant and at ground level. I went to some trouble to obliterate them to foil the impending break-in.

It turned out to be BT planning where to re-route my telephone wire.

what a spanner

[Sway]

No offence Pothole, but have you asked the copper before posting him up verbatim?

It seems he's very much an innocent party trying to do the right thing so wouldn't be cricket if there was any way he could get in trouble for having comments published.

Of course, may not be an issue with his bosses, but probably best to be cautious.

[Pothole]

Sway said:

No offence Pothole, but have you asked the copper before posting him up verbatim?

It seems he's very much an innocent party trying to do the right thing so wouldn't be cricket if there was any way he could get in trouble for having comments published.

Of course, may not be an issue with his bosses, but probably best to be cautious.

None taken, but do you really think I'm that fking naive?

DC Fleetwood also said:

If you could act as my speaker on PistonHeads I’d be really glad.

[robsa]

Surely someone has simply dug up the old symbols that hobos use to chalk on gates in the UD during the great depression?

http://www.we-find-wildness.com/2010/05/hobo-signs...

[Sway]

Fair enough, I wasn't to know so worth a check.

I don't know you at all so wouldn't have a clue how naive you'd typically appear.

[JDRoest]

HOGEPH said:

One of the replies.

"So what is symbol for have gun and would use it!"

[Art0ir]

mat777 said:

what a spanner

That's rich.