Attempted moped snatch last night

vetski

I think I saw an attempted moped snatch last night, and since some of the details were a bit different from others I've heard about & witnessed, I thought I'd mention it here.

This was about 10.45pm, and I was standing at the Albert Rd bus waiting for a bus to the station. I noticed a moped near the lights, heading in my direction - 1 person, and one of those black boxes on the back that delivery mopeds usually have. I noticed it seemed to wobble a bit towards a couple of pedestrians, but didn't think anything much of it. It wobbled again as it came level with me, then headed off down the road. Something seemed a bit off by then - the lid of the box wasn't latched, and was flapping/banging open, so I watched it, and saw the rider stretch out an arm and try to grab something off a pedestrian between Albert & Lorne Roads. He(?) was unsuccessful - probably because it's hard to control the moped and grab something at the same time - then turned down Lorne Rd. I saw him then crossing 5Ways and heading down Hanley Rd, so I guess he did a loop - Lorne-Victoria-SHR.

I am going to send the above to the police, but just wanted to warn people not to assume that a single-rider moped which looks like it's delivering takeways is no threat.

CrouchedHillHiker

I saw a couple of mopeds last night coming along stapleton hall road just after 11, one was like the bike you mentioned and the other slightly larger with 2 people on it, none of the riders had helmets on and no lights or number plates.

TescoPigeon

A few weeks ago I witnessed a man on a moped snatch a phone from a woman waiting to cross Hanley road at the crossing between the Old Dairy and the doctors surgery. He had no regard for the rules of the road, went through red lights, grabbed the phone and sped off. I've seen other mopeds before and since very clearly eyeing up potential victims. I just don't use my phone in the street anymore, or if I do, I stand well back from the road and keeping one eye on it. It's a disturbing trend

tosscat

The police mounted a very effective presence against a more benign scooter noise menace about a decade ago - they probs don't have the resource to do so now.