Mugged on Mount View Rd

dewet · October 2011

Last night at around 23:30, while walking from the W3 stop on Ferme Park Rd eastwards, I put my phone in my pocket. Looking up, a hoodie was approaching and had eye contact, with another about 10 metres behind. As I passed the first, he stopped me and demanded my phone. The other one rushed up and I got pushed to the ground. While one was choking me, the other took my phone and wallet. I resisted but they were very quick at it. Two women ran to me as they left, called the police and stayed with me as I lay paralysed by shock on the sidewalk. They arrived within about 5-10 minutes, and took a statement while the paramedics checked me over. I have some bruises as trophies, but that's the worst of it.

Sorry for the sombre note, but please watch out for yourselves.

Arkady · October 2011

That's terrifying, I do that route a lot, including about an hour before you yesterday. Hope you're doing OK.

miss annie · October 2011

How awful. Hope they get they get their comeuppance.

James Daniel · October 2011

That's really shocking dewet, I am glad you were not seriously injured.
I really hope the Police find them, people like that disgust me.

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MGJoey · October 2011

So sorry to hear that - hope you are ok... will be very vigilent now as walk near that area too.

Idoru · October 2011

That's awful. Glad to hear you're not too badly hurt. This sort of thing makes me so cross. Why do people think it's OK for them to take other people's belongings? Horrible.

I think we would all do well to look out a bit more for each other.

Archer · October 2011

You are so lucky mate, I'm glad you got away without life threatening injuries. Obviously the emotional scars will be there for a long time but, your alive - that counts for everything and your family still has you. The Police will talk to the 'usual suspects' of which there are many, by gods grace, let's hope they find the bastards, but even if they don't - don't let them bring you down or ruin your way of life.

krappyrubsnif · October 2011

Any descriptions? Which way did the little eejits run off?

Ilovegreyhounds · October 2011

Hope you are ok Dewet, I'm in that area on Saturday evenings so will certainly be more careful in the future. It's shocking that this is happening more and more in our area. I hope they're caught. I was wondering if anyone knows of any police courses similar to the life saving one we have just done, which would teach us the basics of keeping safe whilst out and about? A long time ago I did a very basic keeping safe/self defence course and our uni provided everyone with personal alarms.

tosscat · October 2011

It is awful. We don't often get that kind of thing on the Upper East Side. I will second Misscara's advice, as I nearly always walk in the road (traffic permitting). @Misscara - welcome to the better side of Stroud Green

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sharybo · October 2011

Yes I always walk in the middle of the road too when I can. I'd be really interested if anyone does know of any police courses as I always feel so vulnerable when I'm walking home late on my own, it's bloody disgusting that people think they can just help themselves to other peoples hard earned belongings.

James Daniel · October 2011

The other advice I have been given is to make sure you don't watch the pavement as you walk, and avoid using your mobile phone.

I wonder if there's proof about what helps you avoid it happening, but how would you know?

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gardener-joe · October 2011

...

Annbag · October 2011

I don't have any proof of if it works but another tip that I like to do is have my keys in my hand. The idea is that the potential attacker thinks you are nearby to your house and then might not bother.

I'm not sure if this would work in reality though. It seems to just be being in the wrong place in the wrong time these days.

sharybo · October 2011

I do that too! There must be lots of us walking along in the middle of the road jangling our keys in an attempt to avoid getting mugged :) After reading all the comments on here I've stopped using my phone as I walk home, which is something I often do.

My thinking was more that my keys are probably the only remotely sharp thing I have, and that i could give a would be attacker a good scratch on the face with a key (whether in reality this would work is probably a bit doubtful).

Does anyone carry anything like hairspray or perfume spray with the idea of spraying it in the face of a mugger? I don't normally have anything like that in my bag, but I'm wondering if it might be worth considering?

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kp82 · October 2011

I wouldn't go around carrying hairspray with the intent to spray it in someone's face.....that's illegal

miss annie · October 2011

Unfortunately it does seem to be wrong place wrong time. I went to a basic self defence course run by the Met years ago, they still do them for people who work in places where they deal with the public - nurses, shop staff etc. Their advice was to always assume that someone has a weapon and hand over any valuables. No possessions are worth being harmed, or worse, for. If someone tries to attack you make as much noise as possible to draw attention to what's happening, and then try to use whatever self defence you know if you can. Basic common sense tells you not to have valuables on show and not to wear headphones when walking around at night so that you can hear if there's someone nearby. A piece of advice that someone else gave me is that if you are a woman you should try to walk in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic so that so no-one can kerb crawl behind you. Choosing a well lit route, even if it's a bit longer, is an obvious thing to do. And what Misscara said.

sharybo · October 2011

Good advice, I hadn't thought about walking the opposite direction to the traffic, that's a very good suggestion. You're definitely right that no possessions are worth getting hurt for, and I suppose annoying as it is, there's nothing in most people's handbags that can't be replaced.

Yes, thinking about it properly, hairspray isn't a particularly clever solution. A personal alarm is probably a better idea as I think if I got attacked I'd be too shocked to make a lot of noise.

Bridget · October 2011

I was mugged a couple of years ago in Stamford Hill when I lived there with no bag - well it was small and hidden under my coat and at 8pm outside my house in the dark. He had a knife hidden in his jacket and came up to me and looked me in the eye and then opened his jacket to show a big carving knife and I ran off screaming and I called "fire' 'Fire" as I heard more people will come to the window when they hear this. He pushed me to the ground and kicked and punched me saying "give me your money" apparently a car pulled up to its nearby house and he jumped off and ran off. God knows what would have happened if it hadnt. I had foot marks on my back. Until then I used to walk around in the roads and feel very confident now I just get cabs as much as possible.

harpistic · October 2011

This thread reminds me that there seemed to be an escalation in muggings at the start of the year - both male and female friends, usually in residential areas near their homes. So everyone please start being extra careful!!!

krappyrubsnif · October 2011

A couple of years ago the police were handing out free personal alarms. They are incredibly loud and up close the ear splitting decibel level might well be enough to scare off a mugger. I've never carried one but on reading this thread, I might be inclined to do so if I had to walk through the badly lit streets of the Upper East Side after dark. Maybe the police still have some to give away - I think they were being issued by the same unit that helps set up Neighbourhood Watch schemes, and they're based in Tottenham.

Marquis · October 2011

You can get those in pound shops occasionally. They are indeed very loud. I have one which I give to my parents when they visit. The problem is to check the battery status you have to try it out, a rather unpleasant experience.

Ali · October 2011

Seems like there are robbery issues in the Park in the middle of the night, have the old Parkland Walk extension weekend night activities moved to the running track? <http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/9313425.Police_investigate_spate_of_Finsbury_Park_robberies/>;

RedSturgeon · October 2011

Keep-fit cottaging?

krappyrubsnif · October 2011

Brrrrrr. Bit cold for that.

Ali · October 2011

There are loads of used condoms over on the Green Lanes side of the park near to where the Polytunnel and beehives are so I guess it is going on there, never understood the practice?

krappyrubsnif · October 2011

I worked for a few weeks in the horticultural area where the beehives are. Before doing any digging or ground clearance/weeding it was always necessary to put on protective gear and remove the needles/condoms, which had been thrown over the fence from the park. I guess that is an area you would definitely want to avoid after dark - unless you're into that kind of thing.

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