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Captain Zim

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what a society we've become....

 

no one was prepared to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, apparently he was the worst sort of scumbag imaginable and deserved to be beaten up 'just in case' ...

 

Then it turns out that he's perhaps a little pathetic but with no mischief in him...

 

i wonder who the bad guys are here ?

 

I'm not condoning him coming on someones boat - i wouldn't like it and I think i would have been at least little shocked and reacted similar to the OP. i'm just a bit saddened that the press have us believing there are no decent folk about anymore, yet most of us know that on the canals at least that is thankfully far from the case...

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Actually I think that's far from the case. I did point out that it took until post #33 for someone to advocate violence (of the fantasy kind I have no doubt) and that only because he was having a bad day no one else suggested such reaction.

 

I think most people would behave like the OP, bemused, slightly defensive but not overtly hostile. There's a lot in a situation that doesn't translate to a written post and it is on those cues that we base our reactions.

 

And I think calling him "pathetic" is unkind.

Edited by Chris Pink
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what a society we've become....

 

 

Yes, one where we can ask the opinions of other boaters when something highly irregular and somewhat alarming happens.

 

no one was prepared to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, apparently he was the worst sort of scumbag imaginable and deserved to be beaten up 'just in case'

 

Apparently said whom? I don't recall suggesting giving him a good kicking, nor reading that suggestion from a bunch of other people here. Please check dictionary definition of "no one," you appear to be confused.

 

Then it turns out that he's perhaps a little pathetic but with no mischief in him...

Pathetic why? You don't know that, that might be a million miles from the truth. No mischief, how can you tell? Again, you cannot.

It turns out he lied and said something else the second time around. He could well be harmless, he could be a thief, he could be a survivalist, he could be a traveler, he could be Lord Lucan. How do you know what is in him or what he is like, positive or negative? You don't.

 

i wonder who the bad guys are here ?

 

You have a very one dimensional viewpoint.

 

I'm not condoning him coming on someones boat - i wouldn't like it and I think i would have been at least little shocked and reacted similar to the OP. i'm just a bit saddened that the press have us believing there are no decent folk about anymore, yet most of us know that on the canals at least that is thankfully far from the case...

 

 

I'm not sure I'd be giving him the benefit of the doubt after finding out when he was faced a second time that he had lied the first time.

I would inform the police and other boaters and keep a distance with some suspicion about it all. His second version of the story makes no more sense than his first terms of his coming aboard and inside of the boat, to me, but as long as the OP is happy enough with how he feels about it all now, that's what counts.

Edited by Starcoaster
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Yes, one where we can ask the opinions of other boaters when something highly irregular and somewhat alarming happens.

 

Apparently said whom? I don't recall suggesting giving him a good kicking, nor reading that suggestion from a bunch of other people here. Please check dictionary definition of "no one," you appear to be confused.

 

Pathetic why? You don't know that, that might be a million miles from the truth. No mischief, how can you tell? Again, you cannot.

It turns out he lied and said something else the second time around. He could well be harmless, he could be a thief, he could be a survivalist, he could be a traveler, he could be Lord Lucan. How do you know what is in him or what he is like, positive or negative? You don't.

 

You have a very one dimensional viewpoint.

 

I'm not sure I'd be giving him the benefit of the doubt after finding out when he was faced a second time that he had lied the first time.

I would inform the police and other boaters and keep a distance with some suspicion about it all. His second version of the story makes no more sense than his first terms of his coming aboard and inside of the boat, to me, but as long as the OP is happy enough with how he feels about it all now, that's what counts.

 

oh dear touched a raw nerve me thinks.

 

I think MY view was far from the one dimensional view that you and some others took that he must be a 'bad un'

 

If you actually came down off your high horse for a moment you'd realise you have completely missed the point of my post...

 

 

I'm glad the OP came back with the update.

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I think MY view was far from the one dimensional view that you and some others took that he must be a 'bad un'

 

 

laugh.png This, from the person who referred to others as "water gypsies" and told me that I had a chip on my shoulder and to ''take my head out of my arse" when I pointed out how objectionable this is?'

 

At the time I found you offensive, but now I just find you funny.

Edited by Starcoaster
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As per post #3 I still would have liked more detail about the abridged conversation.

 

Perhaps if provided it might have avoided.too much conclusion jumping.

 

Anyway alls well that ends well it seems.

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I've just been down serval local boats to earn them off people like this, every one I knocked at didn't aanswerr butc the y gaff all leffe beer out for mee so mudsaffa known iwus comin k. the thrd boate left elfa bottul of Jura 4 me and that's re eeely nice t2ooo know th eery aporeeciwte mi conceern.

Damn, you been at my Jura again! :-)
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what a society we've become....

 

no one was prepared to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, apparently he was the worst sort of scumbag imaginable and deserved to be beaten up 'just in case' ...

 

Then it turns out that he's perhaps a little pathetic but with no mischief in him...

 

i wonder who the bad guys are here ?

 

I'm not condoning him coming on someones boat - i wouldn't like it and I think i would have been at least little shocked and reacted similar to the OP. i'm just a bit saddened that the press have us believing there are no decent folk about anymore, yet most of us know that on the canals at least that is thankfully far from the case...

 

Jonathan- I am going to be a little defensive here.

 

With ref to my earlier posts on this issue I did state I would act & ask questions later. I do not mean beat someone to within an inch of their life.

As stated I was hasty & clarified my position without going into detail.

 

However, having slept on this I feel the need too elaborate on my experience.

I tried to speak with the intruder who entered 'my' house without an invitation & ended up spending 10 days in Hospital. It all happened in what seemed a nano second.

The missus & 2 kids were then also threatened. This was 18 years ago. It has had a profound effect on us all.

I underwent emergency surgery.

 

To this day I still feel guilty about knowing I should have acted first & what might have happend to my family.

 

I do not know anybody who would enter a house or boat, without at least shouting 'hello' or 'anybody home' leaving no chance that someone would not hear you.

To have a man appear inside your boat when your partner & young child were behind an interior door & not hearing / knowing he was there was obviously very scary & I am glad it worked out as it did. People seem able to here a 65db genny on 1/4 load from 100yards away!

 

 

So, in conclusion, I would be proactive in a similar situation based on what happended to me.

 

Sorry to drag this thread out but i feel compelled to clarify purely for selfish justification.

 

 

BTW- the scumbag who entered our house is in prison again, for the 5th time, 18 years on. I think he deserves another chance personally............cloud9.gif

 

There are 'some' wronguns out there I am afraid.

 

Thank you, Ronnie

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I met the guy again. Today at around the same time I was outside and this chap walks along the towpath and straight away, even though i'd not seen him yesterday, I thought, "I reckon this is our guy,". So I said hello and he once again apologised profusely for coming aboard. After me saying no problem and thanks for the help with the pesky kids, I asked him if he was on a boat. And this time he said "honestly, I'm not on a boat. I come up here camping out and do a spot of fishing."

 

So in the end it turns out that our guest was a gentleman of the road. And after asking for some detail on the kids, i'm more convinced he was genuine.

 

Gullible? Possibly. But maybe this guy really was trying to help and not knowing boat rules thought coming aboard was okay?

 

Is there a moral here?

 

 

 

He may have been genuine BUT I would not have accepted him stepping foot on my boat for any reason. He could have easily knocked a bit harder on the side of the boat or window. There was no need for him to step INSIDE your boat. Cynic I may be but considering what very strange folks there are out there, I do not think that you can take any chances. Luckily, for you and you partner and child, your handling of the situation worked out alright in the end. I hope that he was telling the truth. I don't understand why he told you that he was on a boat in the first place when he isn't. I still would be concerned that he was around after him feeling that it was ok to step onboard and the fact that you didn't hear or feel him stepping on the first time, whats to say you wont hear him a second.?

 

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BTW- the scumbag who entered our house is in prison again, for the 5th time, 18 years on. I think he deserves another chance personally............cloud9.gif

 

There are 'some' wronguns out there I am afraid.

 

 

 

I'm sure there will be someone along soon to tell you that he is not in fact a scumbag but it is the 'system's' fault that he is in prison again and that the state are failing him/her somehow.

 

Edited as i named somebody incorrectly. Apologies to that person (they know who they are).

Edited by junior
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I'm sure there will be someone along soon to tell you that he is not in fact a scumbag but it is the 'system's' fault that he is in prison again and that the state are failing him/her somehow. Carlt usually isn't it? (i'll edit that last bit if i've got the wrong person).

You have got the wrong person, or you have misinterpreted my words.

 

Just because I believe that the element of rehabilitation is lacking in today's prisons doesn't mean that I believe there should be no element of punishment.

 

Because there is no effort to rehabilitate I believe victims of crime, both past and future, are let down just as much as the criminal who has served his punishment and leaves prison with no real options.

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I'm sure there will be someone along soon to tell you that he is not in fact a scumbag but it is the 'system's' fault that he is in prison again and that the state are failing him/her somehow. Carlt usually isn't it? (i'll edit that last bit if i've got the wrong person).

 

If you firmly believe that the state hasn't failed him then why not offer an argument to support that point - rather than just have a sly dig at someone else on here.

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You have got the wrong person, or you have misinterpreted my words.

 

Just because I believe that the element of rehabilitation is lacking in today's prisons doesn't mean that I believe there should be no element of punishment.

 

Because there is no effort to rehabilitate I believe victims of crime, both past and future, are let down just as much as the criminal who has served his punishment and leaves prison with no real options.

 

In that case i shall edit it and offer my apologies. I also would have done it sooner but i just had to nip out. Not sure who i got you muddled up with though, i'm sure there is somebody on here and uses people their wife (again i may be confused) works with as an example to defend people like Mr Finch.

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i'm sure there is somebody on here and uses people their wife (again i may be confused) works with as an example to defend people like Mr Finch.

My OH is a Mental Health Project Manager who has many service users who have had the benefit of punishment without the opportunity of rehabilitation.

 

In the 14 years I have been with her of the many dozens of ex-offenders with mental health issues she has worked with the number of re-offenders is exactly one.

 

She does not defend anyone, she works at preventing them from being in a position where they re-offend.

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My OH is a Mental Health Project Manager who has many service users who have had the benefit of punishment without the opportunity of rehabilitation.

 

In the 14 years I have been with her of the many dozens of ex-offenders with mental health issues she has worked with the number of re-offenders is exactly one.

 

She does not defend anyone, she works at preventing them from being in a position where they re-offend.

 

Just a small correction and by no means an attempt at creating conflict, but i didn't actually say your wife defends them. Or if i did, it wasn't meant like that. I just wanted to clarify that as it sounds like she does an amazing job.

Edited by junior
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Just a small correction and by no means an attempt at creating conflict, but i didn't actually say your wife defends them. Or if i did, it wasn't meant like that. I just wanted to clarify that as it sounds like she does an amazing job.

Yes I reread your post and see you were suggesting I was defending Finch.

 

Now that's fighting talk! wink.png

 

I believe Finch should be subject to the same laws that we have to abide by and should be punished for his crimes but that punishment should also carry an element of rehabilitation.

 

Personally I don't think locking him up for the Winter is punishment at all nor does it encourage him to mend his ways so something more imaginative should be devised for him other than just a custodial sentence though I think at his age it is probably too late and something should have been done 30 odd years ago.

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