A lesson In Life Learnt The Hard Way

Afternoon all....
As your resident security adviser, I have fallen somewhat foul of my own usual high security standards.
Towards the end of September, I pulled up outside a shop where I live & after placing my Shoei GT air on the handlebars popped inside for what was less than a minute. Upon my return less than a minute later my helmet was gone. Blaming immediately some kids standing at a bus stop less than 50 feet from me I asked in no uncertain terms for them to kindly return the helmet to it`s rightful owner...me.
They replied "we havnt got it mister" it`s those kids over there on them scooters.... sure enough, I could see my Shoei resting on the arm of the rider of 2 scooters about 150 yds away. Despite approaching them with the stealth of a crouching tiger, they spotted me & took off.....That was that I thought, when suddenly a helpful motorist called out "get in mate" I know where they are heading.
I jumped in the passenger seat & off we took obeying the speed limit as we went (NOT!!)
Near me there is a road that`s closed at one end to motorists but has easy pedestrian access. Sure enough the 2 scooters were right down the end of this road. As we approached the one with the crash helmet started up, but the other one failed to start. I got out of the car & cornered one of the scooter riders. Now I didnt wont any grief, I only wanted my helmet back which I could see resting on the riders arm of the other scooter rider about 60 feet from me, I knew that if I tried to approach him then he`d take off like before. The other scooter rider who I had hold of wasnt going anywhere. I said to him, tell your mate to put the lid down on the floor & ride off & that will be the end of it. This the one holding the lid did. Thinking I was being reasonable with them (a mistake I now know) I let go of the rider I had hold of & off they both went. Initially relieved that at least my helmet was being returned to me intact, my relief turned to horror as the scooter that I let go of changed direction & kicked the crash helmet across the road. As they rode off laughing, I couldnt help but feel absolutely useless & somewhat disappointed in humanity...After all, I had been more than fair with them hadnt I???

As I picked up the wrecked helmet, the Scala Q3 Bluetooth had been ripped out of the helmet just to add to the anguish. As I returned to the car the driver said we`d better be quick as they will go after your bike.
As we returned to the bike it was thankfully undamaged. A woman was standing next to it & had witnessed the whole thing.....Result. Well the police have visited the place where the scooter is registered to & he has a plethora of speeding fines & tickets etc from his plate, sadly like me he has been a victim too as the plate was stolen off his machine back in July this year....so the lead has gone stone cold.

Now I know that a lot of people on here will be saying " you should have given him a smack", but for starters, I`m not an aggressive type of guy (& God I wish I was at times) secondly, from a passer-by`s point of view it would look all wrong, some 50 something pasting a 17 year old.... & lastly with my luck, it would be me who ends up with a criminal record & on my job that`s the end of the line...Literally, along with my hard earned pension too. So it`s a no brainer really....+ there were 4 of them & only me.
Me, Ive replaced the GT air & Bluetooth at a cost of £525 & the moral of this story is this....
DON`T LEAVE ANYTHING ON YOUR BIKE THAT SCUM CAN EASILY TAKE!!!!!

Lessons to be learnt here include..........

1/ Because you are a decent human being, dont think everyone else is.
2/ Dont think for one moment that because you live in a decent neighbourhood that everyone their is decent, cos they are not.
3/ Always be wary of scooters that are carrying 2 people....Even 125 Piaggio`s are very quick & manoeverable. (recently in London 2 people on a scooter were jailed for 3 years after stealing 21 i-phones in an hour....yes an hour!!!)
4/ Pray harder at night for some divine intervention in the near future for the scumbags from the biglad...no not that biglad...The one high above, unless they are 2 of the same of course!!

 

That is true.....On Sunday just gone I was on my way back home through Epping on the lovely old girl when all of a sudden I noticed that i`d been joined by 2 other motorcyclists....One on a learner 125 yam, the other on a menacing looking quad (Hate the bloody things to start with)...I did a few overtakes, but they were there all of the way...As I headed towards Ongar I remembered that there was a police station there.....Luckily, they peeled off a few turnings before hand....coincidence or not??? I dont know for certain. i know one thing, this theft has left me feeling a bit jittery in certain circumstances that before I possibly wouldnt of given a second thought of...not a bad thing I suppose.

 

Thanks everyone....its great being on here.

 

My mistake was doing what comes naturally & that's being a trusting & honest person .
But if by me posting this kind of trouble it stops somebody else suffering the same fate then to a muted point it's been a worthwhile hard lesson in life.
And yes, it was very kind of the car driver to have helped me., top dog.

 

Every thing happens so quick, plus I'm 56 ....& 4 of them about 17/18. Is it worth the risk of death for less than £600...I don't think it was really. Films may glorify 1 man beating the crap out of 4 guys.. reality suggests otherwise in my mind.
but I agree with your intentions