Just to add yet another tale of rising scum levels in sunny Surbiton. Shopping with the wife 2 weeks ago about 630 pm in Sainsbury in Victoria Rd. We were accosted by a 6 foot plus menacing weirdo as we boarded the lift outside demanding money from us –we ignore him (usually the sanest reaction one can think of). He FOLLOWS us (this is true - the nutter is committed - and he should be) up to the 1st floor of the car park complaining that we ignored him (10 out 10 for his observational skills) – this is the part where I am getting annoyed. I explain that we have no money. He threatens to smash my teeth in – I re- iterate the point about there being no money. He finally walks off. I call the police and ring the store manager – nothing - of course happens. Is this really the place of the Good Life? Was he from the YMCA? Or some surrounding DHSS hell hole ? (That I'm paying for in my taxes for Gods sake? (Sorry God). Excuse my French but WTF am I spending hundreds a month on community taxes for? It aint going on security. People like that should be properly locked up. Apologies if this sounds a bit heavy but whats the point anymore ? I may as well carry something to protect myself next time. Seriously - not joking about this. Also - Sainburys did not give a flying one. I know - amazing. There are no police (ok thats hardly breaking news). For the record we don’t go to Sainsburys now
threatened in sainsburys car park
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This afternoon I drove round the first floor car park, only one baby and child space occupied, two disabled and the other two free were six inches deep in water. Having already lost two toenails, do to cancer treatment, I opted for a baby and child place. When I came back with my trolley, there were still a number of baby and child places vacant. A woman had assembled her buggy and was holding the baby in her arms watching me unpack. I took the trolley back and she shouted 'excuse me, do you have a child with you'?. I went straight up to her and said 'you don't know anything about me, so let me tell you. I am being treated for cancer, it is a struggle for me to come shopping. I drove round this car park and the only free spaces were these - still mostly vacant, and two over there, six inches deep in water, so I chose this. I knew you were waiting here, outraged and indignant to tell me off but how dare you make assumptions about me.'
My point is, when the car park is flooded we should be able to use these spaces, when there are so many of them. I understand the need for them and, as I said, I drove past them and round the car park looking for an alternative but there was none suitable for me. The car park owner should do something about the flooding.
This flooding has been a problem for years,mainly due to the very poor construction of the whole building.
Have you noticed how the Sainsbury's shop floor slopes towards the YMCA?
To the original poster - Unfortunately, your taxes seem to be going on housing as many of these people as possible in the least suitable accomodation.
To house someone in the YMCA or similar place probably costs £200 per week, to imprison them (even low security) runs into £1000's. The problem is that it provides no incentive not to commit crime as living in the YMCA is probably an upgrqde for most of these people.
It is an ever increasing problem as more and more people will be attracted into this sort of life, and we will pay more and more taxes to have them housed on our doorstep.
The thing that frightens me is that if this is happening in Surbiton, what is it like in traditionally more deprived areas? You must be taking your life in your hands every time you walk out of your front door.
The current government have consistently tried to convince the public that this type of thing is not a real problem, and that we should turn a blind eye to it. The result is that there are reports of this type of event every week, and it goes un-noticed. Image if this sort of thing happened once in Surbiton 15 years ago - it would have been front page news in the Surrey Comet. It is just part of the decline in standards overseen by the current government.
Sainsbury's will always suffer badly with this type of thing as the lazy residents of the YMCA don't want to stray too far, but we need to remember that the station is a flashpoint as well. Just last night, I saw someone get off the train from London. He ran across the road and tried to open a few of the locked doors in Victoria Road (Martin's, Cafe Nero etc) and then ran back into the station to get a London-bound train!
I always wondered why that small newsagents on the station forecourt had seemingly over-the-top security - now I know!
Frankly no one in "authority" cares these days,we have had over 30 years of "engaging" and "understanding" these weirdos and where has it got us?
Sainsburys will only react if no one shops there and the takings plummet,even then they will only sack the manager and carry on regardless.
Just what is wrong with building more prisons and reopening a few mental institutions and locking up the bad boys and the nutters,who cares if they stay in for life at least they are not loose on the streets,tubes,trains and buses.Then the crime figures would really drop as would the percieved threat of crime and violence.
Agree wholeheartedly to your comments.ENOUGH is ENOUGH.The bungling, could not care authorities,powers in charge of our taxes MUST do the commonsense thing.FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! And those DO GOODERS need to WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. RANT OVER .GOT A TRAIN TO CATCH IN SURBITON IN AN HOUR.AAAAAGH!
The problem is that the authorities WON'T do anything about it, and I don't expect this to change any time soon.
The people of Surbiton must do their bit by not giving money to beggars on the street. This will not remove the problem, but I think that a lot of people would be surprised by how much it reduces. Surbiton is seen as an easy target and beggars are coming in from other areas, competing for the generosity of locals with those already here.
Real life and real people with real problems happen wherever you go. Having money and paying your taxes does not entitle you to a perfect life. Stop complaining. You are not a poor, disenfranchised 'wierdo' so count yourself lucky.
whoever is defending a violent attempt at a mugging - please explain how you can sanction this as being acceptable. It would be good to have this explained.
I heard from the local police that this man had been done for rape a few weeks earlier.
So it's ok in your book to threaten to smash someone's face in and scare his wife witless? You must be insane.
Good point. I hadn't seen this thread - it is 6 years old.
You do see a lot of similar comments on this site, though. A lot of people seem to think that because it costs a ridiculous amount of money to live in the centre of Surbiton, it should all be wine and roses, but it is often the opposite.
Surbiton has one of the quickest connections into London, it is one of the busiest stations in the country, and that actually attracts crime as people come in to beg and steal from the hordes.
Even outside of the station, it is a busy London suburb that caters for all types of people from Romanians living 4 to a room to multi-millionaires in their Southborough mansions. It seems unlikely that crime would be low in such a highly populated area.
The YMCA is a bit of an imposition on the town and is responsible for a lot of the crime and disorder that goes on, but this type of facility has to go somewhere. What are they supposed to say "Oh, we'll move it to Tolworth to stop offending the residents of Surbiton!" I do think that it is a facility that is often used for housing more serious offenders than it should be, but that is where we are as a country at the moment.
I think a lot of people would be surprised at just how low the crime is in Surbiton compared to the rest of London and other similar areas. You have to move RIGHT out to avoid this altogether. Even leafy Esher has it's share of this type of thing.
You all seem to think the YMCA is full of evil people. You know there are families housed there? OAPs? People who have been made redundant? Yes there are a percentage of 'bad' people but the YMCA also does a lot of good and tries to help people at risk. I was housed there briefly after leaving my partner and him not feeling the need to help me support our young child. I lived at the YMCA for a couple of months until I found my feet. They do work with local kids - the club there for them is great. I never felt worried or scared while there. I met a lot of people working hard to move out and on with their lives.
The majority of people living there are absolutely not a problem. There is a small percentage who the council put in there who really need to be somewhere that can offer a higher level of support for their specific needs.
This is not the fault of the YMCA or the residents themselves, but it is not good for people living near it.
Has anyone seen the alcoholic who lives outside the Nat West bank? He even has a suitcase! Apparently he was coughing up blood a couple of weeks ago, a paramedic spent three quarters of a hour with him and then an ambulance turned up! And we are paying for this. Disgusting.
If this is the chap with a dog he actually lives on the Smith estate,not homeless at all.