Nice People Thread Number 10 -the official residence of Nice People

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

Ronnie Biggs, train robber, has died. Aged 84

My dad knew Ronnie Biggs. They worked together on the building of Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. One day he didn't turn up for work but half the Melbourne police did. He'd skipped to Rio. It was at that point that dad found out who he'd been working with. He had no qualms about leaving his wife and kids to face the music, while skipping off to a new life.

Having said that, dad said that he was a likeable chap, and his Brazilian son Michael clearly adored him. I think in life he was probably a complex character.

PasturesNew

vivatifosi wrote: »

My dad knew Ronnie Biggs. They worked together on the building of Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. One day he didn't turn up for work but half the Melbourne police did. He'd skipped to Rio. It was at that point that dad found out who he'd been working with. He had no qualms about leaving his wife and kids to face the music, while skipping off to a new life.

Having said that, dad said that he was a likeable chap, and his Brazilian son Michael clearly adored him. I think in life he was probably a complex character.

Somebody connected with the robbery was just telephone interviewed on the news and he said: He wasn't anything to do with the robbery really, he just recruited the driver and then asked to come along for the outing .... he never touched the money until he got his hands on it afterwards.

He's only infamous for escaping and staying on the run for so many years.

vivatifosi

PasturesNew wrote: »

He's only infamous for escaping and staying on the run for so many years.

Yep, absolutely true. The UK spent a disproportionate amount of money chasing and imprisoning him relative to his crime. It also elevated him to a level that was really unwarranted.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

I;ve been awake for an hour ... it's still dark outside.

I'm finding the chickens don't want to go out before eight really. They were coming in at 3:20 but are staying out later (weird) till about 3:45 ATM. The geese didn't come in until i started chivvyuing them at about four yesterday.

Just a few days then days start getting longer again . Never feels like it at first though!

GDB2222

lostinrates wrote: »

I am painting out soothe he moister in our house it would be a goner!!!

Was the intended message something to do with your house being too damp for a salt lamp?

GDB2222

vivatifosi wrote: »

Yep, absolutely true. The UK spent a disproportionate amount of money chasing and imprisoning him relative to his crime. It also elevated him to a level that was really unwarranted.

Let's not forget what they did to the train driver, though. It was robbery with great violence, and all who took part are responsible, whether they personally struck the blows or not.

tomterm8

lostinrates wrote: »

Just a few days then days start getting longer again . Never feels like it at first though!

This used to be the most exciting time of year for the chickens when we had them; they started laying again about a day before christmas every year. Something about the winter solstice.

When it was snow or very heavy rain the chickens didn't want to come out at all. They just poked their head out, looked mournful, and clucked at the grey sky with contempt.

vivatifosi

GDB2222 wrote: »

Let's not forget what they did to the train driver, though. It was robbery with great violence, and all who took part are responsible, whether they personally struck the blows or not.

I agree that the injuries suffered by the driver were horrible. I also don't think putting any criminal of this ilk on a pedestal is a good idea.

However, the state can't have it both ways. Ie if he was a bit player along for the ride, and as has been stated he didn't cosh the driver, then having him jailed for so long upon his return was somewhat draconian, compared to other current criminal tariffs. Remembering the news reports from the seventies and eighties, I think he fulfilled the role of a convenient and somewhat pathetic bogeyman.

tomterm8

It probably is disproportionate in relation to modern day tariffs, however, he was sentenced for crimes committed at a different time and his sentence was consistent with the treatment someone could expect for the crimes he committed at the time.

GDB2222

There's a principle of law, "joint enterprise", that states that if a whole gang of people go off together to commit a crime they are all equally culpable. You can argue about the fairness of that principle, but if that weren't in place, each gang member could blame the others, and it would often be impossible to convict any of them.