Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

amazon.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 167 posts

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#81

Post by SandB0x »

petenixey wrote: post #54
ChuckMcM wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm, no offense but that looks a bit staged (or perhaps its just near the end of the cleanup) a few people sweeping with brooms, most people milling about and watching them. A sad thing for me is when I start to tell a young person about a riot that I experienced and they think its 'cool.' There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, 'cool' about a riot. You can read about mob dynamics, you can imagine heroic act…

It wasn't staged, it was happening all over London - people were out in Clapham, Peckham and Tottenham too. There were a lot of people out making a lot of difference both literally and psychologically

I was in Clapham all morning with the cleanup crowd. There was nothing to do and the police wouldn't let anyone through to the damaged areas, which were full of forensics squads, firemen and surveyors. The last thing they want is the general public trampling over the crime scenes (i.e. the damaged properties,) The council had already cleaned up most of the other debris. I went home at about 13:30.

At some point they probably let the crowd in for the photo op, but all the real work had already been done.

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#82

Post by burgerbrain »

mileszs wrote: post #70
dennisgorelik wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looter in action does not deserve to die? Why not? If looter was caught and is on trial - then few years in prison would be enough. But being killed while looting when police is overwhelmed - that's only fair.

I find your comment quite disturbing. I can get behind leaving a looter (slightly) bloody and bruised, I suppose, but the nonchalance with which you proclaim these other humans "deserve to die", and state that it's "only fair" is ... well, disturbing. That's the best word. It's disturbing. The whole damned thing is disturbing.

If a looter sees that someone has a metal baseball bat and doesn't decided to walk away, then they are responsible for what happens to themselves. Anyone with two braincells to rub together knows that if you go up against somebody with a giant metal club, you might die. Let's be honest here, these are not sniper rifles, in order for someone to be killed by someone wielding a bat defensively they have to opt-in.

What I find more disturbing than anything else here is the prospect of a violent individual too stupid to properly analyze such a situation.

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#83

Post by noexception »

mileszs wrote: post #70
dennisgorelik wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looter in action does not deserve to die? Why not? If looter was caught and is on trial - then few years in prison would be enough. But being killed while looting when police is overwhelmed - that's only fair.

I find your comment quite disturbing. I can get behind leaving a looter (slightly) bloody and bruised, I suppose, but the nonchalance with which you proclaim these other humans "deserve to die", and state that it's "only fair" is ... well, disturbing. That's the best word. It's disturbing. The whole damned thing is disturbing.

I agree. Way too many people are calling for the deaths of these looters. If that's society's answer to these events than I find myself forced to defend them.

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#84

Post by burgerbrain »

noexception wrote: post #83
mileszs wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find your comment quite disturbing. I can get behind leaving a looter (slightly) bloody and bruised, I suppose, but the nonchalance with which you proclaim these other humans "deserve to die", and state that it's "only fair" is ... well, disturbing. That's the best word. It's disturbing. The whole damned thing is disturbing.

I agree. Way too many people are calling for the deaths of these looters. If that's society's answer to these events than I find myself forced to defend them.

Creating novelty accounts is a practice best left at the door here. This isn't reddit.

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#85

Post by TeMPOraL »

guelo wrote: post #11

That doesn't make sense, by the time you get the bat the riots should be over. Are the local sporting good stores all sold out?

I have no way to check it, but I think that they just delayed delivery of this product on purpose because of the riots.

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#86

Post by gburt »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #47
srgseg wrote: post #40

Just to balance out the nightmarish images of London, here is a video of the community rallying together to clean up the mess the day after http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz7WGzsaHQE

Hmm, no offense but that looks a bit staged (or perhaps its just near the end of the cleanup) a few people sweeping with brooms, most people milling about and watching them. A sad thing for me is when I start to tell a young person about a riot that I experienced and they think its 'cool.' There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, 'cool' about a riot. You can read about mob dynamics, you can imagine heroic act…

> rule of law loses its grip for a moment.

Really? You're a non-violent, non-rioting good person because of the law? I think you meant "civility loses its grip for a moment."

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#87

Post by burgerbrain »

rcfox wrote: post #78
cchurch wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe Britain already has restrictions on knife ownership. This is sad. Honest people resorting to ordering baseball bats on a website for their defense. Imagine that that was your grandmother left with no other option. "Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest." --Ghandi

Grandma does have another option: She could leave the city.

What makes you think she has that option?

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#88

Post by MrScruff »

mortenjorck wrote: post #79
itg wrote: post #5

Are the rioters buying these or the people and shop owners who want to protect their property?

I would guess that many, if not a majority of the rioters lack a credit card, and quite possibly a registered permanent address for deliveries. These are people on the farthest margins of society, often with very little to lose.

Do you have any evidence that would suggest that?

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#89

Post by felipemnoa »

jfruh wrote: post #23

These loathsome people have no respect for Britain's glorious history or traditions. Real British patriots use cricket bats on their looting spree.

Well, they are supposed to be immigrants or descendants of 1st generation immigrants so your comment may not apply.

Re: 5000% Increase in the sale of baseball bats on Amazon.co.uk

#90

Post by TheFunkyMonk »

dpapathanasiou wrote: post #33
jfruh wrote: post #23

These loathsome people have no respect for Britain's glorious history or traditions. Real British patriots use cricket bats on their looting spree.

I admit I laughed, but this comment belongs more on reddit than here.

As a recent Reddit convert who would like to follow the rules, why?
Post reply on HN