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

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

#141

Post by MrScruff »

andypants wrote: post #138
MrScruff wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I read that earlier. What did you find insightful in it? The people involved aren't commenting on government policy. They're looting. I think some on the left are desperately trying to spin this as some sort of popular uprising but it's nothing of the sort.

Exactly, it's not (directly) political. These are poor people without jobs and opportunities, and gangsters and criminals. These guys sure aren't protesting any issues. Therefore I'd agree with mortenjorck, the majority of the rioters probably don't have credit cards and probably aren't the kind of people who order stuff from amazon.

There are plenty of poor people in London, the vast majority of whom aren't looting shops. While I'd agree that the looters aren't likely ordering much from Amazon, I see no reason to think they lack homes or are 'on the farthest margins of society'.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14458424

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

#142

Post by mkr-hn »

ehsanu1 wrote: post #121
mkr-hn wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The initial criticism and long discussion any time someone cracks a joke isn't much of an improvement.

Except that it at least prevents the discussion devolving into a long chain of jokes, like you see on Reddit, and generally keeps this kind of thing to a minimum overall on HN. There's a place for those chains of jokes, and that's mostly on Reddit (which I enjoy browsing often). But I would prefer to keep the discussion here on HN a bit more meaningful.

Linking one of my other replies in this subthread is better than trying to come up with a unique answer: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2865270

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

#143

Post by telemachos »

ehsanu1 wrote: post #121
mkr-hn wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The initial criticism and long discussion any time someone cracks a joke isn't much of an improvement.

Except that it at least prevents the discussion devolving into a long chain of jokes, like you see on Reddit, and generally keeps this kind of thing to a minimum overall on HN. There's a place for those chains of jokes, and that's mostly on Reddit (which I enjoy browsing often). But I would prefer to keep the discussion here on HN a bit more meaningful.

I think mkr-hn's point, though, is that Reddit may have joke chains, but HN has "tell-people-why-they-should-not-joke" chains. They're probably both equally time-wasting (this whole thread is a good example, and yes I'm aware of the irony of adding to it. Shit happens.)

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

#146

Post by egwor »

dennisgorelik wrote: post #80
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.

If the looter is alone and there is police squad nearby - there is no need to even beat the looter - catch him and send to prison. Unfortunately looting mob during mass riots puts store owners into totally different situation. They basically have only two options: run vs fight. I'm not sure if I personally would choose to fight in that situation, but if business owner chooses fight option, I would support him even if…

I would have imagined that a baseball bat isn't good in a one vs group situation. As you hit one person the others grab you and wrestle the bat off you. Consequently the bat would probably be turned on you. As one parent commenter further noted: once you get riot mentality the mob/riot is entirely unpredictable. I'd imagine you would be in a perilous situation.

Considering the example: If you were a shop owner in your shop vs a mob, I'd suggest that if you had to fight tere's a good probability that you were fighting for your life anyway. You would most likely be trying to permanently disable any threat. Perhaps a blow to the knee? I don't know how anyone would react.

The thing you need to consider is this: in the UK you aren't encouraged to buy equipment designed to hurt people (for example there's legislation on knives (length) and for guns you need licenses which are very hard to get). Also the law tends to be unfavaourable if you simply kill an intruder. You really have to be using due force. Now consider you're home alone and a mob arrives at your door/flat. What do you do to protect yourself? What equipment (that you can easily justify was used in self defence or with appropriate force) should you use that might just persuade them that it's not worth the effort?

Perhaps getting the aluminium one to put them off?

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

#148

Post by neuroelectronic »

ashishgandhi wrote: post #92

Aren't we considering Amazon goofed up their arithmetic? There are a lot of things which are selling way more as per their numbers.

I doubt it. These are specific items, so if they sold 1 the previous month and sold 50 the next, 5000%

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

#150

Post by parallel »

Robin_Message wrote: post #9
itg wrote: post #5

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

Surely rioters? I find it hard to believe a shop owner is seriously going to try and hold the line by themselves against a mob. Also, a baseball bat is a classic disguised weapon but a shopkeeper will have no justification in having one so it is probably an offensive weapon in UK law. I've heard it said that D-cell Maglite torches are used by security guards not because they necessarily need a torch (a headtorch is g…

I've also heard this about large maglites. In fact they are often carried by being held near the globe end with the body of the torch resting on the shoulder. This allows the torch to be swung down onto a victim's collarbone breaking it and disabling that arm. (Apologies for the gruesome detail.)
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