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quickymart

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#226337 2-Jan-2018 21:47
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I was on an AT Metro train (in Auckland) on New Year's Eve with my boys, travelling from Manukau to Britomart.

 

All started well, until we got to Puhinui. While waiting for people to board/get off the train, two losers (whose faces were covered) decided to run up to the train while it was stationery and tag it with their graffiti. While I personally consider this sort of behaviour to be appalling (where is their respect for other people's property? Where were their parents?) what struck me was that the train staff seemed to be completely helpless to do anything.

 

The conductor was running through the train calling people (from AT Metro, I presume) explaining what was happening, but it seemed to me like nothing else was being done. Certainly the guards - who you normally see at the stations - were conspicuous by their absence. I did notice they turned up 10 minutes later, but by then it was far too late, as the little a-holes had fled.

 

The fumes were so bad we all had to move to the front of the train. To make matters worse, the train wasn't working properly (I think they said the computer running it had been hijacked, making it not function correctly). Our trip terminated at Otahuhu so the train could return to the depot and we had to wait to catch the next one - which I found quite difficult to explain to my boys (who are 5).

 

It just seemed amazing to me that while these little so-and-so's could have been caught red-handed and dealt with by the authorities, no one did anything and they just got off scot-free. I asked the conductor if they caught them and he said they couldn't do anything (or something like that - he was a little hard to understand).

 

Could they have not have done a citizen's arrest or something, and held them until the Police turned up? Or is their process really "we'll sit here helplessly and do nothing while they spray paint our million dollar train, and then inconvenience the rest of you shortly". Is that really the best they can do?

Anyone who knows the legalities around things like this, I'd be interested to know. Someone told me in America those two little blighters would have been shot for doing the same thing, but yet here, it seems like nothing can be done...

 

If you catch someone tagging the side of your house, or your wall or whatever, does the same thing apply? Do you just stand there and let them do it, or call the Police, or what?


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Goosey
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  #1928239 2-Jan-2018 21:50
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Hijacked?

 

 




quickymart

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  #1928242 2-Jan-2018 21:57
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That's what I was told. I don't know how accurate that is, but the train was stop-start-stop-start after they did their, uh, "work" on it and the conductor said the train would have to return to the depot for service. Hence why we all got off at Otahuhu.


gzt

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  #1928283 2-Jan-2018 22:02
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quickymart: Someone told me in America those two little blighters would have been shot for doing the same thing,

Probably not.




gzt

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  #1928284 2-Jan-2018 22:06
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quickymart: That's what I was told. I don't know how accurate that is, but the train was stop-start-stop-start after they did their, uh, "work" on it and the conductor said the train would have to return to the depot for service.

Possibly a door failure or door warning failure something of that nature.

Geektastic
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  #1928331 3-Jan-2018 00:48
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Even if they had been caught, the court system would only  have slapped them with a wet bus ticket instead of a darned good thrashing.






quickymart

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  #1928347 3-Jan-2018 08:58
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So they just get away with it with 0 consequence for their actions? Hardly seems like justice to me.

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  #1928356 3-Jan-2018 09:22
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quickymart: So they just get away with it with 0 consequence for their actions? Hardly seems like justice to me.


Snipers should be able to improve the IQ of the whole country by taking out these low life scum

Linux

 
 
 

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SJB

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  #1928362 3-Jan-2018 09:46
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Booby trapped paint cans maybe that detonate when used while running and permanently colour the holder orange.


Oblivian
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  #1928403 3-Jan-2018 11:01
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If you can detain them without being counter slapped with an assault charge the local constabulary possibly wouldn't mind.

 

 

 

But it's that freely dishable assault charge that puts people off. Far worse consequence for it than the graffiti.


cr250bromo
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  #1928449 3-Jan-2018 13:18
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My guess is AT Metro staff and security guards (contracted from armourguard I think) have been told not to get into confrontations due to new health and safety laws so they are effectively powerless.  If one of those staff got injured in the confrontation AT would have to show they did everything possible to keep staff safe at work or they could be liable.  Telling the staff not to get into confrontations reduces this risk even if it results in an unintended outcome.

 

I'm certainly not defending this situation (or the tagging) but this is the reality of the new legislation.

 

/ben (A staff health and safety rep)


Geektastic
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  #1928715 3-Jan-2018 22:05
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Linux:
quickymart: So they just get away with it with 0 consequence for their actions? Hardly seems like justice to me.


Snipers should be able to improve the IQ of the whole country by taking out these low life scum

Linux

 

 

 

They'd be really busy. There's a lot to get through after the taggers...!






Batman
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  #1928748 3-Jan-2018 22:43
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gzt:
quickymart: Someone told me in America those two little blighters would have been shot for doing the same thing,

Probably not.

 

Depends on skin color. Sad but true.


Geektastic
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  #1928749 3-Jan-2018 22:47
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Anyone ever seen that mess on the side of a train or building in Singapore?

 

 

 

Just saying...






Batman
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  #1928765 3-Jan-2018 23:46
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Geektastic:

 

Anyone ever seen that mess on the side of a train or building in Singapore?

 

 

 

Just saying...

 

 

Are you suggesting corporal punishment works


PhantomNVD
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  #1928776 4-Jan-2018 00:42
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And what if a member of the public restrained them... are we also liable for an assault charge when defending private property in a reasonable way (if physically restraining someone) without actual damage/aggression?

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