Why the long face?

I spotted this article in my local paper. I don’t wish to make light of an obviously harrowing experience for the victim, but what a vivid physical description! Could this thief be the King of Chavs? I’d love to see an artists impression!

A BIG-EARED robber with missing teeth kicked and shoved a man before stealing his £300 mobile phone.

The victim had sat down on a grass verge near the junction of Keel Drive and Chalvey High Street to read a text at around 1.45pm on Thursday last week.

He noticed a man standing in front of him who asked for the time, but then pulled him to his feet before pushing him back into a concrete bridge support.

The robber then managed to grab the phone and shoved the victim to the ground and kicked him before running off towards Chalvey Grove.

The robber is described as white, aged 20 to 25, around 5ft 10in with a long face.

He had big ears and a couple of front teeth missing from the top row. He was wearing a blue and white striped polo shirt, blue jeans, white trainers and a dark blue baseball cap, with a chunky gold ring on his right hand.

A second man, who may have been acting as an accomplice keeping lookout, wore blue jeans and white trainers.

If you have information phone the police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

I believe I may have identified the thief…

Freedom of Information

“An old Royal Navy recipe for Curried Meatballs and the MoD’s policy on Alien Abduction are just two of the 3000 requests that the MoD has received since the Freedom of Information Act came into force on 1st January.”

Links to UK Government Freedom of Information sites:

» Ministry of Defence FoI Information
» Ministry of Defence FoI Reading Room

» Department for Transport

Talking Telephone Numbers

It really irks me that so many businesses can’t format their London telephone numbers correctly.

The area code is 020, not 0207 or 0208 !

London numbers should be formatted like this: (020) 7946 0999

The significance of the bracketed area code is that you can omit it altogether if you are calling from within the same code area. So to call a London number from within the London code area you just need to dial the local number, e.g. 7946 0999.

Wrong: (0207) 946 0999

Right: (020) 7946 0999

Please point offenders in this direction for some education!

» Ofcom: A User’s Guide to Telephone Numbering
» Ofcom: Telephone Numbers for drama purposes

FedEx Furniture

Jose Avila recently moved to a new apartment in Arizona, but he couldn’t afford to furnish it. He discovered that he could order packing material from the FedEx web site and used his design skills to craft a sofa, dining table, chairs, desks and bed all from FedEx boxes.

» Blog: FedEx Furniture

Jose has published his marvelous handywork as a personal Blog but unfortunately those miserable people at FedEx are using legal force in an attempt to shut it down. They claim that he is infringing both the copyright and trademarks of FedEx and have invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

» Stanford Law School: Latest News in FedExFurniture Case

… and there was me thinking that FedEx had a sense of humour?

» CNN Money: FedEx parody commercial

Cash Machine Scams

Some old photos showing how a common cash machine scam is operated.

Looks normal right?

But it isn’t!

The gangs attach these inconspicuous devices to the cash machine and wait for unsuspecting customers. When you insert your card they copy the magnetic stripe details, which is enough to create a cloned card. The camera records your key presses and so they have your PIN too. After skimming a few cards they download the information to a PC, often remotely from a nearby vehicle.

The first you know about it is when you find your bank account has been emptied 😥

Examine the card slot carefully before inserting your card. If you see anything suspicious, do not use the machine!

Most importantly, cover your hand when keying your PIN. This scam relies on being able to see your input, so don’t feel embarassed about covering up.

» BBC: Police issue cash machine warning
» Thames Valley Police: Suspected skimming device – Maidenhead

More photos at National Criminal Intelligence Service.