Go Back   The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums > Social Forums > Social Forum
Register FAQ Image Gallery Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read
Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 26th May 2017, 17:11   #1
SCP440
I really should get out more.......
 
MG ZT-T 260

Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Witney
Posts: 2,503
Thanks: 6
Thanked 910 Times in 571 Posts
Default Shocking suprise in Oxford today

I was in Oxford city centre today and there were a couple of Police men walking through town both with Automatic Weapons and body armour.

I have never seen this before in this country and it made me shudder.

Don't get me wrong I am glad they are making a show but it makes you realise that the threat level we are on.
SCP440 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 17:23   #2
Coups
Posted a thing or two
 
Rover 75 Contemporary SE

Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Dundee
Posts: 1,941
Thanks: 545
Thanked 520 Times in 402 Posts
Default

Sadly the worlds a changed place. Our traditional image of the smartly dressed Bobbie with his helmet, truncheon and whistle has been consigned to history.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Coups is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 17:28   #3
stevestrat
This is my second home
 
ZT260 #243 (resting)

Join Date: May 2010
Location: Prestonpans
Posts: 22,424
Thanks: 650
Thanked 4,624 Times in 3,358 Posts
Default

Used to it. My wife is from the far east, police armed with handguns and M16s, security guards in the banks were armed like Rambo, even armed guards on the door of fast food restaurants.
__________________
Steve


T4 Location Map
stevestrat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 17:36   #4
OddSox
Gets stuck in
 
OddSox's Avatar
 
2002. Rover 75 saloon club se. 1.8 vvc. Moonstone green.

Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Dunno...Sat nav broke..! Somewhere in Yorks.
Posts: 988
Thanks: 296
Thanked 233 Times in 160 Posts
Default

This was foretold many years ago...Did anyone listen..?

Watch the film 'Network'... Made in 1974....!!

Here's a Clip worth watching...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WINDtlPXmmE
__________________
Beware of spanner wielding 'Mechanics' who think they know what you mean better than you do.

Last edited by OddSox; 26th May 2017 at 17:45..
OddSox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 20:34   #5
SCP440
I really should get out more.......
 
MG ZT-T 260

Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Witney
Posts: 2,503
Thanks: 6
Thanked 910 Times in 571 Posts
Default

As much as I agree with all the above I just find it shocking to see heavily armed police in Oxford city centre.

Even when we were at war with the IRA it was not this obvious. I had a friend on bomb disposal in the 80's and he often told me a lot of bombs were disposed of before the general public even noticed and we did not have armed police then.
SCP440 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 21:06   #6
Rooney
Suspended
 
Rooney's Avatar
 
MG ZT 135+ Rover 75 CDTi Tourer, 75 2.5 V6 Saloon

Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 2,027
Thanks: 835
Thanked 882 Times in 557 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SCP440 View Post
As much as I agree with all the above I just find it shocking to see heavily armed police in Oxford city centre.
Fairly normal here - all our police are armed.

I've been based in Oxford, (Bicester, Witney and Kidlington come to that) for varying periods with work so I get why you'd be shocked at the sight of police with guns.

The first time they're needed you'll be glad they were there - semi-interesting stat, there have been fewer police firearms discharged in the whole of Northern Ireland (where all cops have guns) in the last five years that records are available than in England alone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SCP440 View Post
Even when we were at war with the IRA it was not this obvious.
From an Oxford perspective maybe.

Northern Irish residents had soldiers and armed police and couldn't walk home from the pub without going through a checkpoint.
Rooney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 21:36   #7
Arryhall
Loves to post
 
Rover 75

Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Biddulph
Posts: 486
Thanks: 101
Thanked 145 Times in 90 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SCP440 View Post
Even when we were at war with the IRA it was not this obvious. I had a friend on bomb disposal in the 80's and he often told me a lot of bombs were disposed of before the general public even noticed and we did not have armed police then.
Okay, I'm not an expert, but from what I can gather from history and articles I've read and seen throughout my life, this modern terrorism methodology is different. The IRA tended to plant bombs, and car and van bombs, but then leave so they didn't sacrifice themselves. They were also less scretive about who they were to a large extent. Didn't have immams calling for death and destruction to infidels, it was more a war of freedom as oppose to religious zealotry. Unfortunately for people loving with a different stance on these things, there is no way to rationalise with these extremists. Someone happy to blow themselves up in order to win the good grace of Allah and receive his 75 virgins in paradise, who believes this with every fiber of their being, is not someone you can "talk down" and in that situation, a gunshot may be the only thing to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people. Sad, sad times.
Arryhall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2017, 23:53   #8
neilbaker86
Gets stuck in
 
MG ZT

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Oxford
Posts: 846
Thanks: 124
Thanked 312 Times in 147 Posts
Default

I cycled through Oxford this evening, I too was surprised to see two armed police officers stood under Carfax tower.

I have to ask the question what are they there for? It can only be to make the public 'feel' safer, although it has the opposite effect on me. As if someone were carrying a bomb about their person, the first the police officers would know about it is when it's gone off.
neilbaker86 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27th May 2017, 00:43   #9
clf
This is my second home
 
clf's Avatar
 
MG ZT CDTi

Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: carrick
Posts: 7,859
Thanks: 3,494
Thanked 2,657 Times in 1,973 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Arryhall View Post
Okay, I'm not an expert, but from what I can gather from history and articles I've read and seen throughout my life, this modern terrorism methodology is different. The IRA tended to plant bombs, and car and van bombs, but then leave so they didn't sacrifice themselves. They were also less scretive about who they were to a large extent. Didn't have immams calling for death and destruction to infidels, it was more a war of freedom as oppose to religious zealotry. Unfortunately for people loving with a different stance on these things, there is no way to rationalise with these extremists. Someone happy to blow themselves up in order to win the good grace of Allah and receive his 75 virgins in paradise, who believes this with every fiber of their being, is not someone you can "talk down" and in that situation, a gunshot may be the only thing to save the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people. Sad, sad times.
believe it or not, the reason I was told why we didnt have republican suicide bombers (remember it was not just the IRA, but also PIRA, OIRA, INLA and a few more), was that suicide is a sin, ironic huh? Keep in mind also there were loyalist bombers too, but they didnt seem to get the same level of fear or publicity as they didnt target 'the mainland'. They also didnt seem to be very good at it either but that is another story.

In the beginning, with NI terrorists of all sides, there was an ideology driven by a common goal (latterly it has driven by power, drugs, ultimately money). Whereas there is a selfish aspect to suicide bombers of IS and the likes, ie to enter paradise and claim their virgins (I thought it was 40 ) whilst achieving some kind of honour here on earth. This is what makes it so dangerous and scary. Extremist cells seem to be independent, almost individual, almost 'self employed'! With NI terror groups, there were cells who were commanded, and those who acted 'rogue' generally were dealt with from within if they were not caught by the authorities.

To give you another scary thought, all the police men I know, active and retired, have personal protection weapons.
__________________


It is not gloss primer .............. it is duct tape silver!
clf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27th May 2017, 04:26   #10
Darcydog
This is my second home
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,428
Thanks: 3,123
Thanked 3,170 Times in 2,096 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SCP440 View Post
I was in Oxford city centre today and there were a couple of Police men walking through town both with Automatic Weapons and body armour.

I have never seen this before in this country and it made me shudder.

Don't get me wrong I am glad they are making a show but it makes you realise that the threat level we are on.
Such a sight has totally the opposite effect on me. When you have monstrous people targeting young girls at a concert such that 22 people are killed and 60 injured - many with life changing injuries - then for me, having an armed police presence is a sensible, logical and welcome response.
Darcydog is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 14:08.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © 2006-2023, The Rover 75 & MG ZT Owners Club Ltd