Proof that things really were better back then

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

Daydreaming over the weekend and this occurred to me

Thinking about being a youngster in the early 60s on Clifton. It was a council estate so everybody rented, nobody actually owned any property there. So every week the rent lady came round to collect the money.

As predictable as anything, she'd be at the same place on the same street on a certain day of the week. Several of them all over Clifton at any one time.

Single female walking the streets with a shoulder bag full of money - in those days many hundreds of pounds; the equivalent today would be multi-thousands of pounds. No locks or security precautions anywhere. Perfect to attack them and grab the money. But did that ever happen?

As far as I know, there was never one incident of violence or robbery towards these rent ladies.

How long could you walk around the streets of an estate today with a bag full of money, before you got hit from behind?

[denshaw 2,871]

A lot of pizza places will not deliver to certain areas of Nottingham and they only carry a handful of cash.

[Ashley 288]

true, same happened on whitemoor estate, yet doubt the the detection of crime any better now despite all the security/advance in technology etc? also doubt the sentence if caught much different? so my opinion is external influences? every time you turn the tv on theres shooting, glorification of crime, violence etc, was a time when no crime was profitable in films tv etc, am expecting to see the teletubbies with uzi's in next series!

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Not forgetting the milk man and bread delivery roundsmen who also collected payment for the weeks delivery on Fridays too.

My Dad was a milkman in his youth and also a bread delivery roundsman and never got robbed. That was all in the late 40's and 50's.

[Ashley 288]

in the war did have the luftwaffe to contend with though

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

He had a horse and cart to deliver milk after the war, so I don't think the luftwaffe were any worry. !rotfl!

[Beefsteak 305]

Them Jerry bombs wern't particular where they landed ya know!!

[catfan 14,793]

I well remember the council rent lady in bulwell about thirty years ago.

Could you see it now ?

NO CHANCE.

[Ashley 288]

The thing is the respect has gone now, both for the police and the public in general, Used to be up to the police whether a case went to court? and 99% of cases did? nowadays with the CPS it seems even with a signed confession they are reluctant to prosecute in case the offender gets off ( and someone loses their job). I think it all went wrong when they stopped deportiaton to australia! lol

[Scriv 168]

Couple of other factors to consider.

1) Very few people would have had cars. If they did, they were probably known to half the street, and an unusual one would be spotted.

2) People knew their neighbours better; as per above, a stranger would be noticed.

3) If the miscreants were caught, they'd not only get a rough time off the coppers but probably off the other lags inside, especially for robbing a woman. Plus they'd get a substantial sentence in a proper jail, not probation and a chance of an adventure weekend.

Prison might not be a deterrent today, but that's only because it's far too cushy.