MOTOR BANDITS' TRICKS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 75, 1 May 1930, Page 13

MOTOR BANDITS' TRICKS

EXAMPLES OF HMPUDENOE. OPERATIONS IN" LONDON. [WOMEN DRIVERS HELD UP. A new type of motor "bandit has appeared in tlie streets of London. His methods of operation are simple. In thorouglifares wliere traffic is eongested, causing vehieles to move slowly, lie waits for a car of whicli the sole occupant is a ivoman. Mounting the running hoard, he opens the doors and asks for a lift. Tliis being refused, the man in a hectoring inanner demands money. Two tvpical eases, both of which occurred in broad daylight, were recently reported. While motoring along a crowded thoroughfare near the Kennington Oval a wonian was stopped by a man, who aslced to be taken to the Vietoria railway station. Shc explained that she ivas not going in tbat direetion. Therenpon the man said he liad no nioney, and that if she would not drive him there, she mnst give him money. As no poi ioeman was near, she offered the man sixpence, which slie estimated wonld he tlie taxi fare to Vietoria. "That is no good to me," deelarecl .the man, with a threat. "I want ten shillings at least." At that moment the traffic was released, and the wonian drove on, intending to call the first poi ioeman she saw. The sixpence fell on the floor of the car. Apparently realising the possibility of being caught, this new type of bandit pieked np the coin and threw it in the lady's face, afterwards jjumping out of the car and disappearing among the people on the pavement. The second case ocourred at the busy crossing on the north side of Vauxhall Bridge. Having heen heM up, the traffic was actuallv on the move when a man went up to a car in which a woman was nlone and pointed to one of _ the wheels. Tliinking that something was wrong, tne woman slowed clown, and instantly the man jumped on to the running hoard. He asked to he given a lift, opening the door as he did so. Tliis was emphatically refused, and the woman slammed tlie door, at the same time rapidly accelerating. Th man leapt off, making no further attempt at molestation.