tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post3287586905342286545..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Crime fiction and crime fact by Bill KirtonKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-39938369414828509402016-04-09T09:52:36.827+01:002016-04-09T09:52:36.827+01:00Thanks all.
Dennis, we disagree on the Eurostar e...Thanks all.<br /><br />Dennis, we disagree on the Eurostar experience but not on the relative attractions of the London and Psris terminals. I'm a Francophile but St Pancras is way ahead of the Gare du Nord.<br /><br />Enid, if you solve the conundrum, please let me know.<br /><br />Julia, the moment the word occurred to me, it was obvious how inappropriate it was for my little adventure.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-49080947272098316022016-04-09T09:05:04.821+01:002016-04-09T09:05:04.821+01:00Stops us romanticising the Artful Dodger and his P...Stops us romanticising the Artful Dodger and his Paris confreres anyway (and thank you for NOT using "violated")julia joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09773900100240758504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-73877093811581511652016-04-08T21:31:23.696+01:002016-04-08T21:31:23.696+01:00Oh that is nasty, and the nastiest part is not kno...Oh that is nasty, and the nastiest part is not knowing how it was done (reading your account as a possible thief, I still can't work it out. How could anyone nick a wallet inside a zipped-up pocket without interacting with you?) Glad it didn't spoil your holiday, though.<br />Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-20767806446247054352016-04-08T06:42:19.039+01:002016-04-08T06:42:19.039+01:00Yes, Bill, a dreadful experience, one which I alwa...Yes, Bill, a dreadful experience, one which I always dread but haven't (Oyet) experienced. actually, I find Eurostar a marvellous thing which - just because it's on rails, I suppose - I always really enjoy. Time is well spent at St Pacras International - it's half the joy of going to Paris or Brussels. By comparison, Gare du Nord is a slum and Brussels Midi even worse. Keep up, lads, keep up!Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08003209263201885118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-21099910247178143192016-04-07T22:05:28.117+01:002016-04-07T22:05:28.117+01:00Thanks for the responses, folks. I'm sorry, th...Thanks for the responses, folks. I'm sorry, though, that they revived memories of similar experiences for so many of you. It seems to be a fairly common occurrence. As far as I'm concerned, it's over. It certainly didn't ruin the holiday. Quite the reverse - as the holiday was ending, along came this separate drama to set a new narrative in motion.<br /><br />Also, sorry about thr white boxes around some of the text. No idea why it happened. I posted it all in the usual way. Sod's Law still operating, I guess.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-25666051681290521572016-04-07T17:58:33.469+01:002016-04-07T17:58:33.469+01:00Sorry to hear about your experience. At least it w...Sorry to hear about your experience. At least it was solved quickly and you got home safe and sound. <br /><br />I've had something similar happen twice. <br /><br />The first time myself and him-in-doors were in South Africa and he received a call from his bank and asked if we'd tried to purchase tickets in the US. We obviously hand't. The thing was we'd only used the card in one place, a 4 star hotel. So as with you it got me thinking about the who, what etc. <br /><br />The second time I had a savings account drained using a card that was still sitting in the envelope at home, I hadn't even activated it. An inside job? No. It turned out someone very clever had managed to do something exceptionally clever with their app (which they withdrew very quickly, so I assume I wasn't the only person) to access my account. <br /><br />Thankfully the banks were great at sorting it out. <br /><br />Pity I'm not a crime writer otherwise I'm sure these experiences would get used at some point.Lynne Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697330164705623835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-29435764405044401502016-04-07T16:13:00.195+01:002016-04-07T16:13:00.195+01:00Many years ago, while camping with my 13-year-old ...Many years ago, while camping with my 13-year-old daughter outside London, I had my purse stolen out of my tent late at night while we were out of it for a few minutes. Cash and cards gone. Didn't realise until the morning, of course, and then also realised that some fellow-camper must have been watching our tent for an opportunity and seized it in those few minutes (we'd only gone to the loo). It was a truly horrible feeling: spied on, stalked, robbed and yes violated. I was a fairly penurious single mum at the time so it really spoiled our holiday. Miserable experience.<br /> Fran Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13497526684591168192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-69474090444060499182016-04-07T15:03:08.265+01:002016-04-07T15:03:08.265+01:00It's the destruction of trust in other people ...It's the destruction of trust in other people which lingers after any sort of crime I suppose. But yes, how did they get the PIN and then get the wallet? Perhaps someone at the hotel has a way of seeing or working out the PIN you put in, they then phone a friend or tip the wink across the foyer, and the accomplice picks you up as you leave the hotel and keeps close til they get the chance to grab the wallet. They probably do this to many people each day. Still it's better than the alternative we read about sometimes where they grab the person and torture their PIN out of them or drag them to the ATM at knifepoint...Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-83299345032710225692016-04-07T14:24:54.528+01:002016-04-07T14:24:54.528+01:00I've experienced something similar, Bill, and ...I've experienced something similar, Bill, and you're right - it's only money, and not much money at that, but you do feel violated. Trying to be positive about it, though, it's true that no experience is ever really wasted on a writer, as you demonstrate in this post. I hope it didn't entirely ruin your holiday, and congratulations on having such a measured reaction.Mari Biellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14221256993468150226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-13269985576646093482016-04-07T11:51:59.043+01:002016-04-07T11:51:59.043+01:00Oh, Bill. Do recall Nobility. Theft by pickpocketi...Oh, Bill. Do recall Nobility. Theft by pickpocketing is particularly heinous because it almost always uses the social niceties that we love. The pat on the shoulder or chest after a bump.<br />The smile. The kind word. Sorry for your loss and the sense of violation.Reb MacRathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03645014425062542505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-86231717395516441142016-04-07T11:10:07.030+01:002016-04-07T11:10:07.030+01:00Horrible experience - but an interesting account o...Horrible experience - but an interesting account of how the writer's brain constantly turns things around, looking from different angles and using them for insight into the experience of others'.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-29351203257058246572016-04-07T10:13:19.801+01:002016-04-07T10:13:19.801+01:00Oh, Bill, how awful. I've been there - couldn&...Oh, Bill, how awful. I've been there - couldn't think straight when it happened and it took ages to work out what it 'must' have been. And I'm still not sure... but that wobbly feeling and the mistrust passes, by and by.<br />Sandra Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01761260568729338471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-31594334346945203962016-04-07T07:40:03.483+01:002016-04-07T07:40:03.483+01:00What a horrible experience Bill. Not a nice way to...What a horrible experience Bill. Not a nice way to end a holiday. Still as you say fodder for a short story. Wendy H. Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022089775887274043noreply@blogger.com