By The Way...

Another reason -- as if you needed another reason -- not to take public transportation in London:

[A] violent new craze among teenagers – dubbed “happy slapping” – has been plaguing commuters on trains and buses in London.

The craze has involved groups of teenagers slapping strangers in the face while filming their reactions on mobile phones.

The gangs have targeted people on trains, the Underground and buses in the capital.

Superintendent Mark Newton, of British Transport Police, said: “It is a cowardly form of attack – childish but also criminal.

“These people who think it is all a bit of a jape could end up in jail.”

Let's hope this craze doesn't make it over here to the US. I can't imagine it would be something that would go over well on, say, the New York subway system. Remember Bernie Goetz? Yeah, well, this would be worse.

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• #2 Comment from admhantai 
  1/22/05 8:21 PM | Permalink

  Don't kid yourself, bog standard stabbings and assaults, both lethal and non, are plenty common enough on the London tube system. The transport police is one of the most ineffective enforcement brances in the world, coupled with the inhuman levels of abuse inflicted on travellers by the tube system itself the tube is a haven for criminal activity and the most hazardous transport method in the city.
• #1 Comment from ryanagi 
  1/21/05 11:11 PM | Permalink

  Well...at least they don't stick/slice you with box cut knives like they do here for gang initiations. I'll take a slap anyday.