Finally back, but......

[Rich Gibson]

On the train back from Edinburgh one of our large suticases was stolen off the train. Those who have travelled on British trains will recognize the pitifully small luggage storage space GNR provides.

The good news is the thief found (but for some reason didn't take) our dirty laundry. The greatest insult was they didn't take my shooting jacket with the newly added NikonCafe Logo on it!!! No taste! I lost a D200 battery charger and two bateries, a radio, my 80gb backup drive, a radio, three history books (go figure!) and a $100 St. Andrews golf shirt for Frits. Fortuantely we're covered. Neither the camera equipment or the MacBook Pro was stolen.

One good tip. At the last minute I put a full itinerary in each bag which the British Transport Police used to call the Royal National Hotel. By the time we got to the hotel they had found the bag (In Leeds...not even on the line between Newcastle and London...the cretin must have quickly got on to another train immediately). The police personally shipped it to Kings Cross by midnight the same day! Those Brits are a professional lot!

Now to start processing. Patrick, the D2X really got a workout; the drop into the Thames didn't hurt it a bit.....just kidding. Now you can say your camera's been to more places than you!! Thank you my friend.

Good to be back home. My hats off to Michael and Christina for the schedule, Virginbia for the shirts and Panos, our entertainment chairman.

The pictures will start appearing tomorrow.

Rich

Rich

 

[Frits]

Welcome back Rich!
Darn thieves to steal my St. Andrews shirt and leave you your shooting Jacket....Ye Gads!!:biggrin: :biggrin: Again, do tell me if your insurance leaves you out of pocket - it'll be my loss, not yours.
I'm looking forward to see your images and I hope to see some of the "Auld Course"!

 

[lyle]

Glad to hear you're back, Rich, but sorry to learn about your loss. I can truly appreciate what it must have been like for you on the train. You had a ton of stuff to lug and I'm sure it wasn't easy.

Sorry about your loss too, Frits.

I'm sure you'll have fun going through all those images. Rich, be sure you check out all the great ones in the threads so far!

Virginia
aka beaucamera

P.S. I had to take my computer in to have the motherboard replaced so I'm using Lyle's computer for this post. His avatar is pretty stinky if you ask me!

 

[Panos Kazanelis]

Glad to hear you're back home safe Rich and Carolyn, despite the mishaps...

Now, get on to that PP work and start posting, we need your PoV of what happened at London :wink:

 

[Steved53]

Welcome back Rich. Sorry to hear about your misfortune. As seasoned travellers you seemed to know the best things to do to minimise the disruption of such an event.

I'd like to thank you once again for the loan of the compact flash card.

Me, as a not very seasoned traveller, made the trip with insufficient memory for my camera.:redface: Rich was kind enough to lend me a card, and only asked for me to post it back when I had finished with it.

Another example of what great people there are here, at Nikon Cafe!

 

[Harry S.]

What an unpleasant incident. Fortunately, the damage was kept within certain limits.

Anyway, glad you're back. I'm already curious for your pictorial version of the meeting.

Cheers

 

[spalding12]

hey rich
welcome home
sorry about the theft issue... puts a damper on an otherwise amazing voyage

i can't wait to see the results of your shooting
rest up, my friend.... i'm sure you are quite tired

 

[Doug]

So, your camera gear was in the bag and not taken? That is really strange, unless he was worried about it being a US version, sure to get caught with it?

Could he have been that smart?

 

[MontyDog]

#1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax;

 

[Doug]

Maybe so. Serials definitely tie a crook to an event. They don't lie. If he's selling camera with serial 77421143, and Rich happens to be where he's selling it, or has people looking and find it, it would be difficult for theif to escape conviction I bet.

These could be VERY smart crooks if that's so and odds are pretty good, he'll have 3 sizes in that golf shirt at his next sale. (meaning he hits some others making the same route.

 

[JustinD]

Sorry to hear your stuff was stolen, Rich. That's a major drag. Glad you're home safe and sound though!

How come you used Patrick's camera? Is your's broken?

 

[Rich Gibson]

I think it was simpler. The suitcase was right next to the door and it could have been lifted easily as the person exited the train; a process taking only a second to stop and lift the bag. The leg of the trip was between Newcastle and London which had five or six stops. The conductor was not checking tickets after each stop so someone could have boarded the train without a ticket knowing the conductor could not have checked all the new passengers with the relatively short time between stations..this was a high speed train.

It was more likely that he(?) missed the camera because it was in a roll-aboard and closer to the passenger compartment. The case he took was quite heavy; an easy mistake to think it was heavy because it contained elextronic equipment. Funny though, they went through every closed bag and packet so I have a fingerprint of the cretin on a CP filter! Ironic.

I'm going to write GNER requesting reimbursement for the $500 deductible insurance because of insufficient storage, inadequate security and not checking passengers after they boarded. It's worth a try. In any case I won't be traveling by rail anymore in the U.K due to the need to stand over the luggage at each stop.

Rich

Rich

So, your camera gear was in the bag and not taken? That is really strange, unless he was worried about it being a US version, sure to get caught with it?

Could he have been that smart?

Welcome back Rich - I too can't wait for you to show the others some real photos :biggrin: :tongue:

We wondered if "serial numbers" came into it, maybe?
If they were after a (cough) quick buck, they took the things with no serial numbers that can be sold at the next boot sale or whatever?

Maybe so. Serials definitely tie a crook to an event. They don't lie. If he's selling camera with serial 77421143, and Rich happens to be where he's selling it, or has people looking and find it, it would be difficult for theif to escape conviction I bet.

These could be VERY smart crooks if that's so and odds are pretty good, he'll have 3 sizes in that golf shirt at his next sale. (meaning he hits some others making the same route.

 

[Rich Gibson]

Sorry to hear your stuff was stolen, Rich. That's a major drag. Glad you're home safe and sound though!

How come you used Patrick's camera? Is your's broken?

Yes, the D2X failed about a week before I left. Patrick was a real gentleman to do that.

Rich

 

[satelite seven]

Sorry to hear about the suitcase Rich and glad you got back in one piece, it was a real pleasure to meet up with you and your wife, hope to see you next year my friend, now I will let you get on with mammoth task of sorting all your images. Don't forget to post a few from Scotland!!

 

[ronnies]

Sorry to hear about the train mishap. I've never liked that luggage arrangement on UK trains.

It was great to meet you in Edinburgh !

Ronnie