It's a Pattern: London Rioters Are Leaving Bookstores Untouched

[RockdaMan]

While the rioters in England this week have looted shops selling shoes, clothes, computers, and plasma televisions, they've curiously bypassed one particular piece of merchandise: books. The Economist observes that while rioters have a centuries-old history of book burning, "books are losing out to high-end jeans and Apple-made gadgets" in London, with the Waterstone's bookstore chain emerging unscathed and the WH Smith chain reporting only one incident (some stores closed as a precaution). In explaining that the store would probably stay open during the unrest, one Waterstone's employee even felt comfortable enough to issue a dare to the rioters: "If they steal some books, they might actually learn something."

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/globa...touched/41142/

[din155]

What happened in London and other cities was more of a looting that rioting. Apparently you can get more valuables out of a Nike Shop than Waterstone's.

[RDaneel54]

This was mentioned on NBC News last night. I was not surprised. They may not know what "books" are?

Since most of the damage seems to be economically motivated, the resale value of books is probably not high enough to cause one to even bust the windows of Waterstones.

Guess there is always a chance they'd rather have a Kindle...

[Barty]

Maybe it's just R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

[Kali Yuga]

Wait, there are still physical bookstores in existence? Who knew?

[TimW]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Wait, there are still physical bookstores in existence? Who knew?

Perhaps not...they may be out of phase with our space-time continuum. That might be the real reason they weren't looted.

[BrowseTheStacks]

Just read that they broke the windows at a comic shop but stole nothing. Philistines one and all!!!

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by BrowseTheStacks

Just read that they broke the windows at a comic shop but stole nothing. Philistines one and all!!!

Wait! is that the one that had my soul?

[Ravensknight]

My question is, have they burned down all the strip clubs?
If they haven't, I postulate a connection between books and strippers...

[xg4bx]

all i'm reminded of is a very racist chris rock joke. i'll let those interested search for it themselves lol.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by din155

What happened in London and other cities was more of a looting that rioting. Apparently you can get more valuables out of a Nike Shop than Waterstone's.

As far as I can tell, there were basically two types of rioters. Most of the media have focused on the first type, where people were looting expensive stuff (plasma TVs etc). As you say, a pair of Nike trainers is worth a lot more than a book.

It's worth noting, however, that there were instances of people looting food from shops like Lidl and Aldi (for those of you that don't know, they're very cheap supermarkets). I have a lot more sympathy for those people, because if you're stealing food from a supermarket that sells very cheap food, chances are you're doing it because you're in severe economic distress, not because (to quote one looter) "Why wouldn't I take the chance to get free stuff?"

[din155]

Maybe they got tired of looting and wanted to eat something. And I saw a picture where people were standing in a queue to grab their spoils after breaking into the shop. Some sense of civil conduct I guess..!

On a serious note, breaking into Lidl or Aldi doesn't make it any lesser crime! They looted and destroyed many small shops as well and those guys are left with nothing now. What if those shopkeepers take the same route and start breaking into other shops? I do my bit for people in need but can’t sympathise with looters just because they don't have food and want to a pair of £150 trainers.

din

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by din155

On a serious note, breaking into Lidl or Aldi doesn't make it any lesser crime! They looted and destroyed many small shops as well and those guys are left with nothing now. What if those shopkeepers take the same route and start breaking into other shops? I do my bit for people in need but can’t sympathise with looters just because they don't have food and want to a pair of £150 trainers.

I doubt the people stealing from Lidl & Aldi were the same people stealing £150 trainers. I may be wrong, but I suspect people stealing food from Lidl or Aldi were doing it out of desperation, whereas people stealing plasma TVs and £150 trainers were doing it out of greed.

It's still a crime, but I have more sympathy for a crime committed out of desperation than I do for a crime committed because of greed.

[b0ned0me]

Originally Posted by avantman42

It's still a crime, but I have more sympathy for a crime committed out of desperation than I do for a crime committed because of greed.

Desperation? More likely just taking the chance to help themselves to some free stuff once the first scallies have smashed their way in to clean out the cash registers and the spirits section.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk/I...day.6817234.jp

A STUDENT was yesterday jailed for six months for looting a £3.50 case of water from Lidl during the violence that erupted across London this week.
Nicholas Robinson, 23, was walking back from his girlfriend's house in Brixton in the early hours of Monday when he saw the store in Acre Lane being looted.

He took the opportunity to go in and help himself to a case of water because he was "thirsty," a court heard.

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by b0ned0me

Desperation? More likely just taking the chance to help themselves to some free stuff once the first scallies have smashed their way in to clean out the cash registers and the spirits section.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk/I...day.6817234.jp

In his case, evidently you're right. Maybe you're right in all the other cases, maybe not.

I probably should have known better than to get started on this, but it seems to me that we're off-topic, and that this sort of discussion should be in the politics & religion forum that I'm not a member of

I'll not be posting any more on this.