CALLING INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU!
Posted on 10/26/2012 11:28:32 AM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
A new trend has hit the streets of Paris: ripping gold chains from their owners' necks, according to new crime figures.
Police said on Wednesday that 270 people had been arrested in the first nine months of the year for muggings aimed at cashing in on the rising price of the precious metal.
In July alone – at the height of the tourist season – there were 635 reported incidents of thefts of gold chains or necklaces in the French capital and its surrounding suburbs.
Authorities in other French cities have reported a similar upward trend in gold-centred thefts in a year which has seen the metal hit record highs thanks to its rediscovered status as a safe haven in times of financial turmoil.
Gold prices were at $1,708.35 an ounce Wednesday on the London Bullion Market, up from $1,574.50 at the beginning of the year.
CALLING INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU!
If the price of gold doubles, what will we see then?
I felt safe in Paris in all of typical tourist spots, but there are some bad areas of Paris I would not set foot in.
Re the necklaces, Paris is well known for its pickpocketing, so I suppose this is the Arab upgrade.
Good gods, we better evacuate the cast of Jersey Shore, stat!
How many of the thieves were named Muhammad?
That's true. We spent a week in Paris last year and it sure seemed safe to walk the streets in the middle of the night.
One thing that the center zones of Paris has are real police. There were a few college aged white kids at the Metro station next to our hotel that started a shouting match at 1am, being loud and boisterous and making threats to one another, and someone threw a bottle causing glass to break on the ground. Our hotel staff called the police, and in about 30 seconds a big white BMW came roaring up with the famous 'NEE-nerr NEE-nerr' siren that French cop cars have, and the policeman got out and ordered everyone to sit on the ground and shut their mouths. The youths complied immediately. After a short time, he drove away with one of the kids in the back of his squad car. Bonne Nuit, dumbass.
Paris cops are not to be messed with. France doesn't have a English/American style criminal justice system where people are necessarily innocent until proven guilty. If you're involved in something that causes the police to show up, then you messed up dummy. If the cops don't like what they're seeing, then everyone goes downtown to be held in jail until they decide if there's booking charges or not, and it might be days before they get around to it. Also, unlike Britain, all Paris cops are armed.
The other thing I noticed is that in addition to Paris police, there's also French state Federal police tooling around and they're basically like soldiers. In fact, in front of the Eiffel Tower and some other Paris landmarks, there's real French Army soldiers patrolling around with FAMAS rifles. Many I noticed were ethnic Senegalese and Congolese.
ATTENTION FR LADIES:
I have seen the Fox women wearing some necklaces that I find very attractive. I would like to look into buying such necklaces for my bride.
I find them beautiful. They look like a string of rocks or glass. Great colors and different size stones.
I think they would look great on my wife. She likes pearls, but over our 40 years together, she has already accumulated enough of those. Besides, they are too darn expensive.
Can anyone tell me what these styles are called, so that I can find them on the net?
Right idea, wrong city. In London, it's Asians (i.e., Pakis); in Paris its middle-eastern youth.
Yah,you're probably right.Britian = Pakistan,India,etc.France = Morocco,Algeria,etc
The other thing I noticed is that in addition to Paris police, there’s also French state Federal police tooling around and they’re basically like soldiers. In fact, in front of the Eiffel Tower and some other Paris landmarks, there’s real French Army soldiers patrolling around with FAMAS rifles. Many I noticed were ethnic Senegalese and Congolese.
I was going to take a pic but frankly I was too scared to, I remember one guy scared the sh!t out of me just looking at him. He was not there to give directions.
You might be seeing a style called “diamonds by the yard.”
They also are made in other stones like rubies and sapphires.
Here’s an example from one of only 2 sellers I buy estate jewelry from on ebay. This seller is the best of the 2. High quality items.
“Can anyone tell me what these styles are called, so that I can find them on the net?”
I can’t tell you the names of the particular pieces you’re looking for, but I bet by whiling away an afternoon, you can find what you’re looking for. You may be thinking of Swarovski chockers that were popular back in the 1960s. Here’s three places to start. The Swarovski pieces are in the first link.
http://www.decodame.com/jewelry/french_glass.htm
http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/reasonable-jewelry/
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/when-it-glitters
Good luck.
It’s called a statement necklace:
Thank you. Some of those are close.
Some of the ones I liked the most looked like a collection of agates.
Okay.... I just Googled “statement necklace”, hit photos and found some. Thank you very much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.