New York Times request for London 'petty crime' stories backfires in very British fashion

A New York Times Twitter call out for 'petty crime' in London stories got a very British response when the post was met with a barrage of sarcastic replies from Londoners.

The American news organisation - that recently published an article which suggested everyone in London was eating boiled mutton - wrote on Twitter: "Have you experienced a petty crime in London? Click to tell us your story."

In response, there were hundreds of very British crimes reported, ranging from the unspoken no eye-contact or talking rule on the tube, to queue jumping.

"Someone made eye contact with me on the tube once. The culprit is still at large, despite a massive police operation," wrote @ralasdair.

@SamANutt wrote: "Once on the Northern Line in Clapham a small group of people spontaneously sung a christmas song - council and police failed to issue ASBOs to any offenders."

In relation to queue jumping crimes, Dr Adam Rutherford said:"The Post Office we were queuing in a single line for multiple tills, but someone went to the front of an empty till. He soon saw the error of his ways and the tutting stopped (although was discussed after he had left),"

London's sometimes criminally expense beer prices were held to account.

@GarethAOwen1 wrote simply: "£6 for a pint. Daylight robbery!"

Meanwhile, @eapbee said: "The Rivoli Bar in the Ritz charged me £90 for a Negroni. Incredible scenes."

There were several crimes reported against the ritual of tea-making.

"Ordered a tea and they put the milk in first," lamented @JimMFelton.

While Georgina Adlam‏ said: "I ordered tea and they didn’t warm the pot first #theempirehasfallen"

Some very British fictional characters were also used to comic effect.

"A woman with a flying umbrella and her grubby friend accosted me and tried to shove me into a floor painting," wrote @juliamcfarlane.

"I was once pickpocketed by an old man and his gang of orphan children," replied @hansmollman.

Neither the New York Times nor the journalist who made the appeal have responded to the overwhelming number of case studies they have received.