The Multiple Red Van + Man Mystery

[teuchter]

So, that / those red van(s) that is / are parked around Brixton.

Darkish red, battered looking, with "van + man £15 per hour" painted by hand on the side in white paint.

I had always assumed it was the same van that was parked in various different locations. But according to posts on another thread, it would appear that some believe there is more than one van.

How many of these vans are there? Are they multiplying?

Has anyone ever seen more than one at the same time?

Sightings so far:

Brixton Hill near the White Horse
Brixton Road near Jamm
Walworth Road near Camberwell Green
Gypsy Hill station
Croxted Road

We need to get to the bottom of this.

 

[Maggot]

I've been wanderig about this. Have seen one on Camberwell New Road near Camberwell Green a few times.

 

[Crispy]

Why not phone the number on the side of the van and ask him?

 

[teuchter]

Because I suspect they are secretly trying to take over the world - well, south london, anyway - and he/she/they would not be giving me a straight answer.

They are obviously trying to pretend that there is not more than one van. Otherwise why bother to make them all look the same?

It's clearly a conspiracy.

 

[ringo]

If you talk to them they kidnap you and make you run your own van parked up on a Brixton side street.

 

[dogmatique]

It's been parked up on Milkwood Rd this week...

 

[Kanda]

They are obviously trying to pretend that there is not more than one van. Otherwise why bother to make them all look the same?

Does this mean there is only one Post Office Van? One Black Cab? One Sainsburys delivery lorry? etc etc

 

[quimcunx]

conspiracy call out thread!

He used to be regularly parked near the White Horse, outside what is now Bizaar. since that opened I haven't seen him there. I have since then seen him parked near Jamm. I suspect outside Bazaar (I'm going to see how many different ways I can wrongly spell it) is no longer suitable so he's been looking for a new home. Perhaps on other occasions he's been on jobs....

They, I mean he, is not trying to take over the world.

Though, the mystery deepens (or not) my ex saw him in Kilburn. It made him smile.

I have no connection with red van man. there is only one.

 

[Kanda]

Wow, how Bizzarre

 

[teuchter]

Does this mean there is only one Post Office Van? One Black Cab? One Sainsburys delivery lorry? etc etc

I've always suspected as much. Or, conversely that there are many more of each than we are led to believe. One just can't be sure.

Certainly I'm a bit sceptical about the claim that there is only one Santa Claus.

 

[teuchter]

Though, the mystery deepens (or not) my ex saw him in Kilburn.

Crikey! The size of this operation is even greater than I thought!

 

[corporate whore]

there's one on camberwell new road.

The one on Half Moon Lane has 'TWAT' painted on the windscreen. Dunno if you get a discount on this one..

 

[ringo]

I shall endevour to write MINGE on the one by Jamm. Or perhaps MUFF.

 

[zenazena]

It's been parked up on Milkwood Rd this week...

ah, but have you noticed that is has morphed into a bigger van (equally shitty paint job) and is now a cupla hundred metres further up?

 

[hipipol]

There are 5 of them

The guy who runs it is a skinny chain smoking Liverpudlian geezer who treats shit marked "Fragile" in much the same way as kids kick empty cans
Foolishly we used him to move some stuff last year
A lot of ended up a battered as his fucking vans
AVOID

 

[London_Calling]

Oh there's def more than one - my guess is a minimum 3.

Same journey seen them on Loughborough Rd (not to be confused with the one by Jamm) and just down from Goose Green (East Dulwich).

Strategically, they're placed really well, imo.

 

[London_Calling]

I wonder if they all have the same number plate ?

 

[hipipol]

There are definately 5 of them - the fucking geezer who owns them told me!!!!!!
They move em about regularly - he claims to be locked in a virtual war with a number of councils over them, eyesore problems.

 

[quimcunx]

right next time you see one. get the reg number. then we'll see, yes siree bob.

 

[Dan U]

Brixton Hill near the White Horse
Brixton Road near Jamm
Walworth Road near Camberwell Green
Gypsy Hill station
Croxted Road

Milkwood Road, Herne Hill

there's frigging loads of the things. Cheap advertising i guess!

 

[Giles]

Given that you can buy an old and knackered van for peanuts, they are probably good adverts.

I would have thought it would be pretty hard to get away with leaving them parked around the place in inner London these days, given the prevalence of residents parking schemes and clamping / towaway penalties. And the ability of the powers that be to easily check if a given vehicle is taxed / MoTd / insured etc.

Giles..

 

[Choc]

LOL!!

i have been wondering about this one a million times.

there is one more in east dulwich.

i can't wait to move one day and call them for their services (of course to find out more about the mysterious business). i have their no stored in my mobi..

 

[Maggot]

i can't wait to move one day and call them for their services (of course to find out more about the mysterious business). i have their no stored in my mobi..

Read Hipipols posts

 

[Choc]

i don't want to believe it (it is only one mans opinion anyway isn't it?)

how can the guy get 5-? identical ramshackle looking vans with identical writing???

 

[Dan U]

i don't want to believe it (it is only one mans opinion anyway isn't it?)

how can the guy get 5-? identical ramshackle looking vans with identical writing???

bought a job lot off the post office?

 

[Choc]

okay okay!

but what about the ramshackle handwriting?

 

[Maggot]

Looks like it's done with tippex.

 

[Errol's son]

He doesn't use those red vans if you hire him.

He just uses them as cheap adverts.

He is an Irish man and his price is much higher than £15 an hour with a £10 booking fee. If you try and complain about the misleading ads he gets quite shirty.

I started a thread a while back about him.

He had (I don't live in London anymore so am not up to date) one on Commercial Way, Lordship Lane, on the road from Herne Hill to Tulse Hill, the road from Camberwell to Oval, one of the streets near West Dulwich train station, the road from Lordhip Lane mini roundabout to Peckham Rye and I can't remember where else at present.

 

[Errol's son]

The guy who runs it is a skinny chain smoking Liverpudlian geezer who treats shit marked "Fragile" in much the same way as kids kick empty cans
Foolishly we used him to move some stuff last year
A lot of ended up a battered as his fucking vans
AVOID

My mate said he was Irish not scouse.

When my mate called him the price was more like £30 an hour. he said he would call back if he wanted to confirm. The guy became a nuisance caller and kept phoning him up asking when the job would start. My mate never employed him.

 

[Piers Gibbon]

ahh..

thanks for letting me know not to write his number down next time I saw the van in dulwich

although to be honest as a serial house mover I have had a couple of bad experiences with van/man combos..some great ones too but I guess my main gripe is the fact that the advertised price is never connected to reality....oh and the van/man who quoted on the basis of the full postcode I was shifting some stuff to (ME1 XXX ie Rochester in Kent) but got shirty/kidnappy on the day because his office had assumed that meant somewhere in North London