New York Times London crime Twitter appeal backfires....

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-46557035

An appeal by The New York Times asking readers to share experiences of petty crime in London backfired - when it was hijacked by sarcastic Brits.The esteemed US organ had said it wanted to hear about the Metropolitan Police response to "minor property crimes" such as burglary.Instead, it was deluged with thousands of comedy replies on Twitter, including complaints about accidental eye contact on the Tube and badly made tea.
It has yet to respond.The Times posted its earnest appeal for London-based tales of woe amid what it called a "surge in violent crime" in the capital, telling users it would select the best for publication.

However, its social media feeds saw a surge of a different kind, as a deluge of tongue-in-cheek ripostes rolled in and Londoners lapped up the chance to have a laugh at the expense of the paper (and themselves).
The unspoken laws of using the London Underground featured heavily among the responses.
"Someone made eye contact with me on the tube once. The culprit is still at large, despite a massive police operation," wrote ralasdair.

Link to tweet

Comments on NYT Twitter feed are hilarious...

Link to tweet

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The paper was seeking input for a piece by its London-based reporter Ceylan Yeginsu, who said her apartment had been burgled.
It is yet to be seen how many of the responses will make it into the final piece.