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Addicted Gamers Succumb To Cybercafe Thefts
Thanks to the Hong Kong Standard for their story discussing a sharp rise in petty theft from Hong Kong video game centers, a statistic they blame on addicted gamers losing track of their real-life possessions in a gaming swirl. According to Connitta Chau, New Territories South Crime Prevention Officer, "Players are often distracted when they play video games. Many customers put their phones on tables or computers", making them prime targets for having items stolen. She further revealed that "Thieves sometimes talked victims into letting them borrow their mobile phones and simply walked away with the handset." Do players need a purse or handbag to put their valuables in, or is there no way to cure the distracted real-life state of an avid gamer?
Physical security is always an issue with your techno-toys. Trying to stick your cell phone in one of your front pockets can be bulky, depending on what sort of phone you have. After looking at the way fashion has totally trashed the usefulness of cargo pockets and the expense of those purpose-built TechnoPants, I found standard (Dickies, Carhartt, etc) carpenter jeans to have better pockets for my standard geek loadout. My cell fits perfectly in the tall, thin pocket for the hammer handle, and I actually use the pencil pocket for (surprise!) a pen, alcohol markers and a pencil.
-- I'd say your post was about 3 monkeys, 18 minutes.
Hong Kong, not Japan. The criminal trends are different between the two regions - theft in Japan is not a major problem, except when it comes to umbrellas on a rainy day, or small municipal/corporate property. Personal property in Japan is typically left alone.
Really? I keep my mobile in my jacket pocket with the ringer shut off, so as not to let anyone know that I have a phone that they can ask to borrow (or steal, to be somewhat on-topic).
Guess I'm not keeping up with what other Asians are doing. I'll leave that to you.
Unfortunately, I had a nice Digital 8 Sony camcorder stolen from me while playing a car game at E3 2003. I was at the GameShark both. The thing was, I'm usually very "theft aware". However, I thought I was at an event of professionals. Apparently, no matter where you are, the bad element follows.