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The Urban Geek As A Mugger Magnet?
CGP314 writes "I live in London and whenever I travel around, I feel like a huge target for muggers. Usually I take my laptop, iPod, cell phone and occasionally a PDA around with me. As with many geeks, these items hold within them far more value to me than anything I leave behind in my apartment. So I would like to know what my fellow urban geeks do to try and keep their valuables safe while traveling with them. I've switched my iPod headphones from the distinctive white to a boring black as a means of camouflage; are there any other suggestions?"
And have a look here at 40 Reasons to Support Gun Control.
The chances are that you will not have the same experience with guns as the mugger anyways and prob. he will take your gadgets AND the gun.
Plus carring a gun is the best way of getting shot at.
> Here in Virginia, the concealed carry permit allows one to do an imitation of Dirty Harry.
>A lead induced lobotomy cures most criminal impulses.
And even more importantly - allows the user to feel like a well-hung man. Of course, this feeling is only temporary, but that's ok - because you can also buy an attack dog and suv to fend off the inevitable creeping insecurities.
There's nothing more pathetic than a geek with a gun getting his ass completely kicked while trying to get his weapon out of his colastomy-bag-looking hip-sack. The only upside is the entertainment that it gives everyone around him lived through years of his tough-talking. Of course, the ever-so-resourceful-insecure-geek might then become even more obnoxious, by keeping his gun in his hand at all times, so that he can 'squeeze one off' before getting throttled. Luckily at that point he's almost guaranteed to get beaten to death, and end everyone else's misery.
Seriously, every geek I've ever met that has insisted he needed a gun also lived in about the safest part of town you could ever find. Then he avoided anyplace more dangerous than a theme park. I suppose there's someone out there that actually would benefit from carrying a gun, but I have yet to meet the geek that did.
and got held up at gun point while developing on my powerbook.
[...]
Ever since that close call, I've stuck to my "guns" when it comes to regular backups.
What is it about you so-called Mac developers (who probably write Flash or Shockwave code) who don't believe in using a properly backed ups server, running at some secure hosting site, with SOURCE CONTROL SYSTEM on it?
Every time we'd have to contract to a shop where they use macs for something, it seems like everyone just skips around with different versions of stuff on their powerbooks with no central repository for anything.
We've made use of our source code control system (and weekly backups on ISO DVD-ROMS) mandatory in our contract, and we get a lot of pushback from Mac "developers" about this.
On my PC, I use an encrypted filesystem, and I sync my code to a server-based maintained and backed up source-code control system. If someone steals my laptop, that's all they get. No work is lost or compromised.
Best Buy can have you arrested
Since we all have guns here in the good ol' USA, no one is ever mugged.*
* Exceptions include California, Massachusetts, Maryland, District of Columbia, where ordinary citizens** are considered incapable of excercising good judgement with respect to their rights under the constitution.
** Ordinary citizens exclude prominent judges, politicians, and celebrities.
Yes, I know that you CAN legally own concealable firearms in some of the above, but it isn't easy.
No, he can't -- you're confusing the English with people who have basic respect for themselves and for the concept of property belonging to a particular person rather than to whoever can grab it.
Yes, it was flamebait, mod me down... yet there is wisdom in my words I tell you...
Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
Yes, because that's what the government does in our country. Doesn't yours?
You do realise that assault with a deadly weapon is frowned upon in civilised society, don't you?
Fine then. I think I probably speak for a lot of people when I say: Fuck "Civilized" society.
I don't give a half a shit who the fuck you are. Try to take my shit I'll rip your fucking throat out because, frankly, I have niether the time nor the patience to deal with people fucking around with my hard earned items of interest and my laptop's worth more than the life of any crook that would take it. And, don't give me any of that "civilized society" bullshit, either. I'm not the one that dragged the two of us out of it, so don't give me a hard time for adapting to the new surroundings.
Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
Nuff said.
- Better to speak your mind than to remain silent, or someone may speak for you.
And how many muggers use guns? Think before you post.
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