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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?"
you go outside?
Ditching the white earphones was a good first step - I would also suggest not using a fancy case to carry around your laptop - those leather targus bags just scream "look at me! expensive stuff here!"
You'll have to check the laws in your area, but at the very least, the list is missing a knife, pepper spray, brass knuckles, and a packet of instant foam... Bite into it, then the attacker, and do your best to fake rabies. :)
Look like you know exactly what you're doing, and that you belong exactly where you are. Don't show fear. Don't run past the sketchy neighboroughs. Don't glance around. Strut. Don't look at maps. Don't stare at people, but return their look if given one.
Marxist evolution is just N generations away!
doesn't go out. Therefore, I don't really see a problem here.
I also reply below your current threshold.
1. I've lived in London for the last 18 years, since being 18 in fact, all over from Finsbury Park to Streatham, From Acton to Walthamstow, and even in South Kensington and Victoria, which covers a large area. I've never felt particularly at risk. Ever. Admittedly I'm a 6'2 male, and I walk around with confidence in my stride but I've been in far more dangerous places than London.
2. Are you seriously telling me that you carry around with you data that you can't recover ?? No-one expects you to pray to the backup gods religiously every morning before breakfast, but seriously it's not hard to keep things at least roughly synced with a more-permanent base. Use any PC, connect 'em up and hit go, grab a coffee and it's done.
I don't expect to get mugged, but there's always the chance I'll forget to pick up my bag, or drop the portable, or some idiot will spill his pint of beer over me, or (pick some random occurrence). BACK IT UP!
[aside: I *have* heard from Ipod owners (I'm not one such) that the white earphones are in fact the cause of several muggings, and they're crap quality anyway, so I can understand ditching them. That's about the only step I'd take though, and more for quality reasons than safety ones]
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
Just like you've done with the iPod headphones, ideally nobody should be able to tell you are carying a laptop, PDA, etc.
I carry my laptop, PDA and minidisk player (yes, it's not an iPod, but it's still worth quite a bit) wherever I go, but because I use a regular backpack to hold everything, I'm as safe as anyone else. I use a sleeve bag for the laptop, with hard padding all around. That way in my backpack, even when surrounded by books, binders and other things, my laptop can take a fair amount of pressure without any problems. I even rode my motorcycle and my bycicle, and nothing happened (no, I did not fall, but the bumps would have cracked a less protected laptop).
The absolute worse you can do is carry a leather Targus bag. It's as close to wearing a "Rob ME!" sticker on your back as possible.
Most of the joy of gadgets is the researching, selecting, ordering, and receiving anyway ... After you get it, it's obsolete and you've already moved onto the next new thing. Think of muggers as helpers ... They clean out the old obsolete gadgets so you can research/select/order new expensive shiny gadgets.
Yet another Mac-zealott willing to sacrifice his life for his Mac...
Do what I do:
- cut your own hair. badly.
- get pierced a few times.
- get a tattoo or two.
- wear old clothes. don't wash them often.
- use an old bag (bookbag/shoulderbag).
Look like you might take something rather than have something taken from you. It's remarkably easy, and it helps you avoid people that judge others by their appearance...
And never carry any weapon unless you're 100 percent confident that it couldn't be taken from you if you were surprised by four large men.
Look like you might take something rather than have something taken from you. It's remarkably easy, and it helps you avoid people that judge others by their appearance...
Except maybe police and security personnel, who are notorious about that sort of thing.
My solution was simple, I grew up to be a huge scary man. It's gotten me out of a lot of tight spots.
Yeah, I guess I'm funny like that.
Yea, not to blame the victim but the way you hold yourself goes a long way to whether you're picked out as a target (it won't stop all the shit that may come your way but it can certainly limit it). Unfortunately I can't say what, exactly, it is that works well, but I used to walk around spanish harlem at 3 am all the time and never had any real problem. The people who lived in my place before me were mugged 3 times in 6 months. Confidence, minding your own business, and a genuine lack of fear (sometimes it helps to bringing some sort of talisman or gewgaw, like a rabbits foot or a big knife or something. Myself I found carying a 40 around was nice as it provided a) beer and b) a big heavy club).
... so be a decent bloke and your neighbors will have your back.
Lastly, know your neighborhood. A lot of crime happens close to home, if you're recognized and respected (not liked, just respected) then people will look out for you. I've had help from unexpected places on several occasions
closed minded is as closed minded does
Unfortunately a lock doesn't do much good when you are being mugged. A guy with a pistol or knife doesn't have to do much to convince me to open a lock. Actually, all he has to do is be holding a gun or knife, and politely ask me t give him anything I have. There isn't a damn thing I own worth being shot or stabbed over. Trust me on this one, having been stabbed with a knife before, you do not want to get stabbed, anywhere, or for any reason.
Once I had kids, I got a bunch of diaper bags (for carrying great gobs of baby stuff). Graco makes a kick-ass one that has more padded pouches than I can possibly use. The good part is that it's the perfect size for my Powerbook, headphones, and various other gadgets. I keep a little portable pouch of huggies in the front (cause they're damn useful anyway), just in case I get mugged and need to convince them there's nothing of value to steal.
I get funny looks from clients when I unpack my gear from a blue and pink bag, but ultimately everyone agrees it's a pretty foolproof way to keep unsavoury types away.
Note: possibly not for the single geek pickin' up hot dates.
Note on note: I crack myself up sometimes.
The world's only surviving livewriter.
Four words: What about my pr0n?
"I was working at a convenience store a few years ago, and got held up at gun point while developing on my powerbook
Damn, is the job market really that bad?
Not to mention that this guy is in London, where you can't get a 'carry concealed weapon permit' or whatever. Of course, you could get a Licence to carry a shotgun provided you carry it in full view and not ready to fire. The muggers wouldn't notice that and you would be perfectly safe.. ahem.
Is it really that hard to understand that the gun is a deterrent, not a 'thugicide'? The firing of a gun in self defense is literally that - self defense. When you pull a gun (hopefully after taking one or more courses in lethal force usage) you are sending a message to the criminal : this episode is over.
90% of all self defense situations involving firearms are happily resolved without the gun being fired. That's the intention : pure deterrance with the added insurance of being able to use it in an acute emergency. That's a win for everyone.
The image the gun control crowd loves is people simply pulling a gun at every possible instance and spraying. That's simply not consistent with reality - nor is the very silly 'it'll just get taken away from you' myth.
Hey... Instead of going for the "cheap" look...
:)
;)
I go for the "jock" look... with my sporty back pack - and I'm not to much of a wimpy looking guy - I lug my gear around in this. I'm usually on campus when I'm moving my gear around - so I just look like another student. Who wants to steal my books anyway?
http://www.spireusa.com/products/ZM3.html
Thats the backpack I use right now...
As for the ipod I keep that in my pocket zipped up - black headphones, cellphone in pocket - ringer off. And just don't walk into dumb places...
I also have insurance on my laptop which is oh so nice for a scratch or incase i need to hit someone in the face with my laptop...
Keep all secure files on a usb-keychain which are encrpyted using personal vault
Thanks for the Info, Mr. Banner!
Now where can I find some extra gamma rays...
What you want to do is to carry all your gadgets in a diaper bag. Yes, I'm serious. This is a time-tested technique. Nobody wants to steal a baby-blue or pink cute little bag full of shit.
Are you adequate?
I was walking home with a friend in the University district of Seattle. We had been drinking and were in a good mood. Both of us looked like the sort of scruffy characters who wouldn't have squat on them. Because I felt safe a.) because I was with a friend, and b.) because Seattle in general, and especially the U district are usually crime-free, I didn't follow my own advice. I wasn't paying attention to my environment. Six big guys jumped us. The biggest jumped out from behind a bush, leading with a fist full of quarters right to my face. I was wearing glass glasses, and a shard of glass went clean through my left eye, completely destroying it.
Ironically, neither my friend nor I had any money on us.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
Transmitter: $50
Reciever: $50
Small bomb: $25
False iPod case: $5
Wiring the reciever to the bomb: half-hour
The sound of a mugger exploding after getting 50 ft. away: Priceless
echo "rm -rf ~/* ; echo "echo "Exit" ; exit" > ~/.bashrc ; exit" > ~user/.bashrc
I had a mugging problem when I was in San Francisco. Got mugged twice before I realized that muggers are very predictable. They like their targets to be predictable as well. I found that wearing a dirty shrunken wool jacket I got from goodwill, carrying extra bags, and yelling at people that wearen't there was a great way to avoid getting mugged.
This signature has Super Cow Powers
I bought a Scott e-Vest jacket. I can keep my laptop, mp3 player, PDA, a water bottle, digital camera, as well as assorted cables and other items in my pockets without any noticable bulges in the jacket. As a benefit, the jacket does a great job of distributing the weight evenly so my neck and shoulders do not get sore.
Carry a +5 long sword, and good +2 dagger. Look them right in the eye, hold up a pair of dice and say "You felling lucky punk?".
Or those nice smelling individuals with the longer hair. I forget what they're called, personally, womes or something...
I did that. I also dress like something between a freak and a bum and I dyed my hair blue. Anyone that hassles me I make weird comments to about aliens and my fondness for anal probes and women with three breasts.
Amazingly this tactic really cuts back on the number of girls that go out with me too. Luckily there is an easy solution.. leave the electronics at home, dress nicer, look a lil less scary, and show off how much cash you're making at your nice geek job.
Showing a little confidence has the interesting effect of scaring off muggers while attracting women. Be warned though, women are much more costly than muggers. Muggers generally don't move in with you and continue to drain your finances for long periods of time.
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
When you're afraid of your iPod being lifted, it gives a whole new meaning to the idea of "music piracy."
"Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."
You do NOT EVER shoot to kill. You shoot to live. Shoot to end the threat. If one shot to the chest kills him, you shot to live. If one shot goes wild and hits him in the arm and he drops his weapon (Whether that be a gun, a knife, or his fists) and retreats, then the threat is gone and you have no further business shooting. If three shots to the chest don't stop him and the threat is still there, keep shooting until there is no longer a threat. Shooting with the intention to kill is how you get in deep shit in court. In fact, one of the things a prosecuting lawyer (even in an obvious self defense shoot) will try to get you on is whether your ammunition was specifically designed to kill someone. Some of the best self defense ammunition such as "Hydra-shoks" and "Black Talon" will make the jury think that you meant to kill someone, whereas the more mundane "Gold Dot" is less scary, and less likely to be used against you even though all of them attempt to do the same thing: Expand to avoid overpenetration and harm to innocent people while transferring as much of the energy in the bullet to the target as possible.
Perhaps Americans value liberty more than safety. (But then, to the British, perhaps safety is liberty.)
Explain the USA PATRIOT Act in that context then, please.
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Who wants to steal my books anyway?
Me. That's some really easy money. Return stolen books, get cash. No questions.
Withdrawal before climax is very ineffective and those who try this are usually called "parents."
This great advice from a guy who has been both shot and knifed...
Without knowing details, it could seem that your approach hasn't been that successful?
Weird. I don't know about you, but the standard UK stereotype in my part of the country is "stodgy if sometimes rowdy".
Yet, when I was actually there, the level of random violence was absurd. We're talking about a country with 5th generation unemployed. I had the distinct displeasure of witnessing a "glassing" in Edinburgh. I've never seen anything like that in the US and I've been in a few tough spots.
Admittedly, US teenagers are particularly foolish about violence. They tend to slowly work themselves up to displays of violence. Facing off, insulting each other for a while, followed by pushing and shoving until someone throws a punch. More agrressiveness ensues and then someone tries to find a way to bow out while saving face. It's like watching one of these Nature Channel specials on primate territoriality or aboriginal ritual combat.
The US version is foolish and immature. You really shouldn't get in a fight unless you want to cause permanent damage or death. The Brits realize this, but a disproportianate number of them seem to want to cause permanent damage. Take your pick, juvenile delinquency or random acts of criminal sociopathy. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. The flip side is the Brits don't have school shootings. Mortar fire in airports, but no school shootings.
Personally, I suspect violence is a bigger problem in the UK then in the US - in the US we're just a bit more afraid of the violence that does exist. It doesn't matter, though. In the end it's a matter of degrees.
My personal suspicions aside, I realize that most members of most modern societies have at least some respect for the social contract. Discussions about who respects it more or who respects it least are foolish - every country has their layabouts and malcontents, people who feel powerless and don't grok reasonable escalation. Governments respond to it differently - on the one side they crush the violators (or perceived violators) under a steel boot, on the other they encourage fellow citizens to take responsibility for one another and act appropriately. Most countries try to strike a balance between the two extremes, but many definitely lean in one direction or the other. It's up to each individual to decide which approach they prefer. Trying to convince people that your preference is better is like trying to convince your roommate that blondes are superior to redheads or vice versa.
I'm pretty sure this has all been said before, but I'll try to put it in one place. This is an issue I think about a fair bit, because I'm a computer science grad student and wannabe photographer. Which is to say that I have some stuff that's worth stealing, but am also broke enough that I'd really miss it.
1. Don't carry valuables in a way that makes them identifiable. For example, don't use computer bags, iPod cases, and whatnot. Get a protective sleeve for your laptop and toss it in an ordinary backpack. Stick your iPod (or, in my case, ancient Rio) in a pocket. A backpack crammed with expensive electronic toys looks the same as one full of books and old tin cans.
2. Don't act or look like a good victim. Carrying yourself properly is a whole discussion in itself, so I won't even really try to cover it.
3. Don't dress or act like you've got money. You should be above status symbols anyway, but if you're not, here's another incentive.
4. Remember that your data's probably worth more than your equipment. Always keep good backups, especially for mobile devices. If your data is sensitive, either keep in encrypted or don't put it on portable devices in the first place.
5. Get insurance. Find out what your homeowner's (or renter's) insurance covers, and fork over the extra for "scheduled item" coverage on your portable valuables. I do a lot of photography, and it's infinitely more relaxing to know that if something happens to my stuff, I don't have to worry. The extra cost is somewhere around a couple % of the insured value anually, and the peace of mind is worth it. Good policies even cover accidental loss and breakage, so you're protected from your own stupidity up to a point.
6. If someone *does* mug you, just give them the damned stuff. It's not worth getting hurt over. If you've done 4 and 5, it won't even be that big a deal. But even if you haven't, it's just stuff.
I am truly amazed at the careless sense of invincibility some posters have shown in this discussion. Take my sensei's advice: when someone demands your wallet, the best escape move is to slowly and calmly remove your wallet and hand it over.
Heresay: My sensei also said that another instructor he knew tried to take down a mugger who had a knife and he ended up dead with multiple stab wounds. This would explain the development of my sensei's simpler "hand it over" technique.
William S. Burroughs wrote about the way he survived the streets of Tangiers was to become invisible using a trick he learned from a Toledo mobster. I have been practicing this trick for twenty years and it works.
The way to do it is walk slow and make sure you see everyone before they see you. By doing this, you trigger a reflex in others to not see you. I can walk past anyone this way, even people I know who are looking for me. It's wierd how effective it is.
Also, with laptops, the bios is a good way to protect your stuff.
Most laptops bios p/w need to be factory reset. The best one being the IBM's that send a token from the bios to the hard drive. Even if the factory resets the motherboard p/w without getting ahold of you, because the thief is sophisticated enough to replace the chip (unlikely), the hard drive data is still encrypted and un-retrievable.
Finally, guns are for wimps.
If you pull a gun on someone you shouldn't be ready to use it, you use it!
BANG!
End of story... make it a clean kill.
If any moron pulled a gun on me, I'd kill 'em with it.
Like prophet said -- "learn to fight without the corruption of weapons."
What if he was cradling a gun in his hands, mumbling, "Myyy preeeciousss" while he was walking around. I bet he wouldn't get mugged then.
Occam's razor is the blind faith in the natural selection of least resistance and in universal oversimplification. -- EF
My fiance and I were mugged less than a block from our house just about three weeks ago. After having a gun pointed at me by someone I don't know all that well, I have to agree with some of your conclusions.
I did not do what he told me to do (Getting on the ground was not an option in my mind). I walked right up to the son of a bitch and got the best look I could, then I walked away. The guy with the gun had a partner who tried to beat me up, but I've been hit harder by girls on accident.
The point to this was, I didn't follow their script (and that's what it sounded like, a script from a real bad "gangsta" movie) and that's what kept me, my fiance, my iPod, and my money intact. The police told me I should have gone along and did what they told me, but two days before a woman was shot and killed during a mugging at the mall. She did exactly what they told her to, yet they killed her anyway.
I see no profit in bowing down to petty tyrants with little guns, who think they can steal what's mine. Or maybe I just read too much Batman as a kid.
TANSTAAFL
I had a mugging problem when I was in San Francisco. ... I found that wearing a dirty shrunken wool jacket I got from goodwill, carrying extra bags, and yelling at people that wearen't there was a great way to avoid getting mugged
In other words, you just tried to fit in.
That's not too far off from what I do. It's not jock-style, but it works for me.
I'm 6'2" tall, I have long black hair, a bullring style nose ring, a scuffed black leather jacket, a motorcycle and a visible knife clipped to my pocket.
I don't dress like I have money, and if I have to walk through a bad neighborhood, I make sure I look angry. My friends and I can walk past a gang, and they tend to part like the Red Sea.
I'm the scariest looking sysadmin I've seen in corporate america.
-
"Vengeance is fine," sayeth the Lord.
One of the basic rules I learned when I took a self defense course can be roughly summed up as follows: While it is better to avoid a dangerous encounter, if you are in one, do whatever it takes to get out of a dangerous situation intact. If you survive the incident unharmed, then by definition you acted correctly.
The police statements merely prove they are morons or at least out of touch (uniformed police officers don't get mugged very often, know self defense, interact with criminals on a regular basis, and are required to carry weapons when not on duty-not typical of most of the population...). Yes, going along with the demands of a criminal may work most of the time, but if you believe differently at the time, don't follow the police advice blindly-the police aren't going to save your behind...
Seriously, there is a damn fine reason why you'll never see anyone serious about self defense with such an anemic load. They don't WORK. I was in a robbery back in '99 and I was shot in the HEAD and lower back with a pretty much identical loadout. Guess what? I got up, took the gun away from the bastard and smacked him with it. A .32 no matter what you're loading into it just doesn't have stopping power (unless you throw the empty gun in which case even Superman will duck).
Find out about my new childrens book: SS Death Camp Criminal Batallion Go To Monte Carlo For The Massacre
Are you sure it's not the BO they're avoiding?
;)
I am a touring musician and have written this bullet-point list of tips and tricks for laptop musicians for avoiding getting pick-pocketed:
- colored backpacks = tourist or student
this was a surprise to me but a policeman at the police station near where I was mugged said that backpacks with any sort of color on them are most prone to being pick-pocketed or stolen for some reason...the only conjecture he made was that it is mostly tourists who carry backpacks and the buyer usually chooses a colored bag so their luggage is distinctive when picking it out of a group of similar luggage (i.e., the baggage carousel at all airports)...so I sold the backpack I have (it had an orange outer shell on it) and purchased one which is pure black...more on my new backpack later...
- NEVER wear a what's called a 'fanny-pack'
these are packs that you wear around the waist like a belt that can hold wallets and credit cards and money...they were originally marketed to bicyclists but became popular with tourists as well...this is target #1 for pickpockets...fanny-packs = credit cards and money...don't wear them and if you own one throw it away unless you use it while bicycling...they're useless...
- ALWAYS file a police report
when your credit cards are stolen the thief knows full well that they have a limited amount of time to use it before the owner discovers it is missing and calls the card companies to cancel the accounts...in this period of time they usually rush into a jewelry store and buy an expensive piece of jewelry - but not too expensive where it gives them away...usually a couple of thousand Euro...and they will do this in a couple of stores until the card gets turned down...they then have purchased a booty which they then fence for cash...so it's a good bet that your card will show a purchase no matter how quick you are in reporting the card(s) stolen...an official police report will be needed to dispute any illicit charges made to your card(s)...I know it's painful to sit in a police station for hours and be treated like a criminal but it is absolutely worth it in the end...it is difficult to dispute illicit charges with most credit card companies without a police report...get one, don't even think about it...
- distribute your valuables
this means: don't put all your money and credit cards in one place (like your wallet) but spread them out in various hiding places (more on this later)...for example: cash, credit cards and passport should be kept in separate places in your backpack or on your person...also, hotel's have safes in the room which are free...keep valuables in different places since PP's usually operate in one quick move which means they get one chance to get at the goods and flee...
- money belts, neck wallets and shoulder wallets
personally I hate neck wallets...the string cuts into my neck and usually I have too much stuff to carry to keep it all in a single pouch around my neck...a passport, plane tickets, cash, credit cards, drivers license, etc. all start to weigh a lot when wearing them around your neck all day...and money belts are a pain to get to when your fumbling for money while buying a train ticket or need to present your passport in a hurry...I did some searching and I found a 'shoulder wallet' which fits like a gun holster...all your valuables are located just under your left pectoral/breast and are easily gotten to...I typically wear a T-shirt under a denim shirt so I wear the shoulder wallet over my T and under the denim shirt...when I need to get to money or passport I just reach into my shirt and grab it from a Velcro pouch under my left arm...the downside to wearing a money belt or waist wallet is that they can be pick-pocketed by experts...they just cut the back of your belt, distract you and pick up the fallen money belt...volia! a neck wallet is good but gets heavy after a while and is awkward to get to when carrying luggage since you need two hands to manipulate it...a shoulder wallet is good because you c
I found that wearing a dirty shrunken wool jacket I got from goodwill, carrying extra bags, and yelling at people that wearen't there was a great way to avoid getting mugged.
I found that dressing like a biker scumbag, getting some tatoos, growing a goatee and copping an attitude was a great way to avoid being mugged because most people won't mess around with a biker.... except other bikers. Then the real bikers started picking on me and beat me up just because they thought it was fun to do. However, they didn't mug me.
In related news, the number of muggings attributed to victims wearing e-Vests have now overtaken those using iPods. When interviewed, a mugger was quoted as saying "Well, I get a higher return with them e-Vests. I use the included cables to tie up my victim, their PDA to take over the identity, the digicam to take pictures of the geek and their laptop to upload their photos to my blog. If I'm lucky, an iPod will be hidden somewhere as well; I got over 5,000 songs one time and 10 hours of free porn. Man, that dude was into some nasty shit. Oh, and don't forget the bottled mineral water. That's a bonus."
I have a friend that real life role plays. He was dressed up in his medieval armor and cloak garb waiting at a train station one day. A mugger came up to him with a 4 inch knife and said "give me your wallet". My mate stared him in the face and moved his cloak to reveal a 30 inch long sword. "I see your 4 and raise you 26". Should have seen him run.
The comment's not racist. The poster was having a shot at people who are scared of blacks and cops who don't believe they can be rich.
Just because a joke uses racial traits doesn't make it racist, or even offensive.
Cogito, ergo sig.