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Smartphone Mugging More Popular Than Ever

Posted by timothy on from the not-popular-like-dance-music-is-popular dept.

SternisheFan writes with this snippet from gizmodo: "The Associated Press reports that smartphone robberies now account for nearly half of all robberies in San Francisco, as well as an impressive 40 percent here in New York City. And the numbers aren't just high, they're getting higher fast. In Los Angeles, smartphone robberies are up 27 percent from last year, with no signs of slowing down. The thefts come in all varieties as well. Victims have reported having their phones—iPhones in particular (surprise!)—yanked out of their hands while talking, snatched just as public transit reaches a stop, or even taken at gunpoint." When I was relieved at gunpoint of my (very, very dumb) phone a few years ago in Philadelphia (very, very dumb), it made for a lousy evening. Have you been robbed (or accosted) like this? If so, where?

11 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. No comments? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    What, everyone got their smartphone robbed?

  2. Never had that experience... by Penguinisto · · Score: 4, Funny

    Most folks take one look at my crappy company-issued Blackberry Curve, and go look for better pickings (figuring that anyone still carryiong one of these probably doesn't have any money either).

    I guess even criminals have more self-respect these days than to be seen trying to fence a entry-level crackberry.

    --
    Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    1. Re:Never had that experience... by davester666 · · Score: 3, Funny

      It's worth negative money. You need to pay somebody to take it from you.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    2. Re:Never had that experience... by jd2112 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just think how safe you would be with a Windows phone!

      --
      Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
    3. Re:Never had that experience... by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 3, Funny

      Quick patent the idea. Sell faux blackberry gel covers for iPhone! Imagine the number of people who would buy to fool the would be muggers!

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    4. Re:Never had that experience... by schnell · · Score: 5, Funny

      I left my BlackBerry on the dashboard of my car the other day. Some bastard broke into the car and left three more BlackBerries there.

      --
      "95% of all Slashdot .sig quotes are incorrect or completely fabricated." -Benjamin Franklin
  3. Simple...just buy an Android phone... by Karlt1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh well, I have karma to burn.....

    http://www.theiphonespot.net/muggers-dont-want-android-tend-to-go-for-iphone-owners/

    "A pair of would-be robbers targeting Columbia students in upper Manhattan seem to be rather picky as they prowl. Twice at 526 114th St., and once at 556 114th St., the suspects demanded the victims hand over their iPhones, police said. The first victim complied, but the second only had a Droid, according to police. The thieves apparently didn't want a Droid â" so they took cash instead."

    1. Re:Simple...just buy an Android phone... by EnsilZah · · Score: 5, Funny

      I guess this wasn't the Droid they were looking for.

  4. What else is new? by Ol+Biscuitbarrel · · Score: 4, Funny

    In all seriousness, I read this headline initially as a story about phones inspiring ever-increasing amounts of smirky posing.

  5. Re:Serial Numbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Better yet, have your butler tell your lawyer to send them a letter.

  6. Re:Serial Numbers by flyingfsck · · Score: 3, Funny

    No, iPhones are like diamonds. You won't get more than $5 for it when you try to resell it.

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!