February 15, 2005
Have iPod, Will Get Mugged
Finally, the Post has an expose on what we thought would happen with the introduction of sleek, highly-coveted gear from Apple: The city's school kids are being targeted for their iPods. It seems that South Brooklyn transit police have seen a rise in the number of iPod-related thefts, citing many muggings on the subways - one teen needed 44 stitches after being stabbed on the Q for his iPod! And three Stuyvesant students were "jumped" outside of the downtown magnet school. The South Brooklyn police say that the white earphones are what tip the robbers off, and the police even offered to engrave kids' iPods, cellphones, and other techno-sundries with ID numbers. However, the NYPD is stopping that effort, because the Board of Education says those items are banned from schools to begin with, so the kids really shouldn't be carrying them at all.
If you're an iPodee, get new headphones. The white pods kinda suck, anyway.
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i'll show those ipod muggers. i'm going to start using my white headphones on my discman.
and yes, those headphones that come with the pod do suck but i got another pair that don't hurt my ears but are also white.
I loves me my white earbuds.
--Stephen
There have been muggings in Park Slope too.
Surprised it's taken so long for iPod muggings to catch on. It's so obvious.
People turn their $10,000 engagement rings around so the diamonds aren't visible when they travel on the subways, but they don't have the sense to not advertise the fact that they are carrying a $400 piece of computer hardware.
Genius. Might as well travel around with an open wallet and your PIN number written on your forehead.
I agree that kids shouldn't be carrying iPods. (It's weird that they even own them, as expensive as they are. And most teenagers probably don't even have enough music to fill up an iPod Mini, let alone one of the 20 or 40 gig ones.)
Man, I'm going to buy one of them iPod Shuffles just so I get mugged and I can be all "Ha ha, you only got 150 songs! You don't even get a screen, sucker. Please don't stab me."
I actually have Apple's inner ear headphones and they're much better than the ones that come with. If they weren't so bulky, I would wear my noise cancelling headphones. They're awesome on airplanes and the subway.
The mp3 player I use on the subway is a four year old flash player that only carries about 40 songs at a time. Yeah, I have to refill it every two days, but at least I don't have to worry that someone's going to steal it. And even if they did, I can buy a much better one for less than the current one originally cost.
the white earbuds suck. it is SO obvious that people only wear the white ones as a status icon. stupid hipsters. we know you have an iPod, no need to advertise it.
So much hate for the white earplugs. I don't have a problem with them. Anyway, if some kid steals my iPod they'll probably be pretty disappointed with the taste of music I have on there.
once again proving why I'm glad I paid $20 for black headphones instead of getting my $300 iPod stolen. Besides, those earbuds always fall out at the gym.
Not that I don't keep my iPod hidden, but I don't really see the point in stealing one. Good for you, you have stolen an iPod. Now spend $50 on a power cord to charge it up so you can use it for more than a day. Oh, you're just going to attach it to a computer to power it up? I sure hope you just happen to have a Mac (stolen, of course), because this puppy ain't compatible with PCs.
I used to be all protective with my PDA, too, but without the docking station, it's a paperweight.
Just save yourself some stress and mug someone for the money and buy your own gadget.
A lot of stolen iPods wind up on Ebay, netting thiefs a tidy profit. And what's the big deal on spending $50 for a charger if you get a $400 mp3 player for free?
whenever apple makes a product design splash, other companies copy the materials and color schemes in hopes of making their products look cool too. i think eventually white headphones will be widespread enough beyond ipodders that they won't advertise anything in particular.
eBay does remove auctions of stolen items and an iPod without the charger is a bit obvious. And maybe I got my iPod before they came out with PC-compatible iPods, but nothing on my iPod indicates that it only works with Macs. So anyone who steals it might not have any way to change the music on it anyway.
My thinking is along the lines of when someone steals a purse or wallet, takes out the cash and sticks the purse in a mailbox with the credit cards still in it. The cards will get cancelled right away, so why bother with the risk? I know there's lots of people who would disagree with me, but I figure that if you're going to go to the inconvenience of selling stolen goods on eBay, you might as well go through the inconvenience of not breaking the law. I'm certainly no criminal mastermind, but stealing cash just seems so much easier and straightforward to me.
Stealing cash is not easier for a mugger or more specifically a drug addict.
Ipods are quick money for a drug addict, they can go and sell it fast at your local chinese take out.
(these take out's are not in WV or where ever so don't go there thinking they are doing anything illegal)
then all's one need to do is go down to the apple store or the internet to get the required items.
not bad for a $20 investment.
obviously many of you never been poor or a had a monkey on their back.
remember the days of stealing change from a car for a fix? I'm talking change would be missing.
Stealing cash is not easier for a mugger or more specifically a drug addict.
Ipods are quick money for a drug addict, they can go and sell it fast at your local chinese take out.
(these take out's are not in WV or where ever so don't go there thinking they are doing anything illegal)
then all's one need to do is go down to the apple store or the internet to get the required items.
not bad for an initial $20 investment.
obviously many of you never been poor or a had a monkey on their back.
remember the days of stealing change from a car for a fix? I'm talking change would be missing.
I have a new unopened/untouched one because I don't want to figure out how to use it so I guess I'm lucky 'cause then I wouldn't get mugged for THAT reason.
what if buying new ear phones is more expensive than just sticking with the old white ones?
I mean, really. You're not going to mug the guy with huge $400 speakers attached to his head, but the dude with white plugs in his ear? C'mon, common sense mr. thief.
Most of those huge headsets run the same as an iPod.
be smart. mug BOTH. equal opportunity is what this city is all about when it comes to mugging and pawning.
school ban i pods they shouldnt be carrying them hahaha.
i just wanted2say tht i was mugged of my ipod and i was INCREDIBLY lucky tht they stopped the guy so i got it bak. im13 and so was the guy he probly saw me take it out2change the song he ripped it off my belt and ran off i ran after him bein the spoiled stubborn little gurl tht i am i told him2giv it bak and he said he'd hurt me i still didnt go and then he kept runnin so i ran after him and screamed my thick little head off. luckily a construction worker stopped him and i called the police on my cell. i got my ipod bak but now im scared since the kid goes2my skool o well@least i ran after a thief and got wat i wanted. not every1 is as lucky as this and not every1 is as stupid as me, after all most peopl would b @least a little concerned4their safety. i guess i never think. btw, this happened yesterday aftr skool, heres a tip from sum1 who this happenened2(moi) : i noticed tht the dude was followin me and my friend bout 10 blocks ago. he was even waitin outside wen i came out, guess i should hav known but no i just came out walked past him, so wat im sayin is pay attention if any1s followin u and dont take da deserted streets lyke i did. k thnx4listenin bout my story, now lets just hope i don get beat up. :)
hey people. two days ago, I had my iPod stolen... not fun. I read about the white earbud thing and yeah, I did use them. Don't use them, use something else, anything else cause it definately attracts attention. Good and bad attention.
elisabeth
I had my IPOD taken away from me two days ago. I was held at GUN POINT and was told to hand it over. Mind you the guy had seen me with my cell phone too but did he ask for that? No, just the IPOD. I am lucky enough to be here to write my story he asked for my purse but I refused. All he got away with was the IPOD and the @hole calmly walked off the train. For all IPOD users be careful. I rather he had just grabbed it out of my hand and run for it but no he had to pull a gun on a 5'ft woman. You see these guys w/ brand name clothing that cost about the same as an IPOD yet this is what they are reduced to.
I reccomend the Universal Ears Superfi3pro headphones. You can get them at guitarcenter for $100. They are clear and wrap behind your ears and down your shirt/jacket, like performers in-ear monitors. They sound totally PHAT and nobody will hardly see them.
All this stuff that all you are writing is stupid. You people are saying that you should buy new headphones and stuff like that. Well, my view point on it is that if someone wants your ipod that much, then they probably want it more than you. On the other hand, if you dont want your ipod stolen then dont be stupid and flash it around. Man people are stupid. Have some common sense and keep it in your pocket. Oh yeah, using different headphones doesnt do crap. i saw someone steal an ipod right off someone even with the black genericheadphones. People will do anything for a quick buck.