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The NYPD had a good news-bad news perspective on the latest subway crime figures: Felonies are pretty much down, but assault and robberies, namely iPod- and cellphone-related ones, are up. iPod robberies were 82 during the January 1 - April 14 period in 2004, and in 2005, there have been 215 in the same period; cellphone robberies are up 29%. In fact, the Transit Authority will be issuing safety announcements about taking care of one's wellbeing by watching one's personal possession habits, with lines like "Earphones are a giveaway. Protect your device." Gothamist wonders if there will be a "Don't play loud, annoying games on your cellphone - someone might take it from you and smash it." Transit Chief Michael Scagnelli notes that it's a phenomenon and told reporters, "I would never tell someone to listen to music or not listen. I'm asking riders to be aware of their surroundings so they won't get pickpocketed." Newsday called Apple for a comment, but they never got back.
The NY Times's Sewell Chan follows up the Campbell Robertson story about subway riders not being that fazed by subway by the robberies (the one that got a Fader employee fired) noting that none of the iPod-toting commuters would stop using them on the subway and that during the early 90s, gold chain snatchings were the big subway crime of the day. There's also this great quote from MIT's Henry Jenkins about why iPods and other gadgets, like cellphones, are targetted:
The participation gap creates techno-envy, where the kids who are locked out of participation in the culture covet those tools and devices that are considered essential to being a young person.Gothamist also appreciated the almost-thankless quote from former NYPD Commissioner William Bratton, who said he rode a filthy subway and being in a dirty subway might where it seems like no one is in charge makes crime seem more possible. Thanks, Brats. The Times also has a Technology article about "combating" the thefts, suggesting insurance and paying more attention.
The best suggestions we've heard is discretion, getting different earphones, and not totally zoning out. Any more? And Gothamist on iPod robberies.
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Bratton's comment might not be as far off as it sounds. In Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point he talks about how Bratton's methods cleaned up crime in the subways in the 90s:
I'm sure Apple can do something to their iPods to help recover stolen iPods.
Here is a tip: People should stop being idiots. I would think that stealing wallets would be a bigger issue. Why? Because your wallet is not attached to your head and playing music.
Logically, iPod owners would have started using different headphones immediately after iPod theft numbers started to rise. The reason many didn't is because part of having an iPod is a status thing...they want other people to know they have an iPod. If you keep the pod in your pocket, the telltale white headphones still allow you to let those around you know you have one. That is why there is hesitation on the part of many to ditch the white headphones, despite the danger of someone running off with the pod.
or maybe, for some weird reason, they like the headphones?
could be, but probably not since the quality leaves something to be desired. mine fizzled out after 3 weeks, and i've heard from other iPod users that static is a common problem with the white earbuds.
Or maybe... people want to use the product they bought, rather than have to go out and buy another set of headphones?
oh, the white earbuds suck, but when everyone and their brother seems to have them, i can't really see them as much of a status symbol.
also, considering that only 50 have been stolen out of however many hundreds of thousands cross the subways each week...this really is some mountain out of molehill type shit.
But how many people listen to music and NOT own another set of headphones? It's not people didn't own portable music players before the iPod came around.
In any case, the standard white earbuds are frickin uncomfortable. I don't know how people put up with them, status symbol or not.
I used the earbuds for about ten minutes. I usually admire Apple's design elegance (the iPod itself for example) but these things are clearly impractical and the sound quality is weak. It's totally worth it to spend another $40-$60 on a really nice set of phones. Unless you like large uncomfortable status orbs sticking in your earflaps.
yes, new headphones would definitely make it easier to conceal your ipod. i did buy new ones after only two months of wearing the white earbuds. i hated the fact that everyone had them! don't like being like everyone else.
also, i think that the people that get their ipods stolen are the ones that hold them in their hand while riding the subway. i have seen people hold them or put them in their lap! that's just asking to have it stolen! keep it in your bag! or an inside pocket at the very least. i always try to setup playlists that i can listen to straight through so that i don't take my ipod out of my purse while on the subway.
I just have a smart playlist set up so I don't have to listen to the same song for a week. Such an underappreciated feature.
Plus, once you've been using your iPod for a while, you know where all the buttons are. You can just reach into your bag or pocket and control it without looking.
i'm curious since it's claimed so often... do that many people really use ipod as a status symbol? that strikes me as very weird. i do just the opposite. i feel guilty if i have something the person next to me may want.
I don't think it's primarily a status symbol. It's a convenience first and a fashion accessory second.
I think most people are like me, use an iPod because it is a great device and really changed the way I listen to music. But they also like the way it looks, and the white cord is part of the look.
Think of it this way - you might buy a BMW for its performance and reliability, but you might also like the fact that people see you driving a Beemer.
The old "use-different-headphones-to-hide-my-ipod-trick" is turning out to be similar to the "hide-my-cash-in-my-shoe-because-nobody-will-look-there" trick.
You can tell a person has an iPod simply because a portable CD player can't fit into a little pocket.
But I think another reason why iPods and cellphones are being stolen is because of lack of awareness of one's surroundings. When one's sense of hearing is overtaken by music or a cell phone conversation, one is much less likely to notice a guy sneaking up from behind.
pod people, I've heard there are other types of small portable music players that could fit in a pocket. Some store and play MP3s and other even can play music transmitted over the airwaves (I think it's called or will be called radio when it arrives). But I'm not sure about either of these though -- might be some new technology coming out soon.