Gothamist: Don't Touch that Purse on the Subway Platform!

yoa

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:45:21 -0500

It did happen to me once like a year ago in the N(or W) train(Astoria) ,after we all had to transfer to another train because of the "weekend schedule". It was after midnight.I found a wallet in the seat in front of me. NOT on the side of the seat or in the floor, it was seating right in the middle of an empty seat(looking at me!). I found it too suspicious,(too good to be true)but i took it anyways,got off the train two stations later,and called my boyfriend to ask him what should i do. Of course, he ask me to check inside to see if there was money(no that we'll take it) BUT there was no money instead there was PLENTY of credit cards, plus the guy's drivers license. I felt bad for the guy, and even if i looked for a phone # i found none,so as a good girl i gave it to the guy in the MetroCards booth. It was VERY suspicios that at that time,very late at night,on a weekend NONE of the guys seatting in the train took the wallet before i did,plus one sitting near where i was sitting ,kind of stared at me when i took the wallet, and then he got off @the same station i did. coincidence? don't think so!

Harry Matthews

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 02:13:39 -0500

Calling this "entrapment" strikes me as a stretch. Passers-by are free to ignore an abandoned shopping cart (Lord knows we've all seen this happen) or to report the anomaly to a transit cop or change booth attendant. The campaign is "If you see something, SAY something," not "Pick up a possible bomb and carry it to a place where more people, including you, can be killed." There's a ton of evidence that most crime is committed by a tiny number of repeat offenders, and this effort strikes me as a good way to pick them up. The PD's occasional sweeps of turnstyle jumpers always turn up a disproportionate number of people carrying drugs or weapons, or fleeing an outstanding warrant.

julia

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:55:02 -0500

I had my wallet and filofax ripped off on a platform several years ago. A team of two women and one guy. It was non-violent but really maddening. Thanks NYPD.

mrf

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:43:32 -0500

Very clever...they either arrest you for taking it or they arrest you for not "saying something" once you've "seen something"

Toby

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 13:47:08 -0500

I am just waiting for the NYCLU lawsuit on behalf of the poor innocent schlub who tries to take the purse to the token booth and gets busted for trying to do a good deed.

nonna

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:47:01 -0500

interesting that -- entrapment or not -- this would seem to boost the crime numbers, right?

Jen

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:13:50 -0500

The NYPD and MTA's rules about the subway are totally confusing. I wonder if the cops stage the stings more "naturally" - like a cop leaves his cart of groceries while he's making a very long call on a payphone and not paying attention.

Bubba

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:01:31 -0500

the police view all of us as perps

Amy

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 11:50:20 -0500

Doesn't this go against the 'if you see something, say something' mantra they've beaten into our terrorized heads? Now THEY'RE the ones actually leaving 'something' on the damn platform. There could be a bomb in that granny cart!!