On the messageboards of Brooklynian, there's a crazy account of foiling a mugger. Rhodamime, a self-described "large guy" who "people rarely fuck with me (knock on wood)," was at Eastern Parkway and Bedford on Sunday (yes, taking pictures for a blog) when he got jumped:
The guy got me in a headlock from behind, pressed a screwdriver against the back of my neck and repeatedly demanded "Lemme get that camera, motherfucker, lemme get that camera" as I kept walking, struggling a bit to push away from him and get out of the shadows and into the sunnier part of the sidewalk right across Bedford from that giant bustling carwash where someone was bound to see us, in case things got more serious.
Instinct took over (hey, youre gonna need alot more than a screwdriver to get my Leica at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, asshole) and I immediately clutched the camera to my chest and dove forward to break the choke-hold while simultaneously kicking my feet backwards, hoping to land a square blow to his nuts.
I ended up catching my balance with my left foot but landing a fortuitously solid kick to his right knee, which I could feel snap backwards/sideways from the force.
Ouchie. If you read on, you'll learn for Rhodamine managed to flee and call the police. And that the attacker was wanted to theft and assault. This might require an enterprising person to develop camera cases that make the camera look really ratty and not worth stealing.
It's great that Rhodamine was able to defend himself and that everything turned out well, but it's worth noting that the police recommend that you give up your belongings if you're mugged - especially if there's a weapon involved.
