iPod: This Season's Must-Have for Muggers

KH writes "West Midlands police have issued a stark warning to iPod users: ditch the white headphones or pay the price." Apparently, muggers recognize the headphones and target passersby for muggage.

Mugging

[panxerox]

Well people will kill each other over sneakers so to mug for an Ipod doesn't surprise me. From the article: "The Sun quotes one iPod representative as saying: "There are guys who?d rather be robbed than change the color of the headphones." " = Darwin strikes again.

Re:Mugging

[sTalking_Goat]

I'm going to buy some white headphones for my 4lb 1996 Sony Discman. Maybe finally I'll get a chance to try out this new tazer I bought on Ebay...

Re:Mugging

[hambonewilkins]

You've obviously never been mugged. It's not something to look forward to.

Dear Hambone

[Letter]

Dear Hambone,

This is a Slash-mugging! Close your browser and give me your laptop!

Now!
Letter

Re:Mugging

[Rallion]

In all seriousness, I'd love a chance to really try out a tazer, even if it involved getting mugged. Really.

"Give me your--"

*bzzt* *thud*

"AWESOME!"

Re:Mugging

[selfabuse]

just so long as his next words weren't going to be "license, registration and proof of insurance"

Re:Mugging

[Xeleema]

just so long as his next words weren't going to be "license, registration and proof of insurance"

No, especially if it's "...license, registration, and proof of insurance."
Those identity theives are real clever.

Re:Mugging

[Snocone]

Here's an easy way to get the same effect.

1) Locate a dairy farm that uses electric fences to restrain cattle. You can tell it's an electric fence because it's one thin strand of wire at waist height strung through plastic insulators on the fence posts, and the cows are giving it a rather wide berth.
2) Walk up to the electric fence.
3) Whip out your dick.
4) Piss on the electric fence.

This, I posit, will remove *all* further desire on your part to play with high voltage electricity. For that matter, it will take a fair while afterwards for you to regain ANY "desire" to "play", if you know what I mean and I think you do.

Re:Mugging

[Pig Hogger]

2) Walk up to the electric fence.

Some 30 years ago, I spent the summer on a farm. Trying to get the best of the city boy, the redneck told me to have a grab at the electric fence. I walked to the fence, and made it look I had a really good grip on the wire by wrapping my hand around it, but not touching the wire itself.

I stood there, taking my best innocent air, and staring at him like saying "now what"???

He was puzzled, got off the tractor, and walked straight to the fence which he touched pretty intently.

At that very moment, the relay decided to send a good charge which sent the redneck something like 3 feet up in the air, landing on his ass in the freshly ploughed field.

He said nothing at all, and never played smartass again with me...

Re:Mugging

[prockcore]

My understanding is that they work mainly with pain compliance (despite what the dreck^H^H^H^H^Hmarketting literature says), and pain compliance is not a tool I would choose to use on a mugger.

Then you misunderstand them. It paralyzes you. Your muscles cramp up and you can't move. It's not that the pain is so bad, it's that the signals coming from your brain telling your muscles to move are being drowned out by the signals coming from the tazer.

Tazers work.. even on people pumped up on PCP.

Re:Mugging

[phoneyman]

Anecdotal evidence says otherwise. I've talked to cops that use them, and have had them used on themselves, and the comments are that it hurts - not that it paralyzes. Of the commonly available "stun" weapons, the Tazer is indeed the best, but they aren't reliable stoppers.

I've talked to so many people who have been zapped from everything from garden variety stun guns like gramma had in "Die Hard II" to the much ballyhooed Myotron and the common denominator is that they hurt.

I'd personally be more than willing to get "stunned" by any available electrical "paralysis" garbage on the market, and I'd be willing to bet that I could close in on the stunner and clinch them while they stun me. I'd be willing to be that I could fully demonstrate ability and motive to continue an assault, and prove that if I were an assailant the "stun gun" would be a meaningless tool for self-defence.
really disabling the nervous system is also capable of stopping the heart and killing the attacker. Thus, you might as well use a weapon that is designed to do just that.

I can get to Washington State, so if anyone wants to take me up on this you provide the stun weapons and I'll provide the flesh.

Pierre

Re:Mugging

[phoneyman]

Anonymous nothing, my name is right there.

I'm not saying Tasers don't work, I'm saying that they work only in the right context - self-defence by an individual is not that context.

Getting a Taser to work properly requires that both probes get a good seat in the subject. A common problem is that only one gets in, or that both get in, but one falls out. In the article you sent me the Officer is clearly dressed only in a light, tight, shirt to ensure a good contact by the Taser probes. That's fine for a demo, but that's not how things go on the street. Now imagine him in loose clothing, layered, telling you to give him the fucking iPod right fucking now and tell me you're willing to bet your life on something as fragile as a Taser.

Here's [selfdefenseforums.com] a thread that illustrates what I'm talking about.

I'm completely willing to give this a shot. If I could convince the PD here to do it, I'd go get it done in a heartbeat. Barring that, if you want to shoot me with a Taser, let me know. Like I said in a previous post, I can get to Washington State pretty easy - maybe down to Oregon, or over to Idaho.

I used to think a lot of things were true that weren't. Popular media likes to hype crap like Stun Guns, but the reality is far different.

Pierre

Re:Mugging

[shadowbearer]

Parent does make a good point. If one is wearing really thick clothing (like, say, a insulated winter jacket) it's likely that the taser probes won't make good contact. A decent leather jacket may even be enough. Leather is pretty tough.

That said, I've always wondered if a good defense against a taser might not be a conducting layer (worn beneath light upper layer clothing) that is hardy enough to stop and seat the probes, and which is connected to a metal plate at the bottom of one's shoes, thereby grounding the charge. I would think you'd get tingled, but it wouldn't be debilitating.

I've never read about such a thing (and I'm obviously not willing to conduct the experiment :) - I've had a few 110 shocks and one much higher, argh) but does anyone here know enough to tell me whether it would work? I'm fairly cognizant with electricity but not enough in the high voltage realms tasers work in.

In a self-defense situation, myself, I'd prefer something that can stop them more permanently if necessary - but I'm old-fashioned :)

SB

Re:Mugging

[timmerk15]

No, no they don't. As a law enforcement officer, at least in our city, we have to get tazed to know what it feels like. The 3 times I have been tazed by one, was by a 500,000 volt one, and I didn't fall or become paralyzed. It would still be easy to attack after.

Re:Mugging

[facelessnumber]

Nah, stun guns don't paralyze... I used one once. I've never seen my little brother get outta bed so fast in my life.

Re:Mugging

[drinkypoo]

Pepper spray is OC, OC stands for Oleoresin Capsicum, the same stuff that's in habanero and jalapeno peppers (among most others.) You could certainly put a little of it in your chili for effect, but putting it on tacos is just showing off.

Re:Mugging

[Frymaster]

You've obviously never been mugged.

mugged? i thought the only people who ripped off apple was microsoft.

Re:Mugging

[Llywelyn]

You've obviously never gotten a joke. It's something to look forward to.

Re:Mugging

[TygerFish]

Actually, the warning in the article sounds like common sense. We live in a culture of capital--of possessions and class with who owns what determined by disposable income.

Apple certainly understands this which is why they introduce iPod models by threes, differentiated only by the size of the harddrive. It lets you say, 'look! I spent more money. Mine is bigger!'

Like it or not, the iPod is a device which announces that its owner has spent at least U.S. $300 on something easily stolen and eminently desireable. If you want to understand what that white cord looks like to a thief, imagine going to a bank and getting three fat stacks of singles, and then taping them to your chest with a post-it attached that says, 'Hi, you don't have this!'

It just makes sense.

The iPod's newest market: the underclass

[Zhe Mappel]

Well put, Tygerfish: the iPod advertises more than one's faith in Apple products. It's a pricey status symbol, a digital pherenome that smells like moolah, affluence, sex.

Heh: there's just one problem about sending such messages in a volatile society, especially when you can't hear what's going on around you. The distance from preening signifier to damn easy pickings is much shorter than many realize.

Put these ingredients together--frontin' hipsters oblivious to their environment, the anger and hunger of the street, and the value of the iPod both as tech and music motherload--and it's probably poised to replace car stereos as the quickest score a thief can make.

Re:Mugging

[Liselle]

Well, I guess that's one advantage of the iPod's high price. Since I'm not the type to carry around $400 in cash, I bought it with my CC, and that gives me a bit of theft protection. :P

FUD Alert!

[useosx]

Great, Pudge didn't do his homework on this one.

I considered submitting this story, but I was busy and now I regret it because according to this MacWorld UK article [macworld.co.uk], this is just an unsubstantiated media frenzy. The proof of how widespread these muggings are is still pretty sketchy.

Re:Mugging

[sben]

The Sun quotes one iPod representative as saying: "There are guys who'd rather be robbed than change the color of the headphones."

Or, some of us would rather not base our lives around media fearmongering.

Re:Mugging

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed. If we ditch the white headphones, the robbers will have won. In the war against robbery, we must continue to wear our earphones and go on with our daily lives.

Re:Mugging

[damiena]

If you outlaw white earphones, only outlaws will have white earphones.

just tape 2 $100 bills to your hat.

[purduephotog]

It will distract the mugger so that he demands your hat, and you will escape with your precioussssssssss ipod intact.

This procedure also helps to hide ketchup stains on your shirt.

Re:Mugging

[Beatbyte]

don't be bitter you got mugged and lost your iPod ;-)

Re:Mugging

[Vellmont]

The fact remains that you're walking around with a 300-500 device with you that's easy to sell and run off with. If you advertise the fact that you don't have just a cheap walkman, you will increase your chances of being mugged.

Walk around in the wrong neighborhood with those distintive headphones, and you could quite easily be mugged. Do you walk around with a big fat wallet with hundred dollar bills sticking out because worries about being robbed are only "media fearmongering"?

Re:Mugging

[lazuli42]

Changing the color of the headphones won't help much. Muggers will just start targeting joggers that wear Blueberry, Tangerine, Lime, Grape, Stawberry, or Bondi Blue headphones.

Re:Mugging

[Coryoth]

So basically people just want to show off - its expensive, and they want to demonstrate that they have a real iPod, not some cheap knock-off player. Pitching to peoples pride an narcissism has always been a marketing winner - that's why distinctive headphones are so good.

Compare this with cellphones - the status is in how small they are. Hard to show off how small something is: if it's really small it hides invisibly in your pocket. Personally I think this is where a lot of the whole "Digital Camera on a cell phone" came from... it's a new status symbol element showing off how expensive your cell phone is, but it's quite easy to show off - just go around taking pictures of everything.

Jedidiah.

Re:Mugging

[cioxx]

I'll be damned if this isn't true. Prior to Apple introducing the White in-ear headphones [apple.com], iPod users were buying Japanese imported Sony MDR-EX71SL [audiocubes.com] headphones at really high premiums just so they didn't have to wear the black variety which is available in the states.

White headphones are like a status symbol now. I'm not sure if it's sad or funny.

(Full Disclosure: iPod + white headphones managed to brainwash me also)

Re:Mugging

[SatanicPuppy]

Lol. They should add this to those commercials...You know, shadow of a person dancing around with white headphones...Shadow of another person sneaking up on them...Wham! Talkin 'bout my generation!

Re:Mugging

[Cpt_Kirks]

Or pack it with C4 and a remote detonator.

Get mugged, then help clean up the gene pool!

mugging

[Anonymous Coward]

thats how i got mine :)

That's why

[Anonymous Coward]

I keep the mini-iPod in a ... hidden place... that's very snug. Muggers never look there, and really, who wants to pull the cord out of there?

Re:That's why

[DarkFencer]

So that's why the iPod Mini sold out!

I was wondering why people were paying more for less GB. I gues size does matter :)

Re:That's why

[Nom du Keyboard]

I keep the mini-iPod in a ... hidden place... that's very snug. Muggers never look there, and really, who wants to pull the cord out of there?

And you probably can't wait for them to add a sub-woofer in the next model.

Re:That's why

[Anonymous Coward]

The way your dad looked at it, this iPod-mini was your birthright. He'd be damned if any of the slopes were gonna get their greasy yellow hands on his boy's birthright. So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide something: his ass. Five long years, he wore this iPod up his ass. Then when he died of dysentery, he gave me the iPod. I hid this uncomfortable piece of plastic and metal up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now, little man, I give the iPod to you.

Re:That's why

[the argonaut]

You sir are a cut and paste god among men. I salute you.

Too bad you're an AC and can't get proper credit for your work.

Almost shat out my iPod i laughed so hard.

Re:That's why

[ElYonderboy]

Too bad the battery crapped out only 18 months into the internment.

So to speak.

Re:That's why

[Profane MuthaFucka]

Or, keep that hidden place un-hidden. When was the last time a nudist was mugged in your neighborhood? Never? See, it works!

Re:That's why

[Cpt_Kirks]

What happens when you fart?

That's how you switch playlists.

My iPod case holds pepper spray

[The I Shing]

This iPod-carrying bon vivant isn't going to hand over his beloved music player without a fight.

I've hacked my iPod to shoot pepper spray! Ha!

The Next Apple Innovation

[Nom du Keyboard]

iPod -- with LoJack!

Re:The Next Apple Innovation

[jea6]

Not that bad an idea. You generally need iTunes to use and iPod, right? And each iPod must have a unique identifier (presumably for DRM among other reasons), right?

Well, you could register your iPod as stolen and the next usage connected to iTunes could be noted by Apple. Then either a lo-jack scenario ensues OR your iPod gets locked with a "stolen ipod" screen.

Of course there are liabilities, jurisdictional, law enforcement, and practical reasons why this would be a no go. But it could be done.

Re:The Next Apple Innovation

[mhore]

And each iPod must have a unique identifier (presumably for DRM among other reasons), right?

Just a quick note to let you know -- they DO in fact have a unique identifier. All Apple products (computer-wise, anyway) do. My powerbook and iPod both have serial numbers that I registered with Apple when I bought them.

Re:The Next Apple Innovation

[Nom du Keyboard]

Christ no! They'd call it iLoJack.

And considering that it plays music, and Apple is known for frequent updates, would the next model be jLoJack?

Re:The Next Apple Innovation

[tanguyr]

let me get this straight: you're advocating that a big company track your movements using what amounts to spyware in the product that they sold you? They told me this part of Slashdot was different, but i didn't think it was this different ;)

Re:The Next Apple Innovation

[Kiryat Malachi]

An iPod can be loaded with music without using iTunes.

Check ephPod.

Re:The Next Apple Innovation

[senatorpjt]

Yeah, because threatening a guy at knifepoint is one thing, but most criminals draw the line at pirating music.

The solution to the dying iPod battery is ...

[meshmar]

let a mugger have it and have your insurance buy you a replacement.

Re:The solution to the dying iPod battery is ...

[prockcore]

The hypothetical mugger is going to have a hell of a time getting away without getting shot in the back.

I think you missed the part where the mugger took your $300 gun as well as your $300 ipod.

Muggage?

[Anonymous Coward]

Dude, I'm, like totally understanding of your verbage, but, like, there might not be others, that, like, know.
But rock on, Dude! Awesome!

Self defense

[Anonymous Coward]

How about an iMace accessory?

muggage?

[gbjbaanb]

target passersby for muggage

eh? 'excuse me sir, I noticed you passing by and wondered if you'd like some hot, sweet muggage. only $1 a bowl.' :)

Re:muggage?

[sTalking_Goat]

total Buffy speak.

Next time I'm subjected to some muggage I'll whip out Mr. Pointy and deal out some slayage.

And they claim language is dead...

hmmm...

[BattleTroll]

Mugger: "Your I-Pod or your life..."

Mr Benny: ...

Mugger: I SAID, your I-POD or your LIFE!

Mr Benny: Hold on! I'm thinking!

buhbumpbump...

Re:hmmm...

[LostCluster]

Mugger: I SAID, your I-POD or your LIFE!
iGeek: Uhm, what's the difference?

Help for the lonely among us

[nizo]

Now that we know this our social lives will improve, since getting mugged is better than no social life at all.

Yeah, or the thief may have just asked...

[bahwi]

Yeah, the white headphones do give it a way, but this paragraph is badly written!

The thief then asked Baskerville if he was listening to an iPod and, receiving an affirmative answer, he "pulled a knife out and started waving it at me, saying: 'Well hand it over, then.' I gave it to him and he ran off. He must have known I was wearing an iPod because of the white headphones."

Re:Yeah, or the thief may have just asked...

[Neil Blender]

I was robbed once. This guy asked me if that bulge in the back of my pants was a wallet. I said, "Why yes, it is." He then asked if it was full of money, to which I relied, "Loads."

The white headphones were genius...

[Coryoth]

Of all the nice design aspects of the iPod, as far as Apple are concerned those distinctive white headphones have to the best. Portable devices need to be small, discrete, and easy to slip into a pocket, so you never really see them. Is that person with the headphones on listening to a Rio player? iRiver perhaps? Maybe Neuros? Or just a discman stuck in their bag? But you know damn well when you see someone listening to an iPod.

I'm surprised the others player manufacturers never cottoned on to this one: get the customers to do your advertising for you!

Jedidiah.

Re:The white headphones were genius...

[wibs]

Way back when I was the one of the few people to have an iPod, I was always very self concious when I pulled it out of my pocket. It's distinctive, but I don't want that kind of attention... I just want to listen to my music without feeling like some elitist rich snob. The problem was that even after I put my iPod back in my pocket, those damn white headphones were still trailing down over my customary black jacket... a little like the iPod advertisements these days. I couldn't stand it, and ended up buying new headphones [akg.com]. The new ones are great, incredible technical accomplishments that cost quite a bit more money, but without that distinctive white cord I feel like so much less of an elitist rich snob, and now the only people that give me a second look while wearing them are audiophiles.

Nowadays the whole rich elitist snob thing doesn't apply, because every college kid has an iPod of his very own. I have some friends with iPods that never felt the way I did before, but now that the dangling white cords are everywhere they've bought new headphones because they feel like they're trend followers. I know all of this must sound terribly vain, but in my profession appearances are very important (yes, even while listening to music).

My story doesn't seem to have much of a point, I know. I guess what it comes down to is that if I were to pick my least favorite facet of the iPod, the white headphone cord would definitely be it. I don't like being a walking billboard for anything, no matter hor subtle the advertisement.

Re:The white headphones were genius...

[Coryoth]

True, others do a little, but it's the combination of bright white ear-pieces, along with bright white cord that makes the difference. It's easily visible from a distance.

And you sell even better to the vain yuppie crowd, who like to make sure people can recognise the fact that they've bought the latest trendy gadget.

Dear god people are suckers.

Jedidiah.

make sure you actually have the ipod...

[mobiux]

and aren't just wearing white earbuds to make yourself look cool.

The mugger may get pissed and pop a cap in your ass when he find you only have an old walkman.

Re:make sure you actually have the ipod...

[tanguyr]

The mugger may get pissed and pop a cap in your ass when he find you only have an old walkman.

depends on what it's wrapped in [penny-arcade.com]

More FUD

[Draoi]

Just more media hype [yahoo.com]

Apple UK's wave of iPod advertising may be making the product a 'must-have' accessory for street criminals. It's also possible that UK journalists, disappointed at Apple's recent news that its much-anticipated iPod mini won't ship until July, now also have Apple in their sights - as was the case with the recent battery bad news stories.

hrm...

[hot_Karls_bad_cavern]

This reminds me of what my mother used to say:

Be careful of how hard you try to get attention, you may not garner the type you intended.

the mugger catches you alone and...

[lotsofno]

Mugger: so is that an ipod you got there mate?
Guy: uh, yeah. ::mugger takes out knife::
Mugger: alright, hand it over. ::mugger takes ipod and runs off:: ::mugger comes back::
Mugger: uh, you haven't had this for 18 months or so by any chance?

muggings

[zogger]

...sux. Had some street dude try to mug me before, downtown atlanta. Was getting off work, that day in the merchandise mart doing tradeshow set-up. Was tired and not in the mood to get mugged. This doofus walks up to me in the parking lot across the street as I was loading my tools back in the ride, waltzs right up and demands cash, Sez Mr. mugger wannabe -> "gimmee 20$" then some cursing. I stepped back, swung my vest open and started to draw my piece. Sez me ->" How 'bout 45 instead?"

heh heh he took off running.

Just an anecdotal story, doesn't mean much except to point out muggings happen everywhere,all around the whirrled, just sometimes they have a happy ending.

There's an old saying I am fond of:

"God made man - Then Colonel Colt made them equal"

RIAA

[The_Mystic_For_Real]

I wonder if the RIAA will sue these muggers for stealing copyrighted music? Knowing the RIAA, they are more likely to sue the victims for distributing copyrighted material.

Ditched them long ago..

[droopus]

I bought my 5gb iPod the day Jobs announced them. My only complaint was the poor quality of the buds.

Replaced them with Sony MDR-E888 [i-shopping4u.com] the day after, which sound incredible.

I bought my iPod because I love music, not as a "fashion accessory."

Turn the tables

[felonious]

Use the headphones but plug them into an old, big-ass, tape deck that's playing "Wham" (George Michael) on it. Realizing what's going on the mugger should shit his/her pants and run for his/her life...

Downside of portable electronics

[borkus]

As much as MP3 jukeboxes and digital cameras keep getting smaller, they keep becoming better targets for thieves. Someone walking down the street with a 20 GB iPod, a Palm Tungsten C and a Minolta dImage is carrying about $1000 (US) in potential swag. That makes a car stereo system look like chump change. Sure, the fence would have to sell the items without accessories, but you can usually get those for a fraction of the cost of the item.

Fun

[wowbagger]

One fake iPod case: $50.
One receiver: $50
One transmitter: $50
One kilo C4: $150

One mugger exploding when he runs more than 50 feet away from you: Priceless.

Re:Fun

[pvera]

I don't think you want to blow one kilo of C4 from 50 feet away!

Re:Fun

[lrucker]

What happens if you walk too close to malfunctioning Cell tower, putting out the trigger frequency.

You get a Darwin Award.

RIAA Will Sue the muggers ...

[lorenc]

for stealing mp3's ....

Just make sure not to mug this woman

[j1ggl3x]

or else meet certain death... [liquidgeneration.com]

This is stealing!

[Lord of Ironhand]

Do these people even realize that taking someone's iPod is stealing? Would you illegally download music from the internet? No? Then why don't you stop stealing(!) iPods?

Oops, nevermind...

Though I'm sure there's a Soviet Russia post to be made out of this...

Police Intelligence...err...

[thrillbert]

Obviously it is easier for the police to "give a stern warning" than to use this new "bees to honey" approach at getting more crooks off the streets.

Scenario:

• 1) Send undercover officer wearing white headphones walking down street.

• 2) Crook aproaches with knife, pull out gun from pocket where iPod is supposed to be and introduces himself.

• 3) Profit!!

---
Frankfort, Kentucky, makes it against the law to shoot off a policeman's tie.

Get some headphones

[zakezuke]

I want to get an Ipod and use my old pair of big ass 70s style radio shack headphones. big and bulky with the 1/4 inch jack and cover up your entire ears.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5F na me=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F003%5F004%5F0 00&product%5Fid=33%2D1176

While they can be spotted at a distance, a mugger might thing I have a portable 8-track and not steal from me.

you know the story...

[blackmonday]

As soon as the mugger steals one, a newer cheaper iPod comes out for mugging the next week. The vicious cycle repeats infinitely.

Doesn't really matter to me...

[n()_cHIEFz]

...I carry an iPod and also an H&K USP .40, fuck with my iPod and you're going to have some extra holes in your ass. Oh, sorry, I forgot you can't own guns like that in England, my bad :-/

West Midlands

[mr_tommy]

As a resident in Birmingham UK (The West Midlands) i might add that people world wide probably don't really need to worry to much. Birmingham has quite high crime rates and a lot of rich boroughs surrounding it - people are prime targets. People need only remember the shootings that took place over new years eve last year.

Re:West Midlands

[henele]

The police are right in saying West Midlands criminals are targeting specific groups.

As a Birmingham student in halls of residence, both my next door neighbours, and then their neighbours, have all been broken into. One of the guys on the end had his room hit but he didn't have the notebook they were looking for so they left.

I guess you could be it as some sort of social equilibrium in practice - students with so much near to areas of high unemployment, but what *really* pisses me off is when international students are (again intentionally) targeted - these are going to be important people who never want to come back to this city or country again. I guess the muggers aren't thinking of the global future but they really do a lot of unbalencing harm as well...

Why people get mugged?

[elbarrio]

From my rooftop in Spanish Harlem I have had the pleasure of witnessing a couple of muggings. From what I can tell muggers tend to prey on whomever they think is the easiest target. They generally don't go after you if you're with someone else, especially if you're two guys. They won't go after you if you look big and strong. And, no one ever seems to believe this, they will not go after you if you walk too fast. Part of mugging someone is the element of surpise and if they have to run to catch up with you, then their cover is blown. I have witnessed at least one case where I actually had the cell in my hand about to dial 911, but the person who I thought was going to be mugged, walked too quick for her would be attacker to catch up, and he gave up.

Okay, all that slightly offtopic stuff said, wearing white headphones will not get you mugged. However, if some guy on an empty street stops you and asks you if you have an ipod, and you stop walking, look at them, and respond... well that may get you mugged, as it did the victim in the story.

It's not the IPOD

[peripatetic_bum]

Im surprised that no one has mentioned this so I will (this is called insightful :)

Anyway, the people with IPODs are no being mugged becuase of the IPOD. They are being mugged because of what the IPOD signifies. Someone who has an IPOD probably access to disposable cash and so make a richer target then other people. Also since this person is the kind of person to get an IPOD they are also less likely to put up a fight (ok I just made that up)

Anyway, the point is that Muggers are using IPODS for selection of their targets *and* they get a cool IPOD to boot

I would like to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks

Re:So it looks like

[morelife]

Even muggers recognize that the higher price of Apple hardware goes into quality.

Most muggers don't realize they'll be replacing that little battery for $99 in a couple weeks' time.

Re:So it looks like

[da3dAlus]

"Most muggers don't realize they'll be replacing that little battery for $99 in a couple weeks' time."

Then YOU apparently don't realize they'll just be mugging someone else in a couple weeks' time. Duh :)

Re:Punishment... DEATH

[Neil Blender]

By your logic, you should be put to death. You just stole some of my life because I read your inane post.

Re:Punishment... DEATH

[commodoresloat]

and for the record, I said repeat offenders.

Well, you did just post again.

Re:Punishment... DEATH

[Le Marteau]

It's as if they tied me up for 30 hours.

Now, now, now, you were on to making a good point, and then you had to go get hysterical. No, it is not like they "tied you up for 30 hours." Yes, it sucks, but no, it is not false imprisonment.

Plus, chances are, you didn't actually WORK those 30 hours, but merely 15, and spent the other 15 reading slashdot, which is actually theft from your employer, so maybe he should kill YOU!

On second thought, why not just get it over with, and go for the gusto. Call it 'terrorism'.

Re:White headphones

[peeping_Thomist]

Sure they sound better than most earbuds[...]I've yet to take the white ones out of package they came in.

You listened to them while they were still in the package?

Re:standardize

[morcheeba]

you're blaming the company?!

first you should blame the muggers.

then maybe you should blame people who have flashy things in questionable surroundings.

*last* should be the company. Are you going to blame every luxury product manufacturer? And then every manufacturer of anything of value? "Apparently McDonalds would rather see their customers mugged than produce Big Macs made out of radioactive dirt? (because someone might try to steal clean dirt)"

Re:Without a Doubt this Topic will Burn Through...

[spood]

Wow, all you have to do to get Insightful mods is ask for them? Don't forget to say please.

Now will someone please mode me Funny.

Re:LOL

[HoneyBunchesOfGoats]

I find it interesting that someone modded you interesting.

Re:Self Defense

[radish]

I've been mugged 3 times. At no point was my life in danger at any point. Had guns been involved, it could very easily have been different. As the old saying, the absolute surest way of getting yourself shot is to carry a gun.

Re:aren't the units registered?

[prozac79]

everytime it tries to sync to i-Tunes, it checks a global database or something...

So radio tags are bad because they track peoples' habits. Product activation is bad because it ties a product to a specific user. Global databases are bad because it's a violation of your privacy. However, when we are talking about your $300 iPod, then it's all good? You wouldn't mind having your device registered and activated and your usage tracked because Apple is the mighty and benevolent company? Now, if this was proposed in connection with a Microsoft product, how many "Big Brother" posts would we see?

That's the sound of my karma dropping

Re:Solution...

[pi_rules]

Yea great solution. Killing someone to protect to a $300 piece of silicon is a great idea. Really worth it. Why don't we add rocket launchers to our cars so we can blow up anyone who cuts us off while we are at it.

I'm the last person to promote use of lethal force for protection of property. However, you're not understanding the nature behind the argument I feel.

A mugging is a violent act. In normal thinking parts of this world (IMHO) it's prefectly legal to respond to a lethal threat of violence with lethal force.

If I walk up to you, 10 feet away, and demand that you tell me you like me while pulling a gun on you to insure compliance I have put your life in danger. The level of my demands does not in any way, shape, or form effect the perceived threat level to your own person. It shouldn't at least. I don't care if somebody demands a stick of gum or my car -- if they pull a weapon my life is in danger and I not only have the natural right, but often the legal right, to respond with deadly force to neutralize the threat.

The wording of your reponse, "Killing someone to protect", just screams to me that you do not have any background in such areas. You do not shoot to kill, ever, you shoot to stop. A very small caliber round will kill a human being if given enough time. That is not the goal. The goal is to deliver a massive amount of trauma to their body to immediately stop all action on their part. That does not mean that you're trying to kill them. People shoot center of mass not because it's deadly, but because it's likely to stop the person. A shot to the upper thigh (if you hit a major artery) is horribly fatal despite what you see in the movies, however it's unlikely to IMMEDIATELY stop the attacker. Stopping is the goal, not killing.

I wouldn't shoot somebody over $300 dollars. I wouldn't shoot sommebody for any sum of money. The whole situation turns though once the perp presents the threat of deadly force.