'iPod mugging' latest media frenzy
Posted by malebolgia on 30 March 2004 - 17:57 · 45 comments & 466 views
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malebolgiaContact: via forum PM
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(2 replies)
#1 Posted by insurektion on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:00
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OH NO! You'll have to pry my iPod outta my cold dead hands -
#1.1 Posted by Fally on 30 Mar 2004 - 20:27
- I honestly don't think that a mugger cares if the dirty deed leaves you dead.
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#1.2 Posted by insurektion on 31 Mar 2004 - 06:02
- but what if my fingers go stiff aorund it. he have to break em off. lol. way to much literalism here.
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(3 replies)
#2 Posted by gawdflesh on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:01
- Uh...buy different headphones? There, I just solved the mystery...
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#2.1 Posted by ishtar on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:31
- Oh but dahling an ipod user can't be caught dead in anything other than a ipod headphone set fu fu.
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#2.2 Posted by gawdflesh on 30 Mar 2004 - 23:50
- I'd think they'd be worried that the cord perhaps would become discolored from dipping into their frappuchino...
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#2.3 Posted by dp123 on 31 Mar 2004 - 01:37
- Why hasn't anyone proposed the ultimate solution?
You give your white earbuds to your friends with cheapy walkmans, and you use whatever you want.
Ultimately, enough people will get beaten up and enough muggers will get arrested for a $20 piece of crap... rather than a $500 piece of beauty.
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(2 replies)
#3 Posted by PR. on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:10
- Nothing in the UK makes it to the top without the tabloids and the pseudo-broadsheets slating him/her/it.
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#3.1 Posted by Foub on 30 Mar 2004 - 21:00
- But aren't ALL of the newspapers in the UK nothing more than tabloids now?
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#3.2 Posted by oufc_gav on 31 Mar 2004 - 08:29
- They are merely reporting the fact that according to police reports they are targets, hardly a slating.
Given that those employed in Fleet Street (well, Wapping & other parts of Docklands really) are statistically more likely to be Mac users/afficionados than most other users, I really don't think they would just Apple bash for the sake of it.
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(3 replies)
#4 Posted by wideboy on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:10
- i use different headphones anyway as i see so many people using the white ones that it's a bit of a give-away.
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#4.1 Posted by BaLdMoNkEy on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:20
- i think the same, ifind it amazing that my friends take huge precautions to make sure their laptops and fones are not being displayed as they walk along at night but they are fine to wear the "come mug me" headhones that come with the ipod. Its quite funny
(still wish i had one though) -
#4.2 Posted by Dixon on 30 Mar 2004 - 21:02
- If you can afford a laptop and an ipod why are you out at night walking? You would think with that kind of disposable income... you would have a car... which opens you up for car jacking I suppose...
So the lesson here is drive a beater, use a 486 and listen to a big ass clunky tape recorder or better yet cheezy 'ghetto blaster'... and lets not forget the shoes... no swooshes please... lest you have your feet chopped off my some loogan! -
#4.3 Posted by BaLdMoNkEy on 31 Mar 2004 - 10:06
- because of course everyone in the world is able to drive and/or is over 18 and/or never ever ever ends up walking somewhere at night... or in the dark in winter
think of all the rich kids. they cant drive yet but a lot of them have laptops, ipods, ilaptops fones £100 shoes and iShoes.
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(3 replies)
#5 Posted by silly_walk on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:17
- I would use different headphones just because I can't stand ear buds.
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#5.1 Posted by gawdflesh on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:23
- Me either, and the iPod earbuds were especially annoying. Only believe I used them once, then tossed them in a drawer.
(patiently waits for a fanatic to come defend the good honor of the Apple earbuds) -
#5.2 Posted by NinjaMonkey82 on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:15
- Alright...I don't think the ear buds are that bad, they sound okay and the fit my ear perfectly. I know there are better ones out there but I don't feel the need to go out and spend even more money for them. For me the included ear buds are good enough so until they die I'll stick with them.
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#6 Posted by Devil Fish on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:20
- Nick my iPod? Come and have a go if you think your hard enough.
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(3 replies)
#7 Posted by DJ Prem on 30 Mar 2004 - 18:27
- Man why? Go buy ur own. else
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#7.1 Posted by WeeJames on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:08
- I think you missed the whole point of 'mugging'. Its not usually to obtain the item for personal use.. more to sell for cash to buy heroin and other such mugger related products.
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(2 replies)
#8 Posted by daveoc64 on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:10
- The worst part of the whole thing is that Apple said their customers would rather risk being mugged than have Apple develop a choice of headphone colours.
Last edited by 24429 on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:16 -
#8.1 Posted by wideboy on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:18
- i've just read that bit too. what a stupid comment to make. tbh though, so many people buy th iPod because they want to look cool and i see so lots of people showing off with them on the train to work. it makes me laugh because there's so many of them in London that it can hardly be classified as 'cool' anymore.
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#8.2 Posted by dp123 on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:51
- Well, I'm not sure I'm missing something, but in the Evening Standard article this "Apple statement" is a complete paraphrase by the author, it doesn't reference providing a "choice of headphone colours", nor is it apparent any such actions would be a safer solution.
Unless Apple included standard black headphones with no distinctive characteristics, it would be apparent. How are pink, blue, green, gold, silver headphones any less conspicuous than white?
The only acceptable color would be black (from a safety perspective) and I think there is plenty of reason for Apple to avoid the monotonous ubiquity of black consumer product.
And even then... people would stop looking for the color and would look for the distinctive earbuds.
Last edited by 9953 on 30 Mar 2004 - 20:26
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(3 replies)
#9 Posted by ThePDW on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:47
- The gauranteed Ipod Thief Stopper>Here
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#9.1 Posted by Dixon on 30 Mar 2004 - 21:07
- HAHAHA Glock.com Back off or I will pop a cap in your Ipod LOL
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#9.2 Posted by MegaManXcalibur on 31 Mar 2004 - 02:39
- Actually this is a better way to stop iPod thieves....
The Ultimate Solution
Bigger the solution the most likely it will be to succedd
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(1 reply)
#10 Posted by the_atheist_prophet on 30 Mar 2004 - 19:50
- Since when are white earphones "trendy"?
I don't have an iPod so I don't know how the standard iPod earphones sound, but if I did I would use my £10 Sennheiser earphones which probably sound a lot better than the iPod ones.
You have to be stupid to publicly advertise the fact you've got an iPod in somewhere like London, anyway. London must be the mugging capital of Europe. I should know, I lived there for 16 and a half years until last summer (phew).
Still, it's a sad state how many arseholes there are out there who want to mug people for their prized possessions
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#10.1 Posted by mrbester on 31 Mar 2004 - 11:13
QUOTE ...I would use my £10 Sennheiser earphones which probably sound a lot better than the iPod ones
You'd be right. It's the usual thing, though, so you can't blame just Apple for supplying cheap earbuds with their product.
QUOTE You have to be stupid to publicly advertise the fact you've got an iPod...
Again, correct. Apart from the fact you have lock-in on formats and restricted volume in Europe, advertising the fact you bought / were given an overpriced, overhyped heap of crap that looks more at home in a white goods retailer so you can be "trendy" (if that's trendy, I'll stick with my superior Karma that came with boring black Sennheiser 350 earbuds, thanks), makes me not surprised some cokehead does you over for it.
And befire the inevitable flames start along the lines of "what about all the extras", up yours. iPods have been out for ages and still cost the earth, as do the addons.
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(1 reply)
#11 Posted by sadatkarim on 30 Mar 2004 - 21:50
- Get the Sony MDR-EX71SL! Match iPod perfectly.
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#11.1 Posted by ClintEastman on 31 Mar 2004 - 09:43
- I use Sony MDR-ED228, the stealth option!
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(1 reply)
#12 Posted by Chicane-UK on 30 Mar 2004 - 21:52
- Crime in this country is starting to get very very out of hand.
Police seem to be powerless as courts just slap these crooks on the back of their hands and send them on their way.
Car crime is at what must be a UK all time high too
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#12.1 Posted by ClintEastman on 31 Mar 2004 - 09:50
- I think the statment "The sensationalization of crime in this country is starting to get very very out of hand." is more like the truth.
But then again the UK media are nowhere as bad as the US press for hyping danger.
Last edited by 4433 on 31 Mar 2004 - 10:03
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(7 replies)
#13 Posted by buroja on 30 Mar 2004 - 22:05
- So, out of curiosity, what types of intimidation / weapons do muggers in the UK use? I'm from the United States (and despise George Bush, want him out of office, don't approve of the war in Iraq, etc.) where gang members and muggers are pretty much all packing guns, but I assume that isn't the case in the UK because of its gun laws. Am I right about that? Or are the street criminals there also typically armed with guns? If not, I know this would really be annoying to do, then couldn't people always just take a baseball bat out with them whenever they go out at night? If the mugger had a knife and I had a baseball bat, I'd be very confident in my ability to defend myself.... Anyway, just curious.
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#13.1 Posted by camsoft on 30 Mar 2004 - 22:17
- Generally muggers only have knives in the UK, tho gun crime is on the way up. The police over here dont have guns, only specalist units!
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#13.2 Posted by buroja on 30 Mar 2004 - 22:29
- Yeah, I knew the UK police carried night sticks (billy clubs) instead of guns (except for their equivalent of US SWAT units) but wasn't sure how many criminals used illegally obtained firearms. So, if the majority are still using knives for their mugging activities then it sure seems like it'd be a good idea to carry a baseball bat (or cricket bat or something similar) at night. The reach of a bat and the ability to strike with much force, in my book, beats the cutting power of a knife. I wonder, is it legal to carry around a baseball bat?
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#13.3 Posted by McFly on 30 Mar 2004 - 23:35
- wtf does your political bent have to do with stealing iPods, except to kiss ass? Guess even THAT is GW's fault, right? Sheez
NO WAR FOR IPODS! -
#13.4 Posted by ThePDW on 31 Mar 2004 - 04:03
- Thanks for pointing that out, McFly, haha I'd say its a stretch to blame gangs on GW
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#13.5 Posted by buroja on 31 Mar 2004 - 04:49
QUOTE (#13.3) wtf does your political bent have to do with stealing iPods, except to kiss ass?
Doesn't have anything to do with stealing iPods. Just doing my part to get the word out that not all Americans are gun-loving, gay-hating, racists who wrap themselves in the flag in order to rationalize and/or justify the raping, pillaging, and otherwise general abusing of any nation, group, individual, or political party who dares to criticize our current administration. That's all.
Oh, and nowhere did I claim that Bush Lite was responsible for muggings in the UK. Of course, if you have evidence to the contrary, we'd all love to hear it. 
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#13.6 Posted by edweb on 31 Mar 2004 - 15:33
- instead you would rather spend MY money on helping lazy and ignorant ghetto bangers pop out more kids while on welfare and blame it on me when i say that i earned it, i should keep it. Because after all, i must be racist and gay-hating to want to keep what i worked for my whole life. "why do you think you should earn more than a black homo?" ..because i made the RIGHT decisions in my life, and paid for the wrong ones like a man.
I personally love the the excuses you liberals dole out for those crack-whores that 'just need a chance' .. they had a chance to not suck down that crack and become a whore.
I'll take GW over your representative any day, and I don't even like him.
www.fairtax.org all the way! -
#13.7 Posted by buroja on 01 Apr 2004 - 05:59
QUOTE (#13.6) instead you would rather spend MY money on helping lazy and ignorant ghetto bangers pop out more kids while on welfare and blame it on me when i say that i earned it, i should keep it. Because after all, i must be racist and gay-hating to want to keep what i worked for my whole life. "why do you think you should earn more than a black homo?" ..because i made the RIGHT decisions in my life, and paid for the wrong ones like a man.
I personally love the the excuses you liberals dole out for those crack-whores that 'just need a chance' .. they had a chance to not suck down that crack and become a whore.
Well, typical of a conservative, your speech is full of anger, bordering on hatred. Your "argument" contains more vitriolic rage than logic, and your obviously biased societal / class perspective managed to latch onto "lazy and ignorant ghetto bangers" as the source of your discontent. What about the "lazy and ignorant hill billies," or the "lazy and ignorant white trash?" Don't you have enough hate and anger to spread around equally? I admit, I'm being intentionally combative here, but I'm doing it in the hopes that you'll take a second look at what you're saying and consider it in a broader light.
As a WASP I am very keenly aware of the privilege into which I have been born; as a result, I am very keenly drawn to speaking out against the pervasive inequality which still exists in the world. If not between men and women, then between blacks and whites, if not between blacks and whites, then between heterosexuals and homosexuals, if not that, then between the rich and the poor, if not there, then between the United States and every other county on the planet. And it is the type of thinking evidenced in your post which provides me with the drive to keep going, to keep spreading the word, to keep campaigning, to keep hoping that SOME DAY people such as yourself may finally wake up and realize that our sole responsibility is not to ourself, that our primary goal in life should not be to see to our needs above all others, but that a life of selfless philanthropy, a life of caring for others, a life of accepting and celebrating differences, is a life infinitely more blessed and, ultimately, more well lived.
Is this an unrealistic notion? Perhaps. But above all else, it is an optimistic notion. Pessimistically abandoning all hope or faith in humanity isn't going to accomplish anything other than signaling your surrender. All it does is say that you've given up and the only viable option is to circle the wagons and shoot anyone that comes near your campfire. That's not the way I choose to live--I wish it wasn't the way that you chose to live--but it is your decision to make. Where we probably most differ is where conservatives feel that it is within their purview to impose their beliefs on anyone who disagrees, I do not believe that any belief should supercede personal liberty, so long as the personal liberty in question causes no direct harm to another individual. But that is another discussion for another time. I hope you consider what I've written -- I hope you experience a moment of clarity -- I hope you can overcome the anger which seems to have consumed you -- I hope for you, and I hope for all the rest of us.
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#14 Posted by Gary_Player on 31 Mar 2004 - 01:25
- UK media is total tabloid bull****
Apple's active courting of the mass-media press appears to have generated an unfortunate reaction, as build 'em up to knock 'em down journalists have begun a simultaneous campaign that claims iPods have become hot property to street criminals. Reports appeared this morning in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, and The Evening Standard, all of which warn that the "conspicuous white headphones of the popular iPod are a giveaway to muggers that wearers are carrying the music player".
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