I just got pick-pocketed...

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by DS9Continuing, May 1, 2013.

  1. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    And I am so pissed off I can barely breathe.

    Lunch hour, nice enough day, bit of a headache so I decide to go for a walk in the park to clear my head. About to head down into the rock garden area, when a guy jumps off the wall where he'd been sitting, as if about to go his own way, and "accidentally" bumps into me. "Oh sorry, sorry," hands everywhere as he steadies hismelf, you know the routine.

    And then a couple of minutes later, I realise my phone has gone.

    Brand new iPhone 5, had it less that a month, no insurance on it. I ran straight to the police station to report it (where they said "Call this number." Hello, he took my phone.) Anyway, they called for me, made a report, decribed the guy best as I could.

    I have that "find my iPhone" thing so they're trying to track it that way. It has a pass code on it so he shouldn't get into it any time soon, and I'm pretty sure I set it up that if he puts the wrong code in 10 times, it wipes it.

    I've asked my other half to wipe it by remote, but it tells you it has to connect to the internet first before it can do that. There's no bank details or anything on there, but there's addresses and emails and phone numbers. I've had the phone company block the number too.

    So I think I've done just about everything I can. But the main thing is just that I'm so f***ing furious! And not a little embarrassed. I know, these people are professionals, they do it all day long, I didn't even feel his hand go into my pocket. But it's humiliating to fall for something so basic.

    RRRRRAAAAARRRGGGHHH! :mad::mad::mad:
     
  2. Sigokat

    Sigokat Commander Red Shirt

    Damn that sucks. Hopefully they find your find your phone for you.

    I'm currently in Afghanistan and one of the NCOs that I work with had left his iPhone5 in the bathroom. Of course when he realized it and went back it was gone. He got it back though because the guy who stole it tried selling it to some other guy for $30.00 so the guy knew it had to be stolen. So he grabbed the phone and told the thief he was taking it to the MPs and reporting him and the thief took off.

    So luckily for Talbert he got his phone back by luck and the honesty of another. Hopefully you get yours as well!!
     
  3. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Oh, no!
     
  4. B.J.

    B.J. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That sucks! I have to ask, though, which pocket did you have your phone in?
     
  5. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Inside jacket pocket, but jacket was open as it was a nice day. I didn't specifically feel his hands going there, but it's really the only explanation.

    I suppose I should be grateful I left my car keys and wallet in the office.

    It's also actually kind of amazing to me that it took this long to happen, given I lived in NYC and was never bothered, and have been in London for two years as well.

    .
     
  6. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Do you have a belt clip for the phone?
     
  7. Rhaven

    Rhaven Captain Captain

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    That sucks, but at least it wasn't your wallet. I had my purse stolen a few years back. Replacing all your cards, license and such is a real hassle.
    Hope your phone is found and returned to you.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2013
  8. Scout101

    Scout101 Admiral Admiral

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    No, they were pickpocketed TODAY, not in 1996. Everyone's mostly over the douchy "look how important I am, i have a cellphone" look :p
     
  9. backstept

    backstept Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    no, I'm pretty sure smartphones are still a luxury status symbol :p
     
  10. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    ^^^ Yeah, I've always made sure not to do that. I thought an inside pocket was enough, but apparently not. Lesson learned, I suppose. Also, don't fall asleep on public transport.

    The police are coming round tomorrow night, although I already gave a report on the phone, so maybe they just want me to sign something?

    .
     
  11. Gryffindorian

    Gryffindorian Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Sorry to hear that. I hope the police get the guy and hopefully recover your iPhone(?).

    Nowadays when I buy a new cell phone, I make sure to get it insured, at least during the first year or so, in case something like this happens.

    ETA:

    For my wallet, I've always kept in the same location forever: my front pocket.
     
  12. KimMH

    KimMH Drinking your old posts Premium Member

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    Grrr - how disgusting! I hope it is recoverd quickly for you. Going to add mine to my ins policy and start carrying in front pants pocket. bulky w/ the case but obviously worth it.
     
  13. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    Damn, that bites the big one. Especially when you realize it could happen to anyone whenever you're in a public place.

    On the other hand, I admit a certain grudging admiration for professional pickpockets. They practice a form of thievery that's been around for centuries, if not millennia, and requires a high level of skill and manual dexterity. Hell, a lot of pickpockets are probably skilled and smart enough to make a good living doing honest work. They just like stealing.
     
  14. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    You can hide a belt clip under a shirt, you know.
     
  15. Scout101

    Scout101 Admiral Admiral

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    Sure, just not clipped to your belt obnoxiously. to show off your status symbol now, you gotta take it out of your pocket and fiddle with it, preferably while driving, walking around aimlessly, or during a conversation.

    but why would you, and what would you clip it to? Presumably, if there was some big theft-deterrent system in place, it wouldn't have been stolen. And if you don't intend to clip to your belt, but put in a pocket, why buy the case with the belt clip, or keep that part on.

    Outside of blackberry, which has never really kept up with the times anyway, not sure last time I saw a phone case with a belt clip. Maybe cheap flip-phones?

    I'm sure they still exist, but just not really mainstream. Maybe for specific uses, like for a contractor outside all day or something, and clip on a rugged case, but in general? "phone on your belt" is pretty dead.
     
  16. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    The belt?

    Assuming you don't wear your shirt tucked in, of course. I don't.

    I bought an Otterbox case for my iPhone, and it came with a belt clip. Linky
     
  17. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    That sounds awful:(. I hope they find out who did it and you get it back ASAP.

    *clutches precious phone to chest and prays it never happens to me*
     
  18. Sephiroth

    Sephiroth Vice Admiral Admiral

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    just call yourself and leave this message

    "I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you return my phone now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."
     
  19. DS9Continuing

    DS9Continuing Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I did have a passing fantasy of going back to the park today with a knife of some sort, but then I thought that probably wouldn't go down too well when the police come to talk to me later tonight. :borg:

    .
     
  20. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    So sorry to hear of this!

    The talent of the pickpocket is much like the illusionist--get the people focused on something else while they enact their plan without being noticed. The guy probably worked down his routine practicing it over and over again... as one hand makes a quick move for the inside pocket (he probably observed how your jacket was sagging slightly on one side, indicating a smart phone), while the other hand impacts firmly in a place that will startle you, causing you to shift focus to that and not even realize what the other hand had just done.

    This is why it is SO important to button up your pockets with valuables. Granted, the more professional pickpockets know how to deal with those, but the chances of being caught are much greater. I knew a guy who worked in the police force and they learned how pickpockets work. Some even carry a specially designed hidden razor that allows them to cut a button off quickly, without much of a tug at all.

    Lastly, with a new smart phone that has high value, it's best to put an electronic RFID chip on it that will set off an alarm on your key chain when the phone is beyond a certain distance.

    Anyway... the iPhone tracer function is very useful and hopefully you'll eventually get the phone back and without any damage.

    just call yourself and leave this message

    Ummm... no. "I will kill you" is the wrong approach. You DO want them to know you have money and you'll pay him $200 to get it back. No resale risk and hassle for him this way--quick money. You just want your phone back. Arrange a meeting place in public. Of course, you can plan things to be not so innocent. Definitely have a buddy as backup, if you can't get the police to assist you on this. Anyway, none of this will work if he can't break the phone code. And of course a hard reset means he can't get access to your voice mail, so leaving a message won't accomplish anything.