mugging just now

I agree with poster "oneonone". Nearly all of these muggings involve someone displaying an expensive electronic item (e.g. laptop) and/or being distracted by use of same (e.g. ipod, cellphone). Again, not to blame the victim, as the ultimate fault lies with the mugger, but people have got to be more careful on the streets. Muggers will generally act only if you have something likely to make their efforts worthwhile. Ipods, cellphones, laptops, etc. are like the gold chains and shearling coats of yesteryear.

Glad that you're OK, though, and hope the cops find these lowlives.

sweet tea wrote: thinking mugger

I just wanted to alert you to a possible oxymoron. Most of these muggings don't seem to be too thought out. More like smash and grab. And in some cases, just smash without the grab.

Subject: being alert is the most important factor

It sucks that this is the case in PH, but you have to be alert when you're on the street. This is something that I was taught as a kid growing up in BK, along with "keep expensive crap out of sight."

It isn't just about talking on the phone - you have to keep your head up and keep looking around. Stay aware of your surroundings. Look behind you every so often, don't feel self conscious about it. Most times, you can spot these kids coming from a mile away because they watch their target in a pretty obvious way.

Don't stare at the ground or zone out while you're walking around the neighborhood!

First of all, you might spot trouble coming. Second, just looking alert (versus walking in a daze) makes you look like less of a target. Third, you will be more confident because you are aware of your surroundings, and this makes you look like even less of a target.

Also, spring break would probably not bring a rise in crime.
Most muggers aren't in college.

I also hate that I had to stop lurking on this board because of miscreants, but it's nice to meet you all. I ran into one of you in the flesh at the Met Foods yesterday.

Not that I don't understand all of the "keep your expensive gadgets out of sight" talk, I do, but for the record:

* Laptop was in a nondescript messenger bag. No way around this. I'm a computer programmer, and I live and die with my laptop.

* My iPhone was not out and had not been pulled out since I left my office. It was zipped up in a jacket pocket. I did stupidly have the tell-tale white headphones, although these were snaked up through my coat.

I got a call from my wife that I answered about 1 block from home which I answered without taking the phone from my pocket. These calls are invariably "I need __insert_ingredient__ to finish tonight's fabulous dinner." And since you haven't had my wife's cooking, you wouldn't understand how I would never miss out on a chance to help. Delicious.

I have lived in this neighborhood for almost 10 years. I am typically hyper aware of my surroundings, but a kid running up on you from behind and punching you in the face is hard to see coming.

Ultimately I think it was the stupid white Apple headphones which gave me away. I went out and got a new iPhone, but I bought some black headphones to go with them yesterday. I don't think I should have to suffer an inferior phone because hooligans might take it. Oh and just so you know: There is no AT&T or Apple insurance program for these devices. Thanks Steve Jobs!!

So, I'm looking over my should a lot more, and I'm re-thinking my tendency to stumble home blindly drunk from PH & PS bars... My wife likes the increased sobriety option, but I think I'll just call Evelyn more often. No reason to get crazy. :-)

EmmaViz wrote: The taser may not be legal, but neither is mugging. What is your mugger going to do: Report that they were mugging you and you tased them to the cops?

Knowing my luck, the day I get an illegal taser would be the day I'm subjected to my first random bag check on the subway. Don't get me wrong - I have zero sympathy/tolerance for violent muggers - I just think you're setting yourself up for trouble with a taser, which has no legal use.

On the other hand, a lot of people in this neighborhood are DIY types -its not implausible that they may have a short length of iron pipe that they just picked up at Home Depot to repair their sink. Some people have kids who play t-ball with those little baseball bats. Other people probably do a lot of stapling and sometimes bring work home - I can't imagine that a steel Swingline to the head would be any less pleasant to muggers than being pistol whipped. Your smelly feet and your penchant for arcade games prompt you to carry a roll of quarters and a spare pair of socks at all times? I dunno.

Don't mean to get all Bernie Goetz here...and I think some of a community watch and camera surveilance would be a better first step than each of us arming ourselves.

Subject: Charles Bronson

Oh come on. Have you ever hit someone with a pipe? Have you ever even hit someone with your fist?

Please guys, if you think you're Charles Bronson, your problem is too much pipe hitting, not too little.

Don't get a taser, more than likely you'll be too scared to use it properly.

ultimate DIY weapon which I wield regularly: a bottle of liquid. doesn't necessarily have to be a bottle of champagne, but that's one of my favorite choices (it's solid and weighs a ton. oh. and I drink lots of it, so the purchasing of it isn't an issue.) but anything will do -- liters of seltzer, bottles of water, glass bottles of juice, six packs of beer. I'm not sure those waxy paper bottles of juice would be smart because you don't want the damn thing exploding on you, but almost anything else is viable. I also, unconsciously, though I've started noticing it and it has probably crept into consciousness, carry the bottles that I am walking with (except six packs - it'd be tough) like a baseball bat. not resting on my shoulder, obvi, but my hand around the neck somehow. anyway, I have not been called upon to use one of these items, but did get surrounded and vaguely harassed by some kids on st. johns the other day and pulled out my measly 12 oz bottle of water thinking "well, I could jab that little one ..." but then they left me alone.

@bobbybrummel: You couldn't have possibly been the guy.

This guy stood and watched. Didn't yell. Didn't call the cops. And afterwards, didn't even ask if I was OK. He just looked at me and walked away.

That was my beef with the guy.

Afraid to get involved? I understand that. I don't understand not even asking if someone you just watched get beat down was OK afterwards.

During the snowsotrm last week (W, Th?), I was waiting on the corner of Prospect at around 6:30 p.m. waiting to cross Vanderbilt on my way home. It was strangely quiet during the snowstorm, and I was actually glad when a group of people showed up on the other corner of the street. One guy came up next to me. I checked him out and saw that he was carrying a bag of groceries, and I figured he was just on his way home too, and we all waited for the light to change.

I crossed Vandy and started heading toward Underhill on Prospect, keeping watch on the group of teens that had crossed on the other side of the street, thinking to myself, "Oh, don't be so suspicious," but after the string of recent muggings, I was definitley going to stay alert. After I ahd gone about 30 feet from the corner, a guy among the group of teens crossed to my side and said to someone behind me (I'm assuming it was the guy with the shopping bag since I didn't see anyone else near me, but wasn't sure), "Paddy wagon" (a police van had just driven by on Vandy). At that, I quickly turned, pretending that I had forgotten something important, and walked past them and turned on Vanderbilt. I looked back to see if they would follow me (my plan was to go into Soda if they did). They didn't, but as I came to the corner of St. Marks, I saw three or four of them come back out from Prospect and wander up Vanderbilt toward the park.

Was I being set up for a mugging? I can't say for certain, but it certainly seemed possible (otherwise, why did the guy say "Paddy wagon"?).

I've also been thinking about what I would do in the event of a mugging. Fortunately I have never been mugged and on different days I feel differently about how I would react. Tasers are illegal in NY, but my girlfriend and I each have a cat-shaped plastic keychain for self-protection (http://www.defensedevices.com/catkeychain.html), and some days I've walked home from the subway with my fingers clenched so tightly around the plastic pussy in my pocket that I'm all worked up and ready for a fight by the time I get home. And I wonder if getting all worked up and ready to defend myself is causing me more psychic harm than anything else. And if it came down to it, am I prepared to blind somebody over my cell phone?

I don't have any words of advice, just relating what happened (or almost happened) to me last week. Stay alert and stay safe, everyone. And let's look out for one another.

WhyFi wrote:
It's not just a cell phone, far from it.

I'll drink to that.

to the muggers who may or may not be reading this website, if you just want my cell phone, all you have to do is ask. it's a cheap piece of crap and i was much happier before i was peer-pressured into finally getting it.

GC72 wrote:
I've also been thinking about what I would do in the event of a mugging. Fortunately I have never been mugged and on different days I feel differently about how I would react. Tasers are illegal in NY, but my girlfriend and I each have a cat-shaped plastic keychain for self-protection (http://www.defensedevices.com/catkeychain.html), and some days I've walked home from the subway with my fingers clenched so tightly around the plastic pussy in my pocket that I'm all worked up and ready for a fight by the time I get home. And I wonder if getting all worked up and ready to defend myself is causing me more psychic harm than anything else. And if it came down to it, am I prepared to blind somebody over my cell phone?

You could be criminally liable if you use something like that to defend yourself against a mugger who isn't carrying a weapon. Any sort of 'ninja keychain' or brass knuckles qualifies as a serious weapon. I'm willing to bet that keychain is actually illegal in and of itself in NYC.

as long as you aren't carry/using any weapons that are illegal in NY state or city, i seriously doubt the police will even arrest you for defending yourself.

and even if you're arrested for "show," the precinct will probably void the arrest later.

bobbybrummel wrote: i really want one of these to defend myself with out on the rough and tumble streets of prospect heights.

from the product description:

And unlike lead, it is non-toxic and won't rust.

does lead rust these days?

Thanks for noticing. I do love my little plastic pussy.