The Mac Observer

Skip navigational links

Featured Article: Monday's Mac Gadget - Want to Start Tweeting with Twitter? Check out twhirl!

New York City Students Fall Victim to iPod Muggings

by , 12:20 PM EST, February 18th, 2005

The Big Apple has long had a reputation for crime, even if in recent years that's anything but the case. More recently, New York City developed a reputation for being iPod City, with tell-tale white earphones dotting the landscape from Brooklyn to The Bronx. Now, however, city students have fallen victim to an increasing number of iPod muggings.

A South Brooklyn transit officer reported a near doubling of student iPod robbers on subways in recent months, The New York Post reported Tuesday. One week ago, a high school student required 44 stitches after being stabbed for his iPod on a Q train.

To combat the increase in iPod-related crime, transit cops started distributing flyers last week offering to engrave students' iPods and cell phones with iD numbers but canned the plan after schools said both items are typically prohibited from being in class due to the distraction they create.

"We don't want it to be misinterpreted as encouraging bringing banned items to school," said NYPD spokesman Paul Brown.

For now, the best solution is probably just to swap out those white earphones for a more standard pair, which leaves would be thieves in the dark as to whether they're connected to a $500 iPod or a $20 CD player.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
View Name:Guest
Subject: iPod Muggings, service by Apple
Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject:

^^
That may hurt E-bay sales of used iPods. Imagine, you buy an iPod and the old owner can send the cops to your house anytime he likes!

Would that happen exactly like that? Probably not, but I can imagine there being a lot of mis-use of a system like that.

Close Name:mahuti -   TMO Staff Posts: 371 Joined: 09 Jan 2003
Subject:

School over safety. That's just idiotic. The POLICE don't want to help students protect their property & safety because it might upset the school? sooo irritated by this.

View Name:Guest
Subject:
Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject:

Quote
mahuti wrote:
School over safety. That's just idiotic. The POLICE don't want to help students protect their property & safety because it might upset the school? sooo irritated by this.


Hey, it's worse then that. If the police were giving way to the school for a reason, I coud support that. But that's not what's going on here.

The school doesn't want students to have these items in class, right? That's fine, it makes sense, that's a good rule. So what is their solution? Kids shouldn't even BRING the items to school, which means they can't listen to their music on the way TO and FROM school, which is one of the main reasons to have an iPod!

If the teachers can't stop students from listening to iPods in class then that's their problem. They should tell kids they can't even listen to music on the way TO school.

Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Subject:

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
Why not engrave your social security number o the iPod? (it would of couse make you order it through applestore online) Sure itÒ‘s possible to grind away, but it would then be marked as stolen.


Uh, how?

Who's going to go up to people with iPods and demand to see their SS card to see if it matches the player?

Close Name:cooner Posts: 30 Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Subject: iPods in school

Must admit, that's a pretty dumb reason to stop a theft-prevention program. Even if iPods and cel phones aren't allowed IN school, students would certainly use them not only on their way to and from school, but also evenings and weekend when they're out and about. Do thefts only happen in classrooms? I think not.

It's like preventing kids in school from purchasing Lo-Jack for their cars, because hey, they're not supposed to drive their cars into the classroom with them.

Close Name:Mace Posts: 9179 Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Subject:

... Guess one have to be more careful.

View Name:Guest
Subject: huh?
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2993 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Quote
Guest wrote:
As I understand it, all iPods have a unique serial number. Certainly Apple captures that serial number when the iPod is registered. If Apple has a record of serial numbvers, then you should be able to report your iPod stolen, and then have Apple track it down, through iTunes. I know iTunes probably doesn't do this now, but it could check for an iPod being stolen whenever it is plugged into the computer, and connected to iTunes and the web. Then Apple could pas along the registered user information for the computer that is using the stolen iPod, to the police, for a quick recovery.

zforth


Imagine the outrage if Apple announced that they are tracking iPods through the iTMS. Privacy advocates would be all over that one. Doesn't matter if it is for good, people will still see it as an invasion of privacy.

Close Name:Boyarsky Posts: 64 Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Subject: iPods & School security...

I dissent with most of those here when I stand by the decision to stop engraving of iPods because they are not even supposed to BE at school. The easiest way to NOT have an iPod stolen is to NOT HAVE ON YOU. If you;re not allowed to have it in school, then why carry it TO school?
Sorry kids, but I didnt have an iPod when I walked, took the bus, or rode to school.
Call me old-fashioned, but settling back with your own thoughts is not a bad thing either. Heck try a CONVERSATION with someone...
There are other forms of entertainment while getting to school. Some of them even have WORDS on them...
They are called books & newspapers.

Not old enough to be aogie yet, but still remembers reading books on the bus on the way to school

John
Fairbanks, Alaska

Close Name:carnagex Posts: 443 Joined: 02 Jan 2002
Subject: ipods and school security....

First it was Nike Michael Jordon Shoes then it was those Car Window Suction Cup Garfields now iPods.....did you ever notice what ever is a high theft item in New York is allways the "IN THING" (I even remember kids getting robbed of their Cabbage Patch Kids in the 80's up in Staten Island)

View Name:Guest
Subject: new iPod accessory
View Name:Guest
Subject: Boyarsky rebuttal
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: STOLEN
View Name:Guest
Subject: ipods in schools
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject:
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2993 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Learn some english.

Comment on this Article


You cannot edit your comments.   You cannot delete your comments.
Log in | Register | Having Problems? Reset TMO Cookies & Try Again
Username:   Password:   Log me on automatically each visit   

You are not logged in, and this post will appear as "Guest." Log in with your username and password from the TMO forums. If you do not have a username, you can register here.
Please note that guests are limited to including a maximum of two URLs per post.


Post A Comment
  Subject


  Your Comments



Please enter the word exactly as you see it in the image above. Registered users aren't prompted for this. Having trouble reading the image get a new one.


Recent Headlines - Updated Friday, August 29th, 2008

Fri., 7:05 PM
Podcast - Mac Geek Gab #166: Dot-Underscore Files, Cool Stuff Found, Kernel_task, and Listener Tips!
5:45 PM
iPO Free on iTunes - Dinos, U.S. Music, Sci & Tech TV, Rock N Roll TV and More
5:25 PM
Macworld Expo Hotel Deal - Use TMO's Discount at The Hotel Milano
4:45 PM
iPodObserver - Rumor: China Mobile May Subsidize iPhone 3G
4:30 PM
User Friendly Blog by Ted Landau - My iPhone Goes on Vacation
4:25 PM
ChangeWave: Apple Leads Competition in Consumer Buying Plans
3:05 PM
Solver is Back for MS Excel 2008
2:25 PM
CW: SSDs in Laptops Won't Make Real Sense until 2010
2:10 PM
TinyBooks 6 Improves Custom Invoices, Tax Support
1:00 PM
TMO Reports - Psystar's Official Response: Apple Abusing Copyright, Tying OS X to Hardware
11:05 AM
iPodObserver - Rumor: Official iPhone Tethering in the Works
10:15 AM
Hot Forum Topic - Reader Reactions: Bloomberg's Accidental Steve Jobs Obituary
9:45 AM
iPodObserver - iPhone Hack: Changing the Camera Focus
9:15 AM
Comcast to Cap Broadband Use Starting in October
8:25 AM
Final Cut Express 4.0.1 Improves AVCHD Support
8:05 AM
Apple Intros ProRes QuickTime Decoder
7:30 AM
iPO Quick Tip - iTunes: More Info About What's on Your iPod
 

The Mac Observer Reader Specials

  • Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
  • OWC: NewerTech NuPower Batteries for iBook and PowerBooks Designed+Built in USA to run longer, LAST LONGER TOO! Free Battery Recycling Return Label; Quality High-Capacity from $99.95
  • MacPro Memory 667Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $ 82 / 4GB $128 / 8GB $256 - Click to Maximize your Macs...
  • Mac observers can now play Party Poker for Mac as well as Mac casino games by going to MacPokerOnline.com.
  • RamJet Memory: Mac Pro FB-DIMMs: 2Gig kit $115, 4Gig kit $179, 8Gig kit for $355! 500G Seagate Hard Drive $129! Click here
  • For the latest Apple products use Ciao a comparison website to find laptops like MacBook Air. Then find the best prices on MP3 players and use our comparison tool to evaluate cell phones.

  • Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
  • Special Report: WWDC 2008
  • Special Report: iPhone
  • __________
  • Help TMO Grow
  • Podcast: Mac Geek Gab
  • Podcast: Apple Weekly Report
  • TMO on Twitter!

Apple Stock Quote

  • AAPL: $169.53. Change Today: -4.21.
  • (Prices delayed up to 20 minutes.)
  • Discuss in our Apple Finance Board

Hot Topics

Apple iTunes

Top Deals From DealsOnTheWeb