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Woman at Northeastern has laptop stolen while chasing the punks who took her cellphone
By adamg on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 8:06am
The Huntington News reports on a rash of cellphone thefts on and near campus: High-school-age kids grab phones, then run. One woman who had that happen to her at the Curry Student Center chased the JDs but lost them by Ruggles. When she returned to the student center, she discovered her laptop, which she'd left behind, was now also missing.
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Comments
I always think about this
If I'm ever somewhere with my laptop out, and someone steals my bag, I try to keep in mind: if I'm going to chase (I probably would) grab the laptop, THEN chase. Sounds like a typical distract & swipe.
Electronics Theft Recovery
If you have a laptop you should have already downloaded this:
http://preyproject.com/
A free, OSS theft recovery program for almost everything in existence.
I used a similar program (UnderCover for Mac) to get back my laptop (with the help of police) after my apartment in Vermont got broken into in the middle of the night.
Stolen in Vermont?
What ever happened to the good ole' days of cow tipping?
I've been looking for a good tool like this to use on Linux. I'm not a Windows user.
You're in luck
Both Prey and Pombo run on linux.
RTFM
RTFM
Just checked out the NU crime log
The same stuff has been happening for years. I started at NU in 98 and this was happening then. Why in the world are students willing leave their laptops and bags unattended? It's easy to understand being forgetful, but the ones who simply leave their stuff behind I don't get.
Some of the high school students are pretty annoying too. I take night classes at NU now, and there are always a few hanging out in the Curry Center. I don't care if they're hanging out studying and being productive. The kids who are being purposely loud, and stealing stuff are less desirable.
For that matter, how do you forget
something like a laptop or a full backpack? A single book you've put down or a sweater you took off I could possibly see.
And it's not just one or two instances. Over half the entries in the crime log are like that.
Real Issue
Considering issues like this in the student center, and similar problems in places like BU's Mugar Library...
Is why anyone can enter and leave these places without going by some sort of security. It doesn't have to be a full time guard to chase down miscreants, they could use student employees who just check for college ID at the door thus preventing out-of-college criminals from entering in the first place.
that would also keep out harmless people like me
who might want to visit these places while in the neighborhood (such as before or after a lecture or performance at BU or NU)
Register?
Maybe have to register and sign in / out?
Not horrible since it is a private facility. Back in the day out of town friends had to do so to be allowed in the dorms.
Student centers are de-facto public places
at every college where I've visited them - MIT, BU, Tufts, Northeastern, Brandeis, Wellesley, Ohio State, UCLA .... The food and other vendors in these places probably get a significant amount of their business from outside visitors.
Legal question
I'm sure these worthless cowards tend to target women. But if one were to run away with my phone and I caught up to him -- which I would -- is it within my rights to beat the fuck out of him?
No
But if I were on a jury I would let you off.
Funny you should ask
I just heard on the radio about a guy that had his truck stolen, caught the guy, and administered a bit of justice on his own. Now, he's arrested for assault and battery. Found it here with google.
I'll never testify against you. ;-)
Clearly....
she is not studying Criminal Justice.............
The Number One Reason cellphones are snatched...
...is that stupid people CARRY THE THINGS IN THEIR HANDS.
Why the hell do people carry their phones, when they have pockets in trousers, jackets, as well as shoulder bags and purses, ideal for carrying a cellphones when the phone is not actually being used to make/take a call.
Keep your eyes open when out and about, and note the number of people carrying their phones.
Frankly, if you carry your phone in your hand, and it gets snatched, I have no sympathy for you whatsoever.
Why carry phone in hand
I've done it when I'm expecting a phone call and am in a place so noisy that I'm likely to miss both the ring and the vibration if the phone is in my pocket.