iPod muggings: Apple PR dream or nightmare?

Ok, you've heard all the rumors and mumblings about iPod crime waves in New York (and abroad)—and no, we're not talking about the Hipster iPod or music piracy, we're talking about people getting their little white jukeboxes swiped. So the NY Times laid it down: yes, the NYPD has that report linking the iPod to a rise in subway crime in New York, but it gets a little more bleak when they call in Beckerman PR vice-prez David Brooks, who claims, "Half of you is cringing, but half is bursting with pride" over the news. And then it gets downright scary when he goes on the record saying, "The first time somebody gets shoved onto a subway track in a scuffle over an iPod, all bets are off." Oh, is that all it'll take? What can we say? At the end of the day, maybe statistically you'll be safer not wearing the signature white headphones, but we're more likely to encourage you to to use something else just to keep the PR vultures from beaming about other peoples' gadgety misfortune.

[Raian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I still use the headphones and am not too worried about someone trying to "ipod-jack" me. I think it is unfortunate that people give into the fear of being robbed, but it could be justifiable given that the thief knows you have an iPod, and knows how much it is worth (rather than take a chance at stealing your wallet and not finding anything of value). I think that the debate shouldn't be over iPod headphones vs. no iPod headphones and fear mongering-- it should be centered around stopping crime in these cities, giving more funding to Police departments, helping them get more cops on the street, use newer technologies to apprehend criminals and shutdown black/grey market operations. Apple may also want to step in by making a limited number of iPods for undercover cops with tracking devices built in-- so that investigators could attempt to track where these iPods are going.

[Adam Lindsay @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

According to Napster a fully loaded iPod is worth $10k. I can totally see why people are stealing them.

[Matt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

"I think it is unfortunate that people give into the fear of being robbed"

Tell that to the guy who got stabbed in the abdomen for his iPod last week two blocks from my apartment. But hey - - you can keep wearing your white earphones, goofball.

[poulsbo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

what i don't understand is how they're even getting stolen. you keep it in your bag, first off, maybe in your coat pocket but when someone steals it don't you hear the music stop? do your headphones get yanked out of your ears when they take it?
anyone?

[solowCX @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

#3, sure you know it is stolen, but do you want to risk chasing some guy who might have a knife, or even a gun? I doubt most people would want to confront the person. Most likely people have them in their front coat pockets, which is easy for someone to reach in and steal.

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

The [Sic]s are completely unnecessary. He's not saying "half of you [group of people] are cringing." He's clearly saying "half of you [individual/one's self] is cringing." It�s the half that �is� cringing. Basically, "I'm half cringing and half bursting with pride." Don't you guys have editors so you don't have to play at being editors yourselves? Unless he's a refugee from some backwoods section of the Florida everglades, the mistake you ascribe to him is on its face ridiculous.

[AML @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

unless jobs gives a cut of ipod sales to fund podjackers arrests, i doubt much'll be done to thwart the fear of using ipods in public. there's still more revenue in ticket writing so I'm sure NYPD really doesn't give a rats *ss.

[Big Poppa Chuck @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

its probably a bit warm for too many people to buy them now but if I lived in the big apple and rode the system I'd buy a bluetooth adaptor and a bluetook beenie with built in headphones. y'all New Yorkers are crazy enough to wear one through the summer though.

[Spyvie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I live in Phx, where it's legal to carry a gun on your hip and legal to carry concealed with a readily available permit.

No one gets mugged out west. Seriously, once a month or so you'll hear of a carjacking in the bad part of town but nobody ever gets robbed on the street.

[b* @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Was it really a single/plural error that Engadget was pointing out? I thought it was a little more pointed than that. Half of me (the Engadget reader) is certainly not cringing, and the other half of me isn't bursting with pride, either.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I'm still calling this mostly an urban legend. Hear me out - I'm not saying it doesn't happen to a certain group of people, mainly high school kids from not the best neighborhoods. I have never, ever heard of anybody getting their iPod jacked while commuting to work during rush hour. Think about it - it'd be all over the news if that ever happened, especially after these stories started breaking. We've had tons of these stories going on for months now where somebody anecdotally says there are lots of iPod thefts but despite this, no news outlet has ever, ever managed to find a single case that they could point to as reason for this hysteria. And you just know they're looking - I mean this would be gold for the NY Post or the Daily News.

So yeah, I'm sure kids are robbing other kids, just like they've always done. But the media is putting this story out there like "hide your white headphones! you're gonna get jacked!" and I'm sorry, I just don't believe it.

And I say that as a native New Yorker, born at St. Lukes Hospital in Manhattan more than 30 years ago, who grew up in the bad old days of the 70's, 80's and early 90's. I knows me some crime when I see it. This ain't nothin'.

As for this PR dude's comments, yeah, pretty deplorable.

[Cullen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

i agree with jon. that was some bullshit editing. im certainly not sleeping tonight, all because of these goddamn editors never ever doing their job. for the money i pay to get this site, i want you bastards to edit my comments, too. and do it good, or youll get more of the same!

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

that line from the cops is garbage...

ipods don't CAUSE theft... what? it's the first time something 'valuable' has ever been on the subway? what a crock.

where are all the new yorkers? apparently new york is so bloody rich that.. er.. having a $250 music player is not a big deal, right? Or am I missing something..

[Rob Hawley @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Let me get this straight. An electronics maker is being blamed for an increase in crime.

The US Government prints bills, are they responsible for bank robberies?

[Nate MC @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Puolsbo. I think it's more like this..

Mugger: Give me the fucking iPod or I'll cut/shoot/hit you.
Victom: Uh shit, ok.

Ta daa! I really doubt it's people sneaking off with them.

[poulsbo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

nate - *maybe*... but like jeff said - where are the reports? i'm in chicago, if NYC has had 50 reports already this year you'd think there would at least be 20 here, but i've heard nothing.

[Bullet @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

There are still way fewer iPods being stolen on subways than Cellphones. I am thinking if we hold apple accountable for the iPods, we should hold Motorola and Nokia responsible for the cellphone muggings...

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Reference Post #6 : You show a complete lack of understanding of the criminal justice system.

NYPD cops do care about the podjackings. It's considered a robbery, a Part I crime, and as such is something they do their best to prevent/arrest.

Revenue writing in tickets? They go to the court system and not the cops.

Next time you spout off you might want to know a little about the topic, k?

[acidreflux @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

"there's still more revenue in ticket writing so I'm sure NYPD really doesn't give a rats *ss."

I agree, but not with the reasoning.

I am curious- since when is theft or assault a ticket in NYC? These aren't infractions. Those are felonies. Which means expenditures for the state.

Nate MC:

Maybe it is like this,

Mugger: Yo dog, whatch you got on my iPod, homey?
Victim: I don't know, half of me says "duh, no wonder your after this pretty device", the other side of me says "I am scared like a little school girl."
Mugger: Bitch, don't make me break you off some.
Victim: Somebody help!
Mugger: I'll slice you up.

[John T. Haller @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

A couple of the reports have said that it is mostly kids that this is happening to and I'd guess during non-rush hour times. But those signature white headphones would be something you may want to leave home in a "bad" neighborhood. It's basically like having a neon sign over your head that says "I have a $200+ high-tech gadget in my pocket that is easy to steal and sell". The white headphones are a sure bet since you aren't gonna find a crappy walkman in their pocket. Of course, now with the Shuffle and other manufacturers using white, it isn't a sure bet that there's a nice, tasty, stealable iPod in that pocket any more.

Side note: For anybody that hasn't ridden the NYC subway... iPods are everywhere. You'll easily find a half a dozen people with white headphones on lots of cars.

[Thought @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I think many of you are missing the point of this post.

It's not so much blaming iPods for crime, but noting the crass comments of the PR people, who are proud that the iPod has become so popular as to a coveted object for criminals.

I wonder where the "progressive" voice of Apple is on this? They don't seem to progressive when their PR people are making the types of comments they are making.

[Loony2nz @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I thought of this a long time ago. But the main reason I don't wear my white headphones is because I don't wanna look like a lemming like the rest of the commuters. Out here in SF, everyone and their dog is wearing an iPod.

I did a sample count one day on my commute to and from work. 8 of 10 people in my sight had white headones on the way to work. 7 of 10 people in my sight had white headphones. That's a good 7.5 of 10 or 75% guesstimate of people who own an iPod (and wanna show that they're cooler than everyone else).

My Sony Sport headphones doesn't put me in someone's crosshairs (i hope hahah).

[Ken C @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

I don't think this is a problem during rush hour or in high traffic areas but I grew up in Chicago and I know that the subway can get pretty scary and lonely at times.

Myself, if I had an ipod, I would keep it concealed. I bet that the Sony PSP is also another high target item. These things are just like walking around flashing $200. It's just common sense that it's going to attract the eyes and envy of potential criminals.

[snj-uk @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

Is this just an urban myth or is this really going on over there. There have only been 1 or 2 stories about "ipod muggings" over here (UK)

[TiK @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

The iPod muggings mainly are high school kids stealing them from other high school kids. It's the wealthy iPod having being victimized by the non-having. Same as always, just a different item... Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly as quoted in the New York Times:

"Most of the cases involve young people taking iPods from other young people, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said. 'A lot of it happens after school, the kind of tumult that you see when children or young people are getting on the subway station at dismissal time.'"

[Joe Cheng @ Dec 19th 2005 12:53AM]

It's worth noting that this David Brooks guy and his firm do not seem to be connected to Apple in any way. At least, the article doesn't mention a connection--he seems to be just J. Random PR Guy who was willing to give them a quote.