just a quick warning

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

My iPod (a Christmas present from my father, no less) was stolen right out of my bag today at Someday Cafe, sometime this evening. My bag was at my feet the entire time. Apparently, someone had their cell phone stolen around the same day today as well. So, if you're going to Someday (or anywhere at all in the area, really), be mindful of your belongings! I've learned my lesson which is, apparently, don't trust your neighbors. (It's really not as if I went to the bathroom and left my stuff at the table. Nothing was left more than a couple of centimeters away from me.)

My trying to love the Boston area is not helped by this. Alas...

I'm trying to think of it as my having given a gift to somebody, a total stranger. I hope they enjoy my music; I had a nice eclectic mix. Something for everybody. Or, I hope they stole it because they needed money and are now buying medicine for their dying spouse. That would be okay with me too. Even if it's stolen to feed a drug addiction they just can't kick and the withdrawal is killing them. That's fine. We are all weak sometimes.

I just hope it isn't some over-privileged college kid who gets his or her yahoos from stealing. Well, I hope the money they get from it pays for their therapy. Or I hope their bragging to people about their mad skillz makes them feel better about themselves. In the meanwhile, I'm still kind of pissed that I had to be the anonymous benefactor. I'd much rather know the people I'm helping somehow.

Comments

[midorionna.livejournal.com]

i'd be pissed.

my whole purse was stolen a couple years ago, and i lost a digital camera along with quite a few other things. totally sucks.

at least you still have your music on your computer (hopefully!)

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

Most of it. Some of it (like audiobooks I checked out of the library) was just on my iPod. But I had the foresight to burn them onto CDs before deleting them from my computer so all is well.

God, having a purse stolen is so much worse. Especially if your wallet's in it. :(

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

That really sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. But I hope it doesn't hamper your love of great places like Boston or Somerville - people steal things everywhere. I've had things stolen from me in the nicest of nice suburbs, and the sketchiest of city streets. I hope you find it comforting to remember that it's only a few bad eggs, and the majority of the people are good at heart. Don't let one jerk ruin your outlook; don't let him/her take that away from you, too. When life kicks you in the teeth... kick back.

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

Eh, I'm always looking for reasons to dislike Boston. I'm from New York City (but I'm not a Yankees fan, I repeat, NOT a Yankees fan).

But yes, you are right. I think it's much more sensible to dislike Boston for, say, the T than for someone stealing my stuff. ;)

[jadelennox]

I hope you learn to love Boston! I got sorta-mugged in New York, once (well, intimidated into giving a guy my money), so maybe that gives you a karmic balance.

Also, non-Yankees fans always welcome. We like the Mets. :)

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Damn. Here I thought I was good about being vigilant about keeping my bag right next to me or within sight!

Sorry to hear that the cafes are still getting hit and you were a victim of it.

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'll be sitting ON TOP of my stuff from now on. I am constantly checking my stuff in the T or on crowded streets. It never occurred to me to be THAT paranoid while in a cafe, even during busy hours!

Has there a lot of theft recently in cafes around here?

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I've noticed signs posted in the 1369 in Central Square recently, and there were posts about thefts at Diesel here in the last couple of months. Laptops and bags and items from bags. It does seem to go in waves.

I'm sorry to hear you got robbed. When were you there? I was there too tonight and kept checking my bag due to, I thought, undue paranoia.

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

No, not undue, apparently. :) I was there from 3pm to 9:45pm. I went to the bathroom around 6pm (with all of my stuff) and my iPod was still in my bag. So somewhere between 6:00-9:45pm, pretty much. Someone else had her cell phone stolen at around 8pm and saw who stole it. Could be the same person. *shrugs*

[tisana.livejournal.com]

There were several reports over the last year of Diesel being targeting for theft when it was known there were large groups there--they tend to be more trusting because they know the rest of the group, so they leave their stuff somewhere and wander. But they also tend to communicate as a group, so when it started happening, there was a lot of email warning going on, and people being more cautious.

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

There are rashes of people getting their laptops stolen, but I've never heard before of someone getting something slipped out of a bag at their feet before.

That really sucks that that happened to you.

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

Their laptops? Oy, so glad it wasn't my laptop. How were the laptops being stolen? Like, someone would grab and run?

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

People will just walk away from their laptops up to the counter (at the Diesel at least this is totally out of sight of many of the tables), and a thief can just grab one walk away with it.

[inkscarred.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear that your ipod was stolen. In the course of a week or two I was in Diesel twice when someone had their purse stolen. The first time the thief took it without anyone noticing. The second time someone saw it happening and the guy dropped the purse as he ran out the door.

However, it is true that it happens everywhere. I had my digital camera stolen while in a restaurant in Seattle.

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

I had the chance to take an Ipod at CVS (the pharmacist picked it up off the counter and said, "here, don't forget this"), but I didn't. Sorry to hear about that, always sucks.

[obra.livejournal.com]

I've had a laptop stolen from the Diesel. It's no fun. I'm sorry to hear about the iPod. But yeah. be careful with your stuff.

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

:( Thanks for sharing your story. It's a really good reminder for us all to be even more careful.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I had my cellphone stolen yesterday in Downtown Crossing. It was in my coat pocket.

So, yeah. I feel your pain.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

When my dad's apartment used to get broken into (we lost 3 televisions in a year before we learned that the landlord was simply *giving* the keys to her friends!!) he used to refer to it as being visited by the "Brooklyn Property Redistribution Association". Apparently there's a Boston branch as well?

[krystynayt.livejournal.com]

...why on earth was the landlord doing that?? Shouldn't that be illegal?

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Well, um, yes, it was indeed illegal. So is stealing.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

if it makes you feel any better, i had my purse stolen out of my car when it was parked in front of my parents' house, and i had (another) purse stolen from under the table at a wendy's. it was sitting between my feet and i guess someone just reached under the table and took it. and after the thief had left the wendy's and my purse was utterly gone, THEN some helpful samaritan came over and said "uh, someone just stole your purse...." which made me wonder why she didn't say anything when it was actually happening. pfft.

never had anything stolen out of the diesel or the someday, tho.... that really sucks. :( i hope you didn't lose anything irreplaceable on your ipod.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to think of it as my having given a gift to somebody, a total stranger.

No, you shouldn't romanticize it like that. That is your Ipod, and always will be no matter who is in possession of it. Someone who had no right to it took it from you against your will. They were wrong to do it, no matter what their reason.

One thing I would suggest to everyone -- buy a purse, messenger bag, or briefcase that zips all the way closed, and keep it zipped every minute except when you're getting something. I see women on the T all the time with their purses hanging wide open and their wallets and phones exposed to thiefs. The only time I've ever had a wallet stollen, my purse was hanging open beside me. Zip it up. It won't prevent a thief from grabbing the whole bag and running, but it will help prevent specific content loss.

Also, it's good to choose a purse that has a long enough strap that you can wear it across your chest. When you're sitting down and the purse is on the floor by your feet, you can put the strap over your knee, and will feel it if someone pulls. Again, it might not stop them, but it will alert you and you can get a look at them as they run for your police report.