Anyone had their phone snatched lately outside Finsbury Park tube?

krappyrubsnif · October 2012

There are lots of warning notices taped to the trees in Clifton Terrace (the street that's the back approach to the tube, behind John Jones) warning about muggers. Apparently there have been lots of bag and phone snatches in the street recently, so keep your phone out of sight. Anyone know anything? Two months ago a plastic policeperson stopped one of my family outside Nando's and told him to stop using his phone in the street and put it away as it was a 'high risk area'. My visiting relative was nonplussed. Nobody I know has been mugged for a p[hone lately round here.

Detritus · October 2012

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miss annie · October 2012

I don't know anyone that's been mugged for a phone locally but I know four people (three ladies and a man), who have been mugged in exactly the way the notices describe.They've been walking along using their phones/iPads and in two cases someone has run past and snatched the phone out of their hands and the other two lost their gadgets to lads on bicycles. A lady on my bus was telling her friend that she had her bag stolen on SGR and I'm sure there was a fairly recent thread here about someone having their ipad stolen from them on Stapleton Hall Rd or somewhere up there.I have stopped using my iphone when I'm walking along the street, apart from anything else I'm quite prone to tripping over things.

chrisst · October 2012

Thankfully never known anyone mugged outside the FP tube, although like any tube I guess it's a hot spot for that sort of thing. Best not to be too wave your latest iphone about. The number of brainless phone users who struggle to 'multi-task' (i.e. walking and talking) seem to be more of any annoyance!

Morefit · October 2012

The posters on the trees were put up by a woman in her mid to late thirties on a push bike wearing a bright yellow rain jackety type thing. We didn't get a chance to talk to her as we were working but did see her.<div> </div><div>The last sentence of the poster is particularly poor grammar. Guessing she's not from these shores. </div><div>Probably a message relating to her specifically or maybe a friend of hers.</div>

applehead · October 2012

6 months ago a young women we know had her iphone snatched as she walked out of Finsbury Park tube (Clifton Terrace). Typical she had come out of the tube, took it out to check and it was whipped and the guy whizzed off on a bicycle. The police told her that many tube stations are targetted by thieves as many people do just that - get out of the tube station and check their phone. I now tend to think about getting whether I need to get the phone out and generally reackon it can wait.

woo · October 2012

About 6 months ago I too had a man attempt to snatch my iPhone out of my hand whilst I was (texting away) walking down the top (bottom?) of Blackstock Rd. After a short struggle and a number of loud (and rather abusive) words from me he disappeared - thankfully. I'm a fairly small person so I count myself lucky. Needless to say, my phone stays in my bag now.

[Deleted User] · October 2012

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N2n4 · October 2012

yes, mine was snatched as I was texting around 8:30am a few months ago on SGR near worlds end pub by a guy on a moped. I dont want to go into details and didnt want to risk the trial by posting on here but the police got him and he was convicted.<div> </div><div>iphones cost around £500+ and have a good resale value apparently, so don't wave them around. I'm infinitely more cautious with it now.</div>

kreuzkav · October 2012

I'm probably stating the obvious here but I think so many people forget there are people who weigh up objects people carry in pound signs. Only last night I saw a very drunk short slightly built person ( i know they could have been a karate expert) text on their i- phone walking out of FP tube station. <div> </div><div>We live in an unequal world. Some people will gladly work a night shift for £7 an hour to get the basics but others will just nick stuff. Not saying this is right but don't cry if you show off your booty to people!</div>

miss annie · October 2012

There are quite often ladies showing off their booty outside the Sugar Lounge.

kreuzkav · October 2012

Haven't noticed. But ladies please be careful!

Roy · October 2012

I can't remember the wording now, but I remember the posters annoyed me at the time. Something about women ('girls') not walking alone otherwise the criminals will win - or something along those lines. I'm sorry, but if we end up with a society where women can't safely leave the house alone, then the bad guys *have* won. roy

miss annie · October 2012

We've had the ladies/women/girls debate here before. I couldn't give a monkey's about being called a girl by another girl (it was a lady who put the posters up). I don't think it is for chaps to decide whether this is offensive or not.The posters are a warning, to make people a little more aware of potential dangers. They are addressed to all with a special warning to ladies as we probably are probably more likely to fall victim to gadget snatchers being generally smaller and less likely to give chase or get aggressive. It doesn't say do not walk alone it says be careful. I'm certainly not afraid to leave the house in London, (I strolled round Harlem on my own in the early 90's and that was more hair-raising than London even midst riots), but I am now more cautious about displaying gadgets near the station.Did you know that in 1981/2 there was almost a curfew put on men up North while the Yorkshire Ripper was at large?

Roy · October 2012

@miss annie: It wasn't my intention to start an argument about the word 'girl' - I was simply quoting the word used. Although I'm not quite sure why I'm not allowed to have an opinion on the matter. I had another look at the notice this evening, and it quite specifically advises "especially girls" to avoid being alone in the area. It then ends by saying "be careful, and please let's not let thieves interfere with our lives" or words to that effect. I'm not particularly disagreeing that the advice may be sensible; I'm just objecting to the characterisation of the situation where (some) women don't feel safe alone as anything other than a rather large interference in their lives. roy

Papa · October 2012

I have the utmost sympathy with the victims of crime and in a perfect world we could all walk around without fear or it. However, if you wouldn't walk up a lonely street holding £300 in cash next to your head, don't do it with your iPhone.

rainbow_carnage · October 2012

That's a silly analogy. There's no point in holding a wad of cash next to your head, but there are a million good reason to use your phone. I call my husband when I get off the tube to ask if I need to pick up anything from the store. It makes no sense to wait until I get home to have that conversation. The only reason to own a mobile phone is so that you can call people on the go. Mobile theft is really common for the same reason as bike theft is common. It's a no-risk crime. No one ever goes to jail for nicking a bike. Even in you're caught red-handed, the worst you'll get is a slap on the wrist. Mobiles are easier to steal, and the resale value of an iPhone 5 is greater than of a £500 bike. I don't have an answer to this, but surely not using your phone outside isn't it. Otherwise, what's the point of owning one?

boxrunner · October 2012

I agree it's silly to limit yourself for fear of potential problems, but perhaps the street-wise approach is to not take your phone out the moment you pop-out the tube, since that is precisely where people are waiting to snatch them, I understand.

Roy · October 2012

FWIW, the two posters I noticed are actually on Clifton Terrace, in the vicinity of Nisa Local - are there ones directly outside the tube station entrances? I can certainly see that Clifton Terrace might be more deserted than Wells Terrace or Stroud Green Road, and might therefore not be the best place to use an expensive phone alone. Although the irony wasn't lost on me last night when I reread the signs when visiting Nisa Local, and then realised I had my Android phone in my hand while doing so. Not sure exactly what that says though (probably nothing). @rainbow_carnage: It's pretty disappointing that high-end mobile phones are still readily stealable - the industry really should be doing better at blocking them by IMEI - whereas who ever actually checks the frame number of a bike? roy

Papa · October 2012

I didn't say don't use your phone outside, my analogy was be careful before wandering dark lonely streets with what is really an extremely desireable £500 small computer held up in the air, which is what an iPhone is. It's a point about doing it late at night for prolonged periods when there aren't many people about, not in the commuter rush hour when the risk is likely to be far lower. I agree its wrong to let fear of crime stop people doing things, but I'm not sure slightly adapting behaviour to reflect surroundings and avoid theft is that much if an issue. I leave my car unlocked where my parents live in the country, I try to avoid it in N4.

Siolae · October 2012

A while ago I had my totally crap nokia snatched out of my hand while texting on Crouch End Broadway at 4pm outside Budgens!

Roy · October 2012

@Papa L "It's a point about doing it late at night for prolonged periods when there aren't many people about" Well, but is it? Theft risk is also pretty high during the day in tourist hotspots. At least when there are fewer people about you stand a chance of seeing people who make you feel uncomfortable and taking action to avoid them. ETA: Playing devils advocate here. The perceived risk is certainly higher late at night when there are few people about. Whether that's true of the actual risk, I don't know.

kreuzkav · October 2012

Look, if man or woman want to get out their phone in any location that is their right. But, don't start crying if you take out an iphone late at night outside a tube station where many opportunists lurk and other such places. Common sense? Do as you want, I don't care.

Roy · October 2012

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.

ChangN4N6 · October 2012

Those blokes with the strawberry stall are brilliant and chased and rugby tackled a thief who took phone from some older coloured woman last month. His face looked Like their best raspberries . But they don't work nites and have a job to do selling fruit. Chang

gardener-joe · October 2012

@Chang: "coloured woman". How quaint ...

checkski · October 2012

Worse than quaint. It's downright racist. Chang's sexism is bad enough - this latest piece of ignorance is beyond the pale. I would like the Peacock to remove him, but instead he'll probably accuse ME of narrow-minded stating the obvious, or some such tosh. Over to you, Andy!

miss annie · October 2012

I was wondering what colour. Do we have blue or green people wandering the streets of SG a la Avatar? That might be worth remarking on, the standard range of human skin colours isn't.

checkski · October 2012

Well said, Miss Annie.

ADGS · October 2012

Surely green people would just be Arkady and chums on the way back from the Trekkie convention?

ProGreen · October 2012

i'd have expected better from a 'man ' whose name is chang but maybe the 'colour' is rose tinted & he lives in a world of changism where anything different is colour. I hear the dark ages want you back chang.

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Anyone had their phone snatched lately outside Finsbury Park tube?

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