Phone snatched from me on No.12 bus

[msamykey]

I had my brand new iphone snatched from out of my hand on the number 12 bus about an hour ago. Be extremely careful about getting your phone out in public. It's left me very upset and shaken.

[acm]

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[Jeremy]

Sorry to hear that happened to you, I know what it's like. I hope you're OK.

[msamykey]

thanks, I was sat down and he was standing behind me so I couldn't see him. He reached over and snatched it out of my hands. The bus door was open so he'd ran off in housing estate before anyone could do anything. Horrible to think how easy it was for him.

[womanofdulwich]

Some of the buses have cameras on . Do you think they might have a shot of him? That is truly horrible.

[acm]

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[kevtils]

Where abouts was the bus when this happened?

[James Barber]

All buses have cameras on them.

Please do report this crime. The Police should be able to locate CCTV of the crime and potentially a good chance of catching the thief.

November this year the bendy 'free' buses will be replaced with standard double deckers. This should be safer for passengers and less chance of being robbed in this way.

[AlexC]

FindMyIphone let's you locate it via GPS, and disable it etc.. but I can't remember if it's configured by default, or if it's something you would have needed to enable.

EDIT - looking at this it looks like it's something you need to configure on the phone so may not be much use in this case. I'd recommend anyone who has an iPhone to enable it though. Could come in handy when something like this happens.

[bobbly]

James exactly how would the double deckers make robbery less likely? Will there be a conductor on the buses in control of closing the doors when necessary?

[Jeremy]

bobbly - it's a bit of a stretch, but I guess James means there will be one exit instead of three.

[DulwichFox]

AlexC Wrote:

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> FindMyIphone let's you locate it via GPS, and

> disable it etc.. but I can't remember if it's

> configured by default, or if it's something you

> would have needed to enable.

>

> EDIT - looking at this it looks like it's

> something you need to configure on the phone so

> may not be much use in this case. I'd recommend

> anyone who has an iPhone to enable it though.

> Could come in handy when something like this

> happens.

There is an iPhone app. View Here

Also works for iPod Touch 4th Gen +

Fox

[katie1997]

Don't you have to pay to get on double deckers as well, so that may deter some opportunists?

The bendy 12 bus is a truly horrid experience, there's always something kicking off. Whatever time of day you get it, there's always an air of tension about it. (In my experience anyway). Roll on November if they really replace them.

Really sorry to hear this happened, it does shake you up a bit :(

[Vilmos]

This sort of thing happens even on double deckers. I was once riding to Forest Hill on a 176 when two blokes came down the stairs and were watching a Chinese guy on his mobile. You could tell there was going to be trouble because the two blokes' eyes were glazed and it was obvious they were high on goodness knows what. They laid into the Chinese guy and myself and a very old coloured lady were trying to pull them off. One of them hit the woman and sent her sprawling across the floor. Luckily she was OK but very shaken. The two blokes grabbed the mobile and jumped off the bus at a bus stop.

[Cassius]

I witnessed similar on the train from London Bridge, just as the doors were about to close at Peckham Rye a lad snatched a phone from a girl making a call and leapt out. Police were called and met the girl and myself at East Dulwich station where we gave statements. I am sure it wasn't the first time he'd done it.

[Strawbs]

bloody hell that's terrible!! Im always on a bus / train facebooking etc and never give a second thought to who might be eyeing my phone up!! thanks for the heads up and I hope you are ok..

[PipD]

Probably due to a lot of travelling on trains and tubes with travel bags and laptops etc ( or maybe i?m just paranoid ...I blame EDF!) but I try to be aware of potentially risky situations and take some precautions. Things like hooking the strap round your leg or holding onto stuff when the tube or bus is stopping and doors are opening. Doesn't take much imagination to work out that someone grabbing your phone and jumping off tubes just as the doors closing is a good tactic (for them!) Seen enough movies where people escape using this method!

I?ve also said before on here about using a wrist strap with stuff like mobiles. Still slim pickings for the Iphone out there but have found thiese;

http://www.trait-tech.com/product/T-iP4G-7055__wrist-strap-screw-holder-screwdriver-for-iphone-4-4g.html

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=512055

also if you re listing to music use the controls on the headphones rather than getting the iPod/phone out.

[cassidy]

Hope your ok, i know exactly how it feels i was coming home on the number 12 and had my phone taken out of my hand while making a call just as the bus stopped outside the academy in Peckham.

The police have been very helpful and indeed there was cctv from the bus but so far no leads.

[Sue]

PipD Wrote:

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> I try to be

> aware of potentially risky situations and take

> some precautions. Things like hooking the strap

> round your leg

xxxx

I do that with my bag in pubs and restaurants as well, though it's a real pain, but better than having it nicked.

Very sorry about your experience msamykey, hope you are feeling a bit less traumatised now.

[Damian H]

Always struck me that the 12 bus is a mugger's Christmases all come at once. Just watch or some poor sap near the door who is using their phone or not holding onto their gear, wait until the doors are just starting to close, grab it and jump of with the doors closing behind you. The driver will keep going and it will probably take ages until someone tells him what has happened. I am surprised it doesn't happen more often.

I also keep my eyes peeled for any dodgy characters standing on the pavement when the doors open. Same thing could happen - this time with the mugger seeing a victim from outside and popping onto the bus just long enough to grab and depart.

Keep your valuables hidden, or firmly grasped and keep your eyes open for those around you.

[msamykey]

thanks for all the supportive messages. I had no reason to feel threatened, I was sat on an inside seat, with people to the right, rear and front. It was mid-morning. The bus wasn't empty or busy. It never crosssed my mind someone would watch me texting, and reach across all those people to rip the phone out of my hands. I was extremely shocked yesterday and will be far more cautious in future, I wish it weren't necessary to be so though...

[EDOliver]

Does anyone know if an iPhone can still be used even when your provider has disabled it?? Surely apple/blackberry could do more to render their phones useless when disabled? This would stop this kind of thing over night!

[StraferJack]

As mentioned earlier you can remotely lock or even wipe your iphone from another device. But it hasn't stopped this overnight

[Mamma Mia]

People travelling home after a night out are particularly vulnerable. I noticed someone looking suspicious when I was travelling home on Wednesday night. He got on through the rear door and moved seat a couple of times, moving into a seat next to a sleeping woman when it was vacated. He got off a couple of minutes later and I then noticed that her bag was open. I didn?t see him steal anything but it looked likely. Easy pickings when people are less alert.

[Alan Medic]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> As mentioned earlier you can remotely lock or even

> wipe your iphone from another device. But it

> hasn't stopped this overnight

Does this mean we are possibly looking at a new phase in developments where phones are kidnapped?