Hey! Gimme Dat iPod!

by , 9:00 AM EST, March 31st, 2004

It's early evening, and you are out for a stroll. You are so caught up in the euphoria from the music streaming from you iPod, and the soothing sight of a magnificent sunset, that you don't notice that a shadowy figure has fallen in behind you.

You turn onto a deserted path. From the corner of your eye you see movement. Fear, anger, and a host of other emotions gather in you like Summer storm clouds, and you turn to face your would-be mugger.

The man stares at you, then smiles as he catches sight of your iPod earbud wires; he pulls out a weapon. The blood drains from your face and your hands get clammy. The mugger's intentions are very clear; he wants your iPod. The question is: Do you give it to him?

According to Macworld UK, the fictitious scenario we've just described may not be too far from the truth, as at least one citizen of The Crowd has been relieved of his iPod. The article also tells of how the rumor of iPod muggings have been hard to substantiate; so hard, in fact, that the BBC cancelled a proposed report on the phenomenon for lack of proof. Here's an excerpt for the article:

Reports appeared this morning in The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Sun, and The Evening Standard, all of which warn that the "conspicuous white headphones of the popular iPod are a giveaway to muggers that wearers are carrying the music player".

[...]

The one reported instance of someone who had his iPod nicked features in most of the reports. 22-year old student Roland Baskerville was mugged near his home.

"I was walking down the road near to my home when a man who was walking the other way pointed at my headphones."

The mugger asked if the student was using an iPod. When he replied that he was, the mugger pulled a knife. "Well, hand it over then", he said. Baskerville blamed the distinctive white iPod headphones for transforming him into a street-crime target.

Read the full report at Macworld UK.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Your iPod or your life!

Hmmm, tough call.

Kidding aside, we don't see how the iPod is better mugger bait than any other finely crafted thing of beauty. Just like any other urban legend, there's a nugget of truth buried somewhere deep inside, but we suspect that the stories have been blown way out of proportion.

If you encounter a mugger wanting to rip off your iPod, tell us about it. If you encounter stories of iPod muggings, be sure to digest them with a healthy dash of salt.

'iPod mugging' latest media frenzy