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San Francisco: Laptop thieves descend upon wireless cafes - computers easy to resell
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | April 8, 2006 | Jaxon Van Derbeken

Posted on 04/08/2006 4:15:51 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

A San Francisco finance manager stopped in at a Mission District cafe and was tapping on his laptop as he enjoyed his coffee just before noon on a Thursday. Suddenly, he was under siege.

"I looked up, and I saw this guy leaning into me as if he was asking a question,'' he said. "I leaned forward, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone fiddling with the computer cord. I tried to stand up, and as I stepped back, he stabbed me in the chest.''

The attack marked a violent turn in a wave of crime that has hit the city -- the "hot spots" frequented by wireless laptop users are becoming hot spots for laptop robberies.

The 40-year-old San Francisco victim of the March 16 attack suffered a partially collapsed lung and was hospitalized for six days. The two suspects fled with his Apple PowerBook, worth $2,500.

"This poor guy, who got stabbed, all he did was kind of stand up ... and almost instantaneously the guy stabbed him,'' said Inspector Robert Lynch of the San Francisco police robbery detail. "The whole thing was over in 15 seconds.''

...."It's a changing culture, and crime is following it,'' Loftus said. "To the criminal element, this is a valuable piece of equipment that they can quite easily cash in on -- even otherwise law-abiding people are tempted to buy $3,000 laptops for $200 to $300 on the street.''

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: computers; quagmire; sanfrancisco; sf; stealing; theft; thieves
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>>>..........otherwise law-abiding people ....<<<<

Yeah, right.

1 posted on 04/08/2006 4:15:54 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Hey it's san francisco where Law is merely a guildline that strongly applies to others and is not there to inconvience yourself...


2 posted on 04/08/2006 4:21:32 AM PDT by Walkingfeather (u)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Good grief! People willing to kill you over a computer? On the other hand, I remember the kid killed in Central Park (I think) over an I-pod.


3 posted on 04/08/2006 4:22:36 AM PDT by saganite (The poster formerly known as Arkie 2)
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To: Walkingfeather; saganite

>>>The victim in San Francisco's Mission Creek Cafe stabbing, who requested that his name not be used, said since he was attacked, his friends from New York have urged him to go back there. It's safer, they say.

"I was lucky. It was the only place he could have stabbed me where it didn't hit a heart or other organ,'' he said. Still, he said, his chest cavity filled with blood. As for the information on his laptop, he wisely had backed it up on a disk after he heard a friend had lost data. <<<


4 posted on 04/08/2006 4:28:57 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: saganite

As long as there have been people, there have been people who are willing to kill people for a pittance, whatever they happen to have in money. Sad, isn't it?

San Francisco is a cesspool. This does not surprise me one bit.


5 posted on 04/08/2006 4:29:14 AM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: saganite

They'll kill ya for anything.


6 posted on 04/08/2006 4:29:15 AM PDT by Dallas59
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To: Dallas59

It's the people who are willing to buy these stolen computers that should be put in jail.


7 posted on 04/08/2006 4:30:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
"...his friends from New York have urged him to go back there. It's safer, they say. .."

LOL! Of COURSE New Yorkers would say THAT...:)

8 posted on 04/08/2006 4:31:08 AM PDT by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: rlmorel

I haven't been there in more than 20 years. I wasn't aware that the city had deteriorated this much.


9 posted on 04/08/2006 4:31:56 AM PDT by saganite (The poster formerly known as Arkie 2)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I tried to stand up, and as I stepped back, he stabbed me in the chest.''

More proof that Gun Control works!< /sarcasm >

Stories like this just give me the warm fuzzies because I live in the Gunshine state, and know in the exact same circumstances the robber would be dropped by a .45 round to the back of the head before he could get to the door.

Yes I hang out at Starbuck's alot ;o)

10 posted on 04/08/2006 4:34:32 AM PDT by papertyger (Our Constitution isn't perfect, but it's better than what we have right now.)
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To: papertyger

Not sure even a .45 would have done you any good here. Looks like the thieves got the drop on the guy and it's not likely you're going to get off a shot with a stab wound in your chest and the robbers beating feet.

Besides, according to the law (in my state anyway) it's doubtful you would have legal recourse to shoot the guy in the back even if he had stabbed you because he was "retreating".


11 posted on 04/08/2006 4:39:06 AM PDT by saganite (The poster formerly known as Arkie 2)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
What is also telling about this article is this line:

"As for the information on his laptop, he wisely had backed it up on a disk after he heard a friend had lost data"

Because, I am sure the author/editor thought "Hmm, It isn't enough that someone's life is in danger, our readers will want to know if he backed up his data-losing that would be a tragedy..."

12 posted on 04/08/2006 4:39:59 AM PDT by akorahil (Thank You and God bless all Veterans. Truly, the real heroes.)
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To: akorahil
I am sure the author/editor thought "Hmm, It isn't enough that someone's life is in danger, our readers will want to know if he backed up his data-losing that would be a tragedy..."

Thanks for the laugh. I'm sure you've pegged it exactly right.

13 posted on 04/08/2006 4:42:36 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: saganite
Gun wouldn't have done you any good.

If you knew many others in the cafe were armed you could sit quietly, give the robber what he wanted, and then yell for help the second he started to walk away. Result--one downed perp.

The only downside I can think of is I don't know if shots fired near a laptop is a great idea. :-)
14 posted on 04/08/2006 4:47:11 AM PDT by cgbg (When you hear the words "gender" or "stakeholder" run for your life!)
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To: cgbg

When I took the course for concealed carry it was made clear that use of a gun for anything other than defense of your own life was not legal. On the other hand, who's to say the guy didn't "brandish" his knife at you? ;^)


15 posted on 04/08/2006 4:50:55 AM PDT by saganite (The poster formerly known as Arkie 2)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Yeah, it is kind of funny.
But again, telling at how far away from the mainstream SFO has become. Who gives a rodent's posterior if he had his data backed up (Yes, I know the obvious answer "Why, people in San Fran of course!") when the poor guy could have died?
16 posted on 04/08/2006 4:51:50 AM PDT by akorahil (Thank You and God bless all Veterans. Truly, the real heroes.)
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To: akorahil

So true.


17 posted on 04/08/2006 4:54:22 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: saganite
Good grief! People willing to kill you over a computer? On the other hand, I remember the kid killed in Central Park (I think) over an I-pod.

Before that, it was shoes. Kids were killed for the Air Jordans on their feet.

Those attacks were exceptionally rare, but the media likes to sensationalize them. It makes for good copy.

Some here fall for it too, demonstrating their inability to think rationally.

For instance, the San Francisco bashers here happily bend over, allow the reporter to inject a sensationalistic anecdotal story into them, then use it to spout off their pre-conceived notions and conclusions - which have little to do with the original story or its intent. They howl with orgasmic delight as they do so. It's predictable to the point of being funny.

18 posted on 04/08/2006 4:59:23 AM PDT by bluefish (Holding out for worthy tagline...)
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: bluefish

Oops, replace "stupic" with "stupid." There must be some type of law on the Intenet that says calling somebody stupid in a forum increases the liklihood of a mispelling by 50%.


20 posted on 04/08/2006 5:10:02 AM PDT by bluefish (Holding out for worthy tagline...)
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