Scumbags

[JudgeDredd]

So it was my daughter's 21st birthday on the 27th December. Family and friends gave her money for her 21st and Christmas.

She's a student in Sheffield. Works hard outside of her studies and saves her money and "very occasionally" buys herself something. Last year it was a laptop. This year, it was a new Samsung S8 phone - the first decent, brand new phone she's ever had - and some wee scumbag shithead decided what's other people's is his and stole it.

I fucking hate humans

[airboy]

Sorry to hear it.

[Steelgrave]

I hate thieves. Lowest of the low. Sorry to hear the news, JD.

[Staggerwing]

I am sorry for your daughter's misfortune JD.

Does Android let you track you phone like iOS does? Also, if it offers an option for remote wipe I'd consider that so the thief can't call all her contacts or read her emails. Change all her passwords ASAP.

[OJsDad]

Perhaps cutting off a thief's hand is such a bad idea after all.   

[bbmike]

Humans are the worst.

[Staggerwing]

It's high time something was done about them.

[trailrunner]

My daughter's phone was stolen when she was about that age (she's 28 now).  It really hurts when it's something that you've worked hard for and bought with your own money.

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks guys.

She's changed her passwords (under instruction from me - kids can be so stubborn). It does have tracking - but only when switched on and most thieves of phones nowadays know to switch them off. They don't want to use them, just pass them on.

She's keeping an eye out anyway - just in case it does get switched on. It had biometric security - so the stuff on there should be safe. But as with everything, I imagine it can be wiped and factory reset and sold on.

I remember I had my bike stolen by an opportune thief. I was gutted.

[Staggerwing]

I remember I had my bike stolen by an opportune thief. I was gutted.

I actually remember you posting that. You had pix of the place they took it from, iirc.

[BanzaiCat]

That sucks, JD.

I had a bike stolen right out of my backyard when I was 10. It was a brand new bike I had received for my b-day, and it was mine for maybe a month before some wanker took it. Never saw it again. I still remember that sting.

Not just having things stolen, but working in retail, gives you a healthy hatred of people in general. :(

[Staggerwing]

I've had my car broken into twice, once parked on Houston St in Manhattan and once in New Haven. Both times I had nothing in the car really worth stealing except my 1st responder bag, some ordinary clothes, and cassette tapes. The time in New Haven might have been because I had an EMS sticker on my window (the bag was hidden). Fuckers. After that I stopped locking my car while in the city so I wouldn't have to replace windows again.

[bayonetbrant]

About 4 years ago, there were a bunch of cell phones stolen out of exhibitors' booths at Origins.  One of the vendors had a tracker on their phone, and called the police and gave them the exact address where the phone was based on the signal.  The police said they weren't going to get a warrant for just one cell phone, especially in that part of town where they had no idea how heavily armed the people in the house were (it was not a good part of Columbus).

IIRC, they skipped the middlemen, and called straight to the mayor's office, with a newspaper reporter listening in on the call. The mayor's office promised to call the cops, and the reporter said after the call that she'd follow up and see if they ever did, but I don't remember what happened after that.  I don't think they ever recovered the phone.

[Staggerwing]

Hmm... We need to design a locking case that has a couple of tiny CS canisters inside which are triggered by the remote wipe signal.

[trailrunner]

I rode my bike to a coffee shop, where I'm at right now. My bike is locked, but I'm still watching it closely.

Bike thieves deserve a special hell.