Attempted Robbery on the subte

[steveinbsas]

I have thought up an idea for an electronic alarm. You wear a sensor on your body somewhere, perhaps put in on a belt, etc. A chip goes inside your wallet or attached to your cell phone. When the chip (with the wallet or phone) gets more than 2 meters from each other an alarm rings. So far, its a bit cumbersome in practicality but with some work I think it might be a viable option.

I think there are motion detectors that can be attached to the bag that would sound an instant alarm...similar to those which can be placed on the door knob when you are staying in a hotel.

 

[arlean]

Dirtboy, I am adamantly against hitting women . . . BUT . . . in your case I'd have to agree with you. In some cases a little pain can be a wonderful thing. Also proud of those who mentioned stopping robberies. After this I am resolved to not only hang onto my purse (which I fully always intend to do anyway) but to observe what is happening around me to other people. It is amazing that people can stand by and do nothing.

I met one woman, a business owner, at an expat group who told me she and her husband had experienced attempted robbery by 3 men. They brandished a firearm but both of them soon realized it was fake. They refused to give up their wallets and both got beat up but would not cooperate--while 20 people (she claimed) stood and watched. Well i carry mace and if I had been in the 20, someone would have gotten maced. Problem is I'd probably get the victims too in the process. But I ADMIRE people who care about their fellow citizens!!!!!

 

[cuore]

As you guys, I've seen a couple more of "robbery tactics" in the subte, for example:

- When the train stops and open it's doors a guys simulating a kind of mental illness with a "difficult" to walk comes inside and start looking inside simulating confusion and before the train closes it's doors he jumps out and suddenly someone's wallet "disappear"

- During the summer the windows of the train are open most of the time, the thief waits for the train to start moving and then from outside the train grabs the necklace or other things from the people who is inside.

My method to avoid pickpockets is to put my wallet and mobile inside one of my pockets and put my hand inside too and with the other hold the horizontal bar and I've never been robbed. But as you say too: It happens in any big city! not only here in BA. You just have to be aware always in places like the subte.

Another one. I saw it the other day in Linea D

getting close to a stop in a not so crowded train one guy started to retch, bending towards the floor. since we thought he was gonna throw up, everyone step away of him, crowding on the sides of the train but constantly staring at this guy who was making awful noises. suddenly, an older man yelled he was being robbed by someone among the crowd (his accomplice, of course). the old man grabbed his jubilacion off the guy's hand just when the train doors opened and everyone, including me, saw the two guys leaving the train astonished at what we just had seen and saying nothing....

Not that I (5'2 110 lbs girl) could have done too much to prevent this... but I never actually comprehended the whole situation until later that afternoon... it was so bizarre

 

[arlean]

My son told me tonight a great idea. What do you think? He said I should get a bunch of fishhooks and sew them into the sides of the purse with the hooks pointing down. You'd have to sew the eye well, then put some thread over the shanks too to hold it in place. since my purse is mostly a decoy anyway (does have smaller zipped areas I could use) I thought that was a FANtastic idea. I could just ride the Subte then for fun and excitement!

We laughed about the possible scenarios. Only I'd probably lose my purse because if they got a hook in them they'd definitely take it with them. Hahahahaha! That is WICKED!