53% of violent thefts in the Paris métro and public transit involve smart phones, including the ubiquitous iPhone. City officials even call it the “iPhone effect.”
- Image via CrunchBase
This is easy to understand. My wife lost her iPhone on the Muni bus here in San Francisco. The thief scoped the phone users near the middle of the bus and as the doors opened, he grabbed her phone and ran out the door. The doors closed and she barely knew what happened. I could see this easily happening in Paris. On the other hand, your odds aren’t so bad. If you’re standing at rush hour, you’re usually surrounded by ten other people staring at their little screens. Still, a word to the wise…
A crime wave involving the devices – has prompted Paris’ transit system to hand out flyers in four languages warning travelers about the risk. French consumers are some of the world’s most prolific users of the iPhone: France Telecom has sold more of the phones than any company other than AT&T.
Related articles
- Smartphones Lure Sticky Fingers in Paris (nytimes.com)
- Parisians Told to Hold IPhones Tight After Thefts on Subways (businessweek.com)
