Thief Snags iPhone of Distracted Crime Reporter

It was a true crime story with a happy ending for reporter Scott McCabe.

McCabe spends his days writing about misdeeds for The Washington Examiner as the crime and punishment reporter. He became a victim on his way home from work when his iPhone was snatched as he sat near the door on the metro Red Line.

“I had the earphones in my ear. I had the Twitter. I was in my own little world, and then it was like ‘boom’ — hand came down and he took off,” McCabe told WTOP.

Metro statistics show that total robberies have doubled to over 1,000 per year since 2007, while snatch-and-runs were down to 99 in the first three months of 2011, compared to 173 in 2010.

“Looking back — I was a perfect victim,” he said. “My advice — don’t have your iPhone out by the door.”

McCabe ran after the “punk” who stole his phone, cursing at his predicament. He  says the quick work of police who are getting more used to these incidents ultimately helped recover his iPhone at another station.

Transit authorities in various U.S. cities like Chicago and Los Angeles have launched public awareness campaigns following an uptick in e-thefts to remind commuters that using their mobile gadgets while they travel isn’t always safe.

Via WTOP

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Nicole Martinelli

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.