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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Hi Neighbours

We had our new years eve completely ruined when a friend visiting us was mugged for her iphone on the cycle path/alley than links Frome Road with Mannock Road. A slim light skinned black male, of West Indian origin, aged 35-35, between 5ft8 and 5ft10 approached her with a scarf up round the bottom half of his face, asking for a cigarette. He had a generic London accent and sunken features suggesting a drug addiction. He was aggressively offended at her being scared when he cornered her and left her very shaken up after punching her phone out of her hand.

This is an appeal to you all to please be vigilant, although this event was of course nobody's fault but the muggers, there were in hindsight a few things that may have prevented the opportunist attack. Our friend was loudly talking on her phone near Turnpike Lane tube asking for directions, making it clear to all around that she wasn't familiar with the area, she then walked down the dark side street looking at the maps on her phone. These simple things alone are likely to have been enough to look like the perfect target.

If you have visitors coming to see you, please ask them to be aware of any shady looking characters around them (crack addict with scarf covering their face should have been a clue really) and to familiarise themselves with their route so as not to look like easy pickings. If you are turning into a side street with any lingering/dodgy characters that make you feel even slightly threatened, it is always best to dash into a local shop and remain there until someone else collect you or walk with you. Better to be safe than sorry, no decent human being would be offended and who cares if you offend a mugger. Better to be safe than sorry and to walk with a companion when it's dark out if at all possible.

Wishing you all a safe and happy 2012

Sarah

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This is a terrible true story or brilliant spoof

Why on earth would it be a spoof? You'd have to be disturbed to joke about such a thing

Is there a 'mugger approaching' app for he iPhone yet?

There isn't a mugger approaching app, but there is a "find my iPhone app" from Apple - which could locate the stolen iPhone, display a message on it, or wipe it remotely.

It would have required a free sign up to iCloud (which requires iOS5, which runs on the 3GS, 4 & 4S models), and the phone must be switched on for it to locate it:

http://www.apple.com/iphone/built-in-apps/find-my-iphone.html

Sorry to hear about your friend Sarah, I hope she is okay. Totally agree with what you say about being especially careful when you don't know the area, and not broadcasting that fact to everyone (though of course you shouldn't take anything for granted even when you know a road like the back of your hand). I think the maps feature on iphone can be really dangerous in this respect - it's like a walking banner saying 'I'm lost'!

I'm assuming you reported it to the police?

Yes we reported it to the police and they were fantastic, but there is only so much they can do.

She is okay, just understandably shaken. The main thing is that she wasn't hurt.

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