Word Of Warning To Modern Nomads: You Are On Your Own

Another element in the world of being a modern nomad — those working in public spaces with pricey computers — is a return to the mores of the middle ages: when bandits strike, you are on your own. A rash of laptop robberies is plaguing SF cafes these days, as criminals take advantage of nomadic geeks, as in this recent case:

[from Laptop thieves descend upon wireless cafes / Grab-and-run robbers find pricey computers easy to resell by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle]

The 40-year-old San Francisco victim of the March 16 attack suffered a partially collapsed lung and was hospitalized for six days. The two suspects fled with his Apple PowerBook, worth $2,500.

“This poor guy, who got stabbed, all he did was kind of stand up … and almost instantaneously the guy stabbed him,” said Inspector Robert Lynch of the San Francisco police robbery detail. “The whole thing was over in 15 seconds.”

Police say normally quiet cafes are becoming hunting grounds for laptop bandits.

“Now that we have these hot zones, people are bringing laptops out in the street, using them in public cafes,” said police Lt. John Loftus of the robbery detail.

I won’t go so far as to recommend martial arts training (although, why not?), but we nomads are definitely on our own. Don’t expect the cafe owners or other coffee drinkers to save your PC. Make sure you have insurance that covers this kind of theft, and keep your eyes open.