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What do you do when your iPhone is stolen? Cry? Get a new one? Scream at the sky? How about tracking down the thief by luring him to a sexy date over OkCupid and then threatening him with a hammer so he gives it back? That last one worked out pretty well for Nadav Nirenberg.
On New Years Eve, Nirenberg (trombonist for awesome-tastic ska band Streetlight Manifesto, I might add) lost his iPhone 4 in a cab. The very next day, he woke up to email alerts that the thief had been using the phone to message hotties on OkCupid, and sprang into action. Creating a fake profile for a non-existent “Jennifer in BK,” paired with an image of a busty babe culled from Google, he messaged the thief with a proposition, and suggested the pair meet up “Jennifer’s” apartment. “I used lots of winks and smiley faces so I would seem like a girl,” Nirenberg told the New York Post.
And when the thief arrived with a bottle of wine, Nirenberg showed up to the door not wearing something skimpy, but rather brandishing a hammer. The thief sheepishly returned the phone, and Nirenberg even gave him $20 for his trouble before he ran off. And for the cherry on top, Nirenberg told the New York Post, “As he was walking away, I said, ‘You smell great, though,’.” How’s that for a date with destiny? [The New York Post via Geekosystem]
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Calling him a thief is sort of understandable, but it’s not like he mugged the guy in the street. Also there’s no talk of whether or not he tried to call the guy and ask for his phone back. It’s like he just went from leaving his phone in the back of a cab to meeting up the lucky finder and threatening to cave his head in for being at the right place at the right time.
There’s no ‘right place at the right time’ for not attempting to return someone’s lost property.
He had clearly claimed the phone as his own, so didn’t attempt to return it. However I would sort of agree, not a “Thief” as he didn’t steal it. It was lost.
I wish people would take a little more responsibility for their own actions, You don’t want somebody else to pick up your phone? DON’T LOSE IT!
I have NEVER ‘lost’ a phone in my life, I have no idea how anybody could be so careless as to simply misplace something that costs as much as an iPhone.
My sympathy goes to those that actually have their phone stolen, the people mugged, threatened, attacked, victims of break ins and pickpockets, NOT the stupid lazy people who can’t look after their own stuff.
Still stolen property if someone owns something and you do not return it to the police or the owner it’s classed as theft. Ergo he is a ‘thief’. Im sure in your lifetime you have never lost or nearly lost anything valuable……PAAAHHHH!!!!
Didn’t say it shouldn’t have been returned, that is still kind of a jerk move, but it’s hardly mugging.
No, I have never lost anything valuable because I LOOK AFTER MY STUFF. If I spend £500 on a phone, you can bet your ass I am not dumb enough to leave it behind in a cab.
I’ve lost some Lego bricks as a kid and that gutted me enough.
Do people seriously think it’s ok to care so little for things that somebody (if not themselves) worked hard for?
I think it shows the decline of values and how little people understand how lucky they have it.
All about being dumb isn’t it!? All you perfect individuals with your perfect decisions.
Wish I was you.
Yeah, it’s like the ‘loser’ doesn’t even acknowledge the entire incident was down to his own actions.
It’s like losing £400 and then being really angry at the guy who found it and decided to spend it.
I think half of the phone should have been returned. If I’d found £400 and then was sent on a wild goose chase, I’d only be returning £200. I’d keep the other half for my troubles.
If there weren’t dishonest jerks in the world, there wouldn’t be any risk in misplacing property.
It’s simple: if you find and pick up somebody else’s property without the earnest intention of trying to return it to them, that IS theft! Otherwise, just bloody leave it – they’d be better off as they might just come back and find it.
Not at all. If I found your phone. I’d only go as far as telling you I’d found it. The ‘trying to return it to them’ bit is solely down to you. You come and get it from me. If you’re not bothered to retrieve your lost item, I’ll assume it’s been abandoned and can keep it with a clear conscience.
I found a phone once in a club. I rang “Dad” in the phone book and returned it to them. I got £20 for my trouble, which I was not expecting. Just doing what I hope others would do if I was in that situation.
P.S. it was not an iphone, but still not exactly a “cheap” phone either
I found a semi-cheap phone in a club and hung onto it on the way out thinking the owner would call so I could hand it back to them. They didn’t. About 40 minutes later I got an abusive and threatening call. So I did what any sane person would do, I just put the phone in the nearest bin on my way home.
And again exactly the same selfish attitude shows it self you know what sometimes some people have things on their mind or get into situations where they forget or make a mistake.
Im sure all you perfect people never make a mistake.
I have on a number of occasions tried to return something of value to someone. I can remeber losing a train pass after having one of the worst days Iv’e had in a long time and this train pass cost me £200 and someone using my name contacted me on facebook and returned it. I gave them £20 even though I was skint. I was instantly cheered up act of kindness goes a long way
If they took time out of their day to physically come to you then £20 is just about enough. My whole point was if you lose something, it’s you who should do the legwork to retrieve the lost item. The minimum the ‘finder’ should do is tell you they have the item and act has holder until you can sort out a time to meet them at their convenience. Alternatively they could have just left the lost item where they found it.
I’m just not a fan of the whole ‘Oi….you found my phone….get it to me right now or it’s theft’ way of thinking.
And I’m speaking from experience. Next time I find something of value I’m going to drop kick it into a skip.
I’ve handed in MANY bags/purses/wallets in my life, a few phones too.
I often get as little as a thank you, only ONCE did I get cash, and it was a token pittance (I was a kid at the time).
You think when I hand in a womans handbag containing their whole life including about a million keys (RSA SecureID tag too!) they would take the time to say thanks…
Nope.
I once found a phone and took the time to call most of the contacts trying to return it, I was treated like some kind of maniac wanting to kill them and blocked at every turn.
I binned it.
Am I perfect? No. Is every decision perfect? no.
I do know where my pocket is though, and make sure I put my phone back in it when I am not using it.
That is not a hard thing to do.
If you leave your phone on a bar,table,chair etc in public and walk off, don’t expect to ever see it again.
It’s common sense not “perfect decisions”
What I really want to know is:
How many other, unsuspecting blokes replied to his ad?