Which watch did he had on?

 

Yes young people are attacked but rarely for the same reasons adults are. If you keep your head up and not buried in your phone, it is amazing what you can see coming.

 

I’m not sure what “deep in Los Angeles” means, but Beverly Hills is certainly not an area with a reputation for violent crime, the incident that you cite notwithstanding,

 

Anyway, the chances of anything happening are still statistically very small. And the question is whether you should not wear an expensive watch based on that.

 

I'd have to go did up the story...and who cares. It was one of those insane Mega-buck boutique watches of ultra limited editions, etc. But on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, whether it is watches or purses or whatever...mugging/robberies happen to a wide assortment of people and the only reason they are selected is because they "looked" like they had something...drove a BMW or Range Rover or what have you.

 

Ok cool. I drive a volvo. With a safety net for the dog.

 

As Dillinger said, he robbed banks because that's where the money was. Only stupid crooks target poor people with nothing to steal. In terms of current crimes...you don't have to go to the jungle, it comes to you.

 

John, there’s a big difference between walking around Beverly Hills wearing a Rolex and doing the same thing in Camden, New Jersey. That’s just common sense. Situational awareness and a “no fear” attitude will only get you so far. Beyond a certain point, they’ll get you seriously injured or killed.

 

No sense having a watch if you don't wear it. Risk is very low, even in high risk areas. More important than situational awareness, is a combination of not caring too much for your possessions and good insurance.

If someone stops me and asks for my watch, they get it, and I'll get a replacement.

Of course it would be an extremely unpleasant experience, but again, very rare. How many Rolexes are worn in the SF Bay Area each day? 100,000?

 

Since I've never been to Camden, I can't argue that point. But based on your warning, my situational awareness would probably keep me out of Camden. And it isn't about having no fear, it is about listening to your fear and then taking the actions you feel necessary so that you don't live in fear. Putting cities aside, because this crime wave is everywhere, if some people want to respond by dressing down and altering their life style, that is their choice. I chose not to.

 

Not every situation results in injury or death, or even the threat of those things. A good team can identify and lift without violence. Even the most aware can be caught off guard.

 

Honestly Dad, I resent lectures like this, both because I feel condescended to (“gee, how do criminals pick their target?”) and I think the advice is naive and a little stupid, if I’m being honest.

I’m in my late 60’s and retired. With a background in criminology, I spent my career in the criminal justice system, working with cops and criminals. Hundreds and hundreds of hours in patrol cars. I don’t know your background, so I can’t comment on the basis of your perspective.

To me, fear and apprehension are healthy reactions in the appropriate circumstances. And, I’d rather be able to relax than constantly monitor the people around me (as I grew up doing riding NYC subways); if leaving a valuable watch home will help do that for me, then that’s what I’m going to do.

I’m sure you did not intend to offend me. And, I don’t intend to offend you by my response.

 

John has been around the block a few times and comes from an interesting background (Hollywood celebrity dad) and is not intentionally condescending. He is a writer and quite an entertaining one as we have enjoyed many a story he contributed over on VRF through the years, so perhaps his vivid examples and scenarios in his responses can be misunderstood. He's only offering his viewpoint which is as sensible as the others in this thread.

 

On a positive note, survived a trip into town.

I was even packing



A bit of making light of a serious situation. Honestly, I am a wee bit concerned that a thief would mistake my watch for a daytona.

I get the frustration people have with Rolex flexers. However, it doesn’t seem appropriate to blame them or the brand for bringing thievery upon themselves. Smells somewhat of victim blaiming.

It might be insensitive for many of us to walk around with thousands of dollars on our wrists but we still don't deserve to be robbed, nor are we provoking anyone. Thieves are just that.

Still, good to be reminded to be alert. Anyone thinking of resisting an armed thief, think about those dental and medical bills, even if you survive. Pretty sure you could buy a nice watch with what it will cost to fix you up.

Be safe, all you afflicted watch nerds.

 

Well, a large cohort of workers in large cities won't even return to in person work now because they say they are afraid of being a victim of crime, so they just aren't leaving their valuables at home, they refuse to leave home at all. It is my observation that in the last two years many people have become super sensitive to safety, safety above everything else. I think some of this refusal to now wear a Rolex watch is a reflection of that. We are oversensitive to a small chance of getting in a bad situation. Everybody has to assess how much they want to fully participate in life and how much they want to live in a "better safe than sorry" mode. Personal choice.

 

May be time to up the subscription to tier 2 and set his title to “Not intentionally condescending”.

 

Well you're in luck as this site has the subscription gifting option so go for it.

 

I suspect that most people living in high-crime areas who think they haven't been robbed because of their top-notch preparation and situational awareness are just fooling themselves. They've simply been lucky so far.

 

Reminds me of when we lived in an upscale gated neighborhood in Cebu City. There were still the occasional break-ins so we took the advice of my wife's Godfather and got a guard dog. Big mean lookin Rottweiler that was actually a gentile slobbering love-bug but looked the part and had a meaningful bark. We never got hit and often wondered whether the dog actually did any good or if we just happened to have been lucky.

 

Seems to me that I've read research suggesting that dogs can be effective deterrents. Mainly because they are highly visible, alert, and loud. A burglar might just choose a different house.