September 13, 2010 | 2:26 PM | By

Take Metro? Step Away from the Door, Hide your iPhone.

FILED UNDER: Public Transportation, Crime, Metro, WMATA

B.Romain

Well, that's one way to keep your iPod safe.

WTOP reports that Metro Transit Police are concerned about the rise in robberies of phones and mp3 players:

From Jan. 1 to June 30, 2010, there were 540 robberies on trains and buses, according to Metro statistics. (See Slide 14) That’s about 160 more compared to the same point last year, and almost double compared to 2008.

Many robberies involve smartphones or iPods that are simply snatched right off riders.

Much like real estate, location is everything:

And a troubling pattern has been developing: Transit police say the victims are often riders who sit or stand by the doors.

“People who are wearing their iPods or holding their iPhones, when the train pulls into the station, the bad guy will go rip the electronic device out of their hands, just as the doors are starting to close,” Deputy Chief of the Metro Transit Police Jeff Delinski told WTOP recently.

Well, if anything will get people to stop clustering around the doors and move towards the center of the train…

About the author

DCentric was created to examine the ways race and class interact in Washington, D.C., a city with a vibrant mix of cultures and neighborhoods. Your guides to the changing district are reporters Anna John and Elahe Izadi. View all posts by Anna →