4 ms·

https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/aug/currys-launch-mind-the-grab-phone-theft-initiative https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/aug/c

https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/aug/currys-launch-mind-the-grab-phone-theft-initiative https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/aug/currys... Thoughts?

vidarh 1y ago
A company is engaging in a marketing stunt for a problem that people perceive to be disproportionately high. Do you think this tells us anything other than perception? Which several people have already pointed out we know are out of whack with actual survey of peoples actual experience with crime? It's clear there are many phone thefts. It's also clear people believe the extent of crime is far higher than it is. It seems like a perfect thing for a company like Curry's to profit from.
- johnisgood 1y ago
  > Which several people have already pointed out That was what, N = 4? So are you saying what I posted has no merit? > According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales 2024, an estimated 78,000 people had phones or bags snatched from them on the street in the year ending March 2024.[1] > This is equivalent to 200 'snatch thefts' a day and is a 153% increase on the number of incidents in the year ending March 2023. London is regarded as the “epicentre” of phone thefts with £50 million worth of phones reported stolen in London in 2024.[1] This is coming from your own Government, for crying out loud. And 1-10 people saying "oh it's perfectly safe" does not mean anything. It is an actual issue, and you may not believe me until it happens to you, or someone you know, which is kind of typical, so I get it. [1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0150/#:~:text=This%20is%20equivalent%20to%20200,stolen%20in%20London%20in%202024 https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-...
- foldr 1y ago
  Just a note that johnisgood appears to be another person on this thread who has very strong opinions about what it’s like to live in London based on online content that they’ve consumed, but who doesn’t actually live here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44898930 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44898930 If they’re not willing to listen to actual Londoners then the discussion is unlikely to be productive.
  - johnisgood 1y ago
    I consumed https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0150/#:~:text=This%20is%20equivalent%20to%20200,stolen%20in%20London%20in%202024. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-... And I consumed many people's "unsafe" experiences, similar to YOUR "safe" experiences. As I said, N = ~4 saying "it's safe" means fuck all, just like N = ~4 saying the opposite. So... you appear to be another person who invalidates and completely disregards other people's experiences (and your own Government's publishing) in favor of yours, because somehow yours is more valid. It is not. You need to stop painting London as a safe place, because that it is not. Maybe it is on the routes you take in your car, but in general, no, not really. Hell, even Budapest is safer than London. > Hungary's national crime rate in 2021 was approximately 0.77 crimes per 100 residents. This figure represents a significant decline from 0.82 in 2020, indicating a 5.86% decrease . Specific data for Budapest is limited, but the city's overall crime index is reported at 33.99 out of 100, which is considered low.[1] > In contrast, London's crime rate is significantly higher. The annual crime rate in the London region is approximately 30.1 crimes per 1,000 people, which is about 86% of the national average for England and Wales . Violent crime constitutes 22.6% of all reported crimes in London . Notably, Westminster, a central borough in London, recorded a staggering 432.3 crimes per 1,000 residents, largely due to its high daytime population from tourism.[2] So, by the available numbers, Budapest has about 0.77 crimes per 100 people, while London has 3.01 per 100. That makes London's crime rate ~3.9x higher, meaning Budapest is roughly 74% safer per capita. [1] https://diaklakas.hu/en/blog/public-safety-budapest/ https://diaklakas.hu/en/blog/public-safety-budapest/ [2] https://www.plumplot.co.uk/London-violent-crime-statistics.html https://www.plumplot.co.uk/London-violent-crime-statistics.h...
    - foldr 1y ago
      I don’t own a car. There are safer cities than London and there are more dangerous ones. London is pretty middle of the pack, if you look at European or American cities of comparable size. Even the stats that you yourself link to show that London is one of the safer parts of the UK.
      - 1y ago

https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/aug/currys-launch-mind-the-grab-phone-theft-initiative https://crimestoppers-uk.org/news-media/news/2025/aug/currys... Thoughts?

vidarh 1y ago

A company is engaging in a marketing stunt for a problem that people perceive to be disproportionately high. Do you think this tells us anything other than perception? Which several people have already pointed out we know are out of whack with actual survey of peoples actual experience with crime? It's clear there are many phone thefts. It's also clear people believe the extent of crime is far higher than it is. It seems like a perfect thing for a company like Curry's to profit from.

johnisgood 1y ago
> Which several people have already pointed out That was what, N = 4? So are you saying what I posted has no merit? > According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales 2024, an estimated 78,000 people had phones or bags snatched from them on the street in the year ending March 2024.[1] > This is equivalent to 200 'snatch thefts' a day and is a 153% increase on the number of incidents in the year ending March 2023. London is regarded as the “epicentre” of phone thefts with £50 million worth of phones reported stolen in London in 2024.[1] This is coming from your own Government, for crying out loud. And 1-10 people saying "oh it's perfectly safe" does not mean anything. It is an actual issue, and you may not believe me until it happens to you, or someone you know, which is kind of typical, so I get it. [1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0150/#:~:text=This%20is%20equivalent%20to%20200,stolen%20in%20London%20in%202024 https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-...
foldr 1y ago
Just a note that johnisgood appears to be another person on this thread who has very strong opinions about what it’s like to live in London based on online content that they’ve consumed, but who doesn’t actually live here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44898930 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44898930 If they’re not willing to listen to actual Londoners then the discussion is unlikely to be productive.
- johnisgood 1y ago
  I consumed https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0150/#:~:text=This%20is%20equivalent%20to%20200,stolen%20in%20London%20in%202024. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-... And I consumed many people's "unsafe" experiences, similar to YOUR "safe" experiences. As I said, N = ~4 saying "it's safe" means fuck all, just like N = ~4 saying the opposite. So... you appear to be another person who invalidates and completely disregards other people's experiences (and your own Government's publishing) in favor of yours, because somehow yours is more valid. It is not. You need to stop painting London as a safe place, because that it is not. Maybe it is on the routes you take in your car, but in general, no, not really. Hell, even Budapest is safer than London. > Hungary's national crime rate in 2021 was approximately 0.77 crimes per 100 residents. This figure represents a significant decline from 0.82 in 2020, indicating a 5.86% decrease . Specific data for Budapest is limited, but the city's overall crime index is reported at 33.99 out of 100, which is considered low.[1] > In contrast, London's crime rate is significantly higher. The annual crime rate in the London region is approximately 30.1 crimes per 1,000 people, which is about 86% of the national average for England and Wales . Violent crime constitutes 22.6% of all reported crimes in London . Notably, Westminster, a central borough in London, recorded a staggering 432.3 crimes per 1,000 residents, largely due to its high daytime population from tourism.[2] So, by the available numbers, Budapest has about 0.77 crimes per 100 people, while London has 3.01 per 100. That makes London's crime rate ~3.9x higher, meaning Budapest is roughly 74% safer per capita. [1] https://diaklakas.hu/en/blog/public-safety-budapest/ https://diaklakas.hu/en/blog/public-safety-budapest/ [2] https://www.plumplot.co.uk/London-violent-crime-statistics.html https://www.plumplot.co.uk/London-violent-crime-statistics.h...
  - foldr 1y ago
    I don’t own a car. There are safer cities than London and there are more dangerous ones. London is pretty middle of the pack, if you look at European or American cities of comparable size. Even the stats that you yourself link to show that London is one of the safer parts of the UK.
    - 1y ago