Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Mobile Thieves Getting Picky - Toss Back Cheapo Phones

From: NEXTEL-1
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 03:37:53 -0400

Mobile Thieves Getting Picky - Toss Back Cheapo Phones

Contributed by Mike Masnick on Thursday, June 10 2004 @ 10:45am

Street criminals robbing people for their mobile phones is nothing new
in South Africa. In fact, it's a large percentage of the muggings that
occur there. However, it appears that even the mobile phone thieves are
getting a bit picky when it comes to just what kind of mobile phones
they favor. The latest story is that some women who got mugged
discovered that one of their phones just wasn't good enough for the
thieves who tossed it back complaining that they had no need for "cheap
stuff." It's one thing to be mocked about carrying around an old phone,
but when a mugger won't even bother to take it, that's quite an insult.

====================================================================
Thursday, 10 June, 2004, 13:57 GMT 14:57 UK

Snooty thieves return mobile phone
By Richard Hamilton
BBC News, Cape Town

Thieves who robbed two women in a suburb of Port
Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape region gave
back one of the victim's mobile phones because it was
"a cheap old model".

The women, Tandeka Mazwane
and Nomawethu Mgogoshe, were
out walking in Motherwell in Port
Elizabeth when they were
attacked by two men who
threatened them with knives.

The women were told to hand
over everything they had of
value.

"I could not scream because I
was so shocked," said Ms
Mazwane.

"They started searching us. They took my cell phone and gold chains."

Mobile nation

But the thieves were not impressed with her friend's mobile phone.
"We were so scared, but even more surprised," Ms Mazwane added, "when
they looked at her phone and threw it back at her, saying they don't
take cheap stuff."

Around 16 million people in South Africa use mobile phones, more than a
third of the population.
A report last month by the International Telecommunication Union said
Africa is the fastest-growing market for mobile phones in the world.

The two women said people who witnessed the crime came to their aid only
once the two robbers had run away.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3794801.stm

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