A Houston woman claims her iPhone was stolen last Monday morning, and when she used “Find My iPhone” to track the purloined device to a nearby Starbucks and then entered the establishment to attempt to retrieve it, she was thrown out of the coffee shop!
CNET:
Jana Erwin is a little more public spirited. When a teen knocked on her door on Monday morning and said he needed to call his mom, she said she asked him first for the number. She dialed it for him, then handed him the phone.
Then, as surveillance video shows, the teen ran off with her iPhone 6.
ABC 13 in Houston reports that Erwin first screamed for help, but no one responded to her pleas. She then opened her laptop, loaded up “Find My iPhone,” and found her iPhone was at a nearby Starbucks.
Erwin entered the Starbucks, and found the teen who had taken off with her device sitting with a woman and her iPhone. When Erwin reached for the device in an attempt to recover it, she heard a voice behind her saying: “I’m sorry ma’am, you have to go. You have to go. You can’t do this here.”
She claims the Starbucks’ Barista barred her, and the alleged thief made a fast getaway.
Erwin’s iPhone was retrieved later with the help of police.
A Starbucks spokeswoman confirmed Erwin was asked to leave the establishment, saying: “First and foremost, the safety of our customers and partners (employees) is our top priority. Our partners are trained to identify safety concerns in our stores and contact the police when necessary, which is what our store partners did in this situation.”
Smartphone theft continues to be a major issue for users, as 1 in 10 smartphone owners in the U.S. report having had their phone stolen.
What do you think? How trusting are you? Would you hand your iPhone to a stranger to use? If the device was stolen, would you do as Erwin did and attempt to recover it yourself, or would you immediately involve the police? Would you call the police if you heard screams for help, or would you ignore it? Please, share your thoughts in the comments section below.
