Film crew robbed at gunpoint in downtown Oakland

jsrockit said:
People in black BMW did the robbery? Wow, not what you'd expect. Then again, maybe they wanted another one.

As someone who was mugged at knife point in Buenos Aires recently ... Wrong place, WRONG time.
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Hello John,
sorry to hear about the robbery and the experience.
I hope your girl friend will get over it without being scared for life anytime she is walking a street similar to where it happened.
Best of luck that it won't happen again.
 
icebear said:
Hello John,
sorry to hear about the robbery and the experience.
I hope your girl friend will get over it without being scared for life anytime she is walking a street similar to where it happened.
Best of luck that it won't happen again.
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Thanks Klaus. Yes, she's doing well. No permanent damage but her head still hurts and this was a month ago. However, mentally, she seems over it. However, we won't be going back though until things get better in BA.
 
I asked a Cop friend about fencing $50k cameras that are products of robberies. He said, they aren't usually sold, but used to film music videos. If one breaks, it can't be serviced, so they steal another one.
 
Fortunately, I don't have many experiences with this aside from junkies hassling or threatening me on several occasions. Nevertheless, I do know of one person who was mugged: They carried a spare wallet with toy cash and expired gift cards. When being mugged they said "you want this? Fine - just take it!", so they threw the "fake" wallet to the ground, and ran away with little incident. I guess the moral of the story is to make your escape before they find the $100 in... Monopoly money. 😛
 
Baipin said:
Fortunately, I don't have many experiences with this aside from junkies hassling or threatening me on several occasions. Nevertheless, I do know of one person who was mugged: They carried a spare wallet with toy cash and expired gift cards. When being mugged they said "you want this? Fine - just take it!", so they threw the "fake" wallet to the ground, and ran away with little incident. I guess the moral of the story is to make your escape before they find the $100 in... Monopoly money. 😛
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I'm not the type to carry a Money Clip, but have one. I also, don't frequent bad neighborhoods, but that's no longer preventative. So with a wad of $1 bills, I wrap a $20 to the outside and if mugged. I show the clip, that looks like a roll of $20s and toss it in the opposite direction from the one I'm running in. I haven't put it to use yet, but it's a plan.

As economies get worse, crime goes up.
 
Interesting stories.

Robbers in a black BMW stealing high end cinema gear? Music videos was the first thing that popped into my mind. Maybe not them but people they supply.

I think that high situational awareness is the only real defense in these scenarios. Unfortunately, if you are not from these areas you may not notice the things you should.

Back when I was young and lived in LA, I had very high situational awareness and a big knife.

Now...after 40 years in the outback of Nevada...not so much. In LA or SF I am now your typical tourist, a target.

I still have the big knife though...somewhere. 😀

EDIT - Really hard to be fully aware of what is happening around you with a camera to your eye. Just having the gun or the knife doesn't help if you are not aware. Best solution is to hire some Security to go along with you.
 
Pioneer said:
Interesting stories.

Robbers in a black BMW stealing high end cinema gear? Music videos was the first thing that popped into my mind. Maybe not them but people they supply.

I think that high situational awareness is the only real defense in these scenarios. Unfortunately, if you are not from these areas you may not notice the things you should.

Back when I was young and lived in LA, I had very high situational awareness and a big knife.

Now...after 40 years in the outback of Nevada...not so much. In LA or SF I am now your typical tourist, a target.

I still have the big knife though...somewhere. 😀

EDIT - Really hard to be fully aware of what is happening around you with a camera to your eye. Just having the gun or the knife doesn't help if you are not aware. Best solution is to hire some Security to go along with you.
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People still laugh at Joey L's tape job (from the other thread), but I bet it helps. I think most of the thieves have orders to fill,for specific high end goods. The name Nikon or Canon on a fancy zoom lens equipped still camera will attract attention. Same with Sony or JVC on Pro cine gear. If it looks ugly, it's harder to sell and maybe not worth the risk when another, better looking one, is found just minutes away in a tourists destination. As for news people.. it's assumed they are using expensive pro gear, still or video.

When I do work-work outdoors, I'm among a bunch of people 5-10 or more. When I'm doing my own thing there's no one around, except an occasional farmer.
 
PKR said:
I'm not the type to carry a Money Clip, but have one. I also, don't frequent bad neighborhoods, but that's no longer preventative. So with a wad of $1 bills, I wrap a $20 to the outside and if mugged. I show the clip, that looks like a roll of $20s and toss it in the opposite direction from the one I'm running in. I haven't put it to use yet, but it's a plan.

As economies get worse, crime goes up.
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Even in Chile I've started leaving my credit cards home and just bring the cash I need for the day, a copy of my passport, and my subway card. I'll give up the wallet no problem. However, my guess is that if someone comes after me here, it'll be for the camera around my neck. It would suck to lose one, but I can't live inside watching TV. That said, it most likely wouldn't be too violent if it did happen in Chile.
 
jsrockit said:
Even in Chile I've started leaving my credit cards home and just bring the cash I need for the day, a copy of my passport, and my subway card. I'll give up the wallet no problem. However, my guess is that if someone comes after me here, it'll be for the camera around my neck. It would suck to lose one, but I can't live inside watching TV. That said, it most likely wouldn't be too violent if it did happen in Chile.
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Yeah. The value of your camera represents a huge portion of a poor person's yearly income. I feel sorta safe being out with a minimal film kit, one camera and a couple of leases. I often carry my gear in a shopping bag or soft lunch cooler. So far I'm okay.

Sorry to hear about the problem with your sweetie. Hopefully, she won't let it do lasting damage. I don't know how I would react. Jay Maisel is a big guy. He must be 6' 4". Jay got mugged in Central Park in the 70s, and because of it, trained in martial arts to a black belt level. His reaction is understandable.

pkr
 
I had to fill out a witness report today.

I went to the laundromat today to wash some clothes because our washer went out the other day. Put the clothes in and then left for a bit. When I returned looked through the glass and saw I still had 6 minutes left so I smoked a cigarette. On the other side of the glass was a young clean cut kid probably 19-20 carrying a backpack. He made eye contact with me I looked back at him. He started rapidly pacing back and forth as if he was deciding whether to go out the door or not. Immediately I was on bird dog alert as something was not quite right with him. He finally opened the door and began to walk past me. He said "pardon me sir" as he walked past me and then rounded the corner of the building. Those were his last words.

http://www.newson6.com/story/359480...y-in-sapulpa-suspect-shoots-and-kills-himself

I went inside where the attendant and a gentlemen with two young children were standing together. The attendant was on the phone with 911. I said that kid is acting real paranoid. The gentlemen said yeah he was acting funny and had his hand in the backpack. I found a bullet on the ground over there, she is talking to 911 now. I said yeah he was weirding me out. Very soon a patrol car pulled up. I went outside to watch. As the LEO got out of his car and approached the back of the building a gun shot rang out. I went right back inside. Just crazy!

I don't know about you all but some really strange stuff is going on nowadays I feel it in my bones and today I was up close and personal with it.
 
Heavily insure your camera equipment and then walk away. Why would anyone walk into a fight with the thieves? Whatever combat skills you think you may have may get you killed or badly hurt.
 
mexipike said:
Heavily insure your camera equipment and then walk away. Why would anyone walk into a fight with the thieves? Whatever combat skills you think you may have may get you killed or badly hurt.
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Sometimes the thieves walk into you with a loaded gun in their backpack! I was paying extra attention today...because of this thread I think. I am feeling sort of shook this evening. This stuff ain't no joke guys. It is very real.
 
How do you people live in a society like this? Little old Adelaide in South Australia might be dull and boring (according to some) but at least we can walk the streets without fear. What the hell has gone wrong in the good ol' USA?
 
alan davus said:
What the hell has gone wrong in the good ol' USA?
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I wish I could answer you and even more I wish I could do something to change it.

One thing I will say after what I saw today, and I really do not like to be pessimistic about these things, I think we haven't seen anything yet. I also don't like to judge people really either but if you walk around almost anywhere in the good ol' USA today and just look at folks...well to put it mildly...well actually I don't know quite how to put it into words. I think I will just leave it at that.

Don't get me wrong there is still a lot of beauty in America and her people it is just that it seems like our society has become some sort of quasi Q. Tarentino movie or something. I am only 47 but what I am observing today is unlike anything I have seen before...makes the crack days and the meth days look somewhat like Sunday school. My opinion.
 
Contarama said:
I wish I could answer you and even more I wish I could do something to change it.

One thing I will say after what I saw today, and I really do not like to be pessimistic about these things, I think we haven't seen anything yet. I also don't like to judge people really either but if you walk around almost anywhere in the good ol' USA today and just look at folks...well to put it mildly...well actually I don't know quite how to put it into words. I think I will just leave it at that.

Don't get me wrong there is still a lot of beauty in America and her people it is just that it seems like our society has become some sort of quasi Q. Tarentino movie or something. I am only 47 but what I am observing today is unlike anything I have seen before...makes the crack days and the meth days look somewhat like Sunday school. My opinion.
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I was complaining to a friend about the quality of students who come to interview for photo assistant jobs. They don't show up on time and are constantly texting. I'm thinking that I'll not interview anyone under 40. He sent me this:
http://eheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/StraightOuttaHarvard.mp4

I think it's in the interest of the political machine here to keep various segments of society fighting with each other. It allows a lot of bad stuff to go unnoticed. The last thing they want is for these groups to forget their differences and focus their attention on the actions of many in government.
 
alan davus said:
How do you people live in a society like this? Little old Adelaide in South Australia might be dull and boring (according to some) but at least we can walk the streets without fear....
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Alan, I hope you're having a lend of us because amongst your fellow Australians, Adelaide is well known for its weird historical murders.
 
pyeh said:
Alan, I hope you're having a lend of us because amongst your fellow Australians, Adelaide is well known for its weird historical murders.
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There is some truth in that but the emphasis is on "historical murders". Strange things have happened in Adelaide but because they are rare and out of character it will always make headlines. Generally speaking we can live our lives without fear, walk the streets safely and carry our Leicas without camouflage. In Happy Valley a crime wave is when young girls underthings get stolen from the clothesline.
 
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