Purse Snatching Again - Community Warning

[Dante99]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

uh how are you determining that people are really nervous? and that anecdotal information is spreading like virus and poisons? Are you measuring this somehow?

Most adults can interpret anecdotal information just fine. We all read the news BTW.

If your saying people shouldn't share anecdotal information then this might be all about your issues. Where is the aggregate information going to come from?

Intelligent people can hold opposing viewpoints simultaneously.

for example

Chiang Mai is a great place to live but the roads can be dangerous so caution is advised.

That fact that someone is sharing information about a traffic accident doesn't cause most people to change their opinion about Chiang Mai.

Unless your presuming people are really stupid and sheep like and you need to control their information for them.

Our thinking is probably closer than you might suppose, but I don't think there was any need for your last sentence if your meaning was critical.

I am not interested in controlling information, but I become concerned about the "viral impact" by modern communication of limited anecdotal accounts. "Going viral" is one of the more useful new popular terms in popular discourse these days. Sometimes it is productive; sometimes not.

"Going viral" on TV Chiang Mai seems, anyway, to be restricted to a limited number of favorite topics. Anyone done "views" or "posts" counts lately? Like TV Chiang Mai Visa's "Top Ten!"

Where are your answers to CSNT's questions?

[mesquite]

Unfortunately the laws of Thailand do not allows foreigners to pack heat, which would eliminate the problem.

[bitewhentested]

its a terrible thing to happen could really spoil someones holiday we live in a very highly policed city but no crimes are ever solved

its about time the fat cat high ranking thai police did something for there tea money the amount of police feet on the street people should

be scared stiff of braking the law

abasit is being charged with murder what a joke the only decent pm this country has ever had but the police cant catch a manky old ladyboy

bag snatcher thailand when it comes to tourists and expats you are not the only game in town

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

uh how are you determining that people are really nervous? and that anecdotal information is spreading like virus and poisons? Are you measuring this somehow?

Most adults can interpret anecdotal information just fine. We all read the news BTW.

If your saying people shouldn't share anecdotal information then this might be all about your issues. Where is the aggregate information going to come from?

Intelligent people can hold opposing viewpoints simultaneously.

for example

Chiang Mai is a great place to live but the roads can be dangerous so caution is advised.

That fact that someone is sharing information about a traffic accident doesn't cause most people to change their opinion about Chiang Mai.

Unless your presuming people are really stupid and sheep like and you need to control their information for them.

Our thinking is probably closer than you might suppose, but I don't think there was any need for your last sentence if your meaning was critical.

I am not interested in controlling information, but I become concerned about the "viral impact" by modern communication of limited anecdotal accounts. "Going viral" is one of the more useful new popular terms in popular discourse these days. Sometimes it is productive; sometimes not.

"Going viral" on TV Chiang Mai seems, anyway, to be restricted to a limited number of favorite topics. Anyone done "views" or "posts" counts lately? Like TV Chiang Mai Visa's "Top Ten!"

Where are your answers to CSNT's questions?

He doesn't have any answers because its a "false dilemma" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma

There are a dozen or so people posting in the thread and somehow that is being liberally interpreted to be a brewing viral contagion.... It's common invalid debate technique.. Slip in a false assumption and run with it.. It often works BTW. Just ask Priceless ;-)

Its also wildly hypocritical to be complaining about an anecdotal incident as being not representative of the aggregate and then use page views or a few dozen posters discussing a topic as evidence of anything. It's anecdotal observation at best....

Are people camping at the airports to get the last plane out? Or jamming the bus stations? Can anyone document a TV contagion of the past that manifested into anything?

[rene123]

Unfortunately the laws of Thailand do not allows foreigners to pack heat, which would eliminate the problem.

Although I've often gone hunting with my father in Canada, I certainly would NOT recommend that people carry guns in Thailand. Too many innocent bystanders would get shot and the culprits would most likely escape anyway. Hitting a moving target with any degree of accuracy is very difficult and especially so with a handgun. I can just imagine the mayhem that would occur if motorcyclists started shooting each other over a simple fender bender.

[FolkGuitar]

There seems to be some differences of ... I don't know if I should call them opinions, conclusions, or facts.

We start out with one respected long-time member telling us of two separate instances of recent purse snatching within the same month. And we've heard about this in the past as well.

We have other members telling us that crime goes on in every city all over the world, and I think most of us agree with that as fact.

Then we have members telling us that there is no crime in Chiang Mai, and saying there is will spread panic through the streets.

Can someone please explain to me how this works?

[TommoPhysicist]

There seems to be some differences of ... I don't know if I should call them opinions, conclusions, or facts.

We start out with one respected long-time member telling us of two separate instances of recent purse snatching within the same month. And we've heard about this in the past as well.

We have other members telling us that crime goes on in every city all over the world, and I think most of us agree with that as fact.

Then we have members telling us that there is no crime in Chiang Mai, and saying there is will spread panic through the streets.

Can someone please explain to me how this works?

Some old people live a life of fear.

Others don't

That's how it works.

[FolkGuitar]

There seems to be some differences of ... I don't know if I should call them opinions, conclusions, or facts.

We start out with one respected long-time member telling us of two separate instances of recent purse snatching within the same month. And we've heard about this in the past as well.

We have other members telling us that crime goes on in every city all over the world, and I think most of us agree with that as fact.

Then we have members telling us that there is no crime in Chiang Mai, and saying there is will spread panic through the streets.

Can someone please explain to me how this works?

Some old people live a life of fear.

Others don't

That's how it works.

Now that confuses me even more...

Does it mean that the people who say there is no crime in Chiang Mai are so afraid to acknowledge it that they pretend it doesn't exist? Hmmmm.... that's sad.

Or that the two girls who purses were stolen weren't afraid so they didn't take logical precautions against the possibility of its occurrence? Hmmmm... that's foolish.

Because obviously it DID occur. Obviously it WAS a crime. And just as obviously it occurred in the middle of Chiang Mai.

Sorry, Tommo, your explanation just doesn't seem to make sense.

Edited December 7, 2012 by FolkGuitar

[meadish_sweetball]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

It must be a dreadfully slow day at the Mapguy residence...

[PoodMaiDai]

First rule of traveling or going out anywhere alone: Never carry on you more than you are willing to lose

It also doesn't hurt to have some "throw" money in another pocket. Thieves want a quick in and out. Give it to them. It just may save your life.

[NoshowJones]

Bastards. Have also noticed more 'wrong change' incidents of late (never in my favour). You know they're up to no good when they count out the notes three times and strangely omit 100 baht!

Just a reminder to everyone who ever uses the Skytrain. All these ten baht coins mount up, imagine how much these people in the skytrain booths make extra at the end off their shifts.

[Mapguy]

My goodness! There seems to be a lot of nervous people out there!

Of course, it is no joke to get bonked on the head or have your bag stolen. Sh*t does happen. But not a lot round here. And you can find this sort of warning circulating in a lot of towns in a lot of countries. Some of it is real, some of it is second and third-hand rumor. Neither makes much of a case.

Anecdotal evidence like this often spreads like a virus and poisons the air. Just to take Priceless'es line, such tales do not make much of a case. I am not constraining anyone to say what they wish about their personal experience on the streets of Chiang Mai, as someone above suggests, but the problem I have seen over the years with this sort of "warning" is a constraint on common sense rather than the opposite which is intended.

To stretch the point (considerably), would you now recommend that people arm themselves with personal weapons for self-protection? I dimly recall a thread several months ago when some (IMHO) gun nuts locally were suggested just that!

uh how are you determining that people are really nervous? and that anecdotal information is spreading like virus and poisons? Are you measuring this somehow?

Most adults can interpret anecdotal information just fine. We all read the news BTW.

If your saying people shouldn't share anecdotal information then this might be all about your issues. Where is the aggregate information going to come from?

Intelligent people can hold opposing viewpoints simultaneously.

for example

Chiang Mai is a great place to live but the roads can be dangerous so caution is advised.

That fact that someone is sharing information about a traffic accident doesn't cause most people to change their opinion about Chiang Mai.

Unless your presuming people are really stupid and sheep like and you need to control their information for them.

Our thinking is probably closer than you might suppose, but I don't think there was any need for your last sentence if your meaning was critical.

I am not interested in controlling information, but I become concerned about the "viral impact" by modern communication of limited anecdotal accounts. "Going viral" is one of the more useful new popular terms in popular discourse these days. Sometimes it is productive; sometimes not.

"Going viral" on TV Chiang Mai seems, anyway, to be restricted to a limited number of favorite topics. Anyone done "views" or "posts" counts lately? Like TV Chiang Mai Visa's "Top Ten!"

Where are your answers to CSNT's questions?

Formal and informal fallacies in logic are not the same thing as the illogic of human behavior. In all my years of walking the streets I have never had my purse picked! That doesn't say it doesn't happen. It certainly does happen, and one should be "street smart" appropriate to their situation, as some have suggested above. My point is that "Purse Snatching Again - Community Warning" is over the top. For one little thing, why "again"? My guess --- purely a guess --- is that the snatch rate (if that is the correct description) probably hasn't been either up or down since the last "alert" was posted. I missed it anyway. And I have missed the latest "all clear" signal. Is it now safe to go to the 7-11?

Are there sensible people reading such warnings? Yes, there are plenty who aren't alarmist.

By the way, has anyone heard of any more breast sucking cons perpetrated by clever prostitutes lately, or are victims really too embarrassed to complain ?! Might be an epidemic out there we haven't heard about! Wear a surgical mask?

Edited December 16, 2012 by Mapguy

[FolkGuitar]

By the way, has anyone heard of any more breast sucking cons perpetrated by clever prostitutes lately,

I'm still wondering just what drug is so powerful that such a minute quantity is going to knock out a full grown adult? Generally speaking, most breasts I've run across tended to be rather dry. At the most, a little damp. Certainly no big drops of clear liquid. And are they making drugs today that don't taste like they used to? Even aspirin is pretty noticeable!

[mamborobert]

By the way, has anyone heard of any more breast sucking cons perpetrated by clever prostitutes lately,

I'm still wondering just what drug is so powerful that such a minute quantity is going to knock out a full grown adult? Generally speaking, most breasts I've run across tended to be rather dry. At the most, a little damp. Certainly no big drops of clear liquid. And are they making drugs today that don't taste like they used to? Even aspirin is pretty noticeable!

Scopolamine has been the up and coming favourite for years. Colourless, odourless, tasteless. Comes from Sth America and you can actually buy it here over the counter as is used in a specific Thai motion sickness medication. Can knock you out, can be lethal and can just make you more compliant or easily influenced, depending on dose and method administered.

Edited December 17, 2012 by mamborobert

[mamborobert]

Just had a quick check and the State Department still has a warning on its CIS for Thailand.

There have been occasional reports of prostitutes or bar workers drugging people with the powerful sedative scopolamine in order to rob them. Tourists have also been victimized by drugged food and drink, usually offered by a friendly stranger who is sometimes posing as a fellow traveler on an overnight bus or train. In addition, casual acquaintances you meet in a bar or on the street may pose a threat. You should not leave drinks or food unattended and should avoid going alone to unfamiliar venues.

http://travel.state....s/cis_1040.html

Edited December 17, 2012 by mamborobert

[Mapguy]

'...should avoid going alone to unfamiliar venues' to venue, as a response to my query. Nasty!!

And be kind to your wives and lovers, boys!