[Discuss] Most common (or Most important) privacy leaks

[peabo at peabo.com (Peter Olson)]

I've been mugged three times, but not recently.

The first time was in Cambridge, about 40 years ago.  I was walking along a
street and a bunch of kids intersected my path, hit me with something, stomped
my eyeglasses, and took my wallet.  I got stitches to fix a scalp wound but the
worst hassle was calling my credit card company and dealing with my lost social
security card, etc.  And getting new glasses.

The second time was maybe 35 years ago.  I was returning from a dinner party and
got off the subway in downtown Boston walking about three blocks home and two
guys stepped out on front of me, one had a knife.  I opened my wallet and gave
them the money.  They wanted me to go back into an underground subway entrance,
but I stepped around it into the road and walked quickly back to my apartment
one block away.

The third time was about twenty years ago.  I got off the subway in Central
Square, Cambridge, and was going to the bus stop when four kids started
harassing me.  The object of their affection was apparently my cell phone, which
was attached to my belt.  I believe they thought it was a Sidekick (
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1630991,00.asp ).  They continued to harass
me verbally at the bus stop.  One of them played the good guy (I think he was
the oldest) and I had a limited conversation with him.  One of the younger ones
asked to borrow my phone so he could call his mother.  I declined.  Later he
boasted that he could mess me up.  I didn't take that seriously, so I stared him
down.

After we all got on the bus, everyone sat down. When we got to a popular mall,
the kids left, and the youngest one tried to steal my phone.  Let me tell you
about cell phone belt holsters.  When I first got the phone, I had several near
misses where the holster detached from my belt while I was walking around.  So I
engineered a more secure attachment with tie wraps.

The kid tried to grab my phone, but it didn't come off my belt :-)

He left, but the other guy was pissed at me and slapped my eyeglasses off my
head.  I asked fellow passengers to help me find my glasses, and they got them
back for me.  I then walked to the front of the bus and pointed out the kids (by
then on the other side of the road) and told him they tried to steal my phone.

In the days following, I wondered what my strategy would be in this situation.
 I didn't think of any of these ideas at the time, but now I am prepared.

At the bus stop there was a police station two blocks away.  (It's a community
center these days.)

This was before ubiquitous cell phone usage, but I have heard since that I could
loudly ask for someone else at the bus stop to call the police.  There were
plenty of people there who didn't intervene.

The worst thing I could do would be to get off at my normal stop and walk home.
 But I didn't have to do that, since the kids left at the mall.

I could have gotten off the bus at a stop with a restaurant very close to the
stop, where I could find refuge.  Then call a cab, in case the kids were
lurking.

I could have gone to the end of the line, where the kids would have to leave the
bus but I wouldn't, because I would explain the problem to the bus driver.  If
he was still alive ;-) j/k

The fourth time was last December.  Oh, wait, there was a fourth time?

I don't know yet, but it involves THE INTERNET.

I ordered an inexpensive 3D plastic filament printer kit, which would take about
4 or 5 weeks to deliver but which would arrive around year end.  I was out of
town for a week and asked the USPS to hold my mail so the delivery wouldn't sit
on my front steps for days.

When the hold released, I got a sizable box with a note in felt tip (from the
post office) saying "received without contents" and a form letter apologizing
for whatever happened to it.  Yes, the box was empty (except for a single sheet
of blank paper).

The shipment was insured, so a few days elapsed and I was able to get to the
post office to ask about this and they said that is the responsibility of the
shipper to file a claim.  The originating company has a ticket system.  O
frabjous joy!

I filed a ticket, and four or five days later, they closed it to "clear the
database".

I replied to the ticket which reopened it automatically, and nothing happened.
 I poked the ticket and got a reply that the ticket master was working on the
weekend and would have to talk to "Nick" next week.  Nothing happened.  I have
now asked twice for a refund.  I won't bore you with the exact chronology, but
repeated complaints including one citing the lack of substantive response in 28
days has resulting in having the ticket closed again in order to "clear the
database".

My latest communication points out to the ticket master that the resolving event
for closing the ticket is the issuance of the refund, not "clearing the
database".

There has been no reply.

This has certainly been the most time-enhanced mugging I have ever endured :-)

Next step I suppose is communicating with the credit card company.  Ironically,
the electronic evidence from the trouble ticket is useful.  I have saved it on
my own computer in case it magically disappears.  The Better Business Bureau
might be interested, and maybe the FTC, since the ticketing system might be a
way to avoid regulations about timely response to complaints involving money.
 Maybe even the USPS, for wire fraud?

I suspect that most victims have better uses of their time than to retaliate
against a $400 loss.

It's all in the numbers.

Peter Olson