OK, I might be into technology and that is what I like blogging about but this week is something different. I always go on about being safe online and backing up your computers and mobile devices, but this week is about being safe out on the street. Unfortunately just over a week ago I was mugged for my phone, the mugger did not get a clean grab on my phone and ended in a scuffle, I have two fractures, one finger on each hand, one is from punching him back, hey you’d have done the same if someone had punched you in the face a few times. I’m ok and have been well looked after and pretty much straight back to work.

However, I’ve learnt a bit of a lesson and I hope it doesn’t happen again, although you can just never tell regardless of how careful you are. My incident happened at a busy time on a High Road.

The advice I have had from the police is clearly to be more careful, perhaps not use my phone so much when I’m out and about, but as they said it will ring when I’m walking down the road just be careful and be aware of what is around you.

One thing that does sadden me is the lack of help from the people on the street, they all just carried on, one man helped me find my glasses but then he too walked off. Help your fellow man, I was clearly hurt and no one seemed to care. I don’t expect people to help in the scuffle they have to be safe too, unless or course it gets nasty and they could have helped. But with a slightly bloody nose it was obvious I needed help. Thankfully a colleague of mine back in the office is a doctor and he helped, he took me to A&E, actually he phoned ahead and whisked me through.

One thing that did help is that I back my phone up and by using Mobile Me for my contacts and Google for my calendar I was able to immediately get to the information that I needed. I could use the calendar on Mobile Me and I could have had my contacts on Google too. By using either of these your data is backed up immediately assuming you have a connection whether it be wireless, 3G or one of the other slower mobile connections. So it’s a phone that has gone and I have replaced it with an iPhone 4 which I have to say is a vast improvement on my iPhone 3GS. I’d preferred to have upgraded when I felt like it and was considering it. I have to look at the positive.

So please be aware of your surroundings and make sure you have your important information backed up. If you can don’t fight back just let them take your phone or whatever it is you are after, I’ve been lucky, my fingers are in splints which is inconvenient but they don’t hurt thankfully.

Take care of yourselves.

Gary