[Leica] Re: Leica and Thieves

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

This is exactly true. It all boils down to the fence. So the thief knows a
Leica. Big deal. The fence won't so it is useless to steal. They want the
well known motor driven, AF, whiz-bang heavily advertised, wanted by the
masses, camera. Not a niche item. They'll take it if you are stupid enough
to leave it laying unwatched. But they typically won't mug you for it as
they would an Fx, EOS, etc...

My friend, shooting with an M3 in Cuba, bad section, was rushed, knocked to
the ground, waist pack ripped off, M3 and backpack still in tact with my
friend. Gum, chapstick, band aids in the waist pack. Nikon camera and Nikon
and Leica lenses in the backpack. M3 and 21mm lens in his hand. Thief
wanted money, not some dumb old Leica.

Jim


At 08:28 PM 11/19/00 -0500, Marc James Small wrote:
>Dear God Almighty, have mercy on us sinners.
>
>Folks, one of the finest of urban myths, and one propagated most mightily
>by the Silver Screen and the Idiot Eye, is that of the "discerning thief".
>For that matter, let us wander back a half-century to radio's "The Many
>Lies of Harry Lime", with Orson Welles playing to perfection the part of a
>thief and con artist who knew every comodity, every value, and every dodge.
>
>There may well be a FEW thieves, world-wide, who know what a Leica might
>be, but these are few, indeed.  Most know the ones who advertise on the
>Tellie -- Nikon, Canon, Sony, und so weiter -- but they have just never
>heard of Rollei or Leica or Hasselblad.  Hence, they won't steal these
>cameras, as they suspect they will have difficulty fencing such.  They will
>take a Nikon P&S over a Leica IIIc K as they are just too damned
>unsophisticated to know the difference.
>
>Now, if Professor Moriarty were still around, perhaps this would be a
>matter for the geriatric Sherlock Holmes to handle from his bee-keeping
>hideout in Surrey.  But, otherwise, fearing the red dot is perhaps the
>ultimate exercize in sheer, bloody paranoia.
>
>Marc
>
>msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
>Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!
>