If you're walking around Venice at night listening to tunes on your iPhone, your ears plugged with white “buds,” you're an idiot, of course.

And cops this week are warning you not to do it because a) it looks retarded, b) it keeps you from hearing potential criminals sneak up behind you and c) it alerts robbers that you have an iPhone or other sought-after Apple product on your person.

Capiche?

That said, a “rash” of iPhone robberies in the beach community, as reported by CBS Los Angeles, was exaggerated, at least according to what LAPD Sgt. Brian Gura told the Weekly:

My understanding is that we really haven't had an uptick. We've had cellphone robberies for quite a while.

But he did confirm that some geniuses out there got jacked because they were busy enjoying Maroon 5 on their iPhones on the boardwalk. Gura:

Credit: hotgirlswithiphones.com

Credit: hotgirlswithiphones.com

Basically in some of the cases we had some people walking or standing around with earphones in, listening and unaware that someone came up behind them. Victims of crime tend not to be aware of their surroundings.

Now, people who actually like Maroon 5 should be robbed, violently, we know.

But Gura used the occasion as a teaching moment:


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The last thing you want to do is not be aware of what's around you. And, we've been sellng this to potential victims for years: Don't flaunt it. If you have a fancy watch or electronic device, don't walk around and show it off. It's not the time to wear the fancy diamond earings.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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