Crime on Muni is down in almost every category, reports SFMTA director Ed Reiskin — every category except the one that includes your smartphone getting stolen on on the bus, that is. According to police chief Greg Suhr, almost 180 electronic devices were reported stolen in the city in the past 30 days. Which means, on average, six unsuspecting schmucks will see their precious smartphones running away from them in the hands of some opportunistic thug today. (If they haven't already.)

To help remind those Muni riders who still haven't figured out what an easy target they are, SFMTA is launching a new public service campaign and placing over 2,000 ads on Muni Vehicles and stations. Because we doubt anyone will actually look up from their phones to notice the new PSAs, we've helpfully pasted SFMTA's six basic tips for keeping your phone safe on Muni:

• Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you.
• Don’t allow your attention to become distracted from your property.
• If you are using an iPhone, don’t use the standard issue white headphones as these are identified with the devices.
• Use the security features, such as a security code log-in, to protect your information from identity theft.
• If you are a victim of a crime, do not resist. Take mental notes of the suspect’s description and report the incident to the police or Muni personnel immediately.
• If you see a theft in progress, please call 911.

Got all that? Good, we don't want to remind you again.

[SFMTA]
[BCN/Appeal]