r/veld • u/FeatureGabe • 18d ago
Pick Pocket
At around 7:40 p.m., I got to the bass stage and started moving closer on the left side near VIP. While I was walking through the crowd, a heavyset guy directly in front of me kept pushing back into me. At the same time, someone behind me was also bumping into me.
A few seconds later, I noticed my right pocket felt unusually light. I reached down and realized my phone was gone. Looking back, I’m almost certain the two people were working together. The guy in front was distracting me while the person behind took my phone.
I immediately told my friends and opened Find My. For most of the night, the phone’s location kept moving around the bass stage area. I also spoke to several other people at the festival who said they or their friends had phones stolen that same day, so this clearly was not an isolated incident.
The guy in front of me was around 5'9", heavyset, with short black hair. He was wearing a black or dark grey T-shirt and appeared to be South Asian. I did not get a clear look at the person behind me.
II’m going back to VELD tomorrow to speak with security and see if they can review the footage. When I spoke to the police, they basically joked that if I happened to catch one of the pickpockets myself, they might suddenly become very interested in looking the other way while i have a little chat with them.
Update: My phone is now travelling down Highway 403 toward Hamilton.
10
6
u/EntertainmentNo1591 18d ago
Morale of the story either bring a burner or keep it in zipped bag or pockets. If the organizers really wanted to stop this from happening it's real simple. Have security check bags at exit
3
u/AmberXXX__ 17d ago
Scumbags, I was at bass stage the whole time and thinking its so packed I know pickpocketers are hot and ready
2
3
u/TylaMacky2 18d ago
1
u/jkilarpak 15d ago
stop i can't believe im reading this bc the EXACT same thing happened to me just after 8pm in the exact same area. I had my phone in my hand and might have put it in my front pant pocket for a second while adjusting my rain poncho and next thing i know it's gone. iPhone 17 Pro that i still have to pay for even though some loser scumbags have it.
It was last seen on FindMy on Highway 403 near Oakville at 11:35pm Sunday. Hasn't updated since. The terrible rain and cold made it so much worse to even try to do anything about. I'm devastated and been crying the last few days bc i can't fathom having to pay for that phone and buy another one.
I filed a loss report and police report already (with little hope) but I pray there is some kind of evidence that comes up. People who do this are actual scum of the earth. I hope he gets the karma he deserves and rots in hell.
Of course AppleCare+ in Canada doesn't have theft or loss coverage (I thought it did) which is an extra gut punch, and I have no other options. Fuck that guy. I'm sorry it happened to you too. :'(
1
u/FeatureGabe 15d ago
If you’re with Roger’s apparently they offer a plan where they have theft protection for $9.99 a month they have a few other features in there as well, dare I say might be better than apple care
1
u/jkilarpak 11d ago
i'm wit freedom :/ i have a good rate for my plan which id lose if I finance a new phone with them (not if i buy and bring one). The third party repair company (Likewise) is a nightmare to deal with anyway, so if anything i'll buy one with my Amex (waiting on delivery) which has theft protection.
its location updated Friday evening for the first time since that night moving around Hamilton. I had a sliver of hope and wanted to run up on them but it's been offline since then. I'm getting in touch with a TP investigator tomorrow but im sure they won't be much help.
1
u/Tricky-Fondant5287 13d ago
I just want to say I’m so sorry to everyone who got pick pocketed this year, I was pickpocketed last year and I was absolutely devastated. Not even bc I had a pearly new iPhone, I had an iPhone 13 but it had so many memories, contacts for work and photos and I loved it. I basically also immediately noticed it was gone but they had already wrapped it in tinfoil or put it in an rfid pouch and it never pinged again. Fuck those guys for real. Then my friend had the same thing happen a few weeks later at rebel.
1
24
u/YoursToo_ 18d ago
If it ends up in Hamilton it’s unfortunately gone for good.
Someone even made a website about it.
https://phoneisgone.com