Are iPods causing crime? Some people think so.

.....[I]f thefts of iPods and cellphones are excluded, serious crime has actually fallen 3 percent so far this year, compared with last year, according to Michael J. Farrell, the deputy commissioner for strategic initiatives, who gave a presentation to the transportation authority's board yesterday.

Of the various inanities sputtered in the article, my favorite was this remark by an M.I.T. professor:

Henry Jenkins, the director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, described the thefts as a consequence of unequal access to technology. "The participation gap creates techno-envy, where the kids who are locked out of participation in the culture covet those tools and devices that are considered essential to being a young person," he said.

New York officials were reluctant to discourage iPod use. "I would never tell someone to listen to music or not listen to music," Chief Scagnelli said. Apple Computer, which makes the iPod, did not respond to requests for comment.

I guess I should be glad they're not contemplating a total ban on what the criminals want -- as a crime prevention measure! (Don't laugh, they're already attempting it with guns.)

The fact is, lots of people in lots of places hate iPods. They're are being banned in schools in Australia, in British corporate environments (although the UK military denies a ban in the armed forces), and of all things, they're apparently being targeted by Microsoft's next version of Windows!

(I wonder what "gap" the latter outfit is really worrying about...)

MORE: Getting his foot in the door, Justin points out that sneakers these days can cost a lot more than iPods! These Nike Air Jordans retail for around $279.00. The shoes are black, and look like an athetic shoe influenced by Science Fiction and LSD. (Note the moon-crater-like indentations, and psychedelic sole patterns....)

Hell, I know no one bothers to click on these links.

Here's a picture:

Steal enough iPods, and maybe you could afford to buy, maybe, a left shoe...

Obviously, shoes cause crime.