Now that I have this snazzy lap-top PC, I’ve been trying to determine the how’s and what’s, to say nothing of the etiquette, of using the machine in public, when today an entirely new set of issues emerged relating the safety and security of the whole endeavor. No, not the security of the insides of my lap top, I know a fair amount about that, but the safety of the machine itself.

Rittenhouse Square, for example, is a known “hot spot” in Philadelphia, with easy and free wireless access, and while it’s the dead-center heart of Center City’s best neighborhood, there’s a seedy element afoot that makes me reluctant to pull out the Presario and start working, surfing, or blogging.

My question, then, is, How often are lap-top computers stolen out of the hands of people using them in public? And how can I protect this investment? Will renter’s insurance cover such a loss?

Which raises another question entirely, one that’s been on my mind for years, namely, Why aren’t more pockets picked in public men’s rooms? We’re standing there, otherwise occupied and very vulnerable, and were our wallets swiped from our back pockets, how quickly could we react, taking all things into consideration?

Just wondering.

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