Your life is worth more than a laptop
There is absolutely nothing wrong with loving technology. If you are delighted and excited by computers, smartphones, and other devices, that is perfectly normal. Heck, I am guilty of this myself -- my desktop computer is one of my most prized possessions. After all, I built it piece by piece -- it is almost like my child. Almost...
Let's be honest though -- computers are just things that can be replaced. OK, true, maybe the data on the machine is irreplaceable, but even then, your life is worth more than anything stored on the computer’s drive. And that is why I am heartbroken today. You see, I stumbled across an article from CBS San Francisco about an adult man that died tragically -- trying to recover his laptop from thieves.
Basically, the victim was working on his laptop in a local Starbucks, which is something many people do every day. While using the computer in the coffee shop, a thief grabbed the laptop, ran outside, and got into a getaway car. This "grab and go" crime technique is pretty common, historically popular on subway cars.
The owner of the laptop did what most of us would do -- chase after the criminal in an effort to retrieve the stolen property. Unfortunately, this all turned tragic when the laptop owner jumped onto the fleeing vehicle. He was dragged and then thrown by the car. As a result, he was mortally wounded, dying later at the hospital. Thankfully for the public, two suspects have since been arrested.
A witness named Maria Chan provided the following account to CBS.
That young man just chased after him and got the car and hang on the door of the car. And suddenly the car just drive fast. And the young man’s body swing, towards the car parked on the side of the street
Now, I don't want to criticize the victim for his actions -- his adrenaline was likely pumping, which can alter decision-making. Not to mention, regardless of the value of the stolen property, no one wants to feel like a helpless victim. With all of that said, this person's life was, of course, more valuable than the stolen laptop. If he could magically do it all over again, I am sure he would just let the thieves take the computer without incident. Sigh. Rest in peace, sir.
The obvious takeaway from this tragedy is you should value yourself above your belongings -- especially mass-produced things like laptops. But also, it highlights how technology can put our lives at risk. For instance, people are dying by texting while driving. Even sadder, some folks are meeting their demise while taking selfies in dangerous locations (like cliffs or waterfalls). Yes, people are falling to their deaths by trying to take pictures for social media.
Do you think people need to better prioritize what is really important in life? Please tell me in the comments below.
Image credit: Natee Meepian / Shutterstock