I’ve been scolded in the past for walking around Petworth in cowboy boots and a short skirt. But I bet my outfits are less criminogenic than iPods. Via the Legal Times blog, a recent Urban Institute study blames the recent spike in robberies on our obsession with maintaining a constant personal soundtrack. iPods cause crime because they’re easy to spot, can be re-sold for a bundle and they have the extra effect of distracting their owners, who stop paying attention to potential threats. My boots might distract the criminals, but they don’t distract me.