I Was Robbed & Yes, It Totally Sucks

On Monday morning, I took the kids to the doctor’s office.  Everett and Hazeline both had well visits, and after much begging on her part, I reluctantly agreed to take Greenleigh along for the ride.  After 2 hours at the doctors office I sincerely regretted that decision.  I was hungry.  I was tired.  I was more than ready to drop the kids off at school by the time we eventually pulled into the daycare parking lot.  After leaving them with their respective teachers, I just about skipped out of the daycare and right into my car.  I quickly texted my husband to check on his lunch plans before heading to Party City to pick up a birthday crown and ribbon for Greenleigh to wear to school the next day.

But for some last minute reason, I decided not to go to Party City.  I suddenly decided it was too far or I was too hungry or I just wanted to go home and rest…honestly, I don’t know what it was, but instead of going straight down the street, I made a U-turn.  It was around that time that I realized my gas light was on and I pulled into the nearest gas station.

I sat in the car for a minute waiting for my husband’s response to my lunch proposal before hitting the button to release my gas tank and exiting the vehicle, taking my bank card and phone with me.  I walked around my vehicle to the passenger side where the gas tank is located, paid with my bank card, filled my tank, and walked back to my driver side door…only to find that it was open.  Instantly I knew that I had been robbed.  After all, I’d seen stories like this on the news.

And now I was one of those stories.

Before you think that this could never happen to you – STOP.  Because if you had asked me the day before how someone could get in your vehicle while you’re standing right next to it (in my case, standing on the other side pumping gas) I would have told you it was impossible.  You’d feel the vehicle move as the door opened or you’d hear it unlatch or you’d see them through the glass or something…but I never saw anything or even suspected that anyone was close to my car, let alone in it.

Surveillance tapes later showed that as I was entering my zip code  on the credit card machine, the thieves pulled up next to me in a van, extended an arm, opened my door, reached all the way across my vehicle to the passenger side seat, and took my purse and the iPad (You know that iPad that I thought I was such a good mom to bring along to entertain the kids while we waited our turn in the doctors office?  Yeah, not so much.).  The cop said it happened so fast that even he had to rewind the tape a few times.  These thieves were pros and my tall SUV with tinted windows made me a prime target.

And as tempted as you may be to tell me the 80 different ways that you would have avoided this, you should know that I’m normally a very vigilant person.  Overly vigilant.  I know that the world isn’t a safe place.  I was raise not to trust anyone.  If there’s a safety feature, I use it.  I’m constantly locking my doors.  I use my home alarm every single day.  And I never leave valuables in my car…unless I’m pumping gas.  And one of the safety features on my very safety conscious vehicle is to lock the gas tank if you lock the doors of the car, so locking the car while pumping gas is pretty much out of the question.  Plus, even the most vigilant person has a day where they’re feeling off.  Or hungry.  Or tired.  And things we might always do, we suddenly forget.  We’re human, it happens.  Maybe not at a gas station, but this kinda stuff can – and does – happen anywhere.

So now, 3 days later, I’m scrambling to put my life back together.  You don’t realize all the stuff you carry in your purse until you lose it.  Entire accounts needed to be shut down, I needed a new license, new credit cards, new checks…the list goes on and on.  And as I go through all the steps to get things back in order, I find myself getting angrier and angrier with the person(s) who stole from me.  Because it was my kids that used that iPad 99% of the time, the money they stole was a baby gift I intended to use for Everett’s new jumper, and some of the gift cards in my purse were actually from Hazeline’s birthday party last month.  They stole from my kids more than anything else and that pisses me off.

But then, I stop and think that whoever did this must be in a really bad place.  Maybe they did it for the thrill or because they don’t want to work, but maybe they did it because they need to put food on their table or because they’re battling addiction of some kind or because they didn’t get hugged enough as a kid…I don’t know, but I almost feel bad for them.  Almost.  But then I go back to being pissed off and angry.  Only to get frustrated that law enforcement has essentially said that they aren’t going to purse this regardless of having the whole thing on tape, the vehicle make/model, and a partial tag (Yes, Broward Sheriff’s Office, I’m looking at you.  Thanks a ton.).  I wasn’t their first victim and I won’t be their last.  Hell, I might not have been their last target that day.

If you can take anything from my experience – anything at all – lock your doors (if you can) while you pump gas and keep your purse in the backseat.  Or better yet, take your purse with you while you pump gas.  And because it can happen to even the most vigilant person, perhaps it’s best not to stop on days where you’re able to be totally alert.

UPDATE: My purse was found yesterday in an empty lot about 5 miles from where it was taken and made it back to me through a very old birthday invitation in my purse.  The mom of the child on the birthday invitation went down and claimed the purse from the gentleman that found it and brought it into school (knowing she had only passed out those particular invitations at her son’s school).  My wallet was in it, but several things, including my license and another bank card, were missing.  Naturally, the cash, iPad, and gift cards were not there either.  Regardless, I’m happy to have my purse and wallet back!