I can't help but remember what happened to me last January 27, 2009. My whole bag was stolen from right under my nose at a fast food outlet in Greenhills. Later on, I would learn that the scenario was exactly the same as what a lot of other mothers have experienced.
I was feeding my son with my shoulder bag right beside me. When we finished, I turned to get it and it was GONE. I lost two cellphones, my iPod Touch, petty cash from the office amounting to P20,000 (I don't usually bring my iPod or carry that much cash with me so that must have been the thief's lucky day), and some SM GCs. I felt like I was going to faint, as if a rug were pulled out from under me. I suspect a woman took my bag as well, because it was a big ladies bag and it would have been glaringly obvious had a man suddenly walked out with it.
The screenshot above taken from a security camera’s video footage best illustrates what happened to me. No, that’s not me and that is not the fast food outlet where I got robbed. I just saw the video on Youtube and then captured a scene from it. My son and I were sitting beside each other and the thief must've gotten the bag while I was busy feeding him.
Anyhow, I went to the Greenhills Police Station near Theater Mall to report the incident. The policeman told me that a lot of bags get stolen from that particular place. An average of three complaints are filed every week, he said. He even showed me the blotter to prove it. They have allegedly advised the fast food outlet’s management to put warning signs, a security camera, and to brief the guards to be vigilant but it was still happening again and again. Their advice probably fell on deaf ears because there were no security cameras at the time and we were seated within the guard's full view. The staff member who escorted me to the police station told me that she herself had her bag stolen at the branch while she was on duty.
The only consolation I had with regards to the whole ordeal was that I got my IDs and keys back. G-Liner called me at the office the very next day to tell me that my bag had been abandoned inside their bus. My hubby and I promptly picked it up from their terminal. G-Liner was able to contact me via my company ID.
Seeing though as this happens to a lot of the people, I've decided to share my experience and hopefully impart a few lessons learned the hard way:
- When dining out, do not sit in a straight horizontal line. My son and I were beside each other. Had someone been seated in front of me or us, he/she would have seen the culprit getting my bag.
- Do not bring unnecessary items you're not prepared to lose. Do you really need to lug around that iPod while malling? After my experience, I've really cut down on the valuable items I put in my bag. I don't even bring much cash anymore, just P500 to P1,000 inside my wallet tops.
- Do not let your bag/valuables out of your sight. Put it on your lap if you have to. Uncomfortable as it may be, these days when I eat at a fast food joint I put my bag on my lap or keep it strapped to my shoulder the entire time.
- Be wary of your surroundings. The policeman told me that people who are out to steal your stuff, say in a fast food joint, will just stand around and loiter. They won't order or buy anything, they're just there to wait for an opportunity to steal. That said, observe the people around you.
- Memorize your credit card hotlines so you can cancel your cards in the event that they are stolen.
As you can see, mothers preoccupied with their kids are easy prey for these unscrupulous people. I'm just thankful that my son and I remained safe that day. Material things can after all be replaced eventually. Let's learn from each other's experiences and keep safe.
I don't think I'll ever go back to that particular fast food outlet though.