BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

A scary thing happened to me yesterday! I had been grocery shopping, and when I headed to my car, I noticed my van door was open. At quick glance, I thought perhaps it wasn’t my van, and then when I saw the baseball dings from way too many baseball games… I knew I had the right van. My driver’s door and side door were flung open and a man was sitting in the driver’s seat.

Now here is where I must caution you… DO NOT approach your car, the car you think you have locked, and proceed to tell the perpetrator to “Get out of YOUR car!” I worked in television news and covered way too many horror stories… for way too many years NOT to know that this isn’t the brightest of ideas! He could have a gun, he could have a taser, he could just be big and mean… DO NOT approach – just call 9-1-1. Of course, that is NOT what I did. I pushed my little buggy right up to my car and said, “GET OUT OF MY CAR!” The guy seemed disoriented; he seemed confused and began to argue with me about the van being his. After several more loud orders for him to get out of my car, he stood up and began to back off. That is when I found the wine bottles in the front of my van… case in point… if you find a drunk, stoned or whatever person in YOUR CAR… call 9-1-1, but me… NO… I started handing him his wine that he left on my front seat and continued to yell for him to get away! He then asked if he could help me with my groceries… CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I still wasn’t frightened (I don’t know why), and began to put my groceries in my van. NEXT WRONG MOVE??? I turned away from him, and that is when he shoved me toward my seat and said, “GET IN!”

Okay, at that point… the point of the shove, I became scared and ran into the parking lot (remember it was broad daylight) screaming for someone to help me. As the perpetrator sauntered through the complex, a Good Samaritan kept an eye on where the perp was going, and I rushed into the grocery store for help. That was when 9-1-1 was called… REMEMBER, IF THIS EVER HAPPENS TO YOU… DO IT EARLIER… DON’T TAKE ANY CHANCES… The cops caught the guy but not before he robbed a restaurant nearby. The perpetrator I was told is an habitual criminal and has served time in prison.

MORAL OF THE STORY (besides my stupidity)… Be aware of your surroundings and don’t hesitate to call for help. I was very lucky, not even a bruise … but I’m pretty upset that the idiot trashed my car, helped himself to my granola bars and wasabi almonds… and what was I thinking handing him the wine… I should have kept it!

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