I Feel Violated

fyffer · Post by **fyffer** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:12 pm

I'm in Washington, D.C. with the fam, on a well deserved, much needed vacation. We had just completed our second day of sight-seeing, which included a great deal of walking on over-tired dogs. When we returned today, we just wanted to eat dinner, get into our car, and leave the hotel, headed for our next desination, which happens to be Philadephia. We got back to the hotel (where we had already checked out), returned our day's worth of shopping and wife's purse to the car, and headed to the hotel restaurant for a nice dinner before the 2 1/2 hour drive to Philly.

When we returned to the car, ready to go, we found the driver's window smashed, and my wife's purse gone. Purse contents included: about $300 in cash, plus some checks made out to my wife (she is self-employed), credit cards, checkbook, equity line checkbook, kids social security cards, wife's keys. Oddly enough, what remained in the car were my briefcase with this laptop in it, the kids DVD player system, all our luggage, and the actual stuff we bought shopping.

Now we're stuck another night in DC, getting the window fixed tomorrow AM, and have to cancel all the credit cards. Luckily one credit card wasn't in her purse, and I have that one that we can use for everything else for the rest of our trip (if we even continue the trip - we may just go home).

This just totally sucks.

Your sympathy and other "life sucks" stories may now follow.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:27 pm

I'm sorry. But, on the bright side(if there is one) everything lost is replaceable.

My daughter's father-in-law is in his early seventies and lives in Baltimore. Last week he saw someone breaking into his car and went to stop it. Big mistake. He and his friend both got beat up pretty badly and were lucky not to have been stabbed by the screwdriver one robber was wielding.

Moral of story - it's just stuff. (but I'd still feel like you and my trip would be ruined)

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:30 pm

Well, I don't have any story but you certainly do have my sympathy. What a terrible thing to happen! I hope you can get all the tedious repairs and cancellations done easily and then you can start getting over it and I hope things will seem good again before too long. Honestly, I am just really glad that no one in your family was hurt, that you were all in the restaurant when it happened.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:33 pm

Man, those Washington polticians will rob ya blind.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:41 pm

That sucks!

I hope everything gets worked out soon...

hyldemoer · Post by **hyldemoer** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:43 pm

cowtime wrote: it's just stuff

That is a good mantra to keep in mind when this sort of thing happens, and it does happen.

I don't know very many people here in Chicago who haven't had their car broken into.
Usually the stuff stolen includes stuff so silly its got to be kids doing it, things like packs of gum or magazines in addition to the Ipod or mandolin.
My husband demands I put everything out of sight in the trunk.
That might work if they're not watching you put it in the trunk.

Here's hoping the rest of your vacation gets back to more like what you planned it to be.

fyffer · Post by **fyffer** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:44 pm

According to the officer who took our report, Arlington, VA is the "smash and grab" capitol of the world.

Perhaps it was hyperbole, but when it happens to you, it's the worst in the world.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:21 pm

Sorry to hear it. Hope whoever did it gets caught and convicted, and hope you don't have any more such adventures. I know how much it hurts. As someone else said, at least all that is gone is replaceable.

harpmaker · Post by **harpmaker** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:06 am

Back in the 70's I had one attempted car theft and I caught the dude in the act. He was lying on his back on the front floor of my car trying to get the CB out. I came up, grabbed his ankles and yanked him out of the car. A passing cop saw me flinging this guy around, bouncing him off the ground like a rag doll.

I got lucky..the cop just told me to get in my car and go, he'd take care of it. Nowadays I would probably be sued for assault.

Just be glad it was just stuff and not your lives that got taken. When you get home you might want to take some measures to cover yourself against idendity theft.

missy · Post by **missy** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 4:48 am

seconding what harp said - they have SSN now. Check with the big "credit" companies occasionally to make sure someone isn't trying to use those illegally. I think most will let you have one check free per year.

Nate had his radio stolen from his truck. Twice. The only other thing that was taken both times was his 6 cell Maglight. I thought that was weird and brought it up to a police officer and he showed me why. Thugs are making guns out of Maglights!!!

The latest "craze" around here is having your catalitic (sp?) converter cut off. Seems like too much work for the return to me (I have no idea what the metal in that is worth).

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 4:50 am

You left easily removable stuff visible in the car?

I'm sorry you had stuff stolen, but wasn't that a bit naieve?

The lesson here is, lock it in the trunk, or carry it with you.

In London, we have very visible notices reminding people not to make life easy for thieves by leaving stuff visible in the car - including these days their SATNAV system.

In sympathy, I had my car broken into, twice, while it sat on the street outside my house, over the years. Happily for me, nothing was taken expect a poor car radio. I no longer keep a car, so I no longer have the daily fear of it being broken into or otherwise damaged.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:13 am

Yeah Martin, I'm glad you said it...not me. I imagine that the don't-leave-the-purse (or other stuff)-visible-in-the-car lesson has been assimilated now, the hard way.
You do feel violated.
It's crappy.
D.C. is not known as a crime free place. Living nearby, I partake of its pleasures often enough to be familiar with its less nice aspects, and I often think it ironic that the nation's capital has such seamy edges.
But it's not the only crime-happy city, for sure.

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:30 am

hyldemoer wrote: Usually the stuff stolen includes stuff so silly its got to be kids doing it, things like packs of gum or magazines in addition to the Ipod or mandolin.

I had a minidisc player stolen from my jacket once at a rehearsal and what annoyed me most was that they also stole my cigarettes.

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:15 am

emm wrote:

But it's not the only crime-happy city, for sure.

*******************************************

cowtime wrote:

My daughter's father-in-law is in his early seventies and lives in Baltimore. Last week he saw someone breaking into his car and went to stop it. Big mistake. He and his friend both got beat up pretty badly and were lucky not to have been stabbed by the screwdriver one robber was wielding.

*******************************************

Holy crapp, some days it just seems like the best plan is to stay home!

Agree with the identity theft possibility (make that "probability"). My sister had that happen to her, what a mess!

Again, lucky you weren't hurt, "stuff" is certainly replaceable, and your family is o.k.

M

doogieman · Post by **doogieman** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:48 am

fyffer - My house was burglarized last summer and a long list of stuff was taken.
All I can say is that some perspective will come with time. Yeah, we all know......... it's just stuff, but just after one of these it's hard to not be really p*ssed*ff. Gradually as you look at your loved ones and know they're OK and you're together, you'll know things are going to be all right.

Deep Breath, Onward and Upward