This past Saturday started out like any typical weekend day…but it ended unlike any day I’ve ever experienced in my life. I went from the relaxing comfort of spending the day with my wife and step-son, to the utter frustration and anger of wanting to wring someone’s neck. What happened? In three simple words…I GOT ROBBED!
Actually, that is where the simple part ends. What has happened since Saturday has left both my mind occupied with a potpourri of thoughts, as well as a busy schedule trying to get my family’s life back in order. This explains why my blogging has been somewhat erratic lately. I’ve been rather busy…so please bear with me.
Here’s the story.
My family spent the day on Saturday participating in geocaching (see earlier blog) as this is a fun way to enjoy an activity together at little or no expense. It was later in the afternoon and we decided to make one last stop at a city park. We pulled into a small parking lot off a frontage road which was just off from an interstate freeway. Everything looked rather safe…there were five other cars parked in the lot.
We went on our way into the city park via the paved trails and spent maybe 20 minutes out in the woods before returning to the car. As we were walking up a rather steep hill for the last 300 feet or so…I heard a noise…but didn’t think a whole lot more about it. Then about 30 seconds before we got back to the parking lot…I heard car tires go squealing off on a vehicle with a very loud muffler. Suddenly, my concern immediately deepened.
As we arrived at the trailhead I looked at my Ford Explorer and through the front window I could detect something was awry with the passenger side front window. I quickly ran to that side of the vehicle only to confirm my horror. The window was smashed and articles were stolen from my truck.
Initially it was obvious what the thieves were after…they wanted my XM Satellite Radio…and they got it…well, most of it anyway. But on this smash and grab that is not all they took. They also got my wife’s purse which was hidden down in the truck’s floorboards with a coat laid over it…but this find proved to be the real cache for the day, at least for these thieves.
Immediately the police were summoned and a report was written. I used my cell phone and began to cancel my wife’s cell phone (left in her purse)…but these thugs acted quickly. Within 7 minutes of the crime they had charged gas (with her credit card) only two miles from the scene. Within 30 minutes they had removed $200 from an ATM on that same credit card. Apparently in some other scam, which I don’t fully comprehend, they made a bogus ATM deposit and was somehow able to pull even more money from our account with this transaction. The bottom line was they had her purse with cash, checkbook, credit cards, identification…most everything important to her life…including her diabetic equipment and medications. And because we were just recently married…she was unfortunately still carrying her Social Security card as this has been used quite frequently to prove change of name, etc. Well, now the crooks had all the elements needed for identity theft as well as just simply robbing us of a few hundred dollars in cash.
I can hardly begin to tell you how this incident has changed my life on so many levels. No longer do I feel anything is secure in the world. The door may have been locked…but it took the thief less than 10 seconds to smash the window and permanently change our life by what they grabbed.
Of course, initially you go through a serious of emotions ranging from utter disbelief that it has happened…followed quickly by anger and frustration…to a sense of loss of security from the personal life intrusion. I also have replayed in my mind a hundred times how this scenario might have played out differently if we had arrived back at the parking lot one minute sooner. I’m convinced we either would have thwarted the attempt…or encountered them first-hand in the act.
Anyone who has read this blog knows I am a staunch believer in conceal carry and even though I have long had a permit I have chosen NOT to carry on my person. Not any more. This event has further reinforced in my mind why guns for personal protection are so vital and ought to be available for those who seek out the training and are willing to accept the responsibility. I guarantee you the next time I go out in the woods or anywhere with my family I will be packing.
In this incident, however, at least how it unraveled…carrying a gun would not have been of much consequence since I did not have the opportunity to actually confront or witness the individuals. But my young stepson walking 10 feet ahead of us was able to see the vehicle the perps were driving speed off to provide a description to police. We were that close to being part of the crime as it happened.
Here we were on a bright sunny afternoon day…in a very visible city park in Burnsville, MN…minding our own business for 20 minutes out on the trail. Who would have thought this was a high-crime locale. I know I sure didn’t suspect it. But since then I have learned that parking lots near trailheads (no matter where the trails are located—populated or unpopulated) are major targets for crime.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. When parking anywhere in the future I intend to observe the ground for fragments of glass. Glass, especially the rounded dull-edged safety glass, is a telltale sign that a car’s side window has been busted. If an act has happened in the past…it will more than likely end up happening again in the future.
2. Leave unnecessary valuables at home and don’t leave them visible in your vehicle. My XM Radio was nothing more than an invitation to break the glass and "grab me"…even though the radio service for that serial number has since been turned off permanently rendering the unit absolutely worthless.
3. If you must bring valuables with…either take them with you or stash them far out of sight (perhaps locked in a trunk).
4. When you exit the car and as you are walking away from it…observe to see if anyone is watching what you are doing from a distance.
5. And for Pete’s sake…go through your wallet and purse right now to remove all unnecessary credit cards, etc. that you do not use or that you should not be carrying. It’s a bad practice to think this situation is not going to happen to you personally.
6. Organize a list of the credit card telephone numbers and your bank phone numbers and then keep this list inside your vehicle’s owners manual hidden away. Then if a theft should occur (and you’re not at home) you have immediate access to cancel the cards and prevent fraud. As you could see in my example…the thieves knew the cards were valid when they left the scene and they also knew there was a short window of opportunity where they could accomplish their fraud…so they acted quickly knowing most people would have to drive home to find the phone numbers to place holds on the cards. By keeping these numbers handy you might be able to beat them to the punch and limit their purchases or withdrawals.
7. Remember, a locked car door is only a 2-second inconvenience to a thief. A locked car door only provides absolute security against honest, law-abiding citizens.
Aside from the loss of money, property and a feeling of a false sense of security by having doors locked…I hope some lessons can be learned by my misfortune. I began to think of all the times when I’ve been out bird hunting, etc. when supplies and extra guns are left in the truck and then you walk out-of-sight of your vehicle. The same situation could have happened then…and probably has happened to many sportsmen.
Indeed, this past Saturday I lost some faith in the people with whom I share this world. I also lost the naïve notion that this incident couldn’t happen to me…because it always happens to “someone else.” But what I mostly lost is a sense of trust that now not only has it happened a first time…but it will likely someday happen again. Next time…I WILL BE PREPARED and the thief will find he is no longer dealing with an unsuspecting rookie who can be freely looted without paying some consequences.
© 2005 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Without Prior Permission.
Filed under: Outdoor Potpourri
In comment to #7, with your reference to leaving a vehicle parked during hunting season with guns and misc. articles in it, this is somewhat different than where you were robbed.
First of all, a vast majority of these theives are not brave people, preferring to break a window and leave as quickly as possible to they don’t have to confront anyone.
With that same train of thought, most people trying to break into a vehicle and steal items, as above with lack of bravery, are not going to do this when, at any time, an ARMED potential victim may step from behing a tree or over a hill.
A few years ago, there were grants issued to Police Departments to catch these type of people using “bait cars” with tracking devices, etc. They were rigged so Officers could shut off a car if it was stolen and it would notify Officers if anyone tampered with the car. I don’t know if this program is still in effect, but it sounds like it should be.