Wednesday, September 9, 2009

My experience with snatch thieves

This is my first time ever getting my handbag snatched from me and I want to share my experience with all. Now, on hindsight (although I’m still in shock), there are some key takeaways I have learnt from this.

Yesterday evening, I went into the day-care’s compound like any other normal day to pick my girls up. I was alone at that time in the compound. As I opened my car door to get down, I heard a motorbike but did not think anything of it as one of the parents do come in a motorbike to pick his girl up. As I got down, I realised my front passenger door was opened and when I looked, I saw a guy in a helmet grabbed my handbag and started running towards the gate. That few seconds I was totally stunned and then I realised I became a victim of a snatch thief.

Without thinking properly, I ran after him and shouted. When I got out of the gate, there was another guy on the motorbike further down waiting. And while I was shouting at them, the guy that took my bag got on the bike (they did turn back to look at me and even smiled!) and sped away.In all that anxiety, I managed to remember the motorbike number plate, BJK 3242.


As I am writing this, I am so grateful that both the bikers are not armed and also they did not attack me. I am also grateful on the fact that no one from the day-care saw this especially the kids. I’m even more grateful that I was alone and that my girls were not with me. But I am mentally and emotionally scarred (I could not sleep peacefully at all last night and even my toddler could not sleep well because she could sense the fear in me although she did not witness the incident).

Just to add that in the last 3.5 years that I have been in and out of the day-care, I have always left my car running with whatever belongings left in the car in the day-care’s compound. I have taken this act for granted.

Key lessons learnt:

a) Sending and picking kids up, whether it’s at the day-care, school, extra classes, etc, we are easy targets for the snatch thieves as this is the time where we’re focused on the kids rather than our surroundings. DO NOT think that when you’re in the school’s or day care’s compound, you will be safe. These thieves are getting bolder by the day!

b) Same goes for handling kids at car park areas, please be extra alert!

c) Always look around you when you’re getting down from the car and the same goes for when you’re entering the car.

d) Please psycho yourself never ever to go chasing after the thieves. Seriously, I do not know what I was thinking when I chased after them on foot. It was on impulse and at that time, I was really angry and shocked. On hindsight now, this was a foolish thing to do. I am so grateful that they did not retaliate. It is okay to lose your belongings BUT not your LIFE!

Please be safe and alert always!

2 comments:

Annie Q said...

Times are bad, everywhere also no safe. Now most snatch thief are targeting mummy at school compound. My sons's kindy happen few casses already. Mummy park the car outside lock the door, the thief just break the car window and took away the handbag! That's why the teacher do advice us don't leave the bag in the car or be more alert.

There is one morning while i sending my boys to kindy, i park the car, i just walk down the car, i saw one motorbike ride towards me, give me a fright, i just about to open the back door, quickly i closed the door, my heart was pumping so fast, it's actually the rider turn to the wrong way, he want to make a U-Turn out, he must be thinking i'm crazy. See how everyone so "phobia" to see a motorbike ride near us!

Take care, hope you overcome the "fear" or "nightmare" soon. ((hug))

A Mom's Diary said...

Oh dear! Luckily they took the bag from your car, and not with the bag on you. It would have been even more traumatizing. I always lock my car and take my handbag down whenever I fetch YY from the babysitter, but I do leave my laptop in my car though coz can't take so many things (YY's bag and our dinner in a tiffin carrier, coz we cater from the babysitter as well) on the way out. But she always escort us to the car, just to be safe. And we are always on the alert for motorbikes, or even unfamiliar people around. I guess we just have to be extra careful to avoid becoming a victim.