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Date:         Sun, 8 Nov 1992 19:42:22 -0600
From:         Nancy Harwood <harwood@TENET.EDU>
Subject:      WHTMITKS
Comments: To: English Language Discussion Group <WORDS-L@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Comments: cc: Multiple recipients of list WORDS-L <WORDS-L@uga.cc.uga.edu>

Okay, so this is not going to be a great adventure story like Gilbert's
visit to Quintana Roo or a literary masterpiece like Anne's trip to New
York...it's just What Happened to Me in the Kroger Store (subtitled how
*not* to spend the weekend).

Yesterday afternoon my daughter Kathryn and I were on our way home from
shopping. Because we were tired, we stopped at a Kroger supermarket about three
miles from our house because it was on the right side of the road and
less trouble than going on to the Randall's where we usually shop. This
Kroger store was not in a *bad* neighborhood, but it *is* on a main
thoroughfare with easy access from several fairly high crime areas.

I was pushing the basket through the store with my purse (yes, it *was*
unzipped, and no, don't give me the lecture, my husband already has) in
the child carrier part of the basket, and Kathryn was walking behind me
because the aisles were crowded.  When we reached the end of about
the fourth aisle, at the back of the store, I leaned down to pick
something up off a bottom shelf.  We turned back up the next aisle, toward
the front part of the store.  About halfway up the aisle, after we had
threaded our way through the shoppers, Kathryn caught up with me and said,
"Mom, somebody took your billfold." !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I looked, and she was right...my billfold was gone.  Kathryn said that
when I bent over to take something after that bottom shelf, a man who had
been walking down the aisle behind us came up quickly beside the basket,
grabbed my billfold, and walked on.  It took her a few moments to realize
what she had seen, and then there was the delay while she caught up with
me in the crowded aisle.  Of course, you've guessed it, the man was long
gone.  Kathryn was able to give the store manager a description, and he
checked with the sackers and checkers...apparently a man of that
description left the store very hurriedly just before we reached the
customer service desk to report the theft.  He was dressed in a white
shirt, black tie, black pants, shoes and socks...the attire of the sackers
and checkers except for their identifying vests and aprons.

We waited to fill out a police report...only had to wait about 15 minutes,
which is very good for Houston...the Harris County Sheriff's Department
has a faster response record than HPD.  No comfort to be obtained from the
deputy, of course...both he and the manager said that most of these people
(apparently this store has *lots* of similar occurrences) are only looking
for cash, and will discard the wallet with credit cards, etc.
intact...while we were waiting, another wallet was found in the restroom
trash basket...no cash remaining, but credit cards still there.  (If he
was looking for cash in *billfold*, the guy was sadly disappointed...think
I had three pennies in the change pocket.)

So, here I am, with no driver's license, no credit cards (my husband is
ecstatic!), no social security card, about 10 checks missing...what is
particularly annoying is that it was only the second time in the 20 years
we have lived in Houston that I had even *entered* that store!

Depressing stuff I learned from this dismal experience:
1.  The big purse does not go to the store with me any more (the deputy said
they are advising women NOT to take their regular purses out grocery
shopping...just a checkbook and credit card for ID.)
2.  Cancelling credit cards is a BIG pain...especially when the
24-hour-hotline number only works on weekdays.
3.  Figuring out the last check used when you don't have the check
register is not easy.
4.  People who take their eyes off their property for even a few seconds
are looking for trouble.
5.  I feel even less safe in this town than I did before (the deputy said
it was probably a good thing that Kathryn had not yelled when she saw the
man take my billfold...said it used to be that people just took your
money...now most of the thieves want to hurt as well).

The one good thing that resulted:
I saw that Kathryn, who, as most of you know, is mildly mentally retarded,
could not only keep her head in a situation like this, but could give a
description that was clear and concise and handle her part of the
interview with the deputy without help from me.

So, anyway, that's what happened to me in the Kroger store...there won't
be a sequel, because I wouldn't go back there on a bet!
ndh (sadder, wiser, and MAD!)