2007-06-11
Karmic asskicking?
About two weeks ago, a friend of mine at work had her wallet stolen. She was outside, tending to her infant granddaughter, and wasn't paying attention to her bag. Within a day or so, two different people in two different states tried to cash checks in her name. Somebody else applied for a Home Depot charge card under her name. It was swift and damn near terrifying. Her chats with the detective assigned to her case yielded the disturbing information that there's a whole....racket....in and around the neighborhood where we work.
Fast forward to today. My bag was on the chair next to my desk. In the five or so minutes that I left my desk to make copies, someone wandered in off the street, went through my bag, and took my wallet. I know this because three different coworkers confirmed that there were a couple of "dubious-looking" people hanging around outside. Another coworker encountered one of said characters IN THE OFFICE, and escorted him out. Unfortunately, he had gotten my wallet at that point.
I've run the gamut of emotions over this. Fortunately I had just enough sense to make the appropriate phone calls before the lone, gossamer thread of sanity snapped and I completely lost my shit at my desk. Fortunately, too, I had recently done an inventory of my wallet's contents, and knew what was in there.
I do not, as a rule, carry credit cards, checks, or anything with my Social Security number. All of that stuff resides in a little black DayRunner in my desk at home. I usually don't carry my ATM card with me, either; I had it in my wallet today because it was Monday and that's when I take out whatever cash I need for the week (for lunches, coffee, newspapers and such), and I hadn't even had a chance to do that. I had a grand total of 2 dollars.
The first call I made was to my bank to freeze my checking account and deactivate the card. Massachusetts licenses and ID cards, by law, cannot contain one's Social Security number. My replacement is on its way. The payroll department here at work deactivated my MBTA pass, so the thief can't even score a free ride. My replacement health insurance card is being mailed to me. My library card and YMCA ID I can take care of later this week. It's a fucking nuisance, to be sure, but all told it could've been a LOT worse.
But there were some things that I can't simply fill out a form and get replacements for. My nieces' class pictures. Funeral cards. Little notes that friends have sent me. I sit here and wonder what's going through this person's mind as he ducks into some alley or shitty little room and rifles through my wallet's contents. My wallet contained nothing of any use. It's small comfort. Nobody's going to try and get a $10,000 line of credit in my name, but I'm not going to get those notes back, either. Perhaps it's best not to get attached to such things, but I'm a sentimental beastie by nature, and packrattery is one of my lesser vices.
My advice to you: go through your wallet. Make a list of what's in there. Make photocopies of it all if you so desire. Do this regularly. There is absolutely NO NEED to carry every single bit of identification you own. Ditto credit cards. And don't leave your stuff out, even if it's IN YOUR OFFICE.
So I'm going to watch "Hell's Kitchen" tonight and try not to obsess over what I might've done to invite this bit of bad karma. Stupid cat pictures welcome.
lisamcc at 7:25 p.m.
3 comments so far
buzzgirl
2007-06-11 21:46:49
That is so, so crappy. Sorry this happened to you. The fact that someone came into your office is so...violating. I was pickpocketed once here on the bus, but I got away easy. They got $20 in cash and charged $60 in transit tickets (which I got back from the bank) before I could cancel the credit card. In fact, some anonymous Samaritan mailed my wallet back to me with everything but the money and credit cards. The taking inventory/making photocopies advice is great.
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Toddlington
2007-06-11 23:49:44
Fucking peasants. Sounds like you've got an infestation. Someone should spray.
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vikkitikkitavi
2007-06-12 13:18:21
Sorry about your wallet, baby. Want to see some vid of my sister's new kitteh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiKhqtEwRLI&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etwomins%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F
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