I witnessed a robbery today. I was standing outside Marks & Spencer* and watched two dodgy-looking men walk in the door, snatch an armful of jumpers** and run out again. I stared at them open-mouthed as they did it and then ran inside and told one of the staff I’d just seen seen men nicking some jumpers. She ran out after them and I pointed at the alley I saw them disappear down, but by the time she’d got there they were speeding off in their pre-parked van.
It was all terribly dramatic.
I gave them descriptions of the men - “Around thirty years old, about 6 foot tall, one was wearing a baseball cap and had gappy teeth and a red t-shirt” - and left them my name and address. Apparently one of the security guards recognised the description. Hopefully they got them on camera. I was just astounded at how brazen they were, particularly as I was obviously standing there staring at them open-mouthed.
It wasn’t at all frightening. It’s not like they would have guns. It was just two blokes nicking some merchandise, probably to sell on a market stall. But still, it added a bit of variety to my day.
An up-market department store.
** AKA sweaters. Not whatever “jumpers” are in the US. Here they are sweaters.
I saw a car get broken into many years ago. I was waiting for a bus when, a couple of dozen yards up the street, I saw a teenage boy check out a parked car, then pick up one leg and smash his foot into the passenger-side window. He knew I was there, but went calmly about his business, kicking until the window broke, then opening the door and rummaging in the car.
I ran into a nearby karate school, told the two people there what was happening, and asked them to call the police. One did so, while the other, a husky young man, came back out with me. We watched in disbelief for a couple of seconds as the brazen daylight thief continued his rummaging, then the karate guy started after the kid, who took one look and bolted off down the street, the karate guy in hot pursuit.
A few minutes later, a police cruiser came by and I flagged it down. It hadn’t gotten the call, but took off in the direction of the chaser/chasee. I gave my contact info to the other karate school person and caught my bus home.
Got a call later that evening from the Revere police, letting me know that the kid had been caught and asking for my description of what had happened. The cop told me I’d make a great witness, but I never got called to testify – probably the kid pleaded to a lesser charge.
I witnessed a robbery when I was about 5. The guy actually had a kercheif around his neck and was running away.
While I reported it (okay, my mom reported that I had seen it) to the authorities, I was not needed as a witness because the very same guy had robbed the very same store the week before.
I witnessed an armed robbery I guess, it was very surreal, cops with drawn guns inching towards the store, me stuck in traffic in front of the store where a man is by the door, and I’m thinking oh great Im in the line of fire. I sort of felt like I was in an episode of COPs, my passenger was not as excited by what was happening so we had to get out of there as quickly as possible. This was in Morgan Hill, CA.
I think I’ve seen two grab and run’s in Toronto, once where a man was yelling stop him, he took my bike. Another time this guy was running down and cops behind him on a foot chase. I almost felt like tripping the guy running, but I’m too small for that.
Once I was waiting in a mall for my ride to come for me. I was standing right outside a drug store and a little old man in a motorized wheelchair came out of the store. A few minutes later an employee from the store came out and said to him “Sir, you have to pay for that!”, and gesturing to whatever he had in his lap. Then he started to drive away, so she tried to grab whatever it was, but he blocked her hand and was out the door. A few seconds later 2 security guys came tearing down the hall and out the door trying to catch him. It was actually quite funny to see all the hassle for this one little old man on a cart.
In 2001 I went to Ozzfest in Atlanta and after the concert my sister and I were walking to her car and I saw like four guys robbing a guy they had obviously beat the crap out of. I caught part of a conversation when one of the robbers said to the guy being robbed “Well you should’nt of hit me then motherfucker.”
Yeah we kept walking it was freaky
I saw this one guy steal a 50 pound bag of Dog Chow from a store. At least he tried. He was a skinny guy and just carrying the 50 pounds was buckling his knees. He stood there in the check-outs and then made a break for the door. Security was ready for him because half a dozen guys and a couple of girls went streaming out into the parking lot after him. We went through the check-outs and then to our car and saw the dogpile out in the parking lot being broken up. There were a lot of people on top of the skinny guy with the hot dog food.
I hope there was someone around to take care of his dog.
It’s concerned citizens like you that make me proud to be an American. :rolleyes:
Years ago, my husband was eating lunch outside at a little cafe when someone yelled “Stop him, he stole my purse” and a teenager ran by.
Being the kind of guy he is, Mr. 'Zania took off after the kid and finally cornered him in an alley where the kid dropped the purse and scooted under a fence.
What he remembers as being especially weird is the number of people that shouted “He went that way…” but never tried to do anything to stop him themselves.
This was not a big badass armed robber-this was a skinny 16 year.
There was a study done once, and I’m sorry I have no cite, that the number of witnesses to a crime determines what the bystander’s actions will be. If there are a lot of witnesses, it is less likely that someone will step foward-maybe under the assumption that someone else will do something. On the other hand, if there are only one or two witnesses there will be more of a “I guess it’s up to me” sense of duty on their part and a greater willingness to intercede on behalf of the victim.
I was very close to a murder once. I was on jury duty at the L.A. County Courthouse around the time of the O.J. Simpson trial (which was being held at the the other courthouse a few blocks away). There is a large jury pool room with one wall made of glass. Through the glass, half of the room looks out onto a breezeway and patio area, and the other half looks into a corridor. There were at least a hundred people in the room. Maybe 200.
As I sat there being bored, I heard a “POP!” from down the hall. “Funny,” I thought, “That sounded like a handgun!” “POP! POP!POP!” “That was definitely a handgun. Hm. Sounds like a small calibre. 9mm or a .38.” At this stage, people started screaming and running around.
I thought, “Gee, I wish I had my Beretta with me. I’d hate to be unable to defend myself if someone runs in here and starts shooting. Well, never mind. The chances of someone doing that are slim. There are plenty of sheriff’s dputies around, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Then I noticed that I was practically the only one who hadn’t dived for cover. “Well, I guess I make a good target if someone did want to run in here with a gun. Maybe I should get down beside this bench.” And I did. After about ten seconds I though, “This is silly. And uncomfortable. No one is goig to to start shooting in here.” I got up and sat back down on the bench.
A friend of mine later told me that analyzing the situation and making the decisions I did is a sign of mental illness.
So here’s what happened: There was a rather ugly divorce going on. The man lost his car, so when the parties emerged into the hallway the man pulled out a gun and killed his ex-wife (in front of their nine-year-old daughter). Must’ve been a helll of a car. :rolleyes: After that shooting, metal detectors were installed on the doors of the County Courthouse and access was limited. (Strict security was already in place at the other court building – to the extent that you could not even carry a pair of fingernail clippers if they had a nail cleaner on them.)
I used to hear gunshots very frequently near the apartment that I so recently vacated. One guy was shot at right out front, and the landlords erected a security fence after that. Then the Crips and the Bloods made their famous truce, and the shooting virtually stopped. I’d heard gunfire several blocks away as recently as a couple of years ago, but the area has become much better. There are nicer apartments replacing the run-down ones and single-family homes. The street is in better condition. The area actually looks “charming” now. Downtown Culver City (about a half mile or so away) has been revitalized. It’s a nicer area to live in now. And the rents have gone up about 60% since I moved there in the '80s.
As to the OP, I’ve been in an armed robbery. Pretty interesting when you are in the basement on your knees facing a wall execution style with a glock to your head. I’ve been mugged a few times, and even shot at one time. Luckily they had bad aim.
World Eater
What are you objecting to-the fact that my husband rescued some one’s purse or the fact that no one intervened?
Or is it ok to steal as long as you’re young and underweight?
Or do you approve of the fact that ** pool ** walked passed some one being robbered and beaten and the best he/she could do is mutter “freaky” and keep going without at least attempting to get help?
I’m really interested in your clarification 'cause to me it just seems that you’re being snarky because I teased you in the Pit last week.
yeah I walked by cause I was like 16 at the time, and there were like five guys who must have been in their late twenties, and oh yeah I almost forgot fuck you
