Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

ratbastid · 07-27-2004, 11:08 AM

This weekend I was in Atlanta for a training weekend. A handful of us went to lunch at a Malaysian restaurant nearby, which was delicious and as far as that goes, I recommend it. We headed back over to the center where the weekend was being held, opened up the back of the rented van we were in, and... the bags we'd put back there weren't there.

At first it was like a magic trick, you know? The pea wasn't under the shell, and we were like, "How'd that happen? Where'd they go?" And then it dawned on us that they'd been stolen.

And the five of us stood there and looked at the empty back of the van. As if maybe if we just stood there and looked long enough, the bags will somehow just materialize there. Like one of us is going to finally say, "Oh, look. There they are!" I've seen people stare like that at a flat tire, or a car wheel that's stuck down in a ditch, as if the power of their gaze might be able to levitate the car up out of that darned ditch... It's the final expression of complete powerlessness.

I pointed this out, after a few minutes of staring, and we all sort of blinked, and somebody shut the hatch of the van. It was then that we noticed that the lock had obviously been forced--the key hole was bent and twisted.

There were three bags taken, total. Two of them, including mine, had laptop computers in them.

I also lost... My palm pilot, my binder full of materials for the weekend, a blue Starbucks coffee mug, a pack of rechargeable AA batteries, a pack of gum... I know this inventory because at some point Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, I reached for one or more of those things and went... "Damn." I spent the rest of the weekend keeping my calendar and notes on a stupid little 3" by 5" pad of white paper.

Once we all sort of got our head around the fact that our bags had been stolen and we'd called the police, my buddy who also lost a laptop got all hot to go back to the restaurant and ask around... or look around... or.. just stand there... I wasn't real clear what he had in mind, frankly, so I didn't go. I was pretty sure that whoever had our stuff had an ample head-start on us, and that anything not immediately hockable was in a dumpster somewhere not far from where we had been parked. They met the police over there and made a report, and gave the officer my info. He's supposed to contact me soon.

Yesterday I had a conversation with my friendly neighborhood Claims Adjuster who took my information and promised paperwork was on its way. I have every expectation that my homeowners insurance will come through for me and I'll be back in the laptop-and-palm-pilot game. But it likely won't be for 30 days or so. In the meantime, I'm deskbound.

Okay, so take my mind off it! What's your "being stolen from" story?

07-27-2004, 11:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Thieeeves!!! This weekend I was in Atlanta for a training weekend. A handful of us went to lunch at a Malaysian restaurant nearby, which was delicious and as far as that goes, I recommend it. We headed back over to the center where the weekend was being held, opened up the back of the rented van we were in, and... the bags we'd put back there weren't there. At first it was like a magic trick, you know? The pea wasn't under the shell, and we were like, "How'd that happen? Where'd they go?" And then it dawned on us that they'd been stolen. And the five of us stood there and looked at the empty back of the van. As if maybe if we just stood there and looked long enough, the bags will somehow just materialize there. Like one of us is going to finally say, "Oh, look. There they are!" I've seen people stare like that at a flat tire, or a car wheel that's stuck down in a ditch, as if the power of their gaze might be able to levitate the car up out of that darned ditch... It's the final expression of complete powerlessness. I pointed this out, after a few minutes of staring, and we all sort of blinked, and somebody shut the hatch of the van. It was then that we noticed that the lock had obviously been forced--the key hole was bent and twisted. There were three bags taken, total. Two of them, including mine, had laptop computers in them. I also lost... My palm pilot, my binder full of materials for the weekend, a blue Starbucks coffee mug, a pack of rechargeable AA batteries, a pack of gum... I know this inventory because at some point Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, I reached for one or more of those things and went... "Damn." I spent the rest of the weekend keeping my calendar and notes on a stupid little 3" by 5" pad of white paper. Once we all sort of got our head around the fact that our bags had been stolen and we'd called the police, my buddy who also lost a laptop got all hot to go back to the restaurant and ask around... or look around... or.. just stand there... I wasn't real clear what he had in mind, frankly, so I didn't go. I was pretty sure that whoever had our stuff had an ample head-start on us, and that anything not immediately hockable was in a dumpster somewhere not far from where we had been parked. They met the police over there and made a report, and gave the officer my info. He's supposed to contact me soon. Yesterday I had a conversation with my friendly neighborhood Claims Adjuster who took my information and promised paperwork was on its way. I have every expectation that my homeowners insurance will come through for me and I'll be back in the laptop-and-palm-pilot game. But it likely won't be for 30 days or so. In the meantime, I'm deskbound. Okay, so take my mind off it! What's your "being stolen from" story?