Pickpocket – Oh No He Didn’t

February 26, 2013 by alwayscomeback 2 Comments

It started off as a great Tuesday morning. No rain (big for this week), meeting a lovely friend and her mom for breakfast then heading to the burbs for a playdate.

Little A wanted to take her puppet “Pegasus” in her little stroller over to the restaurant which is only a couple blocks from our house. Sounded like a good idea. I couldn’t resist a quick iphoto along the way of her with her mini stroller. So I dug my phone out of the “activity bag”.

Tuesday Stroll in the hood

After snapping this photo I dropped my iphone back into the activity bag’s side pouch. I have a big purple bag that I take with me to restaurants and on playdates. It is frustrating when a toddler who is bored and starts to misbehave while you wait for a meal to arrive. My activity bag is usually loaded with snacks, extra clothes for accidents along with various activities to keep her busy (play doe, paint by numbers, crayons, dice etc.). Today the activity bag also included her water bottle and a full lunch (sandwich, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, fishes) for the playdate later.

Here is the big activity bag, note the side pouch

It was 9am so Main and Broadway was busy with pedestrians late for work or heading to Tim Hortons for their morning coffee. We were happily waiting at the corner eager to see Aunti Robyn and her mom. I was a little more aware of my surroundings because it was our first time out with Little A’s stroller – it was another thing to be concerned with my hands full and wanting to safely manoeuvre across the street.

I bent down slightly and at the same time shifted my big bag to be more behind me on my shoulder. I felt something hit it. I turned to say sorry to the person I assumed I had wacked with my mega bag (trust me it is not light). I turned around to notice MY iphone going into the inside pocket of SOME DUDE’S coat!

hey that’s my phone – my brain screamed very quickly at me. GAH! my phone!

“HEY DUDE!!!- NICE TRY BUDDY!!!” I said to this stranger as I ripped the phone from his hand. It was pure instinct there was no thought involved.

I can’t believe I just reached into this jerks coat and grabbed my iphone back – Now it just cracks me up. But then all I could think of was quickly get my phone then turn back to my daughter and make sure she wasn’t rushing out onto Broadway (thank God she knows the little red hand means do not go).

The guy didn’t put up a fight at all, he kinda smirked at me and then walked away. Yep just walked away. I didn’t yell “help thief”, or “stop”. I wanted out of the situation, more importantly I wanted to get my daughter out of that situation right away. My heart was racing – its a busy street, so much bad could have happened, this man could have pushed me onto the road, or knocked over my daughter That scared me more.

I got her across the street safely and rushed to the restaurant, of course calling my husband right away to calm my nerves, that and a boozy coffee.

I have a vague description of the guy and probably won’t recognize him if he ever walks past me again. But when I grabbed my iphone from inside his jacket I did snap a photo – I find this funny but at the same time it unsettles my stomach

inside the suspect’s jacket

So I’ll NEVER drop my phone in the outside pouch where it is easy to scoop, and realized I have the fight instinct first, although it is quickly followed by flight instinct.

I do feel a bit like a superhero crime fighter, but I’d prefer to stay in my Peter Parker/Clark Kent uniform.