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Apr. 22nd, 2002 03:31 pmIt's just stuff.
Worse things happen to people every day.
I was robbed. My wallet and cell phone were stolen. As far as I can figure out, it was a research subject I was interviewing. While I was talking to him, someone knocked on the door, and I got up to tell them not to disturb us for another 20-30 minutes. It took maybe 30 seconds - and it was the only time all morning that my purse was out of my sight.
Around noon, I reached into my purse for my cell phone and decided I must have accidentally left it on the charger. At 1:00, I went to lunch and found that I had no way to pay for it. No chance that I left my wallet on the charger last night. Stolen.
I filed a report with security. I cancelled my credit cards and my ATM card. I had my phone de-activated. I've asked the housekeeping staff to keep an eye out for my wallet in the trash. I've made up a sign offering a reward, no questions asked, for the return of my phone and my assorted ID cards.
It's no big deal, really. People get their stuff stolen every day. But I've been feeling shaky and awful all afternoon anyway. It's going to be a hassle replacing all my ID - my driver's license, my medical card, my library card, my video rental cards, my social security card, my voter's registration, my shooting range membership... I don't even know what all was there, not for certain. The bank cards were easy in comparison - three banks, three phone calls. But I'm upset beyond the level of hassle involved. It's my things. He stole from me. I paid him $10 for participating in our study, I was kind and sympathetic and understanding, and the whole time he had my wallet and my cell phone. Shit.
It's just stuff.
I couldn't get hold of Misha, so I called Ben. "Where are you! I'm coming down there." And he took me out of work and bought me lunch and reassured me. It helped a lot that he didn't think I'd messed up. (If the Muscovite-Los Angeleno-New Yorker doesn't think you were insufficiently street cautious, you weren't insufficiently street cautious.) People at the clinic were also very kind, offering advice and sympathy and secure places to store my purse in the future.
I get the feeling that the sole purpose of the security report is to give me something I can show my insurance company. They're not actually going to look for the guy, even though I gave them his name. I don't know what they'd do if they found him anyway. By now, he's gotten rid of my identifiable things, and the cash - including whatever he got for the phone - has probably already gone into his arm. It's not like I would get any satisfaction.
It's just stuff.
So why do I feel so bad?
UPDATE: Wallet turned up with ID intact. Cell phone is still missing. I'm really confused - I'll post more later.
Worse things happen to people every day.
I was robbed. My wallet and cell phone were stolen. As far as I can figure out, it was a research subject I was interviewing. While I was talking to him, someone knocked on the door, and I got up to tell them not to disturb us for another 20-30 minutes. It took maybe 30 seconds - and it was the only time all morning that my purse was out of my sight.
Around noon, I reached into my purse for my cell phone and decided I must have accidentally left it on the charger. At 1:00, I went to lunch and found that I had no way to pay for it. No chance that I left my wallet on the charger last night. Stolen.
I filed a report with security. I cancelled my credit cards and my ATM card. I had my phone de-activated. I've asked the housekeeping staff to keep an eye out for my wallet in the trash. I've made up a sign offering a reward, no questions asked, for the return of my phone and my assorted ID cards.
It's no big deal, really. People get their stuff stolen every day. But I've been feeling shaky and awful all afternoon anyway. It's going to be a hassle replacing all my ID - my driver's license, my medical card, my library card, my video rental cards, my social security card, my voter's registration, my shooting range membership... I don't even know what all was there, not for certain. The bank cards were easy in comparison - three banks, three phone calls. But I'm upset beyond the level of hassle involved. It's my things. He stole from me. I paid him $10 for participating in our study, I was kind and sympathetic and understanding, and the whole time he had my wallet and my cell phone. Shit.
It's just stuff.
I couldn't get hold of Misha, so I called Ben. "Where are you! I'm coming down there." And he took me out of work and bought me lunch and reassured me. It helped a lot that he didn't think I'd messed up. (If the Muscovite-Los Angeleno-New Yorker doesn't think you were insufficiently street cautious, you weren't insufficiently street cautious.) People at the clinic were also very kind, offering advice and sympathy and secure places to store my purse in the future.
I get the feeling that the sole purpose of the security report is to give me something I can show my insurance company. They're not actually going to look for the guy, even though I gave them his name. I don't know what they'd do if they found him anyway. By now, he's gotten rid of my identifiable things, and the cash - including whatever he got for the phone - has probably already gone into his arm. It's not like I would get any satisfaction.
It's just stuff.
So why do I feel so bad?
UPDATE: Wallet turned up with ID intact. Cell phone is still missing. I'm really confused - I'll post more later.
