Almost got robbed - blah!

Ever since stepping out of the corporate world (I think it's been, 4 months?) I have had yet ANOTHER slap across the face on facing reality. This time I've learnt, it's a cruel, cruel world out there. I have lots more to say on that topic, but cutting to the chase, let me share my yet another awful experience at the shop.

This time, I was at Times Square, alone.

A Middle Eastern guy came into the shop to browse some t-shirts. He looked pretty well off, was wearing a nice long sleeved button shirt, almost business man like. But then again, looks can be deceiving. The weird thing was, he kept panning the shop, concentrating most on the ceiling.

"Gee, he looks like he's looking for a CCTV" I thought to myself.

I couldn't be more correct, and my suspicions were proven awhile later.

He pulled a shirt off the rack, and said he wanted to buy it. BUT he only just landed in Malaysia, and had ONLY USD. He then opened his wallet, showing a nicely rubber-banded stack of $100 notes (which I suspect were fake). So then he asked whether if he could pay me $100, could I give him the balance in Ringgit?

I said no. And asked him to go to a money changer.

He then said he wanted to see what Malaysian money looked like (wtf?!)

Feeling even MORE suspicious, but decided not to be too paranoid, I pulled out RM10 out of my pouch, and held onto it tightly for him to examine. He asked to see a RM50 note, and I showed it to him, holding onto it tightly again. He then asked me to show him a NEW RM50 note, while tugging at the old one in my hand.

He found out the hard way I wasn't going to let go of it, and proceeded to stuff his hand into my pouch and grab the stack of cash inside. I was outraged! Who on Earth has the audacity to do such a thing??

He started speaking in Arabic to me, trying to point out some things on the RM50 note he "supposedly" wanted me to see. And while distracting me, carefully stuffed RM300 from my stack into his pocket.

But not quick enough. I noticed, and since I was in a shopping mall, I wasn't afraid this time.

I pointed at his pocket and demanded loudly, "Give me back my money".

Luckily, he gave it back, and insisted he wanted only to exchange his USD with me. I asked him yet again to go to a money changer.

Apologizing profusely, he left.

I wonder how many other people he scammed. 3 things this time, tripped the alarm bells in my head:

1. Who checks out the damn ceiling in a shop?
2. If he JUST landed in Malaysia with no Ringgit, how on Earth did he end up in Times Square? Fly there? As far as I remember, technology here isn't that advanced that taxi cabs can accept credit cards.
3. A foreigner that has NEVER seen Malaysian money before, knows that there's a new RM50 note out. Wow, way to go, you psychic or something?

I was lucky this time, that I got my money back. And this lesson made me realize that I need to take more precautionary measures to prevent this and other unwanted things from happening in the future. For all small boutique owners out there, PLEASE take note and learn from my lesson.

Theft in our store - left me traumatised.

*Warning, long ass rant ahead*

Ok, I'm now going to relate to anyone who would listen, exactly what happened yesterday which has haunted me vividly until now. (Plus, writing is very therapeutic so yay for me!)

Two guys from Sabah, Malaysia came up to the shop.



A mish-mash of pictures. The shop doesn't look like this now, layout has changed.

Coincidentally, Gwee had to run off to the post office. It's Puasa month; they close at 5pm. So these two guys looked around, and one of them passed me two tee shirts - he wanted to buy them and paid on the spot and said,"I'll look around some more, but give me a big plastic bag. I'm going back hometown tomorrow and I want to carry clothes".

That was warning bell number one.

So I did. He went around and picked up another t-shirt, and this time paid too much for it. He asked me to keep the change first, as he'll pick out another shirt. He finally did so, but asked for me to put this last shirt in a different bag - it was for his friend. He took the big bag and proceeded to browse.

He then went behind a rack where he knew I couldn't see him from where I was and proceeded to open the plastic bag (rustling sounds, can tell) and supposedly "count off" how many shirts he had bought.

Warning bell number two.

I quickly rushed over to him, and found an empty hanger on the rack with "RM330" printed on it. I wasn't too sure what to do, and to make matters worse, a couple of his other friends came up at that time. I was sooo itching and dying to say "Let me look in your bag, I know you took my hoodie". But because I was worried about losing more than the hoodie (Maybe they would get violent? Rob me? Run away? I don't know but I didn't think at THAT time it was worth the risk), I didn't confront the idiot. A slight distraction by his friends asking about other clothes was enough for the guy to slip the empty hanger off the rack, pretending it wasn't there in the first place.

But it was too late. I knew he stole my hoodie.

They left. I contemplated chasing after them, confronting them in public to avoid any probable bodily harm, but I was in shock. I was still unsure of what tot do. And because of that shock, it prevented me from preventing a theft. I don't know whether it was out of self-preservation, or stupidity that I had let them get away with it.

I was alone in a 2nd floor shoplot with no one occupying the floors below, and workers occupying the floor above. I was alone, with 3-4 guys who were taller, and stronger than me. I did what I thought best at that time.

But that wasn't enough...I could have prevented it.

I will never stop hating myself for that, and I doubt I ever could. Gwee reassures me that the theft wasn't too big and at least I wasn't hurt, so that's alright. It doesn't, however, stop the deep, fiery rage that is slowly, but surely building deep inside of me. My dreams are filled with violence; my fury so blinding that I am only satisfied when these guys get their well-deserved retribution.

I understand there are several stages you go through when you have experienced something like this ie. trauma, but it looks like acceptance will be something I will never achieve. I am still distraught, and to be honest, I know this is a small and petty thing, but I WANT to see those guys get what they deserve, and I will stop at NOTHING to prove to them that they shouldn't have messed with me...