In view of the current dire economic situation, folks have gotten desperate. REALLY desperate. Petty crimes are on the rise daily. Some we read about in the papers, hear on the news and sometimes, even witness it as it unfolds right in front of us.
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I was driving home from gym one evening this week when I witnessed a snatch theft. Taking my usual route home, I turned off from Kelawai Road into College Square (the square of houses surrounding the playground behind Convent Pulau Tikus) and saw this motorbike coming from the opposite direction. My alarm bells went off for the following reaons :
- Altho m’bikes in Penang are notorious for going against the legal traffic direction, they usually move slowly and inch their way to the main roads before they pick up speed again. THIS ONE WAS GOING AT A *VERY* FAST PACE. SPEEDING MADNESS.
- The rider was wearing a full-face helmet with extremely dark visor covering the entire face. Totally masked the identity of the rider. Where’s the blardy cops when we need them to do their jobs???
Almost immediately after the m’bike sped past my car, a lady came running after him screaming and holding on to one arm in pain. The car in front of me stopped, so did I. It was then that we realised the poor lady was a victim of a bike snatch theft. The driver of the car in front of me quickly passed her mobile phone to the poor distraught lady to make some emergency calls. I watched them for a minute. Trying to gauge if there was anything else I could do to help.
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At the same time, one big part of my mind going :
“Your con call is starting in 30 mins. You gotta head home now if you wanna make it back in time for the call.”
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I am ashamed to say that I then decided there was nothing much I could’ve done for the poor lady at that point in time and then drove on home. Felt *extremely* guilty about it and immediately called Sweetheart to pour my heart out. I REALLY wanted to stay on to offer any possible assistance to the poor victim but the weak (and perhaps selfish?) part of me caved in and I ended up driving on home.
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I know you may never read this, but lady….I AM SOOOO SORRY I DID NOT STAY ON TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY I COULD! *shameful sigh*
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The thing with these petty crime is that they are all over in seconds. Mere seconds. One does not even have the chance to go “Oei!” before it was all over. By the time the victim recovers from the shock, the pilferer is long gone.
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Their key advantage : Element of Surprise.
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So folks, please please PLEASE be more aware of your surroundings. Doesn’t matter whether you are riding a m’bike or driving a car or sitting in the car waiting for someone else or walking on the streets….it pays to be mindful of folks around you and I read somewhere that 90% of snatch thefts are avoided when the element of surprise is removed from the situation.
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Those of you who live or move around the College Square area often, please be extra mindful when you are in that area. It is *SUPER* notorious for snatch thefts. I was told that it’s almost a daily occurance. And no, men are not exempted from these crimes as well. So, wipe that thought “I’m a guy, not a lady with a handbag. So, I should be safe lah!” off your head NOW!
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To those folks who like to park your vehicles in the College Square area to avoid paying parking fees at Gurney Plaza (I know there are LOTS of you out there) … for the sake of your loved ones, think about this :
“Is your safety or even your life really worth that few ringgits of parking fees saved???”
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If you have the ‘this-stuff-only-happens-to-others-not-me’ attitude, drop it like a hot charcoal NOW. Every one of us are potential victims. Yes, that means YOU, YOU, YOU including ME too.
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