February 20, 2008
GIVE IT BACK!!!
Well, fuckity fucker-fuck FUCK!
My Coach wristlet was stolen. Along with $40 in cash, my Mastercard, 2 debit cards, my Jewel card, my library card, and my Hallmark Gold Crown card.
Well, okay, it wasn't stolen at first. I left it in the shopping cart at Jewel. So technically, it's my fault. HOWEVER. Since then, someone has clearly found it. Found it AND NOT TURNED IT IN OR CALLED ME. Someone found it and intends to keep it and never return it.
So yeah -- STOLEN: My black, leather Coach wristlet.
I have today off work, so I was going to drive out to Billi's house and hang with her and the kidlets for the day. But first, I had to get gas, and I told her I'd pick up some milk and taco shells.
At the gas station, the stupid machine wasn't accepting my debit card. Probably because it was frozen solid and, therefore, not functioning properly. It's 10 degrees today. In a huff, I used my Mastercard and then put it in my wristlet with my debit card.
Normally, I just keep cash, my debit cards (1 normal, 1 attached to my eBay account for use at the Post Office), and a few "rewards" cards in my wristlet. This way, when I'm running errands, I can just pop in and out of the car with my little wristlet, instead of lugging my giant purse around with me.
But today, as Fate would have it, my Mastercard was making a rare appearance inside my wristlet. DAMMIT.
Next stop, the Jewel (that's a grocery chain, for you out-of-towners). Once again, I only brought my wristlet with me. Thankfully, the machine accepted my debit card. (After the gas station incident, I was a little nervous that I had finally spent us into Poor Town.)
I loaded my groceries into my car but left my wristlet in the little front basket when I put the cart into the cart stall.
I cannot tell you the rage and loathing I have for myself right now. People, I am NOT one of those people who loses things or forgets them or misplaces them. I ALWAYS know where my keys are, my glasses, my gloves -- EVERYTHING. It's part of my anal-retentive nature. I just don't forget stuff. ESPECIALLY stuff like CASH and COACH and CREDIT CARDS! Jesus H. Obsessive-Compulsive Christ, I'm not irresponsible!!!
Except that I was today. Oh, happy morning. Tra la, tra la. I'msofuckingpissedatmyselfrightnow.
When I was nearly at the entrance ramp, I glanced down at the passenger seat and didn't see my wristlet. Gloves, check. Purse, check. Cell phone, check. Wristlet...?
Nausea.
I pulled into a gas station and checked my entire car from every angle. No wristlet. So I hightailed it back to Jewel. The cart stall where I had put my cart back was empty, so my wristlet had obviously been seen by someone.
I ran inside and quickly checked the carts. Nothing. So I went to the Customer Service desk. No, no one had turned anything in.
By this time, half an hour had passed. Plenty of time for someone to do the right thing. Well, clearly, whoever has my wristlet has no intention of doing the right thing.
I left my name, numbers, and description of my wristlet and its contents with the grocery jockey, but I know I'll never see it again.
And you know what really chaps my ass? I live in an affluent neighborhood. No one around here needs my $40. The only people shopping at 9:00 a.m. on a Wednesday are moms and old people. So here are my theories:
1. It was an old person living on a fixed income in some nearby apartment, to whom $40 is a nice surprise. Fine, Grandma, take my $40. BUT RETURN THE REST! I DON'T CARE! Just don't make me go through the hassle of cancelling all my cards (which I already did)!
2. It was the cart guy. See, my Jewel employs the mentally handicapped to bag groceries and collect carts, and I can forgive a 'tard for not being clear on wrong and right. But what is Forest Gump going to do with plastic and a Coach wristlet??? GIVE IT BACK!!! Keep the $40 as a reward -- I DON'T CARE!!!
3. It was some 19+ year old chickie working there, and she was jazzed to have a Coach wristlet fall into her lap, especially on a check-out monkey's salary. FUCK YOU, TIFFANY! GIMME MY WRISTLET BACK!
Notice that I don't think a mom could have done it. I just have this idea that moms know what a hassle it is to loose stuff like that, so they'd never inflict it on a fellow woman. Especially not with a kid in tow, for whom they would be setting a terrible example. Aren't I silly?
Oh, and? Husband is out of town. He's driving back from Indiana tonight. I cancelled our Mastercard because I know he has other credit cards he can use, if need be. I cancelled my eBay debit card because I'll need my new one as soon as possible.
But cancelling our joint debit card... that's a harder decision. I'm not immediately worried about it because the THIEF doesn't know the PIN number. And I don't want Husband to be without it for his trip home. Also, it takes 7 to 10 days to get new ones. That's over a week without a debit card. That's something that needs to be planned for, so I'm waiting until Husband gets home. We'll need to withdraw enough cash, using his card, to last us a week, before I cancel mine.
And honestly, this isn't as much of a hassle as it would be if I'd lost my REAL wallet, or my entire purse. I'm actually pretty lucky it was just a piece of my personal belongings.
The hardest part of this is knowing that someone found it, looked inside, and made the conscious decision NOT to turn it into the Jewel Customer Service Desk. The decision to KEEP something that is not theirs. Something that 80% of will land in the garbage because they can't use it. Hell, the thief may even be stupid enough to have no use for a Coach wristlet.
So for $40, someone ruined my day, ruined my plans to see my family, ruined my faith in humanity, and made me spend a bunch of time on the phone with various strangers. That sucks. I would NEVER do that to someone. Even if I was dirt poor and starving and needed that $40, I would at least turn in the rest of it.
Sorry about the milk and taco shells, Billi. But if you get up to the Coach outlet and pick me up another small, black wristlet, I'll pay you back.
Comments
That sucks. Bad. People suck.
Posted by: Vicki at February 20, 2008 02:38 PM
that bites big tweenkies. don't forget though, a debit card can be run as a credit card without a pin. cancel that bitch, stat! you can always go in to the bank and withdrawl cash from the nice ladies that work there.
Posted by: elle at February 20, 2008 02:55 PM
By removing the Hallmark Crown Gold card from your possession, the theif totally gave you back your street cred. Be grateful.
Posted by: Kelly Garrett at February 20, 2008 03:41 PM
I hate when that happens at the Jewels!!!! Over by dare!!!!!! Make them check the the security tapes and find out which geiser was digging through the carts! Nail their ass! Garrance
Posted by: garrance at February 20, 2008 04:28 PM
Ugh, that feeling is the worst. Even more so than the items lost, because you personally did it.
Sorry! (that it sucks ass) But really...hallmark card? No sympathies on that one.
Posted by: Celestial at February 20, 2008 05:30 PM