Exercise Caution!

We watched "Taken" on the DVD some nights ago. (Hubby thought it was a French movie thus won't be screening on the local circuit - So NOT true.. The movie was just SHOT in France.. ) Anywho, I thought it was a brilliant show though in retrospect, I would have slept quarter way through it if Mr Neeson was replaced by Mr. I'm-a-1-man-super-army Seagal. Without spoiling the movie for those who intend to catch it; adik-adik, kakak-abang; main takeaways from the movie would include:
- don't lie to your dad
- daddy knows best, eventhough he can be so incredibly annoying
- a little paranoia goes a long way
- your dad is THE best dad in the entire world

Leaving Hollywood behind and coming back to the realms of reality. I am compelled to share the following 3 incidents that happened to friends & family members not too long ago, i.e. in 2009 for us to learn from:

1. I am no burglar

My Mak Anjang who lives around Sunway Kinrara area spotted a group of people (2 men and a woman) acting rather suspiciously around her neighbourhood. She stopped her car to call her neighbour to warn them when one man approached her car, asking whether she knew the address he supposedly had on a piece of paper. Being suspicious, she only rolled down her window just a little bit, just so that she could speak to the man. The man said,

"Turunkan la tingkap tu kak.. Kakak ingat saya ni perompak ke?" (Why don't you lower down the window a little more, Miss. I am not a bad person / burglar)

After some hesitation, she lowered the window just a little bit more. The man then reacted and replied,

"Kalau perompak, buat macam ni" (A burglar would do it this way)
He lowered the window with his hands, opened the door and took out a knife. Pulled my aunty out of her car and drove off with it. Literally in a split second, her handbag, her car was gone! Can you believe that?

2. Valet scam
My sister went to Pantai Medical Centre for her doctor's appointment and met her friend there. After an hour or so after the appointment, the same friend called her up saying that her car was missing! Apparently, after she valet-parked her car, a good-looking, suit-wearing gentleman approached her saying that they have mistakenly given her the wrong parking card. (Oh, OK..) So, here's the real one and can you please return the wrong one? (Oh, OK.. again...) No harm done right? WRONG.. When she tried to retrieve her car, the parking card apparently doesn't refer to any car and her car has already been taken out by a good-looking, suit-wearing gentleman. What the ??

3. Snatching visitors
A good friend of mine from STF had this happen to her just a few weeks back. She was having a seat-down lunch at one of the restaurants in Sheraton Hotel, Subang. She had her handbag on the floor, partially covered by the table cloth. After some time, she realizes that her handbag has gone missing. The F&B manager later pulled her aside and related that they retained a suspecting group of Middle-Eastern visitors lingering in the restaurant. Since there were no complaints or reason to hold them any longer, they have just calmly and quietly told them to get out of the restaurant. He thinks that these people may have something to do with the disappearing handbang. I.e., the woman must have "smuggled" the handbag under her abaya. She had a first class treatment from the hotel to lodge a police complaint etc but luckily also, her husband called her kidnapped handphone and managed to get the thieves to return the handbag. She had everything back sans her handphone and some money. All others are intact - handbag, IC, credit cards, purse, keys etc etc.. (Boleh tak? So lucky, right?)

So, please, please, please be careful, people.. It never hurts to be extra careful in this day and age..

-dillz blogging out-