14 The strategic thief & The Bold-face blamer

THE STRATEGIC THIEF

He positioned himself close to the candy stand of the subway convenience shop seemingly on the blind side where he has a place to hide himself. He stares at the candies and chocolate bars longingly and looks up to sees if any of the workers are watching him. He moves away just slightly out of the workers line of vision. He parks his small stroller covered with a blanket off to the side and walks casually along the side of the little shop as if browsing the general area.

I stood off to the back side of the shop at the far end near to where the man hides himself in a pee-a-boo manner near his mini stroller. Putting myself on alert I observe the man shenanigans as he seems to be strategizing how best to fulfill his desire for one of the treats winking back at him. He walks back toward his stroller taking darting glances toward the workers to see when he is not looking worker. Periodically he moves forward then jumps back quickly as the worker turns facing our way. Then the opportunity came and he snatches a coffee crisp chocolate bar shoving it quickly in his pocket. Walking quickly pass his stroller he walks into the crowd coming off the escalator and throws the chocolate bar on the ground.

A gentleman passing by unaware of the shenanigans picks up the chocolate bar saying, “sir you drop your coffee crisp.” He turns to the gentleman as if surprised and said, “Oh! For me, thanks!” smiling broadly he pockets the bar triumphantly only to turn around and see the worker right behind him. The worker said to him, “you wanna pay for that?” The man looks at the worker innocently saying, “pay for what.” The worker said, “the coffee crisp bar you just put in your pocket.” The man answers, “why should I pay for it, the man just gave it to me, I didn’t take it. Just then my bus came and I ran to get it. I don’t know how it ended but by the look of the worker with the cellphone on his ear and the man in front of him I’d say he didn’t get away with.

THE BOLD FACE BLAMER:

Sometimes you must choose to not engage:

He walks into the train pulling a wheel bag in his left hand and a folded chair fashioned like a knapsack on his back. As he moves in the train he roles the wheel bag over my left foot and mumbles to himself, ‘there’s someone foot’ but makes no attempt at an apology. I stared at him hard. He looks at me and says, “You should know someone is coming in the train.” Looking at him steadily in the eye I harrumphed audibly in the back of my throat while shaking my head. My eyes fixed on him in a death stare I thought to myself, ‘not today satan, be gone!’

He had the nerve to try to blame me because HE ran over my foot? Seriously? I guess he taught I should have somehow ripped out the train seats to physically move it and myself out of his path for his entitled ass. Lord, have mercy, give me strength and patience; sometimes you just have to choose your battles. I wasn't about to give that fool a foothold on my morning. Truth be told the bag rolling over my foot really didn't hurt because it caught the side of my shoe and didn't’ crush my toes, so I was able to be gracious and let it go. However I kept looking at him very seriously (what my daughter call the stare of shame and doom) until he became visibly uncomfortable and immediately cease his chattering and remained silent for the rest of the ride.

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