Friday, March 23, 2012

I almost got mugged today

Every Friday night, I stop for cash for the babysitter. Sometimes I make it early enough to go inside the bank, but often I end up going to the ATM outside. I don't particularly care for where placement of the ATM- it is on front side of the bank without any parking next to it. Instead, you must park in the lot on the side and walk over.
Tonight, I arrived to the bank just minutes after the doors were closed and locked. I parked my car in one of the few open spots, which happened to be next to a car that had 3 guys and a girl in it. All the car doors were open, but they were just sitting in there, none of them smiling. They all looked young, maybe 20 years old. It seemed a little strange to me, but I figured they probably had a really good reason for parking there. (I would have asked, but didn't want to seem rude.)
So I walked to the ATM, and just tried to remain aware of my surroundings. I put in my card, entered my pin, and typed how much cash I wanted. Quick look around, all clear. As the ATM beeped to alert me that my cash was coming out, I heard hard footsteps running toward me from the side of the building. My heart started racing. It took me a second to focus on the bodies running toward me... and realize it was just a couple of kids, running ahead of their mom to the ATM. Whew, that was close.
Walking back to my car, I still felt a little on edge, and tried to decide if it would be weird if I got in the passengers side to avoid the car next to mine. Then I realized there is no keyhole on the passenger's side, and to unlock the passenger's side, I would have to unlock ALL the doors. So instead, I decided to focus on the make/model and license plate number on the suspicious looking car, and hope for the best. I unlocked the door just as I reached it, and locked it quickly as I got in (all while trying to be very subtle and avoid looking like a paranoid freak).
I started the van and breathed a sigh of relief- just in time to hear "HEY" and see a face out of the corner of my eye closing in on my window. My heart stopped. I reached for the gear shift, and prepared to floor it, trying to remember what that darn license plate number was. Then I realized, it was just that same running kid, sweetly bringing me the receipt I had left hanging from the ATM in my haste to avoid being mugged.

Once I was safely down the road, I called my hubby to tell him about the danger I was almost in. I mean, I nearly got mugged! He was pretty torn up about it. At least I assume that is what the laughter was about, you know, a coping mechanism for dealing with the stress of almost losing his wife.

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