Paul Sassone

Reports of crimes always are a popular new item.

Not only are we interested in learning what bad things happen to others, we also somehow feel better because they didn’t happen to us.

And if a crime happens in our own neighborhood that feeling of apprehension combined with relief is even more pronounced.

“Wow, that could have been me,” we think.

Just the other day I was coming back from lunch with a friend. We stopped at a convenience store. My friend left the engine running while he went inside and I waited in the car.

Looking around, and I saw a TV news truck parked on the street just behind me. A cameraman was filming the outside of the convenience store. I wondered why. There were no police around. There were no signs of fire damage.

Turns out that the day before a woman had left her SUV running while she dashed into the store. Her cute little moppy dog was in the back seat.

During the minutes she was in the store, someone stole her car and her dog. The TV station was doing a human-interest piece in hopes the publicity would re-unite the woman with her dog.

When I later saw the segment on the news, I thought to myself,  “Wow,
that could have been me.”

I was at that convenience store.

I was left in a car with the engine running.

I could have been carjacked just like that dog.

Though I like to think a carjacker might not have stolen a car with me in it. He easily could have missed a small, moppy dog, but I’m of a height and rotundity harder to miss.

Besides, I can talk — “Excuse me, sir, why are you getting into this car?”

I doubt he would admit, “I’m carjacking you,” much less actually drive off with me in the car.

I suppose it could happen.

I only hope that my imaginary carjacker would treat me as the real carjacker treated the moppy little dog. As I saw in a subsequent TV news spot, the real-life carjacker dropped off the dog in the next town. Someone saw the TV report. The dog was picked up and reunited with its owner. The fate of the purloined SUV was not mentioned.

Another illustration of the power of the press.

Also an illustration of the power of the criminal to take advantage of any little mistake we make, like leaving the car running while we run into a store for just a few minutes.

If nothing else, crime reports remind us not to be stupid.

I know that from now on when I am left in a car, I will insist the driver turn off the engine.

And maybe crack the window a little.

–Driver: Next time turn off the car and crack the window–