Don’t take safety for granted

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KUALA LUMPUR: The food court located near an international school at Jalan Kolam Ayer Lama in Ampang Jaya, Selangor, is usually a hive of activity at the beginning or end of the month.

That is the time when most people would take their families out for a meal after having received their salaries. At the aforementioned eatery, the Sate Zaini stall is especially popular.

In fact, the satay served there is one of the best I have eaten in this part of the country. I patronised the stall very recently and was enjoying my meal when a couple seated near me caught my attention.

Actually, it was the fair-skinned woman, who was probably in her late 30s, who piqued my interest. No, it was not her mee hoon soup that interested me but the smartphone on which her eyes were glued. ‘Wow, she has a Samsung Note 8,’ I told myself as I looked at her enviously. I would love to own one of those sophisticated gizmos and I happen to be a fan of the Samsung Note 8 but it costs a whopping RM4,000.

I was, however, somewhat horrified at the slack attitude of the owner of that Note 8. Instead of holding her expensive gadget in the safe confines of her palm, she left it lying on the table and just used her fingertips to scroll up and down the screen.

“Sis, it’s not safe for you to leave your phone on the table like that,” I blurted out to the woman, who was obviously startled by my sudden ‘intrusion’.

I continued, “My friend’s phone was stolen in this same place while she was busy surfing Facebook. In fact, she was holding her phone when someone grabbed it from her and scooted off!” Taking my warning as a cue, the woman quickly put her phone into her handbag, which she held on to tightly for good measure.

Many people tend to treat their possessions in a lackadaisical manner when they are in crowded public places like food courts. Unfortunately, thieves can strike in the most unlikely of places and in broad daylight too.

I used to have a similar attitude until I witnessed my friend’s phone being snatched from right under her nose. I always thought that restaurants, including those located in hotels, were generally safe and that we could leave our bags, phones or tabs on our table or on a vacant chair next to us while we enjoy our food.

However, after hearing many accounts of restaurant patrons having their phones and bags stolen with or without their knowledge, I am now much more careful about my possessions when I go out.

Remember the news report in September about a woman who lost her bag containing more than RM100,000 to a snatch thief while she was having lunch at a restaurant in Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor?

Apparently, her bag was on the chair next to her when the thief approached her from behind on the road next to the eatery. Restaurant thieves have their own modus operandi. They would approach their intended victim on the pretext of asking something.

Once they have succeeded in distracting the diner’s attention, they would snatch his/her handbag or other valuables before bolting out of the restaurant. The victims are usually taken by complete surprise as it only takes seconds for the perpetrator to commit the crime.

The trouble with many of us is that we take the safety of our personal belongings for granted and we tend to have this ‘it won’t happen to me’ mentality. Of course, having such an attitude is an open invitation for criminals to strut their stuff, so to speak.

Just remember that thieves are present everywhere and are always on the lookout for the opportune moment to strike As a matter of fact, Kemaman district police chief Supt Mohd Said Ibrahim has been quoted as saying that public awareness on matters concerning the safety of personal property was still at a low level.

Just imagine, some motorcycle owners are so careless that they leave their keys in the ignition when parking their bikes at their house.

On that note, I would also like to appeal to parents to keep an eye on their children at all times when they go out and not to allow the little ones to wander on their own. Then again, acts of crime or assault can occur anywhere, even at locations that we deem to be safe, namely our workplace or home.

We have to remain alert to what is happening around us and be aware of the tactics used by criminals.

Yes, we have the police to take care of safety and security matters but the onus is on us to take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our possessions, in order to avoid being just another statistic. Well, as the popular saying goes, ‘Prevention is better than cure’. — Bernama

(This commentary expresses the personal views of the writer and it does not necessarily reflect Bernama’s stand on the matter.)