Saturday 9 January 2010

Close Call

I took my mum to wynsors shoes a couple of days ago. There was a woman in a bulky Arab dress with headscarf on sort of like a semi burqa just sitting on the isle end on one of the stools if you want to change footwear.
She looked odd from the start and l got bad vibes off her, there was no kids around with headscarves or anyone else who appeared to be with her, she had no shoes around her as if she had been trying them on and was not gazing around the shop looking at the shoe isles. She was perched and just didn't fit in.

My mum got some shoes and sat about 7 foot away and slightly offset opposite the woman to try them on, then walked round to test them. As l was watching her test the shoes something made me spin round, burqa woman stopped dead a couple of feet from the handbag and looked in her bag, snapped it shut and started to walk round the store. She made my hair rise and hackles it was just to false.

I went straight to the bag and hunted in it checking purse, card holder and anything else, all there. My mum looked up and asked what l was doing. I didn't want to worry her so said oh just being a nosey cow, she went back to her shoes.

My skin was crawling at burqa woman walking around the isles, she was not browsing just vaguely acting like she was. I went to an assistant and asked about her and was told..."she asked about extra wide shoes.. come to think of it it was a long time ago".
I told the assistant what had happened she got worried but not sure if she told anyone. I hope so no way was that woman genuine. I am not sure if she had the "dress" as a handy bulky place to hide her stolen items inside or to yell racist if caught, possibly both.

Handy place shoe stores, woman leave their bags and walk about look down a lot so if you go shoe shopping and do try shoes ... carry your handbag. My mum was just bloody lucky.

WATCH YOUR PURSES/BAGS WHEN SHOPPING

5 comments:

dickiebo said...

Good advice there. Thanks.
I shall certainly guard my handbag in future!!!

Vetnurse said...

:-)) Dickiebo l would say "Don't loose your bag" but l happen to know the return comment will be returned along the lines of "she wouldn't let me" and you know full well l did not mean that.

What l hate is how often the elderly are targets of scum as they are more frail and or trusting.
My mum carries her purse a lot despite my warnings. She doesn't believe if someone wants her purse they will take it out of her hand and not give a damm if her fingers are snapped like twigs.

JuliaM said...

Was it actually a woman? That sort of disguise has been used by men before, after all...

Vetnurse said...

Pretty sure it was a woman but anything is possible.

Hogdayafternoon said...

Burqua's, kiddy pushchairs, in fact anywhere unsuspecting is where thieving bastards will place their ill-gotten goods. As for the begging asylum seekers, I have seen cctv footage of 5 yr old kids working like pro's whilst a well dressed adult 'minder' watches them from a distance. It's just a way of life, but that doesn't make it any less shocking. You were lucky, VN :)