I thought I’d write a little “public service announcement” of sorts. I’m doing this because I’ve experienced a couple of snatching attempts at the corner of Recto and Legarda.
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| Corner: Legarda/Recto (Recto Side) |
The first attempt happened right as I was turning this corner to go from Legarda to Recto (I’m taking this photo from the overpass, but it happened down at the sidewalk). I thought I felt something being removed from my bag, and I’m pretty sure I even saw the would-be snatcher. She looked to be in her 30’s and was right behind me. I looked down on the ground and saw a Meralco (electric) bill. Sure enough, it had my name on it–she had pulled it out of my bag (guess it wasn’t the kind of “bill” she was hoping for).
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| Corner: Legarda/Recto (Legarda Side) |
The second attempt happened just a few days ago. It was the same corner, but this time it was the Legarda side. I was walking from Recto to Legarda to look for a G-liner. I felt my bag being unzipped. Right behind me was a woman wearing a red jacket. Her hand was up by my bag, and she looked just like the one who removed my Meralco bill a couple of months earlier.
Both times I was caught in a bit of a “bottleneck”–a single-file line which slowed me down. The first time there was a huge hole over on the Recto side (it has since been repaired). The second time it was raining and I was having to wait to step on a makeshift concrete block bridge to walk onto Legarda.
Both times she just walked a few feet then stood off to the side–as if there was no real purpose for her to go around that corner other than to get behind me.
Anyway, I want to caution all of you to be very careful any time you are in a “bottleneck”–especially at this particular corner. It seems this snatcher waits for people to get slowed down so she can get behind them and put her sticky fingers to work.
In case you are wondering, I don’t keep anything of monetary value in the outer pockets of my backpack–I’ve lived here for eight years and I know better.
I’m just trying to pay it forward for every time someone has told me my bag is open.
