with such "beautiful" appartment buildings all along the beach, to the modest prices of 800.000 to 1 billion €! (1,168,669 to 1,460,879 $) !!! Guaranteed sunshine not included.
When I took the train in Brussels, it wasn't that packed like the last time I went to the sea and without problem I got a seat. Unfortunately nature called and I had to go to the toilet. I didn't know that the train stopped just at that time and when I got out, people were standing there like sardines in a box, you couldn't put a needle between them. They all had gotten on the train while I was resting in the restroom ! I sidled like a snake through the crowd to get to my place and was pushed around and people angrily told me that there were no place anymore, but I had one and intended to get back to it by all means.
Suddenly a lady said : "your purse is open" I looked and indeed the zip was open and where my wallet should be was an empty space ! I had been the victim of a pickpocket !
Now my Kipling purse is in fabric and has 2 big and two small compartments closed with a zip. How he managed to open one of them is a mistery to me, because it is quite difficult. Fortunately he only stole my wallet containing 45 €, my identity card and the driver licence. All my cards where in a different place ! After the first shock I decided to take it positively, although I woul have prefered to spent my money otherwise and had a wonderful day with my friend.
Next day I went to the police for a theft declaration and with this one I should go to the city hall and get provisory papers. The policeman was very friendly and he wrote down what I said. Behind me was a Norvegian woman who only spoke English but to my big surprise the young policeman spoke a perfect English too. She had been victim of a burglery, while she and her husband slept upstaires, some kind persons emptied the house downstairs, computers, video, TV and her purse with all papers and bank cards !
After 45 min finally a female agent came to type my declaration with two fingers on the keyboard of her computer, which took another half an hour. When finally she had written a whole romance which I had to sign, the city hall was closed till 2 pm !
So I went back in the afternoon with my theft declaration and photos and got
my declaration as provisory identity card. Now I will get a new one, not in carton anymore but the new one in plastic which look like a bank card ! We make progress ! The driver licence unfortunately remained the same pink paper, but I got an updated photo on it !
For this pleasure I had to pay of course, 10 € for the paper, and 11 € for the driver licence. I will send an invoice to my pickpocket to ask for a refund ! Does anybody know his address ?
Not only you are victim of a theft, on top you have to pay for it !
Oh Gattina that is bad news. I can't believe he got through the zippers to get your wallet. How awful.Lucky your credit cards weren't there too. What an inconvenience having to reapply for your ID card and lisence. Still you have a good attitude and just have to get on with life.
ReplyDeleteHah! I know exactly what that is like. I had my wallet stolen out of my purse years ago. I had to take the next day off work, borrow $5 from a friend to get into the city to get new credit cards, driver's licence, library card, etc. It took me all day.
ReplyDeleteI too, made a statement to the police and to this day nothing has ever shown up. I rang immediately and cancelled all my cards, etc. I only had about $12 in my purse, but it wasn't the money, it was the bloody inconvenience!
I'm sorry that happened to you, but at least you still have your life. Some will kill just to get a few dollars.
Ooooh, I'm sorry to hear that Gattina!! It's a good thing you did not carry too much money with you, and that they did not get your credit cards !
ReplyDeletePaperwork costs a lot of money indeed! I found out when I went to get my new passport last week! I had to pay 78€!!!!
Sorry to hear about this. Train travel in Belgium is usually so safe. Always best to be cautious in public places everywhere now a days though.
ReplyDeleteBBE
That really is high class housing? It looks like council blocks to me! At least the waterfront apartments in London do look expensive ~ all that floor-to-ceiling glass ... That looks like a 1960s nightmare!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad the bastard didn't get anything else. I won't say anything but probably it was a drug addict. I can't understand what else would drive someone to go out robbing other people rather than earning your own, know what I mean?
It must be a ****er getting a new ID card, surely?
This is the reply I left to your comment at mine:
thank you very much for that inforamtion. I would have got totally lost in the foreignness of it all. I don't know how foreign people survive in Britain. A foreign language is like looking at everything through a dirty window. However marvellous the view, you know it's not as good as it could be without that barrier in the way. Which I suppose is the great motivation of LEARNING the language ... But I don't get how did you learn such good English being in BELGUIM..??
I was mugged back in 1988 in Miami, Florida. The mugger beat me and knocked me down on my a**. I fell onto my purse and he beat me trying to get it, but finally a man came to my aid with a tire iron and chased him away.
ReplyDeleteI tried to file a report for the terrible beating I had taken, and the Police looked at me and said, "What's wrong? You still have your purse!"
I now never go back to Miami. That is where it happened and I never felt safe there again.
Yessssssss... I've had my purse stolen twice... NO FUN! You are lucky they didn't tell you you don't exist anymore - like Dr. John! Of course... HE had EXPIRED.
ReplyDeleteHonestly... I am sorry you had to go through this. And I'm GLAD the pickpocket only got what he did! (or she... who knows?) I keep almost nothing of value in MY wallet - just for that reason!
Oh, d*mn pickpockets! They're everywhere.... *mumbling something nasty*
ReplyDeleteSo much fuss to get new id's... *sigh*
Oh, you just reminded me that we have to get new passports asap, they're getting a bit damaged by now.
At least your bank cards weren't stolen - imagine what a hoo-ha that would have been!!
ReplyDeletewhat a violation!
ReplyDeleteI think I should be more careful.
oh goodness! i am so happy he or she didn't get your other cards especially your credit card or cash card! you are so clever to put them in different containers! sorry to hear about this .. but nevetheless i am glad that is the only damage that was caused and of course plus the trip to the police and the payment for the other cards... take care Gattina...
ReplyDelete