Showing posts with label Knokke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knokke. Show all posts

12 Sept 2009

VICTIM OF A PICKPOCKET

On Monday we had a beautiful day again and I decided to visit a friend who lives in Knokke which is the most expensive and posh town at the Belgian coast and to me also the most ugliest one.



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 !