Thick as Thieves

They took it right out of my purse. It was there one minute, and the next, gone. I was out to lunch with my parents. Kids were at school and I had a free hour midday. I don’t usually get to see them without my little boys running amuck around us, so this was a nice, but rare surprise. Energized by the unexpected nature of our lunch date, I left my small, newish cross-body bag hanging on the back of the chair, near my physically present, but distracted parents as I went over to the counter to grab my salad. As I made my way back to our table, I noticed it was unzipped. Odd... I don’t remember leaving it that way. I zipped it up and proceeded to engage in conversation.

And THAT is the moment. The moment when I allowed my comfort to take precedence over my common sense- you see because I know better than to leave my bag unzipped. A native New Yorker, born and raised in Queens, I learned as a child at camp (thanks to the young boy we affectionately called “Sticky Fingers”) that you don’t leave your stuff unattended. So it’s interesting, why did I do it? Could it have been prevented? At which point did he choose to strike? Had I acted instead of brushing it aside, would it have made a difference or realistically was he long gone by that point? Questions that will never be answered.

Here’s what I do know- he took my credit card, and a gift card with a $60 remaining balance for a local hair salon. Interestingly, he did not take the cash or my license that were in the same spot as the other items he made off with. And the reality in my case is- it’s fine. The couple hundred dollars he bought in gift cards at Dollar General and Rite Aid were covered for me by my credit card company and there was nothing else to do. But for me, it wasn’t so easy to let it go. The experience had me questioning some things. Things like - what makes a person do this? They must have some skill and in fact, have perfected it, in order to pull off this move in a crowded place and right under my nose. They also, presumably, made a choice- and a quick one at that. Did they know fraud protection would cover the theft, and therefore they left the cash untouched? In a so-called “victimless crime” did my thief in fact, act with kindness? I’m not exactly sure, but I like to think it’s possible. I also think it’s possible that they recognized the substantial purchasing power they’d obtain through going the credit card route vs. cash, and actually that brings me to my next several questions.

The woman who just had her credit card stolen was annoyed, but not all that rattled if I’m being honest. The Resource Manager, however… she was on high alert. You see, an important part of Resource Management is understanding what drives people- the “why” behind their motivations and what compels them to do work, or in this case, to steal. I simply refuse to believe this is a completely random act, and while it is certainly possible that a wide range of motivations may have driven this individual to carry out this crime, I can’t help but recognize the complexity of it. For instance, how much preplanning was needed in order to carry this theft out successfully? Was it blocked out ahead of time or was this a spur of the moment decision? In their schedule for the day, had they noted “steal stuff” between 12-2pm, sandwiched between appointments, or was this done on a whim?

Next, where does a person learn how to carry this task out successfully? In other words, how was this skill taught to them and what level of proficiency have they achieved? I believe they were rather sophisticated in the execution of this theft but perhaps I was simply an easy target and they struck at the opportune time. Which, of course leads me to my next thought, centered on the talent. As an RM there are many benefits to understanding the strengths and developmental areas of the people you are staffing and part of that is because it helps you to identify which skills may be transferable. Said differently, what they have a natural “knack” for vs which kinds of assignments are too much of a stretch to reasonably expect them to be successful. And in this case, it was interesting because the resource in question had to have been somewhat adaptable in order to pull this off, as I imagine the opportunity to pickpocket presents itself in slightly different ways each time.

Lastly, I’m intrigued by the concept of the ROI of this crime in the eyes of the perpetrator. Did they achieve what they were hoping for? Was this a success or did my husband’s canceling of my card occur too quickly to make this endeavor worthwhile? Was I the only target that day, or was I one of many and in fact, in reviewing what was accomplished in the 24-hour period did my thief feel satisfied that the risk was ultimately worthwhile?

I guess the bottom line is that I’ll never really know, but I will say this: My thief, wherever you are, I appreciate you, you complex thing. What you do - it’s no good. But you are good at it. I hope one day you find what you’re really looking for.

Sadly, pickpocketing occurs more often than we think - to the tune of 400,000+ incidents per day. While I not equipped to help you with self-defense strategies, I can offer one somewhat simple recommendation. For those, who like me, are pulled in many directions while out in public, consider “wearing” your valuables, with a Sling Bag – like this one by MZ Wallace , because you should never have to sacrifice style for safety ??

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Christine Robinson is a Resource Management expert, Strategic Advisor, award-winning speaker, best selling author, and the mother/stepmother of six. Recognized as one of the top leaders in the Philadelphia Business Journal's 40 Under 40 List for her performance and community contributions, Christine is passionate about supporting women and underserved families. She holds an MS in Human Resource Management from Fordham University, a BS in Sociology from Bowling Green University, and is a certified Resource Management Professional.

The former Managing Director and Head of Resource Management at a prestigious accounting and consulting firm, Christine has steered national teams, instituted firmwide functions, and established international joint ventures. As the visionary and Founder of Resource Management In The Wild, her mission is to empower professionals and organizations to successfully navigate resource allocation. A true RM at heart, Christine loves suggesting products to people who can benefit from them, and as such, may earn a commission from links within this newsletter.

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