Ft.Lauderdale Restaurants, Be Careful with Wallets & Purses, Son's Wallet Stolen!

[lovetotravel77]

Warning to be careful with wallets and women with purses in restaurants! You see it all the time, women hang their purses over the back of the chair. This is too easy, for someone to grab it and run!
Some background, son lives in NYC, so pretty "street smart"...Adult son(32)was in Ft.Lauderdale this weekend. He was getting a few slices of pizza with a friend in a pizza parlor by the beach. He had his wallet, paid for the pizza, then he and a friend sat at a high top table. He had his wallet in his front pocket, not back pocket purposely. He reached for his wallet before leaving and realized it was gone. He immediately went to the table floor to look and it was gone. He remembers three guys coming into the pizza place and leaving very quickly. With retrospect he believes that they saw from the window the wallet on the floor, stole the wallet and left. Immediately called the police, policeman came, did NOTHING! Police asked if my son knew who stole it, he replied no and the policeman said, I can't do anything then. Son asked owner of pizza place if there are security cameras, there supposedly aren't any. Find it DISGUSTING that the police did not write up a report! So disappointed to hear that this policeman imo did not do his job to serve the public! I have to believe since this was a very busy street near the beach in the middle of restaurants and bars, that there was a security camera outside. This policeman offered NOTHING! Thankfully, he was able to board his plane the next day without ANY ID, license. He was thoroughly vetted by the TSA, every inch of him patted down, and he thankfully was able to board the plane to return. Felt SO disappointed and violated for him. Be careful in busy tourist areas!

 

[Hophop4]

Sorry this happened to your son. Hope he didn't lose too much. We are in the area now went to a Ft Laud restaurant Tuesday night and I placed my purse on the floor between my feet with the strap over my knee.

 

[VacationForever]

Sorry that it happened to your son. Some cars were broken into and when the police were called they did not even bother to collect fingerprints. They asked if the residents had any idea who did it and they said none. They asked the affected car owners to file a police report directly and they left. Police consider these as petty crime. Since no one was hurt and there were no witnesses there was really nothing else they could do.

 

[ScottClan]

It sounds like your ADULT son was very careless. I don't see anything that would cause disgust. What do you think the police could have done? He wasn't pickpocketed. You said he lost the wallet. I get the "Be careful with your wallets and purses" part but not that it was stolen. All you know is that he lost his wallet and you're being more than a tad dramatic.

 

[lovetotravel77]

It sounds like your ADULT son was very careless. I don't see anything that would cause disgust. What do you think the police could have done? He wasn't pickpocketed. You said he lost the wallet. I get the "Be careful with your wallets and purses" part but not that it was stolen. All you know is that he lost his wallet and you're being more than a tad dramatic.

It was stolen, the definition of stolen, theft is taking something that doesn’t belong to you.The police should have filed a report.

 

[b2bailey]

A few years ago, in the coastal town of Santa Cruz CA, was unloading my car and left my purse on her front porch -- four large steps up from sidewalk amid an assortment of plants and chairs. An hour later, realized I had left it on the porch. Nope -- it was gone. Called police, was told to file a report online. End of story. (Except I was more careful next time.)

 

[MrockStar]

I know this is after the incident occured, however it might help someone in the future from happining to them. As you probably already know 99 percent of all timeshares have in room safes. To avoid becoming a victim i usually lock my wallet and sometimes my wifes purse in the safe and only carry 1 credit card and my drivers license & maybee $20.00 cash. That way i can get home and still enjoy my vacation!!

 

[Jan M.]

I know this is after the incident occured, however it might help someone in the future from happining to them. As you probably already know 99 percent of all timeshares have in room safes. To avoid becoming a victim i usually lock my wallet and sometimes my wifes purse in the safe and only carry 1 credit card and my drivers license & maybee $20.00 cash. That way i can get home and still enjoy my vacation!!

My husband traveled a lot for his jobs and I always insisted he be smart about not carrying a lot of cash and get travelers checks back in the day when they were commonly used. He used to gripe about having to take the time to go to the credit union or AAA to get the travelers checks but too bad. Years ago two of his coworkers were on an out of town job and didn't want to have to go back to get cleaned up before they went out for dinner. So they stopped at a local bar for dinner and a beer. Both were carrying the cash for their rooms and meals for the entire trip. Hours later they woke up in the parking lot minus their wallets and money. The one guy ended up being brought to the hospital because he still hadn't come around after the other one woke up and called 911. Apparently they didn't want his Tracfone but their company cell phones were gone too. The company had to wire them money. When they were all together for an office meeting my husband was asked if anything had ever happened to him. He said no because I made him get travelers checks. The only thing that ever happened to him was people knocking on his door. I learned from him that you never answer your door. Even if it is a maid at an odd hour you tell them to leave whatever it is outside the door and you will get it later.

My husband and I each carry one credit card that the other one doesn't so if he loses his wallet/gets it stolen or I lose/get my purse stolen we will still have one credit card we can use.

 

[bogey21]

In the late 50s I was an auditor for Nabisco and was assigned for a couple days to audit one of their branches in a tough neighborhood. When it came time to go out to lunch I was advised to lock up my wallet and watch and to split up double the cash I would need for lunch into two of my pockets. It was explained to me not to respond if someone came up and took the cash out of one of my pockets but to keep going as the protocol on the street was that they would only take cash out of one of my pockets leaving me enough to buy my lunch. Fortunately I never had it happen to me...

George

 

[lovetotravel77]

Yes, What a world, have to on your toes constantly!

 

[Talent312]

Last year, DW and I were sightseeing in a small town in Provence, France...
I took out my wallet to pay for my DW's purchases, we wandered back to the car park and left the town. About 30 minutes later, I noticed my wallet missing. Then, I get an email from my USA landline provider that there's a VM for me. The store owner found my landline # and called to say that I left my wallet on their counter and they were holding it for me.

That sure beats the time my DW's wallet was nicked outside Buckingham palace.
We didn't bother to report it... What could anyone do.
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