Un Voleur A Pris Mon Portable!

I’ve traveled all over the world, but this was the first time in over 30 years that I’ve ever been a victim of theft. A petty thief took my cell phone!

It happened at a restaurant in the Old City of Lyon, my first day of a much-needed four-day mini-vacation. A friend and I had spent a nice day in the city and decided to conclude our time together with an evening meal at a sidewalk café. We had just received our meal when a young man who was carrying a newspaper with the headline “sans abri” meaning homeless, stopped at our table. He had approached me for a hand-out once before while we were walking in the city but I blew him off  and he went away. Once we were seated at our table, he stopped and asked for money again. Then, a few minutes later he returned and was standing behind me. He very strangely put down his newspaper on the empty table next to me. I told him to scram and he left.

I had just shown my friend photos of our day together and put my cell phone on the empty table. I had also taken off my shoulder bag and put it on the accompanying chair. The thief obviously saw my phone, put his newspaper on top of it, and swooped it away without my seeing him do it. Three women from the shop next to the restaurant alerted me that I had just been robbed. I slung my purse over my shoulder, leaped up from the table, and headed down the street looking for the thief. Meanwhile, the waiter from the restaurant ran down the street after the thief. Unfortunately, neither of us could find him. 

The women in the shop and my server advised me to go to the police and report the incident, which I did the next day. The restaurant had cameras and recorded the incident. Since I had seen the thief three times, I knew I could identify him.  Nevertheless, the chances of getting back my cell phone were nil, said the police. Cell phones are hot property for re-sale and mine was now on the market.

"This is Lyon," said a woman at the desk of the police station. "A big tourist city attracts thieves. You have to be careful."

Actually, I was unusually calm about the theft. Of course, I wasn’t happy, but at least the thief didn’t get my purse, which had my credit cards, driver’s license, and other ID. Nor did he ever touch me or hurt me physically. So, I was very lucky. 

The next day I went to the police station to report the theft. My written report and hour-long interview with the police officer were all in French, and I was able to communicate. So that boosted my confidence in the language!

I also went to the bank/post office nearby and fortunately, the woman who speaks English was there. She looked up my account and changed the SIM card. Now my phone was locked, she said. She also checked my account and indicated that it had not been touched or hacked, which was my biggest worry.  When I returned to Le Puy I bought a new phone and cover. Now I will be more careful with it--and be less trusting of others when I am out on the street.