Sometimes I watch a movie of someone about to be attacked. The person had plenty of time to do something to get away or to defend themselves, but does not move. I think, “Why doesn't she move? Why doesn't she do something? She could do it now! She could escape or do her attacker harm!” The fact is that in some real-life experiences a person is too scared to move. I know this because I went through it one time.
I was driving down Western Avenue toward Blue Island in Chicago. I was on my way to dance as a stripper at Flapper's Peep show on Blue Island. The traffic was back-up at a stop light. I did not realize I was parked in the traffic in a bad area of Chicago. But I was soon to find this out.
I had my window down with the radio on enjoying the nice afternoon. My purse was on the seat. All at once, a young, tall slender-looking black guy reached in the window and grabbed my purse. At that point, he could have done anything to me. I was so scared. All I did was sit there and scream. I could not move. He took off running toward a big apartment complex. Which I found out later was the projects of Chicago.
I saw a police car on the corner. I went and told the policeman what happened. He had a “ho-hum” sort of attitude. I told him I knew which building he ran into. He asked me if I could identify him. I said, “No, but I know what kind of shirt he has on”. He said, “Oh! Those guys change shirts all the time”. He would not help me at all.
By now, I was more mad then scared. I thought I would just try to find him myself. I drove up to the location where he had stolen my purse, turned right and drove around the apartment complex. Lo and behold! To my surprise there he was lounging on the grass! He looked up and saw me and started running. I was following him in my car down streets I did not know. He ducked into another building. I was too mad by now to realize that I was in his territory and did not use enough reasoning to think, “What am I going to do with him if I catch him?” I was not smart enough to know that if I had stopped and overcame him that his friends would overcome me. He would have been too strong for me to restrain anyway. I was too dumb to know that no matter what I could do, I would not get my purse back. This was his neighborhood. I did not realize what danger I was putting myself in. Lucky for me he never stopped. He probably would not have ran; but he probably was wondering if I had a gun on me. Since I was bold enough to chase him, he probably thought I had some kind of equalizer on me.
While I was chasing him in my car, my tire went flat. I thought, “I'm sure not going to change it here. I'm getting out of this neighborhood!” By now, I was beginning to really realize the danger I had put myself into. This danger was much worse than getting my purse stolen.
I rode the car on the flat and got out of his neighborhood and decided I would just ride it on the flat tire until I got to work. I was now back at the point where the crime had been committed once again waiting for the light to change – only this time full of frustration with a flat tire – unlike when I was sitting there relaxed enjoying the day with my radio on before he stole my purse. As I was sitting waiting for the light to change, the policeman who I had asked for help pulled beside me and decided to add a little salt to my wound as he said while observing my tire, “This just isn't your day – is it?”
No, it was not my day. But I learned a lot that day. The police who took my report when I got to work told me to always put my purse out-of-sight. I told them that maybe I should have had my window rolled up. They said he would have probably busted my window anyway to get my purse. And then I would have a window to replace besides all the other trouble. They tried to make me feel it was my fault. But I did learn many things that day the hard way – just as I have done so in the past during several incidents. I, also, learned that the policeman is not always your friend.
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