Words of wisdom – Watch where you’re going.
Everyone has a favorite thing they like to do, and some of us take every opportunity to go out seeking it. During a critical moment of such personal revelry people can sometimes forget to be mindful of their surroundings.
Nick Butkus loves music and could play guitar proficiently, always jamming with friends or alone when the day was winding down. He had been in half a dozen bands during high school and college, always dreaming that one day he would cut a demo and make it big. The fantasy of being signed and going on tour drove him to excellence, and even when the whole thing never panned out he still kept dreaming. Music would always be a part of his life, as would the fandom of his favorite bands.
Be prepared to have a fun and safe night out.
If a major act was in town he did his best to go check them out, so that venues became a sort of home away from home. There was nothing like a good show with a rowdy crowd to get him jazzed up. Nick scored tickets to see Helmet Devolver, a supergroup formed by two of his favorite bands from boyhood. There was an electricity in the air as the many concert goers exited their vehicles and went to stand in line to be let into the show. Various groups of fans wore shirts, had bright sculpted hair, and got excited as the doors opened to admit them.
Inside, the vendor’s tables lay waiting for fans to claim their purchases, covered in a variety of shirts, jackets, CDs, and bumper stickers. After this everyone was expected to get ready to rock. It was a standing venue, and so you got to pick where you would watch the show, first come first serve. Many people were already pressed together near the stage, wanting to get splashed with some famous sweat during the guitar solos. Nick felt the familiar concert rush just as a careless person bumped into him.
How can you protect your personal property?
Nick got pretty annoyed at the rude contact, but tried not to think about it as the concert lights came up. Despite all this, the voice of his grandpa came to him, a recollection of a bit of advice given when he took Nick to the city long long ago.
“Always keep your wallet in your front pants pocket, Nicky. A thief will have a hell of a time getting it out of there.”
In a sudden bolt of paranoia, Nick checked his pockets. He had foolishly left the wallet in his coat pocket, and as his fingers fumbled and grasped he realized it was gone. Had it fallen out, or was it just lifted by that guy who bumped him? Nick saw the thief melting back into the crowd. Should he go after him? Nick fearfully pursued the pickpocket, hoping to confront him and call the attention of a bouncer to sort this thing out.
As he moved through the crowd, Helmet Devolver’s opening set began, the band’s hard rock chords and wicked drums started pounding away.
Should you confront a thief?
Having to push into the gathered attendees, Nick found the thief and took hold of his hoodie in order to spin him around, but wasn’t fast enough to duck his right cross. Nick took a rabbit punch and landed on his rear end, giving the violent pickpocket time to blend into the crowd. As this all went down, a security guard saw what was going on and took time to confront the hooded thief.
Other concert goers had been scanning the crowd for a thief as well it seemed, and they saw Nick making a scene and zeroed in on him. Nick was able to get his wallet back, but felt foolish enough to let it spoil his good time.
Being distracted in public leads to personal danger, but a little situational awareness can make all the difference. Studying the program’s valuable lessons will help keep you safe from criminal intent.
