You know you are in the US when...

[Mr.Yankees]

Your car get broken into and your wallet stolen.

You see, I was happily playing baseball for the first time in quite a while. I am always busy and never have time. It has also been a long time because getting more than a dozen people (grown up adults who work) together at the same time and place is difficult.

To make this exciting story short or perhaps shorter, I'll cut right to it. My very expensive Mercedes got broken into. By broken into, I mean the window shattered into pieces. My wallet was stolen. The problem is not the wallet itself even though it was a really nice one, the problem is the content of it. My estimate says that I had about $700 cash. All my documents are gone, obviously. My driver's license, my credit and debit cards, my other ID's (which you cannot know about), business cards, etc.

Obviously, my insurance does not want to pay for it (outright refused to. Trust me, I'll get back at them) and I will have to pay for it myself. Honestly, that's not a problem at all. I'll pay for it. What seriously angers me is the fact that I have no access to my accounts and IDs and passing through security at work is going to be a must watch.

So, after this exciting tale (I need to let it out people. That's what they taught me in those anger management classes), you can clearly see what identifies America. It's a shame that people resort to that kind of lifestyle. Sure, you need the money; you are hungry or thirsty but you couldn't care less if you are making someone else life harder (I won't say miserable because it's not my case). So, for those of you petyy thieves out there and those who are thinking about stealing whether you truly need the money or not, you are not Robin Hood. You are not stealing from the rich to give to the poor. You are a miserable and selfish scum bag who only cares him/herself and don't care whether someone else gets screwed.

P.S. I know someone here is going to say: "I stole your wallet" but it's not going to be funny. I am being nice enough to give you a heads up.

[Opakidabar]

Do you know how people in Latvia name someone who leaves his wallet in expensive Mersedes alone?
Hint: It has something to do with Dostoyevsky books.

[Aethers]

Crime and Punishment?

[Mr.Yankees]

Yes, I know I should not have left my wallet in plain sight but it didn't cross my mind it would be stolen. However, it is not my fault that it was stolen. It was the scumbag who did it. I will certainly not apologize or feel bad for leaving it in plain sight inside MY car.

[Darvian]

Do you know how people in Latvia name someone who leaves his wallet in expensive Mersedes alone?
Hint: It has something to do with Dostoyevsky books.

Crime and Punishment works as does The Idiot.

Though I am with Yanks on this one. It was in his car. I guess you know why I have my concealed carry permit. I could have been so lucky to have caught a sight of someone breaking into my car. Trust me, I would not fire a warning shot. Now that's when you know your in America...

[JuliaAJA]

If you want thiefs to pass your car by, don't own an expensive car. At least, hide all signs that it's a Mercedes, dress it up like a Volkswagen or something cheaper. Also, Darvian's right, buy a gun. Where was your car parked if you don't mind me asking? And, can some petty thief now access the Pentagon, what IDs do you have?

[AdJeCtIv3]

If you want thiefs to pass your car by, don't own an expensive car.

As much as it pains me to say this, it's his..er.. right.. to own an expensive car. In fact, it's his right to leave the damn thing unlocked with his wallet in plain view, along with his laptop and first born.

I'm sick of the guilt being placed on the victim for "not being vigilant" or "not securing his/her" belongings. It's the thief that is at fault, regardless of the temptation we may place in the thief's way.

I can relate, after my marriage broke up my house was broken into, and a few things stolen (I didn't have much). I was working late shift and to come home to a ransacked house with a smashed window at 11pm at night sent me into a tailspin. I had left the place locked up, with the radio playing.. the police even said "you did everything right".

Then, three months later exactly the same thing happened again, the kicked in my front door that had a deadlock on it.. and nobody saw a thing of course.

What few possessions I had were removed.

I was glad when I finally left that neighbourhood, although I am far more paranoid about it now.

[JuliaAJA]

I wasn't saying he shouldn't own an expensive car, I was just saying that he should disguise it.

Around a year ago, I was home with my mom and someone came to the door and tried to get in. Luckily, I locked the door just seconds ago. Nobody was supposed to be arriving around that time, so we called the cops. When the cops got there, they couldn't find anyone, but I scared them. They were looking inside and I was walking around holding a chair leg like a rifle, they said that they thought I was "Grandpa with a shotgun," I actually scared cops with a wooden stick. Stupid cops.

[GreekIdiot]

My very expensive Mercedes got broken into. By broken into, I mean the window shattered into pieces. My wallet was stolen. The problem is not the wallet itself even though it was a really nice one, the problem is the content of it. My estimate says that I had about $700 cash. All my documents are gone, obviously. My driver's license, my credit and debit cards, my other ID's (which you cannot know about), business cards, etc.

You are a miserable and selfish scum bag who only cares him/herself and don't care whether someone else gets screwed.

Now that's very interesting information about you. Next time, buy a Rolls Roy's, or even a Bentley. I'm sure the one who smashes that window will just throw the wallet out of the car and get the car instead.

[Aethers]

I wasn't saying he shouldn't own an expensive car, I was just saying that he should disguise it.

Around a year ago, I was home with my mom and someone came to the door and tried to get in. Luckily, I locked the door just seconds ago. Nobody was supposed to be arriving around that time, so we called the cops. When the cops got there, they couldn't find anyone, but I scared them. They were looking inside and I was walking around holding a chair leg like a rifle, they said that they thought I was "Grandpa with a shotgun," I actually scared cops with a wooden stick. Stupid cops.

...So wait, an unexpected visitor at your house is a cause for calling police? Do you live in the Twilight Zone by any chance?

Maybe I'm just spoiled since I haven't heard of a burglary in my hometown, ever, in the twenty-five years I've lived here... The one time anything was stolen from my house when I was growing up, it turned out it was the babysitter. I imagine there are burglaries but considering that one has never happened close enough to my neighborhood for me to specifically hear of it, it's not something anyone in my family worries about.

What I'm wondering is why Mr.Yankees's original post is indicative of the US. Is it because in any other country, except possibly Russia, one wouldn't be carrying such an outrageous sum of money in ones wallet? Well, no one carries that much in the US either unless there's something quite out-of-the-ordinary going on, so that wouldn't really be it.