Don’t be a Crime Victim
27th October 2008
Crime is a problem around the world. South Africa arguably has one of the worst crime problems of any country.
Staring down the barrel is a sobering experience
I woke up early Sunday morning to the sound of a metal “click!”. So I listened for a few moments and then got up to check the lock on the front gate. It was fine. I then checked the bedroom windows and found one opened wide. I had closed both that night because of a storm.
I then went and called the armed response company, ADT. Three attempts later, I was waiting on the front patio, which faces the street. That’s when three youngsters ran down the street. It appeared they’d been ‘shopping’ in the neighbouring houses. I have palisade fencing so I could see what was happening in the street. I jumped on the gate and started screaming obscenities at the trio.
That’s when I felt a thud under my chin. The next thing I remember is standing a metre back from the fence and staring at a fourth youth who was pointing a nine millimetre pistol at my face. In a sublime moment, he gave me some advice: “go into your house”. It was almost as if he was a policemen advising me to go indoors for my own safety! Wierd. Needless to say, I took his advice.
I then went and called the police as well. The ADT guard eventually arrived with the police coming up the street a few seconds later. Kudos to the cops for the quick response. I’m a lot less impressed with the ADT guys.
A few minutes later a neighbour three houses up the street came out and told us he’d just been robbed. The four thugs had obviously just helped themselves to his possessions and were running down the street when I spotted them.
It dawned on me later that the gun that was used to strike me under my chin could easily have gone off. That would have left parts of my head on the gravel in my front yard. I can still see that huge barrel pointing at me and wondering when the flash would come.
Funny thing is I’m sleeping fine and I’m not an emotional wreck. We South Africans kind of expect this type of thing to happen sometime.
It’s in my nature to fix things, find solutions and sometimes piss people off in the process. I can’t accept some #@#*y telling me to get off my own street. So I’m joining the police reservists today. I’ll make the time.
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