Watch your purses!
 

Every week I take my 89 year old mother to the grocery store. She values her independance so I don't hover, but do my own shopping. Today as she looked over the produce, with her purse in the shopping cart....you know what happened. The store security tapes recorded the couple. They came into the store, saw an elderly woman not paying attention, took her purse and left. They were in and out in less than 5 minutes. The irony is that she has always 'nagged' at me to not leave my purse in the cart, or set it down any where. Of course she is very upset.
However, some things worked in her favor and are good ideas that may help others. She never carries her checkbook. She only had ONE financial card, a debit card. (the bank is in the same center as the market so I was able to cancel it within 30 minutes). She had very little in the purse, no jewlery or other valuables. She lost about $60. We were able to identify the things we have to replace - her state ID card (she doesn't drive), library card (which I also cancelled), and medical/insurance cards. Because we don't know if her social security card or number was in her wallet I will do some things on line to prevent identity theft. We also had her door locks changed immediately. Her keys had a tag that lists her senior living center with her address, which is right next to the store.
So, ladies, wear your purses, or use the kiddie safety strap to secure it into the shopping cart. I am going to reduce the number of cards I carry!
Hope this helps someone else avoid this problem.

I agree with you. At this time of year it's just best to carry a little change purse to put right into your pocket. I truely don't understand why people feel the need to rip others off. But it's what it is so we all need to be careful and help watch out for others.

So sorry to hear this. I worked in super markets for 27 years and i can tell you that this is not the first time this couple has commited this bad act. Hopefully management can identify this couple and alert their employees to be watchful. We had several elderly shoppers and as an employee we did our best to watch out for them. I wish you the best with getting her cards replaced and thing straightened out.

Judy in Phx

Yuck! I especially hate when people take advantage of an elderly person.

If I take my purse in, I always strap it in by wrapping the seat belts for the kids several times around the handles. and then thru the cart too.

Sadly, our society cares little for each other, and the elderly or just those not paying attention are great targets! I'm so sorry her purse was taken, but very glad she did not lose much and that you are there to watch our for her, and help her protect herself and her ID now that this has occured. I'm sure that it is greatly appreciated even if she has not said so!
God bless you!

I am sorry your moms purse was stolen. I hope that the persons that took it get their Karma SOON!! There is no reason for someone to steal from an elderly person as they don't have much as it is. I hope that it doesn't cause your mom to lose sleep worrying over it.
You did the best thing you could have done by changing her locks, notifying the bank, library etc. Good for you. Your a good daughter and one that we can all see that loves her mom dearly. :)

Thanks for the warning and all the good advice. But I like this one... never thought of it :) Sorry you had to experience this.

Some have also suggested keeping one's keys and cell phone in one's pocket instead of one's purse , so in case one's purse got snatched, one would still have them.

Men's clothes are so much more convenient with all the pockets most of them have!

I do the same.

For the best safety wear your purse. The kiddie strap will slow someone down in taking it but they could still take the contents.

never thought about securing the purse with the kiddie strap....I just hold onto the strap at all times while it sits in the kiddie seat as I shop with the other hand...if I need both hands, I will take my purse out of the cart and put the strap over my shoulder with opening of purse against my body.....so sad to have to be so ever aware of the purse.....I know a lot of women shop without a purse...but I have carried one for so long it has become a part of me!!!!!!!

I, too, am sorry this happened to her. Our newspaper carries the Mary Worth comic.......and she had her wallet stolen. She'd hung her purse on the back of her chair while having lunch. Someone apparently walked by, reached in and stole her wallet. I have to admit, I've done the same with my purse!!!! Also, my bow tuck bag doesn't have a zipper --- the next one I make will have a zipper ---- it just makes it a little harder for them to steal.

Oh -- and one time I was in line at a grocery store in a large city. I saw a man reach up to a young girl's backpack and very carefully unziped it, and took her wallet. I yelled....he dropped it and took off. So watch the backpacks, too!

Using the kidding strap just means you do not lose the bag, but your contents will be gone. Unfortunately, several friends of mine have had this happen to them, too. One even had her savings account invaded just by having her wallet stolen. And they are sometimes parts of larger groups because the checks were cashed hundreds of miles away.

I can't count the number of times I've seen women in grocery stores who just leave their carts in back of them with their purses just sitting there while they look for that perfect lettuce or cut of meat. What really gets me mad though is when I read about thieves driving by in parking lots and grabbing the purses right off the shoulders or out of the hands of women and physically hurting them, some very badly. What cowards!

It's very sad that people feel the need to take things from the vulnerable. I'm glad you were able to take care of the resulting problems for your Mom. The least little thing upsets my mother (83) so I know how upsetting this was for your Mother. We all needed the reminder to keep a close eye on our purses this season. Thankyou!

I do the same with the kiddie strap.

Sorry you and your mom had to do through this. Thanks for the reminder. BrendaK

I like to take my credit card and license in my pocket to the grocery store, actually its much easier than carrying a purse......

SORRY THIS HAPPENED but a good warning i never put my purse in the cart thanks for sharing as a good remidner

After having my purse stolen out of our truck it took me over 3 yrs to get things straightened out-you can't get a birth cert.or a new SS card without picture ID and you can't get pic.IDs w/o a birth cert.I felt like a mouse in a maze. After getting it all back I made copies of everything at the bank and they notorized it.-And at this time of year I don't carry a purse my wallet goes into the inside pocket of jackets and coats

I used to say "Watch your purse!" to women when they would turn their backs on their purse sitting in the cart, but so many of them gave me dirty looks that I quit.

We took my 86 yr old mother shopping on Black Friday and made her leave her purse at home. She fretted all day because she didn't have it but it's just too easy for someone to grab it. My sister and I paid for whatever she bought and she wrote us a check when we got back. I know they don't like to lose their independance but some things have to be done. Now if we could get her to stop letting people into the house. She doesn't remember who people are and if they say they need to be there she opens the door. We have a caretaker who comes in from 10 to 4 but a furnace repairman came at 9:30 and was already in the basement. We didn't need repair!

I learned my lesson carrying a purse around with me. When I go shopping I only take my debit card, driver license and cell phone and make sure the clothes I wear have pockets. I love the jackets with the inside pockets. They are my shopping jackets. I leave my tote/purse in the trunk of the car when I go in a store. If I need anything from it I can always go back and get it. I don't take a purse in anywhere anymore. I had my walled stolen at a funeral visitation, a friends anniversary party, and from a church nursery while helping out with the kids. It's a pain to replace the things you need and hurtful to lose pictures and other personal items. And the darn wallet and purse are expensive to replace!

My friend had her purse picked at Joann fabrics while in line and on her body. Someone distracted her by talking and someone else picked her wallet. At first she thought it may have fallen out in the car or at home. She had to go out for the day and when she got home that evening there was a message on her answering machine that her wallet had been found hidden in another store. She did had only one credit card and she notified them and everything was taken care of and the purchase was very minor, something like $5.00 or $10.00. So again always be aware of your surrondings, I have since taken my credit cards out of my wallet and have them in a change purse that is hooked to the inside of my purse so no one can take it out. I am going to remove my drivers license & other id from my wallet and do the same thing with another change purse.

This is so sad. It is also that time of the year for big theft regardless of your age or store or location.

Please make sure you put your purse in the trunk before you leave the house. DO NOT do it in the parkinglot where you are shopping. Also in the restrooms don't put your purse on the floor or on the door hanger. To easy to snatch & run.....You kinda get caught with your pants down. LOL glenda

I hate that this happened to your Mom. So many sorry people in this world. I wonder if you got an old purse & just put a garter snake in it what would happen when a theif opened it up. LOL. By the way your social security number is on most medical cards. Hopefully they will be caught.

Sorry to hear this happening to your Mon.

Thanks for the reminder.

I would love to put a dye in my purse that sprayed the thief! How would I get that to work? LOL

I am so sorry that this happened to your mom and know that she will probably be fretting about it for sometime. Thank the Lord that the people chose to take it from the cart and not while she had it on her.

Since I "carry" I wear my purse across my chest. For the times I don't want to carry my purse, I have one of these...
https://www.alumawallet.com/?uid=D2B...FF259CCEB17F41

It is especially nice when going to concerts or where a lot of people are crammed into a small space. Keeps the pick pocketers little sticky fingers outta my belongings.

Just terrible! I hope that couple who stole your mother's purse get caught for something else and get locked up!

I don't carry a purse for this reason...every thing in my pockets

Sorry to hear about this, but it is not just the elderly. I have gone to the store many times and seen women leave their purses in their cart and walk away. I have almost done it a couple of times myself.

Glad to hear that she didn't loose too much, though for some these days, even $60 is a lot. You were also quick to take precautions. We even lock things up at home when we go out. A neighbor was burgularized next door to us during the day and we were home. It turned out the thief took some docs and stole money out of their bank account that same day.

I wrap the safety belt of the cart around my purse several times. I have taken most of my credit cards out of my purse and leave them at home. NOW I try to remember to put my car keys in my pocket. Several months ago I loaded groceries into trunk of car and had put my purse in ahead of bags and slammed the trunk ,Purse, keys and cell phone all locked up. Prayers DO work...... a sweet young lady came along and said "you look like you need a friend" I told her my problem and she brought me home to get another set of keys and then took me back to the store. I live less than half a mile from the store and considered walking home but knew my knees and feet wouldn't carry me. There are some good people in this world even today.

I have done this for several years now since that was happening in a local grocery store.

That is sad...sorry you both had to go through that. She is a wise woman to not have put valuables in her purse...some elderly put things in their purses to protect them.

I am sorry to hear this. KARMA...

Thanks for the advise.