At the Scene of the Crime

Just when I thought my travel back home would be just an ordinary trip...

Last night, I was in a jeepney with 6 other passengers. 3 were on my side and 4 on the other. A guy was sitting at the end of the jeep. Beside him was a female college student in uniform. Suddenly, the guy shouted, "Para!" (stop). The driver obediently stepped on the brake. The guy was about to get off when suddenly, he turned to his left and grabbed the bag of the lady sitting quietly beside him. The girl shouted, "Ang bag ko!" (My bag!)

The other passengers, including me, were frozen to our seats. We didn't know what to do. The snatcher ran like hell towards a dark alley.

If I had a gun, I would've shooted the guy on the leg or sumpthin. He deserves to be punished.

I've never been in a crime scene up close such as this one. I felt sorry for the badly shaken victim. I thought later that it could've been any one of us.

Why is that guy so desperate to do a thing like this? Is it just poverty? What if he finds out that the contents of the bag are plain useless. It might not have any cash or anything valuable. He's scarred somebody's life with this unthinkable deed.