Amber & Criminal Intent

Dude. (I say that in the collective noun usage.)

Someone tried to mug me on the D train this morning.

I was sitting there, on the D, with my messenger bag in my lap, my crochet project out, and my iPod in my hand, selecting a new song. (I didn't think Nine Inch Nails's "Closer" was the song to start my morning today.) We were at the 161st Station, and the doors had just opened.

Suddenly, one of the four other people in my train car, jumped up and was instantly upon me. He grabbed at my iPod with one hand and grabbed the strap on my open messenger bag with the other. Without any thought whatsoever, I grabbed the front of my bag and clutched down on my iPod. The contents of the bag started to spill out on the floor, and my ganglia (because there was no conscious thought or strategy) screamed, "No!"

The doors started to close and he let go and ran off the train. One of the other three people on the train came to ask me if I was okay. I was. I am.

I don't know if I would hold onto the bag if I thought it out. I don't know what I should do in that situation. But, I do remember this NY Times article about how we forget that the city is dangerous. And I do think about those people who have their laptops out on the train, typing away. And I am grateful that my attempted-mugger was not a professional.

He kind of looked like this guy.

True story. Except that last part about him being the Hamburglar.