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chopsticks pick-pocket

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Today we joined our downstairs neighbours in going to a Korean restaurant in the Christie Korea-town. It was a place with a magpie logo and quite good.

We then sauntered the length of a street festival that was on Bloor between Spadina and Bathurst. Kenny wanted, and then failed to eat, some candy floss. Reaching the end of the festival's length, Kenny saw the ROM building in the distance, so we finished up with a visit to the dinosaur exhibit.

I had another brush with crime. I was buying tokens at a TTC ticket window when some fellow (black, ~30 years old, roughly 6' tall, shaved head) came up and tried to pluck a $20 bill out of my hand with a pair of chop-sticks. Seeing the chop-sticks in the hand that suddenly appeared in my field of vision, it seemed to me that it must be some nut. It didn't dawn on me that it was an attempted theft. But I guess using the chop-sticks slowed his approach enough that I was able to block his progress toward me by leaning a shoulder toward the glass. He then withdrew, and I turned to see him making a bee-line for the exit.

After we'd gone through the turnstile, Mari said, "He was trying to take your money."

In the subway, I noticed some posters asking riders to report crime to the TTC staff. So when we boarded the Woodbine bus, I mentioned the incident to the driver. He was a personable and energetic sort, and took down the details (I can only imagine that sooner or later the police are going to tire of hearing from me). The driver said that crime is now so common on the TTC that thieves are actually at work on the buses. He theorized that it was due to the worsening economy.

What's next, robbery?