Crazy town

Sometimes you happen to be in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time, and you see weird stuff go down.

Tonight after work, I drove out to the gym. As I pulled in the parking lot, I saw a guy sort of standing around a truck. Didn’t think much of it. People stand around sometimes. But as I was gathering up my bags and getting ready to get out of the car, I noticed a woman on her cell phone close to the awning, looking back out at the lot. She looked at me and said, “You better lock your car! A man just tried to break in to mine!”

I clicked my little honk-honk remote and listened to her phone conversation as I turned to survey the parking lot. She was talking to the police, most likely, and describing what was happening. I saw the lingering dude step out from behind the truck and the lady goes, “There he is! He’s still here!” The guy was looking at us, and even from as far away as we were (two parking-lot rows), I could tell he was crazed. Just not focused but with a twitch of desperation in every movement he made. I’m pretty sure I saw him try to lift the handle of a big black Ford F-150, to no avail. He was wearing a yellow shirt. I almost want to say it was a camouflage yellow, but I can’t be sure. It was certainly a mottled pattern and not a solid. I stood there with the lady, listening to her describe the man to the police, and wondered if I should go inside and tell the front desk or wait with her or what. Classic case of What-the-fuck-do-I-do-itis.

Finally the dude slinked around to this turquoise-colored Saturn CS2 (if my Google-fu is strong), tried the driver-side door, and blammo! It opened. He got in, started it, shifted into reverse, SMACKED IN TO THE BIG BLACK FORD F-150 HE HAD JUST TRIED TO GET INTO, and drove away, all while the lady on the phone ran after him to get his plates. Luckily, another guy had just parked and gotten out of his car, and was able to catch a glimpse of the tags.

I went inside and told the front desk guy what had happened, and that someone’s truck had been plowed in to. It took him a minute to get on top of things, but he finally did. I got changed and worked out and when I came back outside, there were police cars, and I saw the owner of the truck filling out paperwork on a clipboard. That’s gotta suck real bad.

Anyway. I have no idea if the crazy man took off in his own car (how likely would that be?) or if he lifted a car with keys in it (how stupid would that person feel?), but I sure hope they’re able to find him and give him a stern talkin’ to.