We were at Central Mall in Texarkana, hardly a hotbed of crime. My wife and I, and our 5 year old, were getting a late bite to eat just before the 9:00 closing time. I was waiting at the counter to pick up our order, while they were in the food court area maybe 15 yards away.
I turned to look their way, and my wife was asking one of the Chic-Fil-A employees to call mall security, because someone had just stolen a bag and dumped it in the trash can right next to her. As I was walking over with our food, the security guard was talking to her, and all of a sudden she pointed: "That's him, in the Longhorns hat!"
Security went over and escorted him over, as he was protesting the whole way. Meanwhile the girl whose stuff he had swiped came back looking for her bag. The thief insisted he had thought it was his bag he had picked up from her table, so I commented that he didn't really seem like the type to wear Victoria's Secret panties.
Here's what happened: two young couples were at a table, and when they got up to leave one of the girls left her bag of purchases behind. While my wife was watching, Bubba Stickyfingers walked up, snagged the bag, rifled through it (looking for a receipt so he could return the contents for cash, I imagine), then went to peep around the corner in the direction the couples had walked. He quickly turned, stuffed the bag in the trash can within arm's reach of my wife, walked quickly towards two of his buddies, then they all sprinted for the exit.
The victim got her stuff back, mall security made a note about the thief, and everyone left.
And we had to leave out the same door as the thief and his friends. And drive next door to the bookstore to pick up our daughter; the bookstore where the mallrats go when the mall closes.
So yeah, you can bet that my head was on a swivel, I was looking for cover, concealment, and tactical advantage, and I was hedging my bets on 5 shots versus possibly 3 attackers if they had waited around outside to get some revenge.
Turns out he's a big ol' chicken, though. The very next day we were at Wal-Mart, and my wife went off in search of headphones in the electronics section. She couldn't find any, so she asked a group of young guys if they knew where they were. Who should turn around, but Bubba Stickyfingers... who hastily mumbled "no" and beat feet.
