<p>I just got off the phone with my daughter and she just informed me that her third coat has been stolen in less than a year. Two North Face shells and a winter dress coat. (This does not include the North Face lost by United Airlines–when they lost her bag.)</p>
<p>Mind you, she goes to a school that has an honor code. I do believe that not stealing is part of it.</p>
<p>Two coats were stolen at restaurants. One from a coat room and the one last night was at her table. The girls went to the restroom before leaving and someone took their things. I have told her that she can’t leave her things anywhere. </p>
<p>I don’t know who I am madder at her for leaving her stuff unattended or the idiots that took her coats.</p>
<p>Ok, I feel better. The good news is that spring is around the corner and she won’t need a coat.</p>
<p>Oh, I haven’t bought her any coats after the first one was stolen.</p>
<p>She bought a North Face at a thrift shop and then she replaced the dress coat.</p>
<p>I know that she is responsible for her things. She told me that her friends have had coats stolen also. She said that last night she spent a half an hour going around the restaurant looking for her coat–and enlisted her friends.</p>
<p>Last year my S was studying at a cubicle in the library at his univ. He got up to go to the restroom leaving his books,backpack and Ipod in the cube. When he came back less than 5 minutes later, the Ipod was gone. Yes, he had bought it himself and purchased the replacement himself. It just stinks that there are so many dishonest people out there and so bold too (to just snatch stuff in public places).</p>
<p>25 years ago, when I was in grad school, I was in the library. I had on a suit jacket with a teeny tiny stick pin in the lapel. I took off the suit jacket and hung it on my chair. At some point I went to the ladies room. Later that night, I realized the stick pin was missing. Someone was very observant and very sneaky to go after that.</p>
<p>When I’m in a public place, I never leave my things alone anymore. I usually keep my coat with me in a restaurant, and if I do go to the ladies room, I’ll go by myself, so others at the table can mind my things, or I’ll go on the way out of the restaurant, so I have my things with me. </p>
<p>Also, I’m amazed at the number of women who put their purses on the back of the chair they’re sitting in. It’s so easy for someone to swoop by and take the purse, or just reach in and take the wallet. I always keep my purse in my lap while I’m in a restaurant. It’s the New Yorker in me.</p>
<p>Makes me kind of glad my kids have no sense and don’t wear coats even when it is cold out They must know about the serial coat-stealer and have outsmarted him.</p>
<p>I wonder whether your daughter might have been in situations where she was forced to choose between risking her possessions or losing her seat.</p>
<p>I remember that when I was at college, the library was always jammed during the week before final exams. During that time, if I needed to get up from my seat to go to the ladies’ room or for any other reason, I would leave my coat and some notebooks there. I knew that I was risking my stuff, but if I didn’t leave anything there, I was giving up my claim to the seat, and I would be unlikely to find another one.</p>
<p>Might your daughter have lost her coats in situations like this one?</p>
<p>My H club has these dances, and we bring extra scarves to save our tables near the dance for during dinner…I would do the same for a library, leave an old notebook and such</p>
<p>to leave an ipod…well…</p>
<p>and many times there is stuff in coat pockets, and if coat is taken. you could be missing keys, etc</p>
<p>yeah it sad when people steal, but be smart when you go out…</p>
<p>I know that (though I don’t know why they do that). I just thought there’d be at least one with enough sense to stay and watch the others’ stuff.</p>
<p>I can’t remember when the last time was that I went to the bathroom with another woman. Isn’t that just something on tv? Whenever I leave a table to use the restroom, I’ll tell the person I’m sitting with to, “watch my stuff.” And I’ll do that at fancy restaurants, fast food places or bars. In fact, I did just that yesterday morning when I had breakfast with my daughter at the Marriott. I don’t even think about it (until now!) but even a small town person like me does that as second nature.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to fault anyone for having things stolen, but as adults, do you leave coats or anything that’s worth more then $10 by itself in a public place? My kids haven’t said anything about losing items at college but this thread has made me curious about if it has happened to them.</p>
They must know about the serial coat-stealer and have outsmarted him.</p>