...when they tell us to never walk alone at night. I was walking home at 1am from Laura's place (which really is not that far and only involves George street and Regent street) during a snowstorm the other night. It was a quiet yet peaceful night. I was enjoying the walk in the freshly falling snow. It wasn't a brutally cold night, it was warm. I had been alone almost the entire walk and I can recall a Checkers Cab van pass me on Regent street and I saw it pull right onto a street way up ahead. I thought nothing of it. When I passed by the Kebab (or formerly called Kellys Cafe/Bouldons) I noticed that there was some sort of vehicle parked behind the building with its lights on and running (but I could not see it). I still thought nothing of it.
The next thing I can remember was when I was just beginning to approach the edge of the street at the crosswalk, where Aberdeen connects with Regent. I had glanced over to the right and noticed a mans shadow RIGHT behind me. Uncomfortably a foot away from me. It shocked the crap out of me and I may have jumped slightly. He was not that tall, probably not too much taller than me. He was older - probably in his 40s and wearing a leather jacket. He said "Hey how are you?" and I started to walk faster and vear to the left to cross the street, answered "good." and glanced back over my shoulder....
What happened next I never expected. He leaped towards me and grabbed me around my side saying "Give it to me!" We ended up falling onto the snowy road with my purse underneath me and with him on top of me. I started to scream and try to get my purse to throw it at him. I thought he was going for it. I was ready to throw it and get the fuck out of there. The biggest shocker of the story? I yelled take it while struggling to get my purse off my shoulder and he just got up and left. He just walked down Aberdeen street and left me laying on the road with all my belongings. What the fuck? I ran the rest of the way home and when I got there I could barely breathe.
I'm going to take this all as a sign, as I believe in all that karma and signs and stuff. I was lucky and got away this time, but next time I may not be that lucky. I'm taking it as a wake up call that I'm not invincible, these things WILL happen to ANYONE and I can't go about life with the attitude that 'it will never happen to me'. I have to stop being so stupid.
