If You're A Woman Living in JB...

This strange but yet true "joke" that's circulating in Johor is...

"If you're a woman and you live in Johor Bahru,
... then you surely had your purse or bag snatched at least once in your life."

I heard this being mentioned on ntv7's Chinese edition of My Siasat, and it certainly rings a bell to my ears.

The reason?

8 years ago when my family were still living in Johor, my mom fell prey to snatch thieves who rode on a motorbike, and smacked a hand right on her chest and grabbed her gold necklace. Mom was literally shocked and dazed after that. We were just thankful only the necklace got stolen, it could've been a lot worse.

So when this article appeared on yesterday's newspaper, you can't blame me when I said I was happy that another scumbag got nabbed by the public. Score one for the ramming down of the snatch thief, and score another for his capture! I'd be happy too if vigilante justice took hold, and the crowd kicked the shit out of the red-handed thief before handing him over to the police.

Even 8 years ago, snatch thieves were out on their motorcycles, lurking and observing women from a distance before committing the crime. 8 years later, instead of less crime, the security in JB is getting worse day by day. The more and more news articles that I read about victims dying from head injuries or end up paralysed from the neck or waist down, I have less and less sympathy towards the fate of these scumbags.

Alongside that incident in JB, did you know that my mom once encountered a smartly-dressed snatch thief on a motorbike right in Penang? She noticed that the guy was reaching his hand out for her, and so she took her umbrella to shield herself. The guy gave up and pointed an index finger and looked at her sternly as he fled on his bike. This second incident shocked my mom so much till even a motorcycle passing by alongside her is enough to give her a bad jolt.

So, don't ever be afraid to take a few swings of your umbrella at a snatch thief if you ever see a crime in progress, and don't be afraid to ram down a thief's motorbike. Since they brought this upon themselves, these thieves are a legitimate target with a giant bullseye painted on their back and chest.

[Edit]: On a more moderate note here, I'm not advocating that snatch thief victims ought to hang on to their posessions stubbornly. These victims often end up injured or dead in the process of struggling. So it's best to just let go your belongings if you're threatened. No amount of gold, money or jewellery is enough to replace a life.