Gauteng Crime: Smash and Grab

Hello my readers,

Okay sorry for the lack of Blogging. I finally got a job and have hardly had time even just to check emails. But I ain't complaining...having a job is amazing. I am working as a GIS and Remote Sensing specialist for a environmental company (SEF) in Pretoria...a 45 minute drive from where I live. The drive isn't so bad infact I find it very theraputic. Its my quiet time. I love people watching...even in traffic and blasting my 2 Christian CDs over and over again.But this blog is about my incident yesturday..SMASH AND GRAB. For those of you who don't know what that it....it is what it is. A person smashes your window and grabs what ever they can see....this is a common crime here in Gauteng.

Approximately 20 minutes of my drive is along a informal Settlement (Diepsloot) an apparent Smash Grab hotspot. I usually spend my morning drive wondering what the lives of the people around me are like. Funny enough I feel like I know the people I drive by (opposite direction). The morning runners, the constructions guys with their plastic lunch bags tatty shoes who always seem to be sharing some funny story while walking briskly, the school children and even the taxi drivers. Many people say the route I take isnt the safest route, but I try not to think of the negative too much.

But yesterday I was made to rethink things. On my way home form work (4:35pm) I approached the Diepsloot intersection (william nicol and N14). As I pulled in to make my right turn onto william nicol I realised the traffic lights were not working and the car infront of me had stopped. At the same time two guys were crossing the street both in different directions. It was as if they had just finished a conversation. I began day dreaming about the guy walking away from me. He seem strange...not very friendly to look at. I couldn't seem to get any pleasant thoughts about him and had a moment of "Kanya not every person is bad." The other guy approaching my car made a gesture to say he can walk behind my car instead of infront. So i pushed close forward and thought...see people can be nice but I really should have let him go...hes walking and I am driving.

Then everything happened so quickly. The guy who walked behind my car had come to the window behind me and SMASHE IT. The sound was like a bomb. I could not see anything except glass. All I could think of was a gun and my life. So I panniced and accelerated into the car infront of me which created another bash. Then there was that moment of WHAT DID I JUST DO! My heart was racing as I turned to look out my window. There I could in full speed was the theif gunning it towards Deipsloot settlment. He was struggling to carry my broken gym bag. I had a bit of a laugh thinking what an idiot he would feel when he gets to his destination only to find a bag full of dirty gym clothes and shoes.

Getting back into action. The guy I bumped into had stopped by the other side of the road. Knowing that there were more than one theif around...I rolled down my window and asked the guy if we could talk in fourways because I just got smashed and grabbed. The guy was like "YOU SMASHED MY CAR" I was like "um yes but I got a SMASH AND GRAB" ....."YOU SMASHED MY CAR" he said in a french african accent. I knew this might be a tough situation as I followed the man to fourways/lonehill shopping centre. During the drive I just prayed. That the Lord would calm this man and calm my spirit. The devil comes to install fear in our lives and I wasn't going to let that happen. I was safe, I was healthy and I will remain that way.

I managed to get the guy to come with me to Peugeot dealer by Monte where Avon could meet us. On my way there I somehow lost the guy and didn't exchange numbers with him. I thought he was behind me but he was infront and already had arrived at the dealer. While Avon was there waiting he saw a man come out of his car Cursing and punching the air saying "F#(#)*$, that is the last time I will ever trust someone" Avon came up to him and said "Hey man is everything okay" The guy explained the situation and Avon was like don't worry you can trust her...she is my wife. I think the guy felt a bit bad as I pulled in with a "where were you face."

The damages were not so bad. We managed to pay to fix his light and he was going to get a quote for the bumper.

I felt a bit dazed by it all. Even when giving the statment at the police station it still didn't quite hit me. The only time I really cried was when I tried to explain the story to Avon. I just wanted to be close to him.

This morning as I drove passed Diepsloot. I looked out at everyone shoes looking for my shocks!!! As a man tried to cross infront of me using the same gesture as the smash and grab. I let him go first...he smiled and waved. I then felt bad for the perception I had of him and said to myself agian..>I can't live in fear and I won't! So I was going to focus on the positive and not let things like this get me down and negative and continued my drive to work like any normal morning....blasting my Christian music and people watching.

These are the rhythms of my life....I will be blogging more...