Page 45 - Seniorstoday July 2022 Issue
P. 45
Lesson learnt: stay far away from the kerb takes that one time of open temptation and
or road and more towards the buildings desperation for money to do the deed.
when walking on the footpath. It’s Friday night, three youngsters in
Take brightly lit main roads versus their 30s returning home from dinner in
bylanes or park fronts. London’s posh Mayfair district. The time is
If it is a face-to-face mugging, often at 1.30am, not at all late by London standards.
knifepoint, give in without a fight. They have reached their place of stay,
If you are on your phone, they will snatch Arlington House Apartments. Just outside
it off your hand and zoom away either on a the door, two men completely masked
skateboard or in a waiting car. attack one of the youngsters - a boy. Within
Again, carry extra money in your socks, 30 seconds, the masked men pushed him to
just in case your phone is not the only the ground and removed his Rolex watch.
target for the mugger. To get into Arlington House, you have to
Homes of the rich are also a target. This is use your keycard, which they did.
usually an inside job with the help of your The apartments did not have security and
cleaning staff, gardener or handyman. Here to everyone’s horror, the CCTV camera
is how it happens: husband off to work, outside the hotel was not working. All
wife in the kitchen, cleaning staff doing her that the camera recorded was the feet of
usual, lets in the seasoned house thief, who the burglars. This was under the awning
walks into the bedroom closet and neatly of Arlington House, a bar on the opposite
removes the entire safe and quietly exits the side of the road actually caught this entire
home. Nothing unusual noticed until you incident. When this matter was reported to
go to your closet and look at the vacant spot the apartment authorities, a senior officer
of the safe in disbelief. The whole process of from Arlington House advised, “don’t
lodging a complaint and even remembering dress rich”. Unless you are rich, you can’t
the contents of the safe is unnerving. afford to stay in Arlington House (these
Lesson learnt: Important documents like apartments cost 1000 pounds a night).
your passport and ID cards should be kept What is surprising is the completely callous
in a drawer. The burglar has no interest in attitude of Arlington House’s authority
them. It’s the jewels, the cash and easily who made every effort to wash their hands
saleable stuff that they are after. Have off this incident saying that it was on the
multiple drawers with locks to keep your road and even though it was under the
precious stuff. Never open the drawers in awning of Arlington house it was not their
front of your staff, as honest as they are, it responsibility.
Lesson learnt: London can be an unsafe
place. Indians are a target. It is suspected
that Uber drivers often inform these
gangs of the rich and where they stay.
While it is unfortunate that this incident
happened outside Arlington House, it
could have happened anywhere, what is
more unfortunate is that Arlington House
couldn’t give a damn.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #37 | JULY 2022 45
