I got this in the email. I usually feel safe when
> I'm in Ayala Center, but
> this time the thieves didn't spare Glorietta. Their
> tribe seems to be
> increasing, so let's all be careful. I told my
> daughter at Ayala Land to
> report the incident to Security. Let's be aware
> that the "squashing
> technique" is a current practice, so we'll know what
> to do. How about a
> karate chop?
>
>
> Dear All:
>
> I would like to share with all of you my
> horrible and scary
> experience last Friday night at Glorietta. Maybe,
> by being aware of this
> incident, you will be more vigilant as you do your
> leisure shopping.
>
> It was one rare moment on a weekday that we, my
> daughters and I would
> have the chance to have a leisure evening together.
> And a rare occasion
> that I would go around Glorietta as I have been used
> to the South shopping
> malls. Anyway, we took the escalator leading to the
> Rustans store (the Bon
> Apetit entrance). The escalator that would lead you
> to the bus stop at
> Ayala Avenue. I was about five steps away from my
> two daughters and in
> front of me were two people (one gay and one girl)
> in white. They were
> about 5 to 6 steps ahead of me. I noticed that
> these two people were
> walking backwards and to my mind, how could adults
> play in the escalator.
>
> I only see children doing this. They continued
> stepping backwards
> until they were about 2 steps away from me. I
> noticed that the gay removed
> her pony tail band from her hair. Then as I reached
> the top, the gay bent
> forward trying to pick up something from the floor.
> I was standing there
> trying to hold my grip for fear of falling down.
> All I could say was Ano
> ba, Ano ba and I felt I was being squashed. I did
> not know that my
> daughters were overtaken by another two people and
> they thought that it was
> rude of them to do this. The next thing they saw
> was that I was being
> squashed in front and at the back. They thought
> that the one in front of
> them got their shoe stuck. I finally got out and
> was cursing the two
> people in front of me for being so ignorant in the
> use of the escalators.
> My daughter noticed that my bag was opened and she
> asked me to check it
> out. My cell phones were there. But my wallet was
> gone. She immediately
> ran outside to chase the two but they were gone.
> The other two according
> to my daughter went the side way.
>
> I told the security guard stationed by the door
> leading to Ayala.
> All he asked was that "Inipit ba kayo"? I said yes.
> And then he said that
> it is a modus operandi and if I were to interpret
> what he said, this is not
> the first time this happened. I was shocked for a
> while. I did not feel
> like looking around anymore and just confined myself
> inside Rustans.
>
> The good thing about this was that next day, a
> construction worker
> called my house to advise that he saw my wallet in
> one of the planter boxes
> near the bus stop. He saw a receipt with my name
> and phone number and
> called hoping he can find the owner of the wallet.
>
> Am passing this email to you so that you will
> be more alert when you
> go out. This can happen anywhere where they have
> these escalators. For
> those who have connection with the Security of
> Ayala, please tell them to
> pose some guards at the escalator areas.
>
> Pass this on to as many people as you can
