You Can't Make This Stuff Up, part 2

In the apartment building, we park in the garage. 

One day, when I was driving in, I noticed the car that parks next to me going out. What struck me was that not only was the window rolled all the way down on a really cold day, but the driver had their arm out through the window, physically holding the door shut. 

It struck me as weird, but I didn't think anything else about it until a couple days later. I was out in the garage, unloading groceries from the back of my car when the owner of the car next to mine stopped and asked me if I'd seen anything lately?

I asked him what he meant.

"Well you see, my car was broken into last night.  Okay, so I can't shut the door because I was in an accident. I hold the door closed when I drive, and I push the door as closed as I can at night. But last night, my car was broken into and everything was stolen. My cell phone, my work laptop, my wallet, and my extra keys.  Did you see anything?"

I stared at him blankly for a minute and then asked him if he had reported the theft to the police?

"No, no.  I don't want to involve the police. But whoever broke into my car took my apartment keys.  They've been in my apartment, too." 

I asked him again if he'd reported the theft to the police.  I mentioned that he needed to get his lock re-keyed, and the only way that apartment management was going to do that was if they had a police report. 

He stared at me like I had 6 heads. He then said "they got my work laptop".

I repeated again: you need to get a police report. Your IT department needs to know that the laptop was stolen. 

Again, the stare.  "So do you know if they have cameras in the garage of any kind?"

"Well, if they do, the only way any one is going to get a chance to look at them is with a court order. And those are only issued with the help of the police." 

And then, I excused myself and walked away.  That surreal conversation had just crossed the line from odd to something that wasn't making me completely comfortable. Because if all of your electronics, your wallet, and your apartment keys are stolen and you don't want to involve the police, I really don't know what to say.... 

(There was also the insane part of me that wanted to ask: So, what if you do get access to the footage? What exactly are you going to do?)