How I Found My Freedom

dated 2010-02-09 | posted in columns | topic General | permanent link

Imagine returning to your car, which you locked and set the alarm on, only to find it open and empty. That’s what happened to me last Saturday after I attended a gym class from 3 – 5 pm. The robbers had a professional device to pry the lock from the driver’s side door, disable the alarm, then scour the car for its contents. Of course I was foolish to leave a purse inside, albeit hidden and well out of sight. The items inside included a Louis Vuitton wallet copy I bought in China last summer; my two-year old iPhone packed with my contacts, handy apps and my agenda for the next six months; a set of house keys; and my bank cards.

Immediately after I discovered the car in its disabled state, I fled back inside the Health Club Visconde ,one minute from where I had parked. It’s an upscale gym in Cascais that has all the perks except one: dedicated parking. Clients have to park on the streets in front and around the club, an acknowledged problem for the gym, but one they have not been able to solve. That’s why I was surprised when I went back inside with details of the robbery and was met with nonchalance, at best, from the management.

“Oh, “ the new manager said, almost as an afterthought “ We do have security for the cars during the week.”

“So, “ I said, “You have had problems?”

“Well, not this week.”

In the immediate aftermath of the robbery, one young man working at the club did offer to help. Frederico handed me his telemovel as he looked up numbers for the police, my banks and for Vodafone. After five minutes, all of the credit and multibanco cards were cancelled. The police took longer to reach and to arrive. When the local police number didn’t answer, we called 112. Finally the police arrived 40 minutes later behaving more like they were at a picnic than at a crime scene. They didn’t want to write anything down and kept telling me to go to the tourist police. In decent Portuguese I explained I am permanent resident and insisted they write down the facts. They said they had no computer, but I prevailed and finally they wrote something, at the same time sunning themselves, or so it seemed. (That night I went to Police headquarters in Cascais and got the formal report.) Then I rushed home to make sure my apartment was safe .( It was.) That evening I had to change the front door lock which cost me €300 but gave me great piece of mind. Regarding my Portuguese BI and USA passport, I know it’s the law to carry originals, but I never do. Replacing them would be a hassle far greater than the cards or the keys. I carry only photocopies.

I will end with the tale of the iPhone. On Sunday of last week, I went to CascaiShopping to inquire about purchasing a new one. “Portugal is all sold out of iPhones” the Vodafone agent told me. I thought it strange that the upscale phone would be gone in country with serve economic issues, but then the maybe only a few come here for sale. Next I went to FNAC. They had one left for €999.99 (!), but I passed on that one. So, I bought a simple Nokia for €29 and have made fewer calls than ever before, wasted much less time staring a pretty piece of metal and have found real freedom with no credit cards, only enough money for each day’s expenses and a decision to walk , not drive, to the gym.

patwestheimer@gmail.com

EMERGENCY NUMBERS: Cascais Police: 214 839 100; National Emergency Number: 112; Millennium ( BCP): 707 502 424; Caixa Geral de Depositos: 707 242 424; 24-hour key service: 800 207 048, or 918 923 030; Vodafone: 1218.