Neighborhood Watch

I ran down a pick pocket the other day. Pulled my U-Haul over and ran after the bloke. It was instinct. I didn't think. Just pulled the 17 footer packed with my family's belongings and ran after him. Didn't think about how I could have been shot. How he could have stabbed me. This was my neighborhood and this wasn't going to happen here. Not anymore. Things were supposed to be different now. My buddy who was helping me move told me to pull over, actually. I don't even know if I would have done it otherwise.

I didn't think after I started running. I ran down the alley and the girl who was screaming bloody murder about her purse being stolen was picking up her belongings and the pick pocket was sprinting onwards, out of reach. I ran by her. Just wanting to catch him. Make him pay for what he had done. This woman could have been my wife. She could have been anyone's mother. I ran faster. Put my all in to it. My buddy was a little behind me. I got close enough to see the guy really well. He turned around for a second and said, "What the fuck are you going to do?" I shouted something stupid like,"Drop her money. Do it. Stop. Stop." I tried to sound full of authority.

I kept on running after him for about a block. I rounded the next block and I realized he was a good block and a half ahead of me by now. The guy was quick and lean. Looked like he might be able to play basketball all day, and I would be lucky to get a game to ten in. I stopped at the corner. Was a little overwhelmed at the whole thing and how quick it happened. My life could have changed if he had had a gun, but I didn't think about it.

After my buddy caught up with me, we looked down the block and people were poking around in the U-Haul. It looked as if someone had been shot and the driver ran the truck into the corner as half of a lane was blocked by the truck. We ran up to the truck and everyone was interested in why we parked the way we did. I told them I was trying to be a Hero. That I wasn't in good enough shape to run anyone down. That I needed to work out more and maybe I'd catch him next time.

As we got in the truck and began to drive off my buddy told me that the girl had been screaming Nigger the whole time. Something like, "Get that Nigger. That Nigger stole my purse. Get that Nigger." I couldn't believe it. He was closer to the girl because he was further behind. I couldn't believe I was putting my life on the line for this closed minded individual. To her it had quickly become an issue of white versus black. To me it was an issue of wrong versus right. Nothing but that. I was just trying to help out my neighbor in my neighborhood.

I could have left behind my wife and baby girl that afternoon. Sad that I had to learn this. But next time, I will let the pick pocket run off. Next time I will not pull over the truck unless someone is getting beat down. Unless it is life versus death. I would have possibly gotten her credit card and cell phone back. She can cancel the credit card. She can get another phone. But I can't get back my virgin curiosity to help a person in need. Next time I will question and not act. Next time I will think about her, and then think about my family. And the pick pocket can buy his bag of weed. No harm. No foul.