Thanks for returning my Debit Card

My colleague Ed Santos and I share the same locker room and identical combination locks for our lockers. I have been having a very hard time lately opening my lock, and noted Ed was also experiencing the same difficulty.

Last Tuesday before leaving for Los Angeles I made a quick pit stop at Valero for gasoline, a Monster drink, and a pack of Marlboro's, using my Wells Fargo debit card.

On Thursday afternoon I attempted to make a purchase at Albertson's but could not locate my debit card, so I charged my fried chicken and cookies with my Visa Card, before driving to work.

When I returned home from work on Thursday night I looked high and far for my debit card, and somehow became distracted, and forgot about it. Last night I stopped at Walmarts to buy my daughter some shampoo and conditioner, and when I reached the cashier I recalled I did not have my debit card, so I would have to charge the purchase.

Odd thing, my debit card reappeared, so I was able to make my purchase my normal way, and I thought no more of this. Actually chalked it up to my old age.

As I scanned my checking account online I see I'm not senile yet! Someone had indeed taken my debit card from my locker between Tuesday and Friday, how do I know this? There was a purchase of $5.87 at a Yum Yum Donut in East Los Angeles on Wednesday, and I have not visited a Yum Yum or any other donut shop in months.

I guess I should feel lucky I only had to buy donuts for them. Don't leave anything of value in the locker rooms at work, or you may get taken.

UPDATE 10:45 p.m.

Folks, I discovered someone had used my debit card thirty minutes before departing for dinner, across the street from our former production facility in Chatsworth, at the Stone Fire Grill. Saul Daniels, former Los Angeles Times writer, invited the pressmen to a free dinner tonight, and it was great.

As I told my colleagues about my debit card problem, I pulled my small wallet from my pocket and showed everyone where I store my debit card. I then proceeded to show them where I keep my credit card, and discovered it was missing in action.

Seems when our friendly thief returned my debit card; he lifted my Washington Mutual Visa card from my wallet. I had an extremely hard time enjoying my company and the great tasting food at that point, and wondered how much damage could be done?

I had planned to stop by Jesse’s after dinner, but thought I better get home and take care of this matter as soon as possible.

As I logged onto the credit card web site, I held my breath wondering how much of my eleven thousand dollars in credit was spent? To my relief, only $7.06 was applied to my credit card, which was then blocked from any further use.

Last year we had a major problem with thefts at the Times Olympic Plant, several computers vanished, as well as cash from employee lockers, taken while everyone was working. The thief was apprehended, then escorted to the front gate and banned from company property, he could not be terminated because he was an outside contractor.

I would like to know why the Los Angeles Police Department were not called when the thief was caught? Just because someone is in this country without a visa or passport, is no reason to allow them to walk away free. If I catch someone in my locker, I promised they will not be walked to the front gate, they will be carried out.