Can't even get a peaceful skrimp lunch these days. I was off all week and running errands with the wife today, and we decide to go to, shall we say, to the Famous Lobster for lunch. Not our normal spot, but we were in the neighborhood and hadn't been in a long time, so what the heck. After we were already sitting and had ordered, another guy came in and was seated one table over but in my direct line of sight. The wife noticed what he was wearing and was shocked that he would be out in public dressed thataway. I hadn't noticed but acknowledged the observation and agreed, thus I knew what the guy looked like.
The guy orders then gets up and heads out the front door. He didn't immediately return, so I figure he's getting a smoke or something. Then a scruffy looking couple get some food to go, and zig-zag to the back of the restaurant walking by the smoker's table. They are turned around by an employee who informs them they gotta go out the front exit, so they come back by the smokers table and Mr. Scruff just smoothly lifts a pair of sunglasses off the table puts them in his pocket and keeps on walking. (They were moving fast to begin with).
For a second I'm thinking did that just happen? But I jumped up and yelled at him “Hey buddy!!” now I'm headed out behind him I yell it again, he's now out the first set of double doors moving fast but on the second yell he checks up, turns around comes back in and dumps something near the waitress station. He heads on out and I'm right behind him HEY-HEY-HEY PAL. So while he's telling me he left them “over there so somebody could find them” he's got a pair hanging on his shirt. Well Mr. Smoker is right there smoking (we're outside now), the manager comes out (My wife got the manager, worried that I would ventilate Mr. Scruff's cranium) and I get Mr. Smoker's attention (who has no idea what's going on) and ask him if the sunglasses hanging from Mr. Scuffs shirt pocket are his. Mr. Scruff is trying to explain that he put the other sunglasses down “over there” and points. So Mr. Smoker verifies that the ones dumped by the waitress station are his. I was sure Mr. Scruff would dump his cheap sunglasses and keep the stolen good pair. I bellowed at the thief that the only reason you came back in and dumped them off was because I called you out, and then you checked up, you were as good as gone A55HOLE. We exchanged a few more pleasantries.
The manager is trying to be diplomatic saying to Mr. Scruff “Well sir, we'll handle anything that our customers leave behind, we don't need your help doing that” and Mr. Smoker is like “What just happened” and I head back inside to finish my salad.
Well it's now obvious that Mr. & Mrs. Scruff were simply doing a quick recon of the tables to grab tips, cell phones, purses, sunglasses or whatever they could find, using the “Oh we went the wrong way, we're such dumbasses” strategy. When you get something to go at a place like Famous Lobster, you walk in get your food, and walk out the same way. You don't pick up your “to go” bag and then enter the dining part of the restaurant zig-zagging around like you're friggin' lost.
The manager, myslf and Mr. Smoker all debriefed the situation afterward. I'm not looking for applause just passing along a story and to be aware of yet another scammer jammer thieving trick to look out for.
