My mother always taught me not to put my handbag on the hook on the back of the toilet or changing room door, because somebody could easily reach over to grab it and run off.
It is now a habit to keep it instead on my lap, rather than the door, or the floor.
Last weekend I went to Fairfield showground to the Oktoberfest. I went with a couple of friends and we had an absolute ball – sampling the beer and schnapps, enjoying the pork knuckles, dumplings, sauerkraut and pretzels, and then working it all off on the dance floor.
Along with a day like this comes the inevitable toilet trip. A friend and I trotted off to the ladies, and after a few moments, I heard her shriek.
“What happened?” I asked after quickly running out to see what had happened.
“There was a little hand grabbing my bag under the cubicle wall, so I stomped on it!” she said.
We walked out of the toilet block and sure enough, there were three little girls, one clutching her hand in tears while an older one, aged about 10, told her not to cry while her eyes darted about the crowd, supposedly hoping no one would catch them. I asked them if they had been grabbing bags under the toilets, and was shocked with the gutter mouths that promptly told me what I will not repeat here.
So we told the police officers on duty, who dealt with the girls and their nearby parents. We suspected they had put the girls up to taking advantage of the crowd’s festive and trusting mood.
The issue in this story is not about Fairfield, or about Oktoberfest, both of which I love, but to always be aware of your belongings when you are out. Just this morning my colleagues and I were sharing pick-pocketing stories from travelling abroad.
But the adventure I had at Fairfield also got me thinking about an email I once received, on the cleanliness of the bottom of your handbag.
It may be a sceptical forward that has done the rounds, but apparently a Microbiologist called Amy Karen of Salt Lake in the US of A tested a whole lot (no, it doesn’t tell me how many) of handbags for bacteria.
The email says:
"In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. “There is faecal contamination on the handbags,” says Amy.
"Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception.
"The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all. 'Some type of faeces, or possibly vomit'.
"Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. 'If you think about putting a pair of shoes on your countertops, that's the same thing you're doing when you put your handbag on the countertops.'
"Your handbag has gone where individuals before you have walked, sat, sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc!"
So ladies yes, it might be a pain, but BE AWARE OF YOUR BELONGINGS. Be aware of where your handbag goes when you are out – clutch it tight on the bus, keep it on your lap when having coffee, hold it while peeing (hey, think of it as a kind of Pilates manoeuvre to master), and most of all, keep it zipped up at all reasonable times.
Rebecca.richardson@fa irfaxmedia.com.au
Do you have any pick-pocket stories?
What are your safety and hygiene tips for when you go out?
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