I was robbed at gunpoint last night, I'm still shaking.

[liberalhistorian]

I was working late and left my building around 7:25 or so. I was sitting in my car (the window was open), getting a few things together before I left. He suddenly appeared at my window, grabbed my arm and started saying "give me the money, I know you have the money." He jammed a gun into my ribs (I got a quick look at it, it was small and compact). I only had four dollars cash on me, I gave him my wallet and he took it then looked through it demanding the "rest of the money." He then threw it back in the car, demanding to see my purse. He kept insisting I was lying, jamming the gun in my ribs each time he said it. He pawed through my purse, saw there wasn't anything else of value in it, or at least that he wanted (there were my $3,000 hearing aids, but I doubt if he realized it, or their value), and threw it back at me. He jammed the gun in my ribs again, "give me your fucking ATM card", so I did. "We're going to go to the ATM machine, that's what we're going to do. What's your fucking number?". I told him my old number, which for some reason was what flashed into my head. He moved the gun from my ribs to my neck and demanded that I "quit lying and give him the real fucking number." I thought he was going to get in the car with me and make me drive to the ATM machine, so I told him the real number. He made me tell him four more times, insisting I better be right, that had better be the real number. He then got up from the car, put the gun in his waistband, and took off on foot. I was so frightened at the time that all I could think about was appeasing him, convincing him I didn't have all the money he thought I did, then when he shoved the gun in my neck demanding my real PIN# and I thought he was going to get in the car with me, I gave it to him.

I was shaking so bad that I'm not sure how I managed to drive to the police station, which was very near there. I called the bank from the police station before I gave my statement to report the card stolen and have it blocked and cancelled. This was around 8 p.m. or so. Would you believe that the guy used the card at 12:30 a.m. this morning, almost FIVE HOURS after I reported it and they said they blocked it, and managed to withdraw 700 dollars in three transactions, one right after the other? He took out 300, then 200, then another 200. Boy, was I pissed when I found that out. I had to go to the bank with a copy of the police report and fill out an Affidavit of Unauthorized Withdrawal. They'll then "investigate the matter." I told them I'd better get my goddamn money back since the block should have been in place by then. They told me that since it was both a debit and a credit card that, when I reported it stolen, I somehow had been transferred to VISA International and it takes them longer to block ATM transactions than it does credit card purchases. I said I hadn't called VISA International, but the bank's 800#. They said I "somehow" had been transferred to VISA International. Well, bullshit, I don't care what happened all I know is that they're going to give me my money back or my boss (an attorney) and I will file suit to make sure that that happens! There's NO EXCUSE for it not being blocked almost five hours after I reported it stolen! I know it's more important that I wasn't hurt than that I lost money, but that's an awful lot of money for me that I'm in need of now.

Nothing like this has ever happened to me before, and I still can't believe it happened. I can still feel the gun being jammed in my ribs over and over. At the time, it was like it was happening to someone else. I've found that I'm suddenly a lot more fearful of things I never even thought of before. I didn't even want to get back in my car last night, but I did. I don't want to go back to that parking lot on Monday at work, but I know I have to. And I sure as hell ain't working late anymore unless my boss is working late with me and can walk me to my car. I feel tremendously violated, and I hate it. And I don't want to be fearful of young black men, either (he was black), I know better in my head but I'm afraid it'll be a different story emotionally. And I'm ashamed of that. But the fear and the tremendous sense of violation are what I hate the most!