Robbery

Yesterday I heard a disturbing story about a businessman in our neighborhood being robbed and threatened by three young men with knives earlier this week. Apparently, he was emerging from our tube stop at 11 pm, when he was surrounded by three British men in their 20s. One of them held a knife to his back and demanded that he take them to his home. All the stores were closed, and the neighborhood was quiet as he walked the several blocks to his flat. Once inside, they had him lie on the floor, with one holding a knife to his abdomen, while the other two ransacked his apartment. They took everything of value, including his computer, his briefcase, his bank cards and his house keys. They demanded his pin number for the bank account, threatening to come back if it didn't work. He gave them everything, and they later withdrew hundred of dollars from his account. (When asked why they were doing this, they claimed they needed money to pay for drugs.)

When Carl called home from his late dinner meeting last night, I made him promise to take a taxi home instead of the underground.