The Pessimist

My car was broken into again last night.

Back in January, I inadvertently left my car door unlocked. Seems an opportunity like that doesn’t go unnoticed. Taken was my cell phone and about $5 in parking change. These fuckers must rove the neighbourhood every night flipping door handles and taking whatever they find in unlocked cars.

At least, that was my theory until this morning. Last night my passenger window was smashed out. Taken was my cell phone - again - and about $5 in parking change. I’m assuming it was the same cretin as last time.

So, for $5 in pocket change, and a cell phone that was deactivated and therefore worthless within 12 hours, I have a $200 broken window and the inconvenience, and expense of replacing my cell phone - again. They used a crowbar to break the window and managed to put a couple of scratches in my roof. Estimate to fix that - $700. I’m not fixing it because the scratches are small and the car is a lease. But the point is, some asshole has done over a thousand dollars in damage for a few bucks.

I guess this is a minor matter in the general scheme of things. After all, we’re teetering on the brink of the next great depression. The giant sucking hole that is about to swallow my RRSP savings (and everybody else’s) is going to cost me a lot more than last nights break-in.

A bunch of salesmen earning commissions on mortgages that people couldn’t afford … Bank executives gleefully buying them up so they can take in their multi-million dollar bonuses. Hey, a few inconsiderate fuckers earned a few hundred million dollars last year and set up the economy for a multi hundred billion dollar loss. The similarities are striking.

I have no confidence that the cops are going to catch the guy who broke into my car. I likewise have no confidence that the bank executives are going to have their bonuses taken away from them, or the salesmen their commissions. But why should that be similar? We know who the thieves are in the latter case. Why aren’t they being arrested and charged? Or fired Or sued. There should be some justice in the world.