[Leica] Stolen Leicas

[Ken Lassiter <kenlass@gate.net>]

Guy Bennett wrote:

Good God! Was the hotel door locked? Did anyone see the f*****?
What can you do about this, Ken?

Guy, the door was not locked.  Since I had just gone out of the room,
leaving my wife inside, she did not lock it since I was expected back in
a few minutes.  I came back 10 minutes later and the robbery was done.
He had opened the door while she was in the room, grabbed her purse and
my Domke 803 bag and ran off.

My wife saw the thief from the back.  She had gone into the bathroom to
take a pill and heard the door.  She turned and called out, "Back
already?  Get your pictures?"  Then she saw the back of the thief as he
ran out the door with our stuff.  A slender man dressed in black with
dark hair.

A rather brazen or desperate thief, I must say.  Insurance will help
with replacements.  My wife was not hurt but badly shaken by the
experience.

I filed a report with the police but this was another French
experience.  The robbery happened at 11:05 PM.  The police were closed
for the night as was the hotel desk.  I could not report it until almost
8:00 AM before I found someone from the hotel to talk to.  He informed
me I must go to the police station when they open at 9:00 AM to report
the loss.

We had to drive to another town, (Vence, 4 km away) for the police
station.  When we arrived, it was Market Day and if you have ever been
to a small French village on Market Day, you know how busy and chaotic
it is. No parking anywhere with terrible traffic.  We spent 45 minutes
trying to park and gave up.  We realized that we would never make our
Noon flight home from Nice unless we left immediately for the airport.

We made the flight and I faxed a report after we arrived back in the
USA.  I do not know if the french police will accept a faxed report.

An ugly incident capping a wonderful month in France, shooting with
Leicas every day.

Ken Lassiter