Christmas and the Five Finger Discount

I have missed being able to post for this long. My mom was very sick and every spare minute was spent helping her get back to health. Thank God, she is on the road to recovery!

So what have I been up to? Watching the worst of human nature. Blame it on the economy, or the fact that this is the Christmas Season, but I blame it on society's "what's in it for me" mentality. So many are feeling entitled these days, and it does not seem to matter if they have money or not. The old five-finger-discount seems to be a popular choice in every store! Don't these people know that millions of dollars are spent on advanced surveillance in these store? Apparently not.

And am I going to divulge these methods? Of course not. But suffice it to say that many of these methods do not even require human involvement. So how people think they will get by with it is beyond me!

It makes me sad that during the season we celebrate our Savior's birth, the thievery and embezzlement increases (even by the employees) and shows no respect for the Reason for The Season. But then, human nature is why He chose to give up His Glory, and come to earth to die as payment for their sins.

Have a blessed Holy Season!

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Grandmas Gone Wild

It's been a while since I posted. Life has its twists and turns, and we just go with them. I have taken a break from surveillance, and am doing loss prevention. Sure is a different game!

My most memorable day was in an upper-crust store where I spied a very old woman in tennis shoes, armed with her black trash bag at the cosmetic counter. I couldn't believe my eyes as she helped herself to dozens of bottles of well-known fragrance for men. Quick as lightening, she stuffed that trash bag and took a run for the front door where there was a car and driver waiting. It happened so fast our team did not catch her. This woman had to be 80 years old, and yet she ran like Bruce Jenner!

This incident provoked questions for me. What has happened to our grandmas? I cannot imagine my own Christian grandmother ever stealing a stick of gum, much less $800 worth of men's fragrances. Grandmas have gone wild! They have tossed their values out the window and taken their place with hard core criminals. And I'm quite sure that car drove to yet another store straight from where I was standing with my mouth hanging open.

This time, I spied to no avail. What a downer.

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Beginner's Buzz and the Six Hour Interview

Ever heard of 'beginner's buzz'? Someone asked me if I remembered my first 'gig' as a P.I. the other day. Boy, do I ever because I was loaded with 'beginner's buzz' to the max!

Lionel (not his real name) 'interviewed' me by having me go on a surveillance in my own car and him in his car. I was sooo nervous. What if I followed too closely, or wasn't covert enough? What if I accidentally lost the claimant? There would be no hiding from THAT!

Seems rather odd that in this field, an interview is an actual surveillance, at least it did to my mom. But Lionel wanted to see how I reacted in 'real time'. After the six-hour interview, we did end up losing the claimant due to rush hour traffic in the city. You can't do these 'interviews' without a cell phone, and you'd better have a cell plan with lots of minutes!

Once in Subway, he showed me how to fill out the report - a long and tedious part of the job. And I went home one tired puppy, but employed! Being frustrated just zaps the body of strength, you know.

I hope I never have to feel so nervous-but-jazzed again for a long time. I call it 'beginner's buzz'.

2009 Spy Sally

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Evicted From McDonalds! - Really!

His house was right across the street of the McDonalds parking lot. Good for me! People coming and going all day provided a good cover. Who would ever pick out my particular vehicle?

After several hours of surveillance, he finally left his house. Naturally, I followed him to various locations. Then he must have been hungry because he chose the very McDonald's - you remember, right across the street from his house - where I had been parked. He went through the drive-thru so I had to park in the parking area.

When he got his order, he left for home. I stayed put and began typing my report. I was in deep concentration when the bang on my window scared me half-witless. Lo and behold, it was an officer who informed me I was to leave McDonalds and never return. Evidently, McDonalds had recently been robbed so the manager, suspicious of me because I had left and then returned, called the cops.

Now if there's anywhere on earth I would have guessed would evict and ban me, it sure wouldn't be friendly old Mac's. Aren't they the ones that want my business? Don't they spend billion$ in advertising just to get my business? Hey, you have to park where you can in this business.

The claimant never suspected he was being followed. So it wasn't that hard to park on his street and resume surveillance. But to tell you the truth, my feelings were a bit damaged knowing I had been evicted from McDonalds!

2009 Spy Sally

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You Can't Scare ME, Bucko!

There I was in 'Podunk' - a name I call some of the itsy bitsy rural towns I have to go to, and the guy I was watching was drinking with some of his good-old-boy friends. He was, as we say in the PI biz, 'hinky'. That is, he had suspicions he was being watched.

After hours of taping him showing off for the camera, he took his buddies and left in his F-150. There they went, hootin' and hollerin' down the road. I stayed put.

Lo and behold, 5 minutes later, he and his buddies returned and parked 2" from my driver's door. Out his head came as he said, "Whatchya doin' Missy? Wanna see more of me? ha! ha! ha!" And of course, his inebriated buddies thought it was hilarious. I ignored him, and after a few minutes of taunting me, he backed up his truck and pealed out. Then he came back, parked and walked over.

Still, I ignored him, but got out my cell phone. I called the local police, explained my problem and then kept the phone to my ear. Knock, knock, knock on my window. Still I ignored him which angered him.

The police showed up and just before they arrived, good-old-boy pealed out in his truck and turned a fast left on the next road.

What a dope. Guess he didn't realize I was a trained professional and he didn't scare me one bit. Of course, he did agitate me, so I made sure the officer had his license plate number. Ha!

2009 Spy Sally

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Movin' On!

Seems like forever since I posted! Not that I don't have anything to write. I'm a talkative female! But my time lately has been divided between my job and my personal life. I'm moving while I'm being 'Mama'! Anyone who's moved knows how tedious it can be, packing, sorting, registering your kids in new schools, having utilities cut off and new ones turned on. Oh! I'm so tired!

I will be back shortly, but in the meantime, I'm 'having fun' - not!

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On a Three-Day Lonely

There are times when I hate my job. It's been three days since I've seen my kids because I'm four states away in a hotel. It's a nice hotel, but it's not home. I get to fly home tonight and I will be thrilled to sit in my own lazyboy and sleep in my own bed.

I miss my husband's touch, Jakey's funny little face and Marissa's dancing to her Sesame CDs. I miss cooking lasagna for my family, watching CSI with my hubby, and taking a long shower in my own shower.

I know many people travel on their jobs, and if they have families, they experience loneliness as I am today. It's part of the price we pay for our jobs and paychecks. But I hate it!

Thank God I don't have to have these three-day separations very often. I'm a mommy who misses her babies!

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Burned!

Well, today every investigator's nightmare: I got burned. In other words, the claimant suspected she was being followed, so she took off down the side streets she knows, but I do not know, and I lost her. So she knows my car and she knows, for sure, she is being followed.

Now I must either come back in a rented car (or truck), or another investigator must join me tomorrow so one of us will get video.

The client has forbid any kinds of pretexting, phone calling, or door-knocking, so this case depends on what I have learned during my years of investigating. I'll have to get out my 'bag of tricks' and be more creative.

It's never pleasant to have to tell the client I got 'made' (burned), but when a claimant is 'hinky' (jumpy), they become somewhat paranoid. They are the ones that cause accidents as they try to shake us.

There are advantages to being burned today. I get to go home early and play with my cutie pies! They'll be surprised and happy to see "Mommie"!

Hey! I get to cook tonight before I finish my report and send it off. I love cooking, so it's a treat!

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a more successful day.

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The Nature of My Profession

It never ceases to amaze me how so many justify lying and stealing, as long as it's a company or a state who is the victim. They wouldn't think of stealing from their neighbor, but somehow, it's OK to steal from a corporation. It's like they believe they're not hurting anyone if it's a big corporation that can absorb the loss.

When we were growing up, we got into trouble just like all kids do. But the biggest 'sin' of all in our house was lying. We didn't get punished nearly as bad for any other 'sin' as we did for lying about it afterward.

Our mother absolutely would not tolerate lying! She said it was willful sin and she punished accordingly. We were taught what the 10 Commandments were, and we were in church where we learned that lying and stealing from anyone 'made God sad'. I never wanted to make God sad!

I'm in my late thirties now, and I have seen lying proliferate to the point where it is now acceptable. I turn on the television for the news, or the radio, and I hear our leaders speaking out of both sides of their mouths constantly. It seems like every week we hear of yet another prominent leader who has cheated on his wife, lies about it, then admits it and begins making excuses for his behavior.

I work in a profession where liars are common. Either they're cheating on their wives, stealing from the company that gave them their job, or running out on their children. If I didn't make sure I fed myself spiritually, I could become extremely jaded. I know many investigators who are 100% cynical after years of chasing cheats and liars. I do not want to become cynical as they are!

I have a mom who keeps me grounded, and I have a God who, if I let Him, keeps me joyful. I have children that can't wait to go to "chuch" and a husband who takes us. Can't ask for more than that!

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Gotchya! Thanks For the Tip!

There are some days in my profession that are unbelievable. Today is one of those days. I caught a cheater and he told me how he was cheating the system, then gave me a $40 tip! Unbelievable!

I had been looking for him most of the day. No photo to clue me in to what he looked like, and he wasn't living at his last known address. So, being creative, I bought a big bunch of balloons and started down the list of his known associates and relatives. The balloons were a pretext to help me get information on his whereabouts. And they worked.

Each person I visited gave me enough information to lead me to the next informant. Eventually, I found the claimant - the guy who claimed he was disabled because of an accident on the job. I verified his identity, and then gave him the balloons. He was thrilled to get balloons from 'a secret admirer'!

He called me 'flower girl' and began to tell me his life story. Naturally, I listened. He told me where he used to work, how he faked an accident, and how proud he was to be ripping off the blankety-blank insurance company. He was really proud of his accomplishment!

And then he reached in his pocket and drew out a $40 tip! I was flabbergasted. That has never happened before, and yes, I took it! And now the camera is focused on his front door, and I will catch him proving to the insured (his former employer) how disabled he really is!

This has been an unbelievable day. When I testify against him, I imagine he will not be as happy as he was today.

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One of My BEST Days!

The sun is shining, birds are singing, and I'm listening to Jeremy Camp on my CD player. This assignment sent me to a town where there are plenty of places to park where I can see the house, but they can't see me.

Jakey, my 6 year old started first grade this morning, and I got to take him to his first day of school. He was so happy to see his friends from Kindergarten!

This assignment is to catch this man who has claimed he's totally disabled, and is suing his company for One Million Dollars. Yesterday I taped him lifting his grandchildren above his head, carting heavy equipment around his farm, and swinging his wife around. There is nothing wrong with this claimant that $1 Million from the insured wouldn't fix!

Today I will close the case against him, get done early, and cook a fab dinner. After all, I do not have to wait until a certain time to quit working. That's one of the 'bests' of this job.

Who knows? Tonight could be just as good as today!

Thank you, God, for a happy day!

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What's So Hard About My Job?

Those who know me personally often ask what is the hardest part of my job. My job is hectic, sometimes dangerous, and usually lonely. Thank God for my family - both my immediate family and my family of origin. There's nothing as cheerful as a call from one of my children or my mother to fill the long hours of waiting and watching.

By and large, the hardest part of my job is being away from my young children. So many cute "firsts" missed, so many hugs missed. Yes, I have even cried on occasion. There are times when I think I must be crazy to still be doing this after so many years.

Also, the loneliness is hard to take. I'm a talker, but there's no one to talk to as I sit in a rented car, waiting for the watched one to disprove his or her claim of disability.

And a camera malfunction? That's a disaster! If I am in a rural small town, there's usually not a place to get the camera fixed. I have learned to be a camera techie by necessity.

And then there's always the times when there's no place to use the restroom. Oh boy. That's a disaster of a personal nature!

But there are a variety of pluses of working for myself. I'll address those in another post. Hope I answered your questions!

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