Oh, Look...

So, I was out to dinner with my Dad at Panera on a Friday night. (I know how to live it up, I tell ya.)

Although we were early, they were pretty busy with all of their full booths and many half-booths and tables taken. I snagged us a half-booth while Dad got his coffee.

As we ate, we took advantage of Mom's absence to chat about stocks which she has no patience or particular interest in. I'm interested though and learning more about investing as I go.

After a while, most of the people who were there when we arrived cleared out and now the place looked kind of empty. The booths were still full though.

I looked over at the now empty tables adjacent to us and saw someone's phone and keys resting unattended.

"Oh, look," I said, "Free phone." I looked around to see if someone had forgotten it but didn't see anyone on his or her way out.

"What?" Dad said.

"Over there." I gestured with my head towards the phone on the empty table. "Free phone."

"And a new car," Dad said.

"Yeah, if it's got one of those...," I searched for the words electronic key and came up with "things. Then you could just go out and trigger it to see which car it was."

"A new phone and car."

"We'd probably have to ditch the phone though, they might be able to track its GPS," I mused idly considering the abundance of crime show experience I've amassed. "If I wanted to hold a table, I wouldn't leave my keys and phone, I'd leave my jacket." Not strictly true. I probably wouldn't leave my jacket unattended either. If there were two or more of us, I'd have one of us wait at the table or I'd be sure I always had my jacket in view and that I wasn't far from it.

A while later, two middle-aged women sat at the keys and phone table. Both were wearing puffy winter jackets that they proceeded to remove. Really? I thought to myself. You opted to stand around in those heavy jackets and leave your cell and keys on the table instead?


7 years ago on TTaT: 30 Rock