Fuck this...I quit.

So I already knew I was leaving my new job in September to go to Okinawa. I was rather bummed about this, because I really like the job, but whatever. Navy life. *shrug* I liked the job to the point that I was recommending it to a friend to fill my position when I left.

But last night, my attitude changed dramatically, and I turned in my two weeks notice this morning. I can't go into a ton of detail, but it boils down to this: we have a car theft problem that has been escalating over the last few weeks. Last night it escalated to the point that, forget the cars, I'm concerned about my personal safety. I had to have the police out TWICE last night (plus we had them out earlier that day for another issue on another lot) because the thieves have gotten so brazen that they were actually ON MY LOT before all of us had gone home for the night (they usually don't do anything when people are around). In fact, they were SO bold, they went right into one of the doors and were in the SAME BUILDING that I was (and it's a teeny tiny building, and is not public access).

Our security guy chased them off, but shortly after the police left the first time, they were casing our lot AGAIN...when they saw me and the security guy standing in the front lot, they left...they came by and left 3 times, walking towards our lot, then immediately turning and crossing the street (a busy four-lane highway). There is strong suspicion that this is related to some gang activity, so these are NOT people I really want to fuck with. So I was already pretty upset about what had happened...too close for comfort, you could say.

Here's what finally did me in, though: While we were in the front lot waiting for the cops to show up the second time, I decided to double check that the front door was locked. I walked up to the door, checked it, and when I turned around, one of the guys (that had been casing the lot) was walking into the lot, right towards me (the security guy was probably 20 feet away from me in the opposite direction).

The kid had his hand under the front of his shirt similar to the way a lot of the hoodlums in this area do...why, I don't know...but there was something different about the way he was holding it. I swear to you, I thought he had a gun. I mean, I just stood there on the steps, nowhere to go, completely terrified thinking this guy was coming towards me with a gun. The security guy quickly came over to me, and the kid asked us where the nearest bus stop was (oh bullshit, you didn't want to know where the bus stop was...). We very sharply told him we didn't know, "but it's not here." And he left. The security guy then told me he also thought the kid had a gun, which is why he hurried to me. A few minutes later, the cops showed up, did what Norfolk police do (nothing), and left.

In the end, no, he didn't pull a gun, and no, he didn't really do anything...but it rattled me. It really did. They were being incredibly bold and brazen about what they were doing last night. They were casing us, finding weak spots in our security, etc.

What if I had been in the back lot locking things up? Alone? There were four of them, and one of me. What if that kid really HAD had a gun?

So...I'm done. They're not paying me NEARLY enough to walk around in the dark by myself with all this shit going on.

I. Quit.

Oh, and a special note to the Norfolk PD: In nearly 5 years living in your glorious city, I have had the privilege of calling you no less than half a dozen times. In the past few months alone, I have summoned you because a) someone was shooting at someone else in front of my house, b) someone was trying to break into my house, c) someone was prowling around my place of employment, and d) the individuals mentioned in "c" were back, doing unsettling maneuvers around us, etc. Not ONCE did your fine men in blue show up within 45 minutes. With the shooting in front of my house, you casually cruised by an hour after I placed the call, long after everyone had gone...though they had lingered for quite some time after the shooting occurred. When someone tried to break into my house, it was also an hour before you showed up and acted like we were hysterical idiots because there was no one outside (DUDE! In that amount of time, they could be in North Fucking Carolina! Did you expect them to be outside having tea and crumpets?). And last night, it was 45 minutes after the first call, then 45 minutes after the second call. During that time, I watched no fewer than EIGHT cars conspicuously labeled "NORFOLK PD" drive past my location. They weren't in any kind of hurry, no lights and sirens, just rollin' past. In fact, while the douchenozzle was approaching me with what I thought was a gun, I saw three -- THREE -- police cars nonchalantly drive by...all of this 45 minutes after I'd placed a call saying "THEY'RE BACK!!!" (the cop finally showed up about 3 minutes after the kid left).

8 more weeks, fucktards, and I'm leaving your godforesaken city and your bullshit police precinct. Maybe if I find myself in another situation like last night before I leave, I'll grab a car and start speeding like a maniac up and down the road in front of the lot. You fuckers come out of nowhere with lights and sirens if anyone speeds...maybe that's your Bat Signal? Speeding cars? Asshats.

So, Norfolk PD, on the morning of September 30 or thereabouts, keep your eyes on I-64 West: the blue Prius with the middle finger raised in the general direction of your fine city will be mine.

And I'm sure you will ALL come out of nowhere to cite me for road rage.