Bandits Still Live in the Wild, Wild, West

In case you have been wondering there are still bandits living in the Wild West.  Unfortunately I encountered one in my time in Missoula.

During the preparation of breakfast before leaving Missoula, I discovered that we ran out of propane.  We went to the bank to get cash to pay for the brakes repair and before departure a refill of propane was in order.  At the farm store where we filled the propane, I let my guard down for a minute and that is all that it took.  With cash in hand, we entered the store where the robbery events took place. 

The bandit swooped in that was all it took....Most of my cash was gone.  When I discovered my wallet was missing I returned to the only place I had been.  It seems that the cash container was turned in by some good Samaritan, but it was way lighter in the cash department....

Here are some of the events as I recall them:
    - The cash container was with me at the cash register ( the only thing in the container was a number of LARGE Bills     -While filling out forms for the purchase of propane (really, in my life I never had to fill out a form to purchase propane) I set my cash envelope on the counter
    -I payed for the purchase and left the store
    -After realizing my cash envelope was missing, I returned to the store.
    -The clerk said a customer found my cash container, and turned it in to a clerk who by then had gone home for the day.
    -This clerk said they checked the cash holder for an ID and there was no Identification.
    -She said they did not count the cash but took it up stairs to the safe since it contain a number of LARGE Bills
     - When I came back to the store, she opened the safe some distance from me and gave me my much lighter cash container
    -During all this time she repeatedly stated they only checked for ID but did not count the cash.
    -I asked when I could talk with the manager as I would like to thank them for the return of the cash wallet....
    -Suddenly no manager could be available to talk to me for at least a week


As I listened to the store clerk tell the events as she knew them,  I detected some holes in the events as she described them and her demeanor as well. I believe the theft happened outside of the surveillance cameras at the register or near the safe, so it is nothing more that a hunch. My years of dealing with kids telling a lie taught me pretty good detective skills but in today’s world you still need a bundle of evidence before hanging thieves.

I regret not calling the police at this point but in my shock and feeling that it was completely my fault and nothing could be done....I left the store.  I intend on following up with the store manager and the corporate office.   This should not happen to another customer.

Life is full of hard lessons, some harder than others.  And this was a HARD one for me!  This has been enormously emotional for me....I pray that the money brings the theft NO joy.

I had one of those careless moments where I let my guard down and
                                           I encountered a bandit from the wild, wild west.

It is a good thing the laws of the OLD wild west are not still in effect........