The Looking-Glass
pmonteiro@theguidon.com

I have to shamefully admit, responsibility (in the material sense) isn’t one of my strongest qualities. I have fallen victim – or culprit – to lost pens, water bottles, umbrellas, and even readings, often a day before a major exam.

Last June 25, while studying and waiting for my ride home in this well-known restaurant – which used to be between a coffeeshop and a bookstore – I lost something very dear to me: my laptop got stolen. As narrated by the manager at the time (because we were not allowed to see the CCTV recordings without the proper legal procedures), it was an organized operation. Three people sat in strategic spots around me – one in the table in front, in the table behind, and in the table beside me. While I was immersed in reading, the guy in the table beside me transferred to the table behind, chatted with the accomplice for a bit, and with a quick sleight of hand, snagged my computer out of my bag, without me noticing.

I wanted to bang my head against the wall for carelessness, but in retrospect, was I the only one at fault?

Sure, there were CCTV cameras, but they were not monitored in real time and served only as recorders and private property of the establishments. Yes, they had security guards, but they were just at the first floor, opening doors and greeting entering patrons. They had “Please take care of your valuables” signs, but, seriously, can signs with a smiling mascot deter criminality? It was fortunate that the thieves only had the motivation to steal. Had they had more malicious intentions, they could have held the whole second floor hostage. A single gun or grenade would have done the job perfectly.

One’s negligence mitigates another’s culpability. Sure, my irresponsibility is suspect, but the logic escapes me as to how these thieves managed to enter, let alone were allowed to stay in the place for hours without even buying anything. To say that the restaurant crew was too busy to notice is a poor excuse of their own negligence.

The main issue here is trust: we enter these establishments expecting that they would keep us safe and worry-free, both from the harshness of outside and the stress of school. And though we may buy only a single Peach Mango Pie or a 39-er budget meal, this guarantee of safety must be freely given and cannot be pegged at any price.

Peace of mind and security of one’s person and belongings is a shared responsibility. All the vigilance in the world would be worthless if the establishments themselves don’t do their part. In time, the victims of theft would become mere statistics and case studies in Ateneo’s weekly Situation Report, nameless and seemingly irrelevant to the people involved.

Any management student (or businessman for that matter) would know the man and the principle behind the question: “What is our business?” That man said that customer satisfaction is at the core of every enterprise and that, for me, involves more than just selling spaghetti and burgers.

So, Katipunan establishments, let me ask, what is your business? Because right now, a lot of people are not satisfied.