Vandalism

Yesterday, Diep called me at work to tell me that someone had cut the thread in the seat lining of our motorbike. We both know that someone in the compound did this because, firstly, the bike is only a few months old and it is impossible that the seat ripped from wear and tear; and secondly, because we just rode the bike the day before and there was no rip.

We live in a gated community with guards that are supposed to watch the grounds and our vehicles 24/7. It is unfortunate that this is the second incident of vandalism and that in both incidents my primary suspicions lie squarely on the security guards. I have seen them sitting on our bikes and moving the mirrors around and I know they get bored in the middle of the night. I haven't figured out what it is about Diep or myself that makes them want to vandalize our things, but it is getting old.

The first incident, someone took the oil cap off and placed tiny rocks into the crankcase. I know it happened in the compound because the bike was brand new and we didn't have a tag for it yet. We were waiting for the tag when I rode the bike inside the compound and noticed the noise. Fortunately, the bike was under warranty and the mechanics fixed it free of charge. I also notified the management of our apartment complex to let him know he had a problem with at least one of his security guards.

So here I am just a couple of months later with a rip in my bike seat. When I reported it, the customer care representative listened with concern and has since agreed to pay for repair, but the security manager who was present tried to say the rip could have come from anywhere. I shut him down quickly. I know for a fact that the tear happened inside our compound and I am fed up with these lame excuses and everyone's inability to take responsibility.

Yes, in retrospect I was a monster. I felt like an ugly American... and, in fact, I have often let things go in the past for fear of appearing like an ugly American. But, after thinking about it, I see arguments here all the time. Arguments by the Vietnamese with Vietnamese for transgressions far less important than my bike seat.

Diep was happy I stood up for us. I was happy that she was happy, but I would much rather people just stay off my bike when I park it in the parking area. Life would be so much simpler.