Friday, February 15, 2008

???????

My sister Lucy called me. She was at work the other night by herself. She works at Delmarva Tobacco Outlet on the Eastern Shore Of Virginia. There is no outside lights to the parking lot except for a lightbulb over the door. So you cannot see if anyone enters the lot until they are right up to the door. She is behind the counter and all of a sudden the door opens and a black man wearing a ski mask and carrying a 9mm handgun enters the store and points the gun right at my sister. He tells her to open the cash register or he is going to shoot her. She quickly opens it and he tells her to get on the floor. He reaches in the cash register takes the money ($300.00) and then walks around behind the counter. My sister begged him not to shoot her. She told him to go ahead and take anything he wanted but please do not shoot her. He grabs some cartons of Newport cigarrettes. He then tells her do not get up or he will kill her. She shakingly told him she wouldn't. He then ran out of the store. She listened for a bit and didn't hear anything and she inched her way on the floor over to the panic button and pushed it. Then she slowly got up and seen he was not in the store or at the door and she quickly got up and locked the store door. She ran to the back office, locked herself in and dialed 911. It took the police 45 minutes to get there. When they arrived they took the information, watched the security tape. My sister asked them how come it took so long to get there. They told her they couldn't find the place. It is not properly lighted and very hard to see from the highway. My sister is traumatized. She's even scared to be alone in her own home now. She calls her regional manager and the main office. Asks for a couple days off, they tell her no. She asks that they assign someone with her to work nights, they said no. She asks them to light the parking area, again she is told no. This company makes millions and they say they can't afford to put up proper lighting? They told her if she didn't like their policy then quit. She can't, because she needs this job. Jobs on the eastern shore are scarce, if you got one you better keep it, cause it could be months before you found another one. She has worked there over 2 years, even worked on holidays when no others would and this is how she is treated. She is at work now. Everytime the door opens she is terrified it is gonna be another robbery. I am gonna ask for you all to put her in your prayers so that she may stay safe.

Now I am not gonna be on the internet for a few days. I am leaving later tonight and going to Emma's, where I will be staying for a few days. I will be back home tuesday. Emma is about drained and really needs some rest. So, I am going to pack up some things, Rebecca and go over there. I am also taking her and the kids to go visit Dan for the day tomorrow. I know he is missing Emma and the kids alot, and they are missing him.

If anything happens I will be in touch with a few jlanders and let them know to let you all know. Sugar if you read this before 7pm will you email me with your phone number? I cannot for the life of me find it, grrrrrrrrrr.

So take care everyone. Keep warm, dry, cool where ever you live, and have a wonderful 3 day weekend. I am going to miss you all. Maybe I'll write a few letters while I am there. And LJ, Emma says thank you for all the baby coupons. She is making good use of them for sure. I am going to clear out some pics off my camera, so I can take lots of pics over the next few days, to share with you all when I get home.

Love to you all.......................CINDY xoxoxo

28 comments:

  1. Awwwwwww Cindy, sending up prayers for your sister, that is a horrible experience what happened to her, Hugs to you , Love Ya Lisa XO

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  2. Sending good thought and wishes for your sister, it's appalling the way her employers are treating her, I hope they come to their senses, it's the same here the police take an age to arrive, then can do little unfortunately.

    Have good weekend

    Yasmin
    x

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  3. Sending up prayers for your sister's safety. Helen

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  4. Oh your poor sister ,what a terrible experiance for her ,you must all be worried to death ,and diabolical of her employers who are giving her no support at all ,Have a lovely week end with the family ,,,love Jan xx

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  5. {{{Cindy}}} I have you and your family in my prayers.
    Lisa

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  6. sending good thoughts to you and yours.  So sorry your sister had to go thru that.
    love ya
    d

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  7. Oh Good Lord Cindy ... I will certainly keep your sister in my thoughts and prayers.  I'm pretty sure none of us 'get' how a company can treat its employees so poorly.

    Enjoy your time with Emma and the children.  And remember to be good to you too.

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  8. OMG!!  Poor Lucy!!  She can claim mental anquish over the robbery and get time off with pay under workmans compensation!  
    Missie

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  9. I will see if I can get sugars number and will text it to you!  Take care and your sister Lucy is in my prayers. If I was her I would look for another job ASAP no matter how hard it is, then tell them shove it after she finds one.
    Much Love sis
    Ang

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  10. oh cindy that terrifies me! i feel so badly for lucy and im pissed at the tobacco outlet for letting her work in those conditions. that place needs to be light properly and i dont understand why they would not give her a few days off after something like that! they need to be reported! for the saftey of their workers and for the customers being in the parking lot.
    i will keep her in my prayers. she sure has had it rough.

    hope that emma can get some rest and you have fun with the kids

    take care
    love, emily

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  11. omg how frighting, and to think that the company didn't even care. I am besides myself and sick by the whole thing. Praying for your sister who I totally understand why she is afriad. How awful.

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  12. omg dear lord, i'd have went out of my mind ....hope she is ok ...these stores really do need to be more lit up late at night on the outside.
    I will miss you too while you're gone ,but you're em's mother and your instinct is right with your heart ...she does need someone to help her out....I only hope jim knows how to cook lmao...sissy you know i'm just kidding: (REMIND YOU OF SOMEONE WITH RED HAIR??)..yup you know who i mean...well kiss the kids and em for me and Give emma a big hug and kiss from me and tell her i'm thinking about them ...i hope dan gets better really soon so he can again be with them

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  13. I'm so glad that Lucy is ok, what a scary ordeal.  And SHAME on that stupid stingy company for putting their employees at risk like that.  I hope she can find a safer job soon... better yet, I hope the company will see how dangerous it really is and DO SOMETHING about it!!!

    Joann

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  14. I am so glad the angels were watching over your sister so that the man didn't hurt or kill her.  You guys have been through seriously way too much this year.  You are doing the right thing as a Mom.  I know Jim will miss you all alot too but you must do what you must do until then.  You are continuously in my prayers for safety and strength.

    Love you,

    Nelishia
    http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/PRAYINGANDBELIEVING/

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  15. My Dearest Cindy,  Whatever next is going to befall your lovley family.  I am truly sorry for Lucy what a thing to happen and as for the company who owns the shop, they should be ashamed of themselves.  Can the Police not request them to improve the lighthing ?  I hope that all goes ok over the weekend.  Look after yourseves.  My prayers are withh you always.  Love to you all  Sybil xx

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  16. What a terrible thing to happen now.!!! I'm so glad to hear she was not physically hurt.
    Keeping you all in my thought and prayers.
    You take care now Cindy.
    Hugs to everyone.
    Carolxx

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  17. How awful for your sister, its terrible that her employers don't put any more safety mechanisms in place.  She must start looking for something else, however long it takes her.  Good luck at Emma's and sending very best wishes to her and Dan.  Hugs, Tells x

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  18. That was a traumatizing event. I'm sure she could get off work for awhile for stress due to this event. Anyone would need time to recover. She shouldn't be forced to go back to that job right away until she's able to deal with it better. Have her see her Doc and he can take her of on disability for stress. She will need time to get herself together after such a horrifying event. I cannot even imagine going through that myself. I'd have passed out from fear right there.
    I'm so glad she did not get shot. What a nightmare!
    I'm keeping all your family in my daily prayers Cindy. Every day! So just remember that sweetie, ok?
    Love you MUCH,
    Pam xoxox

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  19. Cindy keeping your Sister in my thoughts and prayers ~ what an awful situation to be in ~ I hope she can find another safer job ~ Ally x

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  20. Your poor sister....she is in my prayers....the horror she went through, the company needs to change there attitude for sure.  Hugs and love,
    Joyce

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  21. that is just awful about your sis.  that company needs a good lawsuit. looks like the building inspector would make them provide more lighting...  maybe she could look in to see if they are up to code and go that route?

    have a good weekend and enjoy yourself!
    tina

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  22. How TERRIBLE for your sister. I hope she is recovering from that trauma. Is this a chain store? Like a 7-11 or something? I would have her contact the highest management and tell them about the low lighting in the parking lot & the front of the store. take cate and I'll remember your sister in my prayers.
    Hugs Barb

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  23. OMG Cindy, what else can you guys go through ~ I cant believe her job wont give her time off to deal with this. There has to be something she can do.

    I am praying for you to have the strength you need at this time.
    God Bless
    Ellen

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  24. have you gotten the articles i send YOU?  About the food and recipes?
    I hope all of this sadness in your life begins to go away because you have had more than your fill of it lately. I pray for you, Emma, Jim, Dan and the kids all the time.....you are going to get sick if you do not slow down but i know you cannot slow down. So sorry to hear about your sister. i can NOT imagine what she is going thru!!
    Love,lj

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  25. I just pray she finds another job b/c a place like that puts little value on their employees apparently...

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  26. I can't believe these idiots are so callous and hardened toward your sister. It's there fault there wasn't proper lighting and it was easy for the place to get robbed. What a traumatizing experience. I'm keeping her in my prayers on the smoke. Give Emma and the kids all a hug from me. I think Dan will be delighted with the visit from his family. (Hugs) Indigo

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  27. OH my...that is just terrible scary. My Mamas friend had that happen to her in a bookstore. She was scared to go out of her own home for a long time too. They excused her from work for a while, but I think she ended up quiting. I hope she can find a new job and just leave that place. There ought to be some kind of safety issues there about the lighting. I would feel so scared. Hope everything will be alright.

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  28. Your sister did not need that happening.  So much of this kind of thing goes on in Phoenix, crimes that involve innocent people like your sister.  The company is certainly taking a dangerous attitude, for their workers that is.  A girl lives in our complex who was working in an adult store and she was abducted, shot twice and left for dead in the desert.  By a miracle she was found and saved, but she has been badly damaged.  I do hope your sister can continue to work there safely. I do so sympathize with her feeling fear.  Gerry  http://journals.aol.com/gehi6/daughters-of-the-shadow-men/  

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