Thief stole my hat

[Tom Howland]

I was at the Cherries Jubilee Event on Sat. the 13th in Monterey, Ca. Walking back to our cobra in the overflow parking area my wife and I saw the trunk of our cobra open and a guy bending over looking in the trunk. We were a 1/4 mile away but could see what was happening. I immediately broke into a run, had to go over a covered bridge and along a fence, so I lost sight of the guy. When I got close to the cars I saw the guy walking up to his green cobra with a tonneau cover and getting into his trunk. I came up to him and asked him if he had been in the trunk of my cobra. He said no. I said I saw someone in my trunk and he said he always locked his trunk. Because I didn’t actually see him go from my car to his I gave him the benefit of doubt. I then went to my car and checked the trunk. The trunk handle was in the unlatched position. Everything in the trunk looked ok. Car cover, sweatshirts, wife’s purse, tools, all there. My wife caught up to me and said she saw the whole thing while standing by the covered bridge. The guy I talked to was the one who was in our trunk. I figured everything looked good so dismissed it. Sunday night I cleaned out the trunk and I’m missing my new tan cobra hat. I wore it down to Laguna Seca but not going home. Shame on me. I didn’t lock my trunk. Shame on me. I trusted a fellow cobra owner. It’s not the money. It’s the thought that a cobra enthusiast, someone with the passion for these cars would lie and steal. That really gets to me. I have so enjoyed the last couple of years as a CC member. I thought all cobra owners were trustworthy and helpful. Well I met one who is not. I hope he is not a CC member. So look out. A guy in a green cobra with a tonneau cover who wishes to steal items out of your car is out there looking at you. I am really sorry to have to say all this and I apologize to the owners of green cobras who are not this person.