"I saw her again last night, and you know that I shouldn't..."

Okay, okay, so what if I am old enough to remember the Mamas and the Papas?  That particular lyric suggested itself yesterday evening at the Plaza Library, when I was again asked by a woman I didn't know from Eve-and who, judging from the college textbooks she had with her ought to have known better-to look after her laptop while she took a bathroom break. 

I've simply decided as a matter of policy to politely but firmly decline all such requests-and you should too, especially if the person asking is a total stranger.  Obviously if your significant other or one of your awsomely bright offspring is doing the asking, that's a totally different situation.  So is being asked by a truly trusted friend or coworker.  If I know where you lay your head at night, or where you trudge off in the morning to earn your daily bread, I've got at least some recourse should I return from the pause that refreshes-sorry, but I'm just in a nostalgic mood all of a sudden-and discover you've disguised yourself and that rather expensive apparatus I left with you as thin air.  At least I know where to start looking. 

I suppose I should have been flattered to have impressed the woman I encountered last night as the trustworthy sort, but I'm still convinced that begging off is the best thing to do.  After all, what if something had happened while she was gone?  I'm not the police.  Not only would I therefore not have been inclined to be able to intervene had someone just brazenly grabbed the laptop,  I'd have been at a disadvantage against a con man or woman pretending to be with the owner.  How could I have prevented that person from leaving with the machine before proving who he or she was? 

And I don't want to even think about the potential legal consequences.  Even if no one ended up going to jail, any civil litigation arising from such a situation could get very nasty very quick.

No, thanks.  I'll stick with what I do when nature calls-shut down the laptop, shove it into the bag and tote it along.  And I'll continue to suggest everyone else do the same.  You might get away with leaving it nine times out of ten-but is that tenth time really worth it?

Not to me, it isn't.