One of the cool things about being an investigative/consumer reporter is that you get to "test out" many of the suspicions that we all have as consumers.

We put cameras inside a car and ran it through area car washes to see if employees rifle through your interior looking to steal things.  Sure enough, most of them did.  We caught one guy lifting $40 out of our wallet and $5 from under the mat.

Another time we went through the shelves at area grocery stores to see if we could find old food still for sale long after the expiration date.  We found grocery carts full of stuff, some of it months old, that had the potential to make you really sick.

Our carpet cleaning investigation caught crews on camera stealing money, short-changing us on the cleaning job, even poking through our refrigerator.

Last year we cut open what was supposed to be a brand new mattress, and found so much hair, mold and stained padding, that it was obvious we had been sold a used mattress, which had been slept on for years.

What have I learned from doing all these stories:  trust that uneasy feeling you get when you let someone into your home or car to perform a service.  Check expiration dates.  Check receipts.  Look at your doctor's disciplinary record with the State Board of Medical Examiners.  Ask lots of questions, pay attention and watch closely.

Human nature being what it is, you can't just take for granted that someone will treat you fairly and honestly.

That's not being pessimistic.  That's being a smart, aware consumer.