Antici....PAYshun

[altivo]

(As Frank N Furter put it...)

So it's supposed to rain. It's been threatening since mid morning in varying degrees, sometimes very threatening indeed, as in dark enough to need headlights. Yet no rain and no thunder, or at least not enough to take note of. There's a deliciously cool breeze at the moment, and I opened many windows. I was sitting at my desk an hour or so ago when a door in the house slammed loudly, setting the dogs to barking and my heart a-pounding. Of course the wind had just caught it, but when you think you're alone in a dark house and a noise that loud suddenly impinges on the quiet...

Doesn't help that coworkers were telling this morning about having their house burglarized, in the middle of the day, not far from here and in an equally rural area. She arrived home from a trip to the store to see a strange car in the drive right in front of the garage. Fortunately, concluded that something was amiss, and backed out of the driveway and parked on the road where she could see the house, then pressed her garage door opener to open and close the door. Sure enough, the thief emerged in a hurry, not carrying much that she could see, got in the car and tore out of the driveway as fast as he could go. So fast she didn't get his license plate number, alas. Turned out he had broken a small window next to the door, reached in and unlocked it, letting himself in. Walked right past many real valuables until he found the bedroom, where he grabbed her jewelry from the box and one of her husband's socks, presumably to carry the jewels in. Said jewels were of limited value, but had sentimental connections and will be missed. Thief will not get much for them. She said her few expensive pieces were hidden elsewhere. He then took the forks off the sideboard in the dining room, and must have been interrupted at that point because he dropped one in the driveway as he was fleeing. The forks were stainless flatware, and he'll find out they are neither silver nor pawnable for anything at all. One stupid thief, and perhaps an amateur. However, the sheriff's deputy said there have been a rash of such breakins with similar inept results this summer. The economy? The price of fuel? An increase in drug addiction? Probably all three. She said they went to turn on the ball game in the kitchen yesterday and realized the thief had taken their kitchen radio. It was a cheap, battery powered portable, of no value whatsoever.

Alone with the dogs (well, and the horses and sheep but they're all out in the barns) and though I have much to do, I'm not getting it done. Guess I should go to sleep and try in the morning.

Comments

[cozycabbage.livejournal.com]

So THAT'S where the socks go.

But I know how you mean. The house here has been broken into a time or two, but I don't think anyone has tried the barn. With our computers here, We're a bit leery.
And then there's the stupidity. If they took my computer and stuff, I'd be down about $400. If they also swiped my backup disks, they'd get nothing for it, but would effectively destroy years of my life.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'd always assumed that owning peculiar and non-Windows-like equipment made it less of a target, but a thief stupid enough to take a battery radio and a handful of stainless steel forks while leaving behind good quality hunting rifles and even cash money that was lying right out in the open is dumb enough to pass up a 3Ghz quad core in favor of a fifteen year old Amiga 3000. (Or whatever you have that looks big and gaudy rather than unobtrusive and really expensive.)

[zachary-geminus.livejournal.com]

I've found, one of the better parts of living in a college town is that everyone knows that no one else has anything... so why bother breaking in? Sides, most decent stuff you can find in a week or two by the side of the dumpster. (I've gotten many a bookshelf from people who were leaving and didn't want to bother packing their $3 shelves)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually, given the number of college students who own game consoles and high powered computers, I'd think those things would be targets of high opportunity. I've had two burglaries in my lifetime. Both made me feel seriously violated, but neither actually involved much loss. In one case, the only thing that disappeared was a portable stereo system (one that I really liked, but still it wasn't all that valuable.) The second time the big nuisance was the broken window. Our big dog made enough fuss and sounded scary enough that the thief only got into the kitchen pantry and was, I think, afraid to open the door and go into the house. He took a plastic wallet that was on the windowsill and probably looked like a real wallet with cash and credit cards. What it actually contained was grocery store coupons, you know, the 25 cents off a sack of flour type of things. He dumped it in the trash can on his way out of the yard, and we actually retrieved it intact. We put burglar bars on the window and had no more problems.

Still, this makes me think about things like the tack room in the barn, with saddles that cost a pretty penny. True, the typical smash and grab thief has no idea of that and wouldn't know where to unload them, but... We did change the lock on that door ten years ago, but have never locked it since because it's too much bother. Time to rethink, I guess.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I'm very sorry to hear about your coworker's experience - even if nothing truly valuable was taken, losing things of sentimental value is always sad, and knowing that your place was broken into isn't exactly going to make you feel good, either. >_>

Let's hope it doesn't happen again in your area.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's apparently happening a lot in this area, but not being put into the newspaper reports because it makes the sheriff and the area "look bad" and might make it less attractive to potential buyers of property. Since the market is depressed and a lot of places have been for sale for months without selling, that's considered more important than the truth.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

That's almost even sadder, when you think about it...

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

I guess dogs are the best company for keeping the thieves away... can't really tell about the barking dog's size behind a closed door, and opening it to see isn't that wise either. Unless there's handy windows around, and the dogs are chihuahuas. =)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We have a couple of 70 pounders who can sound like pit bulls sometimes. I'm sure it doesn't hurt.

[soanos.livejournal.com]

That burglar mst have been a bit dumb...
Well, it seems he is probably grabbing household items, hoping to grab something of value. :P

Maybe he has been thrown out from his parents place and needs to equip his kitchen? :D

But seriously, I think someone has just watched too many episodes of Pink Panther. He probably hasn't taken his "catch" to pawn brokers, because he doesn't know about the value (or lack of) the items he has stolen.

I hope the fool will get caught, for his own safety. Some homeowners are a bit too eager with their guns these days. But then again, nothing says "epic fail" like being shot for stealing a battery operated radio. On both sides of the deal. :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

This burglar was really stupid, in my opinion. But then, anyone who turns to burglary in order to get an income is pretty stupid overall. This guy was quite an amateur though, that's obvious. Lost his job and owes money to his drug dealer is my guess. Or else his car is about to be repossessed and he's been living in the thing because he can't afford to pay rent on a room.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Your coworker was a very clever person to act how they did.

My brother's garage was broken into well technically not because he had it unlocked. They are in an apartment complex and sometimes people just press all the buzzer buttons and someone lets them in.

The thieves stole 4 large boxes of stuff that was going to get thrown out. The only thing decent they stole was a 5 year old bottle of car shampoo worth an amazing $7.95

So actually they saved my brother about $40 in rubbish removal fees XD

There's nothing remotely worth fencing in my home at all, I have no jewelry and no cash in the house, no antiques XD
Electrical goods that you'd get bugger all for at any pawn shop *laughs* Anything I'd have worth anything would be kept at a bank anyway.

Mwwahahaha

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The trouble is, once they get in and find there's nothing to steal, they may trash the place just to "get even."

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

That's true, but if they did that there are about 5 old ladies in the street who know exactly what's going on and would have the liscence plate a full description and photographs. XD They are the best security you could ask for. Better than Chubb

As for my brother's garage it's all solid concrete XD Not to mention that there's 50 people in the building.