# Ever Been Burgled/Robbed?



## Whyemier (Oct 3, 2014)

I was just wondering how many people have ever experienced a theft of personal belongings.  In my life time I've been robbed three times (what am I a target?!).  Once in Cinncinatti, that was my car, Stole a CB radio, that was thirty years or better ago.

Then my home once here in Florida a couple of years back, it was painfully apparent how easy it was for them to get in.  After the fact I beef up the locks and deadbolts, kinda like inviting them in and then thanking them for their time. They took the big screen TV, my wifes Jewelry box and our lock box, had a heck of a time with replacing passports and deeds and legal papers.  It was a snatch and run like they knew our schedule and got in and got out before we got back home.

Then once again here in Florida when my shop was burgled just over a year ago.  They took the welder, a Milwaukee Circular saw, some other minor stuff.  I still find myself sometimes looking for something and thinking;"Where is that, the last time I used it was....Oh yea." and add that item to the list of thing taken.

How many out of a hundred get robbed I wonder?  Anyone here?


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## John Hasler (Oct 3, 2014)

Whyemier said:


> I was just wondering how many people have ever experienced a theft of personal belongings.  In my life time I've been robbed three times (what am I a target?!).  Once in Cinncinatti, that was my car, Stole a CB radio, that was thirty years or better ago.
> 
> Then my home once here in Florida a couple of years back, it was painfully apparent how easy it was for them to get in.  After the fact I beef up the locks and deadbolts, kinda like inviting them in and then thanking them for their time. They took the big screen TV, my wifes Jewelry box and our lock box, had a heck of a time with replacing passports and deeds and legal papers.  It was a snatch and run like they knew our schedule and got in and got out before we got back home.
> 
> ...



I had my wallet stolen when I was in the Army and my watch stolen when I worked at Ladish.  That's it.


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## francist (Oct 3, 2014)

Twice. Not a pleasant experience.

-frank


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## OldMachinist (Oct 3, 2014)

Whyemier said:


> After the fact I beef up the locks and deadbolts, kinda like inviting them in and then thanking them for their time.



One of my favorite sayings for years has been.

Locks only keep honest people honest.

Years ago when alarm systems became popular they only protected windows and doors when opened so the thieves started cutting holes thru the walls. Then motion detectors came along so they would set the alarm off and watch for law enforcement to check it out, they would do that a few times until the police stopped showing up. Then they'd just go in and take whatever they wanted. If you get an alarm system make sure it calls you too.

The best you can do is try to slow them down and have hidden high quality indoor and outdoor surveillance cameras.


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## ozzie46 (Oct 3, 2014)

Once back in the 80s. Sleep with a 357 magnum by my head ever since. 

 Just to clarify, robbery is taking by force from a person, burgary is breaking into a building/residence to steal something. ie, robbing a convenience store clerk when store is open is robbery. breaking into a closed store when no one is around is burglary.


  Ron


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## John Hasler (Oct 3, 2014)

ozzie46 said:


> Once back in the 80s. Sleep with a 357 magnum by my head ever since.
> 
> Just to clarify, robbery is taking by force from a person, burgary is breaking into a building/residence to steal something. ie, robbing a convenience store clerk when store is open is robbery. breaking into a closed store when no one is around is burglary.
> 
> ...



Good point.  I've been stolen from but never robbed (or burgled).


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## alloy (Oct 3, 2014)

Had my new IROC-Z28 Camaro stolen in 1990.  Got it back.  Thankfully I had good insurance. They repainted the car, new rear axle, new steering column some interior work.  When I was at boot camp at MCRD in San Diego in 1976 my 55 chevy was stolen and stripped.  

When the cops spotted the Camaro they chased the guy and he hit  curb and bent the rear axle and bailed and ran.  In the car was his mail, pampers, formula, a welfare check, and a lost title application for the car.  Think they did anything to him......................well think again.  They didn't even contact him.  My insurance company knew him.  Said he was a frequent flyer. His name came up very often involving stolen cars.  Without me telling them hey knew just about where the car was found.

Th cops told me to get a crappy car and it wouldn't be stolen.  Great example of our tax dollars at work.


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## samthedog (Oct 3, 2014)

I have had things stolen a couple times and had an attempted burglary incident. 

I had a childhood friend visiting and sleeping on the foldout in the living room. Someone picked the lock and snuck in to the living room. Luckily my friend woke up when the guy snuck in... and luckily he is 6'5" and a silat instructor and bouncer. He ran at the guy who didn't notice my friend on the sofa bed. I woke up from the commotion in time to see a brown and yellow streak as the would-be burglar broke the sound barrier getting to the door. In Australia it is uncommon to be armed so the odds were certainly in my friend's favour.

Paul.


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## jpfabricator (Oct 3, 2014)

I had my lawn mower stolen out of the front yard in broad daylight. Now I keep everything a little better secured. 

Jake Parker


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## dirty tools (Oct 3, 2014)

when I lived in NJ my house was broken into several times but nothing was stolen.
It stopped when I took my hunting bow out into the street and started shooting. My house was never broken into after that.
Although a cop stopped and ask me to put it up and just drove off.
At that time I could hit quarters at 20 yds. now maybe basket balls.


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## Ozwelder (Oct 3, 2014)

Hi all,
I have never had anything stolen that I was aware of. Am I Lucky? No ! It had more to do with where I have lived and my pets.

My pets over the years have included dogs,usually larger dogs.  Being fairly territorial dogs (in general) are a physical and audible deterrent to burglars.

I once returned home from shopping to find my Rottweiler bailing up two workers from the local electrical authority who had arrived to replace the electrical meter.We did not know they were coming to do this.It was Ok for them  to be 
there but no one told the dog.They were there 2 hours ,not harmed, but unable to leave as dog would not allow that.

The dog somehow knew it was ok for people to bring things to the house but not Ok to let them take anything away.

The same dog would allow my then 4 year son to brush his (the dogs teeth) It was  upsetting for my wife as my son would then brush his own teeth using the same brush.

Not everyone can have a dog but having a dog here in Oz it does attract a smaller insurance premium with some companies. All of our situations are different and I acknowledge that.

Oz


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## n3480h (Oct 3, 2014)

No, but one incident of unlawful entry when I lived in town.  That person was met with a .45 ready to rock and a very large and aggressive dog.  Dog pinned the intruder by his shoulders to the wall, teeth bared and drooling.  I called the cops - who arrived 20 minutes later.  Dog never got down until cops arrived.  Mine was the third house the loser entered that night.  These days, everyone around here knows I'm a well armed and trained shooter, and that I have 2 very large dogs.  That might not stop them, but they will be stopped if they come.   I've also installed high quality security.  This would be the wrong place for a criminal to come. I get downright crabby about it.


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## CluelessNewB (Oct 3, 2014)

My car was broken into back in the 70's and they took my box of 8 tracks.  The 8 tracks were missed but the box was what really hurt.  It was my Grandfathers homemade tool box.  It was a depression era project made hand made from old shipping crates and was rather well done considering he was by no means a woodworker.     

When I was in the Navy my wallet was stolen along with the pants they were in!   It was the day we were returning from a Med cruise, I had already packed most of my stuff and was taking a last shower.  I hung my pants outside the shower stall and someone walked off with them.  Since I was getting back from a cruise I had a considerable amount of cash, my Military ID, drivers license but no credit cards back then.  

I at one time had a set of letter drills that seem to have gone missing.  I suspect someone but can't prove it.  If it is the suspect he wouldn't know what letter drills are used for and probably doesn't even realize it isn't a normal set of drills.


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## Grumpy Gator (Oct 3, 2014)

Good thread.Not to get off topic but now would be a good time for  every one take  pictures or video of there possessions in the house and the shop.And make a inventory so you can prove to your insurance company what is missing. With the proper precautions these things can be avoided.At the least you can prove whats missing.
 While I have never been burgled I have found that things that go missing tend to be "Barrowed" by friends and neighbors that "Forget" to bring them back. 
***********Gator************************************************************


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## vapremac (Oct 3, 2014)

Yep , sure have , in 2008 while the wife and I were away on vacation got the call from the in-laws . We had to cut the vacation
short due to having to return home to meet with the police detectives and insurance adjusters.

  They used a metal patio chair to bust out the windows only after destroying the door casing with whatever they used as a pry bar.
Once in they got the jewelry boxes ,guns , safe , even tore some of the curtains down !!!!! Detectives said they probably used the 
curtains to wrap up the goods.

 It definitely leaves you with an uneasy feeling for a while . If they needed money that bad I would have been glad to help them
out , rather than them destroying my home.

  This is why I never post any pictures online of the inside of my shop showing all the tools of my livelihood.


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## toolman (Oct 3, 2014)

More times than I care to remember and mostly tools. I also had a lawn mower stolen out on my back yard without anyone going through the house, meaning it had to be lifted over a six ft. chain link fence.


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## Ozwelder (Oct 4, 2014)

grumpygator said:


> Good thread.Not to get off topic but now would be a good time for  every one take  pictures or video of there possessions in the house and the shop.And make a inventory so you can prove to your insurance company what is missing. With the proper precautions these things can be avoided.At the least you can prove whats missing.
> While I have never been burgled I have found that things that go missing tend to be "Barrowed" by friends and neighbors that "Forget" to bring them back.
> ***********Gator************************************************************



A darn good idea Gator.Its a bit late today but I shall start tomorrow. I am in the process of moving into my new shed at the moment.I have set up a spread sheet before but it was on windows  and I now have an iMac.


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## Whyemier (Oct 4, 2014)

The wife and I walked through the house and my shop making a video with verbal commentary on all we owned.  have to keep a copy in a 'safe' that will resist fire and one on the computer and give copies to the children just in case.

A video log says more than even photos, the insurance company recommended it. Still, do the photos if you have nothing else.


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## Round in circles (Oct 4, 2014)

This is an interesting thread as for my sins I hold a managers certificate in industrial security to run a fairly large security operation .

 The only way to definitely stop a thief is to shoot the bugger dead before they enter your property  but then that becomes a bit hairy for you .

I'm afraid that drug fuelled crime wave is very hard to reduce .. These people 's minds run some amazing scenarios in their everlasting quest for money for drugs.

 I wouldn't put too much faith on having a couple of GSD's or Rotti's etc.lurking about the place ..not after seeing two dead as a door nail Rotti's nailed to the inside of a  pub's back door with carving knives & meat forks . All the stock and much of the fitting were take in that raid as well as six gambling machines being emptied of every last sou.

Some folk will steal the most strangest of things or so we sometimes think . A neighbour lost a pair of wader/ fishing  boots from his raised up  open garage door , two doors down the people lost a 300 plus collection of miniature bottles of spirits the same day in broad day light when they were at an old folks tea dance  . Putting two & two together the police reckon the boots were used to move the bottles. No one saw a bloody thing , me included , and we lived at the end of a 200 mtr long cul-de-sac full of well fenced in back gardens and short two feet tall front lawn hedges between all the homes on all sides of the cul-de -sac with no escape pathways at all for a quick get a way. 


Barry, one of my many farming mates , was cutting his large front lawn with a ride on mower , the phone went .  He had to slip back into the bungalows farm office which faces away from the front of the property to check some info out . Four minutes later when he came back to the lawn the ride on had gone from the middle of the lawn . 
He can't prove it but it's thought the caller was in cahoots with the thieves and was observing him ,.  So when he went inside the thieves spotter called/ texted them on a second cell phone to say what the score was . They were then were able to come along the road with a small truck and carry off the mower.  Barry lives in a farm house set back 150 yards from a single track road there is not a tree or bush close to the road side  for  a mile either side of his farm .
We tend to have quite a few roving gangs like these and the google earth and other parts of the internet and wired up community make their thieving so much easier.


 Now the thieves knew he will have claimed on his insurance and got a new ride on .  For three months later...... his new ride on was stolen when a forced entry was made to his barns by some folk driving across his fields instead of coming along the road.

After this I helped him set up a 40 foot shipping container as a security lock up , got him to build a concrete block inner lining wall which had high tensile expanded pressed metal on the inside of that and also across the roof on the inside  . That was OK for almost a year till one day he came in from the field when his phone alreted him to a an alarm being triggered . He called up several other farmers along the road where he lives & got them to meet up at the entrance to the farm  ( His wife was out shopping 20 miles away )  They found the doors of his container cut out , the latest ride on and brand new less than ten hours of use big quad were gone , so were almost all his hand tools . Someone had visited the farm armed with  with a truck mounted generator ,  a couple of dry air or oxygen cylinders with gauges and a plasma cutter . It was a very neat job and who ever did it was very very experienced with the cutting gear 

They may have had two people doing the door cutting & opening the doors . 
They had driven past several remotely powered & transmitting colour CCTV cameras  , set off two alarms , ( one of which rang Barry's mobile with a pre-programmed message about security ) with the trucks number plates tape over and the paper vehicle licencing disc also taped over .. All the three guys in the truck wore the white hooded painters coveralls and what looked like white rubber gloves & white dairyman's wellington boots..

 Barry reckons that it was less than 17 minutes from him getting the alarm call to him & his farmer pals arriving at the farm They met no one coming from the farm in either direction along the road . 
 We estimated that they took less than three minutes to burn the doors open and about the same to load the stolen goods. It's obvious that there were several accomplice's stationed around the area observing from a distance to give a quick text on a stolen phone to the thieves alerting them if someone came along .



 The last time I talked with Barry he said no insurance company will now insure him for less than several thousand pounds ( sterling )  every six months .


 I myself had a walk in theft .. Christmas eve 1974 I'd helped my ex wife bake four dozen mince pies .   It was quite hot in the tiny kitchen so we left the back door to the enclosed back garden ajar.( the three foot high  back gate was bolted & padlocked )  
 The beautiful aroma of fresh baked hot mince pies was enticingly wafting around the neighbour hood . In the kitchen we also had our Phillips Taifun battery radio  tuned to Christmassy pop music playing gently .

 We took time out from the hot  kitchen & further baking  with a cup of coffee & to sit with our two & a half year old Munchkin and watch some children's TV with her  . Once we'd stopped laughing at the antics of Road Runner thwarting Wily Coyote yet again , I became aware of a pressure drop in the air and felt a bit colder. 
 Then I became aware that the radio was not giving out it festive stuff. 

As I walked into the kitchen I found the back door was wide open with a towel dropped on the floor to hold it open . All the three racks of cooling  mince pies and the radio had gone so had a large shopping bag .   Immediately I ran outside to see who was about ..not  a sausage to be seen . I then knocked on several neighbours  to make  enquiries ,  most were out shopping but none of these in residence reckoned that they  had seen or heard anything. I couldn't smell the mince pies at the homes that answered the door either.

 It certainly gave us a sickening feeling in our stomach's for a few days . I'm so glad that our kiddy was in the front room and not playing about in the back garden on her own as she often did .

After that we got permission to raise the chain link fencing to 6 foot tall on concrete posts and I ran three simple trip alarms along the fence line on my side I also alarmed the gate with a simple magnet and reed switch circuit  that put a 9 volt screamer ( secreted in the shed roof )  on if the gate was opened or removed from the hinges by some one unscrewing it. 

 Obviously I suspect that it was one of our " neighbours " who didn't answer the door when I went enquiring that had nicked the goods,  but proving it and making sure you cripple the right guy is perhaps not quite the politically correct way to behave in a so called civilised society , for you might just get hold of the wrong person ..


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## Round in circles (Oct 4, 2014)

Ozwelder said:


> A darn good idea Gator.Its a bit late today but I shall start tomorrow. I am in the process of moving into my new shed at the moment.I have set up a spread sheet before but it was on windows  and I now have an iMac.



I've always had borrowers list in a small hard backed booklet  ....nothing goes out of here that is not recorded . I don't lose much via the borrowers .

 I also make it a rule to go to them in a few weeks with the book saying I need to have that tool etc. back that you borrowed on such & such a date . Though to be honest I try and follow the old maxim of, " Never a borrower nor a Lender be " .

I upset the old gal next door when she said, "  Dave can I borrow your pressure washer to let my grandson ( he's 22 yrs old ) clean my yard & would you let me put the hose pipe on your outside tap because I'm on a water meter and you're not  " ? 

" Yes " I said , " If you help me pay for it ..it's cost me over  £480 ( sterling ) I reckon to get about 10  by 5 hours of use out of them before they give up the ghost one way or another  add another £5 for the water because i still pay for my water ... So how about £ 30 for a days use .  She declined


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## Wdnich (Oct 8, 2014)

8 years ago the garage/shop got broken into while I was helping friends care for their mother. In less than 3 hours $86,000 in tools, motorcycle parts, boat parts, and misc was stolen. They busted out a window in the entry door. They cleaned out 25+ years of mechanics tools accumulation. Attempted to steal the motorcycle, but could not get it off the race stands so they tipped it over doing about 5k in damage. Sad part was insurance initially declined everything, due to wife and I were not married at the time, and I was not considered family.

We had to get a attorney to fight the claim, out of everything when they paid, only paid $27,000, plus the attorneys fees. It took two years and 20 plus depositions, each one the same. Guess they were trying to catch us in some kind of lie. We had pictures and I had the original receipts from purchasing everything, but they still balked on every little line. They even accused my Snapon dealer of doctoring his invoices to reflect a higher loss. Their big deal was why would a nurse have that many tools. ROFL. Even after explaining I worked as a mechanic for 9 years prior to going into nursing, and still continued running drag cars, and building high performance bikes, they said " no reasonable person would spend that kind of money."  Guess I am not reasonable.

Now I have a alarm on garage, the door was changed out, and I carry a separate policy on everything in the garage at replacement cost. I now carry an individual policy through a different insurance carrier. I keep receipts on everything, and when something gets purchased I photograph it in the package with the receipt, and then once in one of the tool boxes it gets photographed again. I update photos and inventory every three months and notify my local agent.

So I recommend, taking and inventory and checking over your homeowners policies.

The sad part of all this, was not the loss, but the affect it had on me. I did not care to work on anything for nearly 2 years. I had most of life stolen and it hurt deep down. To see what I had struggled for and sacrificed for taken was heartbreaking. It was life changing. There were times when my kids were little, I had to choose between eating or buying a tool I needed to make more money to care for them, and that was what was so rough to see those sacrifices gone. I know it is only tools, but for those that make a living and provide for their family with them, it is an extension of them. Much like their kids or family.

Now the dog guards the garage religiously, and if they any of them bark at night or during the day I come out the door ready for Armageddon.


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## OldMachinist (Oct 8, 2014)

Sad thing is that it had to be someone who knew what you had because they must have come prepared to haul away that much stuff.

I'm real careful about who I let into the shop including relatives.


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## Rbeckett (Oct 8, 2014)

Nah, I have a big German Shepherd that will alert us to any outsider coming into the area.  She has a clear view of the door and would lose her mind barking at the intruder.  Keeps em scared off for sure, otherwise I will turn her loose and watch what she does.  She has taken bite aversion training but will get right in their face furred up and doing her vicious big dog bark too.  So it really isn't a problem for me...
Bob


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## Wheresmywrench? (Oct 8, 2014)

Never had anything from home or my person taken. but then again I do have very mean and BIG Shepard Rottweiler cross breed. She will not take any kind of food from anyone and will not make up to anyone. Even with family she is always watching for a wrong move. My brother in law walked into the house announced, no knock or nothing. Good thing I got to him fast because the dog got in a few good nips. He knew that would happen if he just walked in but he's the kind of guy who does as he pleases and he knew I had to be there to tell the dog not eat him! Neighbors don't like my dog and everyone steer clear of the house. Dog don't even like cars slowing down when they drive by the house. That's the dog in my avatar.


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## Wdnich (Oct 9, 2014)

OldMachinist said:


> Sad thing is that it had to be someone who knew what you had because they must have come prepared to haul away that much stuff.
> 
> I'm real careful about who I let into the shop including relatives.



It was the step daughter's boyfriend/fiancée at the time. Neither counties detectives could prove it but they had a good idea. Now no one but family and real good friends I trust ever step into my shop. Strangers are not allowed near the shop at all. And everyone in family knows not to say a word about what I have. Truly sad but a fact of life these days, in our modern era that we are forced to live in this manner.


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## jocat54 (Oct 9, 2014)

Had a 16' trailer stolen from a property we owned across the lake from where we lived, it was chained to my boat trailer and a huge tree. Was cutting the grass there one day and was almost done before it dawned on me something was missing. They did leave me my chain though. It makes you feel really violated. We all worked hard for the stuff we've had taken.
Where I live now is out in the sticks with only one road in and out (one lane) and everyone around here knows that I am always carrying, even cutting the grass. It's only about 60-70 miles as the crow flies from the mexico border.


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## alloy (Oct 18, 2014)

Well interesting morning here for us.  Just a little before 6 I saw my porch light come on through our open bedroom door.  It comes on now and then when a animal walks by, but this time it stayed on.  Then I heard our door knob being rattled.  Then the door bell went off and at the same time the door was being pushed on.  Saw a young kid looking through our planters and then trying to slide our front windows open.  Called 911 and wouldn't you know it was at shift change time???   Kept talking with the 911 operator and then she said she had to go.  Our neighbor was calling.   He came back again and tried our back patio door. So the cops finally show up and run up and down the street with their search lights.  Then about 20 mins later 911 called back and said they got him.  He was high on drugs screaming and had no pants on.

So after it got light I walked out and checked the cars and ran into two neighbors.  Seems he got into the one place across the street and then left and they locked the door.  At this time the cops were searching for him and then he came back to her place and was screaming through the door he needed into her back yard to get his pants.  The other neighbor was behind his door ready to empty a clip into him if he got in. 

So much for sleeping in on my day off.  My girlfriend is still freaked out.  She wants to get sticks to put in the sliding windows, and I may get one of the cool stickers for the door that says I don't all 911, I shoot first and ask questions later.  But the sticker won't work on someone that's high I don't think.  Funny, 911 asked me if he looked high and I said no.  He was very purposeful in his actions. No stumbling or staggering. He looked he he knew exactly what he was doing.  

If he had have gotten in here the cops would not have to hurry to try and find him.  He would be laying there waiting for them to come pick him up and clean up the mess and I would have to be tearing up the carpet to replace it.


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## visenfile (Oct 18, 2014)

Before moving north lived in LA for 35 years .  At the last, suspicious types began cruising the neighborhood.  With the garage sitting near the street lurkers could get a good view that tools were stored. I always shut the door when disappearing on a project, but one day no more than 15 minutes elapsed and I found that my new wheeled air compressor was missing along with some hand tools.  Next strike to the head is the "caring" insurance agent who told me not to file a claim because it would increase my premiums.  For months afterwards a carload of grinning men would come by in a car to make sure the message was received.  Oh, yeah , the sting continued when the 6.9 quake hit and our zip code was "redlined" by our "you're in good hands" insurance company.  Had to go to the state for homeowner insurance and ended up in Texas at 3 times the premium.  Here no one locks their doors and thinks I'm weird.


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## savarin (Oct 18, 2014)

What really gets to me is if by some freak chance you catch them and supply a pounding then you are the one who ends up in jail.


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## xalky (Oct 18, 2014)

savarin said:


> What really gets to me is if by some freak chance you catch them and supply a pounding then you are the one who ends up in jail.


Beat him unconscious, throw him in the trunk of your car and dump him off in the river.    Problem solved!


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## alloy (Oct 18, 2014)

My ex was a sheriff.  What she told people was after you kill him they will ask if you were in fear for your life.  And your answer should be YES!!!!   

And if you shoot him make sure he dies inside your house.  And, the last thing, a dead man tells no lies.


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## Cami (Oct 18, 2014)

Wow, so many stories!  I've had my car broken into several times over the years.  When I lived on the East side of Vancouver the hookers, junkies, and the property crime that goes with it caused grief.  We'd keep nothing in our cars and never locked them because the  "entreprenneurs" would bust a window just to look.  Sometimes I'd get in the car and it would stink of someone else's BO.

Once I confronted a fellow who woke me up as he came into my place but
he ran...Before that I never locked my doors when I was home.  It was sure hard falling back to sleep after that.

The family shops had hardened doors and window bars but we never had troubles, but once I was doing some work on the facade of a commercial building in North Vancouver and we had tools stolen right from underneath our feet!

I'm not comfortable utilizing weapons or attack animals but will say that relatives in the UK had geese and NOBODY could sneak up on them....in addition to security they provided meat and eggs!


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