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LOL, razz, IL and LDAHL...:~)
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+1
LOL, razz, IL and LDAHL...:~)
Because we have 1 car garages because the houses are old most people park in their driveway. If you forget to lock your door things are being stolen. Luckily we never forget and don’t leave valuables in the cars.
Teacher Terry, here in the downtown area it is sometimes cheaper to leave the car unlocked. Otherwise, the window is broken to riffle thru the car. But the best deterrent is to leave zero things out in a car that is left outside.
Packages are a big item for theft. But our neighbor's package was just opened and left since the thief did not apparently want underwear.
My ex did that when he worked in a bad neighborhood in Milwaukee. We can’t do that because we go over the mountains in winter and have gear in the trunk. We also have a dog car seat and CD’s in the car. It’s doubtful anyone wants that stuff but the car seat was expensive. So far it’s been people not locking or leaving stuff in the bed of their truck.
I don’t leave things in the car because that’s asking for it, but I sometimes leave the car unlocked mistakenly when I’m wrangling dogs.
Almost every time I leave the car unlocked, there is evidence the next morning that someone has opened the car door and rifled through it.
That would really get old IL and totally understand why you are moving. So sad that your neighborhood has been ruined.
That my town road agent or someone is not well organized and does lousy planning!
Earlier this year they cut ditches across our road in several places to apparently put in new culverts or something. Then they filled in the ditches and marked the edges with cones on each side. They did this in about 5 places.
Then they did Nothing? And apparently planned to just leave it til next spring. They’d used the allocated materials and manpower I guess, so needed to order more and the budget to turn over.
Several of us complained.
So this week started with the entire town’s road crew out there, and we now live on a dirt road, 6 or 8 inches of the stuff. They’re working really hard to give us a single, flat road surface. God only knows what it will be like with ice on it, or with frost heaves, or just 3” of asst snow and ice?
I can't stand it when I see people driving while texting on their phone. It makes me wish I had one of those flashing red lights you can put on the top of your car and pull them over. I would then take my hammer and smash their phone. :devil:
Totally don't get women who leave their purse in the cart and walk away. Happened 2x today. I spoke up. They looked at ME like I was nuts! Jeez... moronic.
Yes, that is dumb. I can’t imagine doing that in any shopping cart in the St. Louis region.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
I got quite mad at my mother in law who just turned around and left her purse in her cart while she wandered down the grocery store aisle. I think she had assumed that I would watch it but did not warn me that was needed.
I knew the horrible fall out if someone stole it. She did not speak to me for awhile but now wears a smaller purse with a cross body strap so it does not fall off.
When I do something like that (I'm sure I have left my purse the cart while I walked down the aisle at some point in my life), MY peeve is when people chide me about it. My thought is, "what's it to you?" Sweetana's case is a little different because it's her MIL and she's looking out for her, but for a stranger to comment on something I have no problem with, I think to myself, MYOB.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
I have a story about this from my youth. I was in graduate school and I left my bag on the table in the bigQuote:
Originally Posted by catherine
University library. I never had anything of worth in the bag, that’s why I didn’t worry about it. It was Library policy (I didn’t know it) for them to seize unattended purses and bags and take them to their security office.
So, when I came back to the table my purse was gone. I asked library employee about it and they said yeah it’s in the security office but that’s now locked up for the weekend. It was Friday night. I couldn’t get my bag until Monday morning. So that was annoying! I think the only thing that was a problem with a key to get into my room and it was in a dorm so there were other ways to get in.
But yeah, annoying. I don’t know if it was concern for theft that prompted the policy or if it was concern about explosive devices in unattended bags.Probably both.
Interestingly, I have had my wallet and/or pocketbook stolen about 4 times (in my 20s, working in NYC), and EVERY time, my wallet was on me, or at arm's length. It was never when I had left it alone. I'm not saying that you should just leave your purse unattended, but having it on you is no guarantee it's safe, either.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I think Golde Hawn said something like, "I would rather trust people and risk losing something than live my life in fear and suspicion."
Well, but there’s reasonable caution and in a high crime area like St. Louis you’re just asking for it if you dont exercise it.Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine
There’s a post on our neighborhood’s Nextdoor this week from a woman who lives in the housing projects area a block from me. She’s complaining that her car was broken into and bags of clothing and cell phone were stolen.
There’s not one comment or not one “like” Acknowledgment to this post. I think it’s because people are rolling their eyes thinking lady, you dumb ass, you left electronics in your car? Duh!
Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine
I never thought Goldie Hawn was too bright. There is such a thing as being too naive! .. or stupid!
In the store I referred to earlier, they at one time, had pictures on the doors where you walked in with surveillance cameras showing people's purses being snatched.
Recently, an elderly woman thanked me for reminding her. She immediately put her purse on her shoulder. But in thinking about Catherine's comment, she is right. I shouldn't worry others.
I'm a big fan of cross-body bags, for many reasons.
That's just her way... to be honest, I'm a little naive or stupid, too. I do lock my car if I have something valuable in it, but not if I don't, and I rarely lock my house. I do approach every day life with a certain degree of naivety, but maybe because I kind of subscribe to Janis Joplin's "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I do have things that I have attachments to, but for the most part, I don't want to own much of anything I'd be upset to lose.Quote:
Originally Posted by frugal-one
I had a computer stolen out of my car in Vermont and never let it ruin the trip I was on with the kids. I lost a diamond in a my garden, and didn't spend much time looking for it. It's just a rock. And when I lost my wallets and purse in New York, in every case but one, the burglar stole money and then threw the wallet/purse in the mailbox, and I got them back. So you could say they were nice burgler. :)
I've never owned a security system or one of those car steering wheel locks. In my mind, they're more trouble than they're worth. I lock the doors at night just for peace of mind, but if I go out, "they can steal the rugs from the floor, that's OK by me, cuz the things that I prize, like the stars in the skies all are free."
That’s all very nice, but I wonder if you would act that way if you lived in a high crime neighborhood like mine.Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine
The one time our house was burglarized I can assure you that what they took was the least of it. They ran in and grabbed the TV and left. The Expensive, annoying, and time-consuming problem was that they kicked in the back door —it was a steel door mind you— it came off the frame and then the entire frame had to be fixed. If I’d had to hire that done that would’ve been a job that was well over $1000. Fortunately that was something that DH can fix. Unfortunately he was getting ready to go out of town that afternoon so he boarded up the doorway so that no one could get in or out including me, and I had to use the front door for several days.
Guess the lesson here so I should leave all my doors unlocked when I’m gone. Hmmmm.
I've sometimes left my wallet in my cart, I leave my door unlocked sometimes, I have packages delivered to my address when I'm not home unless they are high value. Nothing has ever gotten stolen that way. Ok really the only theft I've ever encountered other than some fraudulent attempts on a credit card, is there was awhile that people liked to break into my car, maybe partly because at that place it was in the back where it wasn't visible, maybe because I got some expensive radios on advice once and they got stolen a few times. It's been over a decade. I don't have expensive radios, my car is no longer in the back, it doesn't get broken into.
I DO have a car steering wheel lock, I don't want a car stolen, that's big money and a big pain, even though I have some theft insurance on it so I wouldn't take the full hit.
We’ve had a car stolen too. It was a giant pain. We didn’t have any insurance on it other than liability (of course) and that’s fine because we can take the hit. This was one of those times where I didn’t put the club on because I was wrangling dogs. Anyway DH found our car parked about a mile away. He had been driving up and down streets looking for it for a few days because that was The criminals did—Steal the car. Dump it soon after.Quote:
Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore
That was more than $1000 in repairs to the steering column. It’s kind of interesting adventure because even though we made a police report, the police did not find the car, we did. And then when we found the car we had to call the police because it was registered as a stolen vehicle and we dare not drive it because they might pick us up in this “stolen vehicle” Ha ha. They sent the police van that helps victims get cars with damaged steering columns started, but that technician was unable to help our car. So DH went home got his tool kit and came back and got the car started. He Was definitely the hero in this saga.
Sorry ILfor all the hassle. We had something similar happen. They stole the car at 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and the police found it about a mile or so north of our house with a liquor bottle in it. Husband was so sad. He had already picked out the new car and was going to buy it the next day. Thankfully they just ran it out of gas.
I have always locked my door even in the 70’s in a town of 2k. Besides stealing you could come home and have someone in your house. I can’t imagine not looking for a diamond ring in my garden. We have only had one package stolen. We have a small porch with a gate attached to the front and most people put the package there and it’s really not noticed. I wouldn’t live in a high crime area. Because our big dog is gone and my husband will be gone for a month we bought SimpliSafe security system.
Lately there have been a number of thefts of vehicles in the county. Mostly people leaving the keys in the car. Or, people leaving their cars unlocked with the garage door openers inside. Then, the thieves have access to the house too (if garage is attached). My motto is to err on the side of caution. I always lock my car. One time I was unloading Christmas gifts and groceries and ran into the house. There were people jumping out of their car to grab what was in my open trunk. I could not believe it! They did not get anything thankfully. I have even locked my car in the garage (not intentionally). It is automatic with me.
I routinely lock my car wherever I go, lock the car in the garage, double check that the garage door has descended when I leave and do a tour of the three doors before leaving the house and each evening to ensure that they are properly locked. To me this is common sense, nothing more. I also do a quick tour that the stove is turned off, my cell phone is on the charger, any perishable food is in the fridge, and make sure that nothing is left unattended. Again, this is common sense.
If I place my purse in the shopping cart, I have the straps wrapped around my wrist and the opening zipped up. Is common sense not really as common as I thought?
Honesty compels me to edit and add that I have forgotten each of these steps on occasion. Usually an interruption of the routine is all it takes.
Only 5% of theft actually involves a break-in.
How hard it is to get a repair person to call back never mind do a small residential job. A national handyman chain could do a booming business in this area.
I hear ya. It has been IMPOSSIBLE to get people--plumbers, carpenters, electricians--up here to do work, and then when we finally get one, they want to do what they want to do. I have a mess of power strips in my pantry and I asked an electrician, who was here for another thing, to sort it out and install a socket, and his response was, "This is just a camp. This isn't a real house. You don't need to have it perfect." And I told him, "This isn't a 'camp' to us. This is our home." But he didn't take the job.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yppej
Our plumber installed an outdoor shower, but it was the cheapest way possible, with serious aesthetic flaws. But I was afraid to argue, because it took me months to get him there to do it.
You're right. I think I am slightly naive, but not THAT naive. Up here in the middle of nowhere I'm more afraid of encountering a raccoon than a thief.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I do recall one thing that was stolen that I was really upset about, and it also makes my point that security is an illusion. My DH never gave me a diamond engagement ring because I already had one that I inherited (the one that I later lost in the garden). He gave me diamond earrings instead.
I'm not good about taking care of things, but on a whim one day while at work I thought, "I should get these earrings cleaned." So I took them to the jeweler near work, and they said they'd get back to me in a few days.
Well, few days went by, and then a week and then two, so I called them. They guy who answered said, "Let me get the owner." The owner told me that the store had been broken into one night and jewelry had been stolen, and my earrings were among those things taken from the store. They had gotten the criminal--a drug dealer from Paterson, NJ--but the jewelry, what was left of it, was tied up in the trial as evidence. She didn't know if my earrings were among the things recovered.
I waited months for the trial to be over, and I got a call from the local police saying that they had my earrings. I was overjoyed! I hadn't told DH about this at all, not wanting to upset him. When I went to pick them up, the cop handed me a box with earrings, and confirmed that they weren't my earrings--my earrings had never been recovered--but the jeweler was "replacing in kind." Well, no way were these earrings anything like mine. Plus they had none of the sentimental value of mine. I was so disappointed.
Here I thought I did the right thing--bringing them to a reputable jeweler. They were as safe as could be, I thought, but they were stolen anyway.
A lot of times our sense of security is based on illusion, or bias, or prejudice. Things happen. More kids are killed in swimming pools than by gunfire. So I'll accept that life is capricious, and I'll take reasonable caution, but earrings in a safe place doesn't mean they're safe, and leaving your bag in a vulnerable place doesn't mean it will get stolen. That's life.
But, I will never again buy good jewelry.
------Quote:
Originally Posted by NewGig
One of our neighbors wrote a letter to the town, complaining. And it got results.
I take it back. What they did was lay the dirt for a new roadbed.
They repaved our entire road!
Never underestimate the power of speaking up and saying something! It's a characteristic that neither my husband or I are good at remembering.
DH and DS had a conversation with my dear BIL yesterday. We very seldom hear from him out there in sunny San Diego, where apparently you don't need a job to be able to spend a lot of money. This is a vent... as DH told DS: let's push a few of Mom's buttons...
He left NJ April 16 with $90k. He STILL doesn't have a job, and I know it's because he has put very little effort into it. His friend, who encouraged his move out there, actually drove him around to 7 golf courses job-hunting. If he hadn't driven him, BIL wouldn't have done it. When I called him in May to ask him about the job situation, he told me he's waiting for my son to edit his resume... this is the type of thinking that I've lived with for many years now.
I heard chilling details:... his friend won't talk to him anymore. His other friend, whose ex-wife BIL came on to not-very-discreetly, won't talk to him anymore. His bartender and all the barflies thinks he's rich (read: big tips. big shot. paying for rounds, etc.). He doesn't want to talk to me because I'm the "bad guy" who will only ask him about his work situation.
I see about 12-18 months of this behavior before he has another nervous breakdown because he'll, once again, be broke. No job. No SS credits to speak of. No money. No home.
Yes, this is a rant, but it's also a fear for him and his passive self-implosion. Such a waste. I think of that money, and how my MIL stood on her feet for hours and hours for decades to earn it, one crappy 9-5 day at a time, at near-minimum wage as a retail sales clerk, and this is what it has come to.
"Them that's got shall get. Them that's not shall lose."
Ah. I was wondering how the BIL situation was. It’s as bad as it could be, I guess.
I'm sorry to hear it's come to that, expected as it was.
Does he qualify for ss at all? Something is better than nothing. How old is he?
It doesn't sound like there is much you can do.
When I hear people say, it's only money, or act like people are money grubbing and coarse because they pay attention to money, I think of stories like this, of your mil working so hard and leaving money for her kids, and then this happening.
Such a deep disrespect for someone else's life energy, and for his own, too.
Absolutely.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
Sorry to hear this Catherine and hope he doesn't end up on your doorstep.
Time to apply for SSI for poor people and low income senior housing.
After living in a $450k house in a desirable suburb for $350/mo and charging $15/lb brie to his mother's Discover card and running to the convenience store every morning for coffee and a $5 copy of the NYT rather than making his own coffee and looking up the news online, he is going to crash and burn. It will not be pretty. As DS said, it's sad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
How does Catherine’s brother-in-law qualify for SSI?Quote:
Originally Posted by Teacher Terry
SSI is for poor people that don’t qualify for regular Ss and it’s a small amount.
Please tell us you're committed to your life and will NOT allow him to move back in with you. Enough is enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by catherine