This is scarey....

[seeker007nmss]

There is a show on Discovery Channel called "It takes a thief". They get a homeowner (Some with pricey security systems) to lock up their houses and then allow an ex-professional thief to try to break in. The thief gets in and steal everything valuable. (Takes less then 20 minutes to completely ransack the place and steal everything). They give the homeowner a security makeover and the thieves try again (unannounced) a few weeks later. Some learn from the experience and some make the same stupid mistakes. (leaving the front door key under the mat..etc) They show how they get in and what they look for in getting into houses. And where and why the look where they do for stuff (in the kitchen, under matresses ...)
All I could think of, if they broke in and stole all my Collectibles. (Of course they would have to be Stevie fans to understand it). Still.....kinda scarey how good the professionals are. Check it out if you have the discovery channel.

[sara1998]

That's interesting. I've always been scared of my home being broke into. I have a security system, and I always have it turned on when we sleep.

I'll have to check that out.

[GateandGarden]

Yeah, that stuff scares me, especially since my house has been broken into twice. I have learned many lessons from that. I was already a nut about that kind of stuff and now I'm worse. I can't stand it when I encounter other people who just refuse to consider that it could happen and don't take any precautions.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by Lux

Oh lovely, how ironic. I just moved out of home a few days ago into a place by myself. My front door is right down on the road, exposing my complete lack of security. I've been up every night with the lights on, petrified of......well I'm not sure exactly. I've never lived by myself before and I've never lived in a place quite so vulnerable. Anyway, I'm sitting here trying to pretend I'm safe, posting about lack of security. Actually I think it's more the boogeyman I'm frightened of here.

I think it's a very good thing that you're alert, but try not to drive yourself insane with worry, which is what I habitually do on daily basis. I understand how you feel and I think that it's good to be concerned and wary.

[skcin]

I've seen this show. Scary as hell. The only thing that annoys me is that they're always saying "don't leave your credit cards in the house, don't leave your checks, oh look, he took the spare keys to your car..." OK, so what the hell am I supposed to do with all of this stuff? Carry it with me & hope not to get mugged?

They recommend locking everything in a safe. I guess I'm being lazy, but I don't want to have to go into the attic, unlock the safe, get my checkbook to write one check, lock it back up. Again, I'm lazy.

They do give you good tips about your doors, windows, not putting your name on your mailbox/house, etc.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by Lux

Perhaps, but being wide-eyed at 4am every night just to make sure I can jump out of my chair every time the fridge sigh, I'm over-doing it for sure. I'm convinced a monster will creep out from under my bed and also that staying awake all night will somehow prevent the situation.

I had a break-in once back at home. I had to creep around the house with a steering wheel lock over my shoulder, ready to swing around every corner of the house. I established they had gone but it was freakin scary wondering if someone was going to be around every corner. Plus I would have killed them had I swung and then I'd be up for manslaughter. I dropped the weapon when I noticed my empty guitar stand......my Les Paul!!! My precious Les Paul was gone. P****ers!

I think that if you feel too bad, you could move back in with your parents temporarily, then stay at your place a few more nights, then go back to them for a night if you want to...just take it slowly, you know? Just a thought. I know how you feel about the break-in thing, though I never actually had any kind of weapon. But I remember that awful feeling of thinking he might still be in the house, and I didn't have a lock on my bedroom door at the time, which was why he got in and out of it to begin with. I'm sorry about your guitar getting stolen. The most important thing of mine that was stolen was my sterling silver stethoscope necklace, which obviously was not as valuable, and I replaced it soon afterward. But it did really piss me off.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by skcin

I've seen this show. Scary as hell. The only thing that annoys me is that they're always saying "don't leave your credit cards in the house, don't leave your checks, oh look, he took the spare keys to your car..." OK, so what the hell am I supposed to do with all of this stuff? Carry it with me & hope not to get mugged?

They recommend locking everything in a safe. I guess I'm being lazy, but I don't want to have to go into the attic, unlock the safe, get my checkbook to write one check, lock it back up. Again, I'm lazy.

They do give you good tips about your doors, windows, not putting your name on your mailbox/house, etc.

I also think the safe idea is extreme. When it gets to the point that your life becomes that insanely inconvenient, then there comes a time when you should just be living your life rather than spending all your time preparing for worst case scenarios, right? But I agree that there are little things that people can make of point of doing or not doing, as you said, like locking doors and windows, etc. Some of the things that many of us think are no-brainers don't occur to other people, which is scary.

[madformac]

I'm not sure about the idea of intruder security at night, external alarms and lights/deadlocks/window sensors are cool but I wouldn't use internal movement sensors.. Used to have them until a spider decided to run around on one every night.. Bastard.. Besides, it makes life more difficult staggering downstairs for a drink when I'm semi awake..

I'd use them more for when I was out during the day.. I feel quite safe at night, I'm a light sleeper usually and unless somebody comes in the bedroom armed with an MP5 I feel that I have adequate personal protection

[wondergirl9847]

Our home was burlarized back in July 1992. My mom was in the backyard mowing, I was cleaning our pool. It was around 5PM or so. They took VCRs, TVs, cameras, tried to get my computer, my dad's guns and ammo. They could have killed my mother and I very easily. God was watching over us that day, for sure. My mom went into the house after our dog kept barking at the fence. We thought it was my uncle, as he was supposed to come over that day. My mom comes back out and screams at me to get out of the pool, we've been robbed. The police eventually found my dad's camera at the home of a druggie, I think. We had some wackjobs living next door with an alcoholic, old man (he's dead now and we have a cop living next door now. WOOHOO!! LOL) and my mom and I used to scream out to my dad everyday as he drove off to work "Bye!!" and after we were robbed, we stopped doing that.

We had a very heavy oak door and a serious lock...they wanted in our house, BAD. If they want in, no matter what, they'll get in. My dad had his cameras out in the open because we were going somewhere the next day so easy access indeed. Don't annouce you have nice stuff by putting empty TV, VCR, etc. boxes at the curb. Break them down and put them in a garbage bag. We don't know how these people knew, but they knew we had stuff.

The wierd thing is, I had a strange feeling that day...can't explain what it was, but I remember it. Sixth sense, women's intuition, something. It also happened last week when we were in a car accident....just a wierd feeling.

Sheesh, sorry about the long-a$$ post. LOL

[seeker007nmss]

Originally Posted by skcin

I've seen this show. Scary as hell. The only thing that annoys me is that they're always saying "don't leave your credit cards in the house, don't leave your checks, oh look, he took the spare keys to your car..." OK, so what the hell am I supposed to do with all of this stuff? Carry it with me & hope not to get mugged?

They recommend locking everything in a safe. I guess I'm being lazy, but I don't want to have to go into the attic, unlock the safe, get my checkbook to write one check, lock it back up. Again, I'm lazy.

They do give you good tips about your doors, windows, not putting your name on your mailbox/house, etc.

I think the best thing is to not clean and make your place messy. Then they will think you have already been hit! Okay...Okay.. I am just not in the mood to do laundry ATM.