What Annoyed You Today?

Airframes · Dec 9, 2017

I agree Mike - looks very like a 'targeted' heist.
I don't have 'unknown' visitors, and I'm extremely cautious and security conscious, and never stick to a regular routine (force of habit), such as going to the shops, or the pub, at sets times or days etc. I even ensure the curtains are closed before I turn on lights, in order to prevent any curious would-be thief from getting a glimpse inside !
But remember that I could be seen as 'vulnerable', and an easy target in some ways, due to using my mobility scooter, easily identified leaving the premises, and easily 'tracked' for direction of travel, likely destination and therefore time allowed to do the job, which, even with a 'quick turnaround' at the local shop, would be around ten minutes or more - enough for a thief to get in, grab what he can, and get out.
Anyone watching my place would soon learn I live alone and, if seen leaving the house on the scooter, regardless of lights being on in the house, the likely conclusion is that there is no one in the house whilst I'm out on the scooter.

swampyankee · Dec 9, 2017

Of course guns are highly valued by burglars, who try very hard to break in when no one is at home. Dogs -- even little yappy slipper dogs -- are quite effective. The Pettits, who were targeted and murdered, probably would not have had the initial break-in had there been a dog (a late friend was one of the investigators on-scene.

Drugs are also everywhere, and many rural communities have police forces that are stressed from crimes related to drugs.

Wayne Little · Dec 10, 2017

Damn Terry, sorry to hear of this, hope they catch the B@stards and let you sort them out....

mikewint · Dec 10, 2017

I hate to say this but you may very well now be on a target list. It often happens that successful thieves will wait a few weeks for their victims to buy new replacement stuff and then hit them a second or even third time to get the "new" stuff. Your living alone and mobility problems exacerbate things.
Might be time for a steel doors and some type of alarm system. Are you a dog person? if that's even allowed where you live.

Airframes · Dec 10, 2017

It's possible Mike, but this looks like just an ordinary theft, by a typical smackhead type of thief, and completed fairly quickly. There were other items of potential value, or what a typical thief of this type would think could be sold on for a few Pounds, if that, which were not noticed or touched - only items clearly, or almost clearly on show were taken, and the search of the house was brief, and only in 'obvious' places.
Fortunately, due to very recent work to the plumbing and central heating, the house is still in partial in disorder, with boxes and items literally piled everywhere, waiting to be moved as I gradually get things back in place, and this will have given the impression of a bit of a hovel not worth 'attacking' again.
The two Detectives and the CSI are of the same opinion, and are very accustomed to this type of crime, it being typical of a 'grab and run' type.

mikewint · Dec 10, 2017

Terry, I truly and sincerely hope that that is the case. There are some simple alarms that are easy and simple to self-install. Several years back we were getting break-ins in our garage, taking tools, bikes, and such. The side door was a simple wooden door and could easily be pried open. I bought a simple battery powered alarm that was magnetically tripped. Alarm on on the door, magnetic catch on the frame. If the door was opened a 120dB horn would sound. Would scare the Bejesus out of anyone. At least you'd have some warning

Airframes · Dec 10, 2017

I'd thought of rigging something on the doors - an 'alarm mine' device, loaded with a blank 12 Gauge cartridge, filled with peppercorns.
Would not only scare the sh*t out a thief, but would hurt the face too !
Only troble is, under current UK laws, I'd probably 'get done' for using more than 'reasonable force' !!

mikewint · Dec 10, 2017

Yea, here in the colonies as well - Backassward IMHO. Had a liquor store owner back in Joliet that had multiple break-ins of his store not only stealing but trashing the place causing severe damage. Security steel doors, alarms, and heavy bars on the windows to no avail. Police report after police report with no solution, arrests, or leads. After about the 10th claim or so no insurance company would cover him so he ran wires to the steel bars and attached to the 220 volt service line. He put large signs in all windows and doors in three languages warning of the electrified bars. Yup, you guessed it early one Sunday morning they found the idiot burglar fried to a crisp with the steel bar he broke the window with welded to the bars. And natch the cops arrested the owner for excessive force and they even tried a charge of manslaughter. Guess I'm missing something here

T Bolt · Dec 10, 2017

So sorry to hear this Terry. I hope they catch the guys

Airframes · Dec 10, 2017

Thanks Bill. There's a chance they might find the person, if some of the goods are found or recovered, as he's more than likely 'known to the Police'.
Just a shame I can't have him for a while, if they get him. I only need around 30 seconds, the time it takes to fall from the back of a Herc from 5,000 feet - without a parachute of course !!

mikewint · Dec 10, 2017

Way to quick, always liked the Chinese Death of 1000 cuts my self although the Viking Blood Eagle has a lot to say for itself

turbo · Dec 10, 2017

Man, sorry to hear that Terry. I guess the only small silver lining was that your new airbrush hadn't arrived yet! Can't stand thieves, hope they catch up with the perpetrator and you get at least some of your stuff back mate.

Wayne Little · Dec 11, 2017

Not getting material i need for a job today.

swampyankee · Dec 11, 2017

mikewint said:
Yea, here in the colonies as well - Backassward IMHO. Had a liquor store owner back in Joliet that had multiple break-ins of his store not only stealing but trashing the place causing severe damage. Security steel doors, alarms, and heavy bars on the windows to no avail. Police report after police report with no solution, arrests, or leads. After about the 10th claim or so no insurance company would cover him so he ran wires to the steel bars and attached to the 220 volt service line. He put large signs in all windows and doors in three languages warning of the electrified bars. Yup, you guessed it early one Sunday morning they found the idiot burglar fried to a crisp with the steel bar he broke the window with welded to the bars. And natch the cops arrested the owner for excessive force and they even tried a charge of manslaughter. Guess I'm missing something here

You are. One rather obvious issue is that if there's a fire within the closed building -- which happens -- he'd have fried the firefighters. About 45 years ago, I was told a similar story about a farmer in rural Illinois, who was having one of his outbuildings robbed and vandalized. He wired a shotgun to the door, and the shotgun killed somebody who opened the door. The farmer got jail time.

Most states have laws that specify deadly force can only be used if human life is at risk, which is not the case if you're at home sleeping and your closed business is burglarized. The cleaners could be justified, but, again, only if they have a reasonable assumption that they're in danger. Burglars, at least in these parts, tend to be unarmed.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · Dec 11, 2017

mikewint said:
Yea, here in the colonies as well - Backassward IMHO. Had a liquor store owner back in Joliet that had multiple break-ins of his store not only stealing but trashing the place causing severe damage. Security steel doors, alarms, and heavy bars on the windows to no avail. Police report after police report with no solution, arrests, or leads. After about the 10th claim or so no insurance company would cover him so he ran wires to the steel bars and attached to the 220 volt service line. He put large signs in all windows and doors in three languages warning of the electrified bars. Yup, you guessed it early one Sunday morning they found the idiot burglar fried to a crisp with the steel bar he broke the window with welded to the bars. And natch the cops arrested the owner for excessive force and they even tried a charge of manslaughter. Guess I'm missing something here

Accept you leave out the part where the Jury ruled his death an accident...

The death of an apparent burglar electrocuted by a...

And in the end Swampyankee is correct anyhow.

Marcel · Dec 11, 2017

Damn Terry, only just read that. Hope they find the bastards.

What annoyed me: one snowflake and the whole infrastructure grinds to a hold.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · Dec 11, 2017

Marcel said:
Damn Terry, only just read that. Hope they find the bastards.

What annoyed me: one snowflake and the whole infrastructure grinds to a hold.

Ha! You know nothing!

It snowed a lil bit of snow down here in Southern coastal Louisiana on Friday, and you would think WW3 broke out. Such panic. Everything shut down. All the bridges and tunnels closed.

mikewint · Dec 11, 2017

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:
And in the end Swampyankee is correct anyhow.

By the letter of the law that is true BUT like the owner above, who is trying to run a business and support his family, I'm having multiple break-ins, the cops come and "take a report" and that's the end of it. I'm left with the clean-up, possible repairs, and replacement. Initially insurance foots the bill but soon they either skyrocket their rates or simply refuse to cover the loss. Now I'm SOL with no business and no income and no way to support my family. It's all well and good to sit on the moral high ground and state that life trumps property loss until it's your property. Property you worked long and hard for and possibly can't be replaced. When do my rights trump those of the thief? Don't vandalize my property and my shotgun won't blow your head off. Signs are posted, firefighters can read signs, they simply don't enter.
Consider this one:
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT, days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · Dec 11, 2017

mikewint said:
By the letter of the law that is true BUT like the owner above, who is trying to run a business and support his family, I'm having multiple break-ins, the cops come and "take a report" and that's the end of it. I'm left with the clean-up, possible repairs, and replacement. Initially insurance foots the bill but soon they either skyrocket their rates or simply refuse to cover the loss. Now I'm SOL with no business and no income and no way to support my family. It's all well and good to sit on the moral high ground and state that life trumps property loss until it's your property. Property you worked long and hard for and possibly can't be replaced. When do my rights trump those of the thief? Don't vandalize my property and my shotgun won't blow your head off. Signs are posted, firefighters can read signs, they simply don't enter.
Consider this one:
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT, days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.

All of what you said is irrelevant. you still don't have the right to needlessly endanger people by boobytrapping your building.

What will the excuse be when someone walking down the street innocently slips on ice and grabs the bars to keep from falling?

"Oops..."

What do you do when first responders have to get in and the "signs" you so eloquently posted are unreadable for whatever reason?

"Oops, my bad..."

Vigilanty justice is not allowed for a reason.

Also, is it really worth taking a life over? Deadly force should only be used when a life is in danger. Damn right he should have been charged with manslaughter, and it should not have been ruled an accident.

This is not 15th century...

And FYI, if you are going to source and reference things, you need to start fact checking. Your Terrence Dickson example is an internet hoax from 2012. It has been debunked.

Quit believing all the crap on the internet because it agrees with your preconceived notions and beliefs.

Stella Awards

vikingBerserker · Dec 11, 2017

That really stinks Terry, I'm truly sorry to hear about that.

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