I HATE Theives!!

[prohandyman]

Joanne
You are going to love this - Left my garage door open a few years ago, DURING THE AFTERNOON ONE SATURDAY. Ran to the store, and the wife was inside doing chores or something. Came back and went about my activities. when a neighbor came over to tell me that a strange vehicle had backed up to my garage, opened his trunk, then closed it and left. He couldn't see what was happening. At first I checked to find nothing missing. Then it hit me - my custom made golf clubs - YES, they were gone! They had been hanging on the wall. After talking to the police, I found out that golf clubs are regularily stolen out of garages, driveways and vehicles, even from the racks where you sit the bag at the golf courses!
Sorry about your bad news! Home owners insurance is the best answer! Oh yes, also had my work trailer broke into and cleaned out. My insurance company had me send them a detailed list, and they paid me 50% of the retail replacement value, and, after I replaced them, sent a copy of the replacement receipts, and they then sent the balance of the replacement costs.

[bledsoe3]

Joanne, I'm sorry to hear about your tools.

[hiker chick]

Sympathies on the loss and aggravation, Joanne. Indulge your violent revenge fantasies. These are scum, probably druggies and they will likely end up in prison at some point, have a mostly miserable loser life, die young and rot in Hell.

And hopefully Dremel their finger or other vital appendage leaving them a eunuch.

At least that's how I've consoled myself when victimized in the past. Parking a car on the street in Washington, D.C. will result in grief and I have actually lost count of the slashed convertible tops, broken windows, blah, blah.

A segment of our society are predators. They search for open garage doors, little old ladies carrying purses, credit card numbers in your garbage and stooges at the country club who will entrust their life savings in a Ponzi scheme investment fund.

And as has been noted, the economic downturn is certain to result in a dramatic upswing in crime.

Be careful everyone. Lock up, lock-and-load, and insure what you can't bear to lose.

[halfdome, Danny]

Sorry about your loss Joanne. Call me paranoid but after I purchase an item I immediately engrave it like all my belongings with my drivers license number and full name in several spots. I've taken group photos of my tools in the event of a loss and have even recorded some serial numbers. Keeping a low profile and doors locked are deterrents ,but if they want it bad enough it's only a matter of an opportunity in their favor and it's gone. Life is full of lessons and this is one that will always be remembered, it should make you stronger, but unfortunately less trusting. Danny

[satch]

Sorry about your loss Joanne, me being in building maintenance for 20 yrs, I've had pass keys to thousands of residential units and business'. I've seen plenty of expensive stuff that I could have just walked off with, but I NEVER could even think of such a thing. Just a bunch of A$$'s giving humanity a bad name.

[Elumia]

with your name and driver's lic number, now you've opened the door for identity theft to someone who was brazen enough to take your stuff.

[Joanne]

Thanks all!!

I appreciate your kind words. I've been fortunate in life not to have very many of these kinds of experiences. It was obviously a crime of opportunity or they would have gotten away with a lot more. They grabbed the tools in cases (obviously power tools) and split. Unfortunately my renter's insurance has a $500 deductible and that's about what they got off with.

Now, the dogs are in the dog house (so to speak) since they were "on duty" at the time and they didn't tell us about it. (Actually I'm glad they didn't. Stepping out into the garage during a crime could be a very bad situation. A startled bad guy can be a very dangerous animal.)

Here they are "guarding" the house!


I guess this theft problem has been an issue for a long time or one of the Ten Commandments wouldn't be telling us not to steal.

Joanne

[dakotamouse]

Arrrggggh! It bothers me that people think so little of others that they would take what isn't theirs. Property represents hours and hours of work! Get a job, work and buy your own stuff!

An open garage door is a lot of temptation. A few years back I went to work, hit my garage door opener and thought I had closed it.

A neighbor across the street, we are just on a wave and a smile basis, took the time to look up the phone number where I work, call me and ask if I would like them to close the door for me!

What a great neighborhood we live in!

[jplock]

I wish we could go back to the way it was in the old days. My father in law told that when he was a kid back in the forties they had to leave their farm in Missourii for 5 or 6 months with all their posessions left behind. Upon their return some neighbors informed them that a family for a while had been living in their house while they were gone, and you know there was not one item missing in the whole house! Those were the good old days!
jplock

[S. Heisley]

A $500 deduction/loss is bad news. The only good I can think of is that you get to purchase the "new" and "improved" models to replace those taken! If there was a 'coulda-shoulda-woulda' tool that you wanted instead of what you orignally got....

These days, it could be anyone who did it. With unemployment high and Christmas near, more people are tempted into thievery than usual. Wanting to have food and gifts for one's family increases that temptation factor. Or, it could be a neighbor or a neighbor's teen/adult son or daughter with a 'habit' to feed.

I'm with you about keeping your dogs safe. But, the fact that your dogs didn't even bark makes me think it was a neighbor or someone that they knew.

Hmmm.....

[planovet]

Talk about coincidences! Today as I left, I punched the garage door button and waited for it to start down before I drove off. Cindi left after me and when she went to the garage, the door was up. She thought that was strange because I always put the door down. Well, as she was leaving she punched her button and waited for the door to start down before she left. As she got to the end of the alley something told her she should go back and check the door. She turned around and sure enough the door was open. She tried several times but every time as the door got almost to the ground it would reverse and go back up. She finally figured out that a light that I had left hanging from the garage door last night as I was painting my doors was causing the door to not close properly. Either the cord was tripping the sensor or something like that. If she had not gone back and checked the door would have been up all day. And all my tools are sitting there waiting to be taken. Sometimes you just get lucky.

[S. Heisley]

I remembered reading this want-ad many years ago and thought I'd share it with you:

WANTED - LAWNMOWER
To the person who took my unattended lawnmower out of my front yard, I hope that when you got home with it, your mother came out from under the porch and bit you on the leg!

[Mary K]

Joanne, I am sorry to hear this. I know how it makes you feel that someone would come on to your property and take what is yours. This summer someone stole a gas can off my carport. It was only a Gallon can and only half full but was still mine.

If you have the time, check the closest Pawn Shops. My Boss got lucky and found his stolen property at one, and the guy used his real name to sell them....SO they arrested him. Remember crackhead thieves are STUPID!!

[savano]

So sorry Joanne Glad you and the guard dogs are fine. Eventually you will be able to replace the tools.

I have acquired a few very nice hand tools, chisels and hand planes. You have inspired me to take them into my furniture design class and engrave them next semester.

[forestfrog]

Sorry about the loss of your tools Joanne!

I hope karma comes back around and kicks those thieving b@st@rds in the @$$...