I talked yesterday about the garage door opener causing a loss of neighborhood safety and knowing who belongs in your neighborhood. A reader brought up some other interesting ones which also accomplished the same thing.
The air conditioner, yep the air conditioner. People used to gather outside in the cool evening breeze and watch the neighborhood go by instead of watching the TV.
Who knew that Garage door openers, Air Conditioners and TV were so dangerous.
Do you know your neighborhood well enough to know who belongs there? When does your neighbor go to work and come home? How many people belong in that house? When are they on vacation?
Do you fill out a vacation check with the police?
Have you ever thought about what type of fence you have? Many people put privacy fences up to keep the neighbors eyes out. Well those fences also fence out the neighbors eyes that are protecting your property. The bad guys love fences that cover the view of passing people. They are free to take their time.
Have you thought of what type of shrubs are near your windows and doors. People hide behind them and ring the doorbell. The bad guy has more hiding places for their dirty work.
Do you park where your vehicles gas tank is in view for people passing by? Another one that most bad guys love. The car is parked where it is hidden from the street and they can easily siphon your gas. Have you ever seen someone siphon gas and thought "poor guy" and never thought once if it was his or not especially in broad daylight.
If you are a brave thieve you get away with lots as people would not believe you did it. I will give you some examples.
I personally know a guy that had a flat tire in Eugene, Oregon when he was passing through on a sunny Sunday afternoon. He did not have a spare so he got out of his vehicle and got his jack and tire wrench and started walking down the street. Kids were riding bikes, people in houses watching TV and garage doors open and he walked until he found a car that had a tire that would fit his. He jacked the car up and removed the tire and rolled it back down the street to his car and put it on. Not one person called the police.
I personally knew of a guy that never paid a parking meter ticket. He would come out and take the ticket off his windshield and walk to the car in front or back of him and put it on their windshield and drive off. The owner came out and threw a fit because his meter still had time and never once looked at the license number on the ticket. At the time it was $1.00. He put the money in the envelope and put it in the fine box and never once knew it was not his. He was still grumbling when he pulled out about how he would fight it but it would cost him more then paying the ticket. I told the police he was doing it but he never was caught. I also remember once I came out and was that mad guy as I had a ticket on my windshield and I had time left and yep you guessed it I never looked at the license number on the ticket and I wonder to this day if someone did the same thing to me.
I know a guy that shot a deer illegally and when the police were called because the neighbors had heard a shot fired. He stood and talked to the police officer about hearing a shot and the direction it came from as his dead deer lay right behind a sagebrush behind him.
When people are brazen we just don't think about it.
I knew a woman who used to pull up to a shopping center and take off all her jewelry, her purse and with only a t-shirt on and her jeans and shoes she would go into the mall. When she came out she had a purse full of all the things women carry, makeup, makeup remover, lotion, perfume. No one even paid any attention to the fact she was walking around the store with a purse. She had ear rings, necklaces, rings. She had hair stuff in her hair, scarfs around a cute blouse under a cute coat etc. She came out with everything and actually paid for two items she had put in her cart. No one even looked at her and yet we all pay a big price to cover losses for shop lifting. She finally got caught...I wonder why? No I don't cause I know how. Someone turned her in to watch to security.
Myself I love dogs, they bark and draw attention to anyone being around your house or your car. The bad guys don't know if the dog bites or not. It is not that the dog will stop them though there are some that do it is that they alert you to danger like an alarm. It is easier to find an easier target. That is the whole idea, make yourself a hard target where they go to the easy target. If they believed in taking the hard way they would work for what they want.
I have a concealed handgun, I have had lots of defensive tactics but when someone sees me they don't think "watch out" cause I am a little fat old lady so none of it makes me a hard target but.......I have a dog that walks with me. I look people right in the eye and say "good evening", that lets them know this is not a robbery victim as I know what you look like to tell the police. I am aware of everything around me and even change my path sometimes.
I can go down one alley and you down another. If we get attached I will still come out the other end but I would rather come out without a fight.
Think about all of it and keep the ideas and experiences coming please.
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