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mlts22's avatar
mlts22
Explorer
Jun 03, 2016

Keep your stuff locked up, folks.

I was parked near a friend's place (in a "good" neighborhood where houses are $400k, ironically), walked up the driveway, and just in 8-10 seconds after I left, there were people out of a car and were reaching for the generator in my truck's bed, stopped by the fact that the generator is held in place with a decent chain/cable assortment. I walked back out, and they hopped in their little Mazda and sped off.

Always keep your stuff locked up. Had I just had the thing unsecured, some guys would be scoring a nice wad of meth at their dealer right about now.

Lesson for me: Time to consider a truck cap.

Just warning people that thieves can come out extremely quickly to steal something if they think it is unsecured.
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  • pbmazda32's avatar
    pbmazda32
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2016
    i don't think anything makes national news where i come from. and you can call BS all you want, makes no difference.

    At least i'm not here throwing out excuses not to do something when something bad is happening. You don't have to be "He-Man" to get involved.
  • fj12ryder's avatar
    fj12ryder
    Explorer III
    Jun 05, 2016
    mockturtle wrote:
    fj12ryder wrote:
    ^^^^^^^^^^^A little basis in fact would be wonderful with a statement that starts "It's been well established...". :)


    This article cites several examples of this phenomenon in different cities in the US. NYC is the best known study.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory
    Interesting reading but does nothing toward proving your statement: "It's been well established...". That is a very well presented theory with both proponents and detractors. That does not make it well established, maybe well discussed. The key word is that it is still a theory, not proven behavior.
  • toedtoes's avatar
    toedtoes
    Explorer III
    Jun 05, 2016
    wbwood wrote:
    toedtoes wrote:
    wbwood wrote:
    people normally don't steal within their own, unless its a newspaper or something


    Actually, most thefts are done by teenage boys who live in that neighborhood (or whose friends live in that neighborhood).

    The drug addict usually takes from their own neighborhoods also. The "professional" thief is much less common and goes to nice neighborhoods.


    So with known thefts going on in the neighborhood and its a good neighborhood?


    Well, "good" is relative. In the OP, good is equated to high income. Other people equate it with "churchgoing", "family-oriented", "suburbia", "upper class", and so on.

    But regardless of all that - most thefts are done by teenage boys who live in the neighborhood where the theft occurs.
  • wbwood's avatar
    wbwood
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2016
    toedtoes wrote:
    wbwood wrote:
    people normally don't steal within their own, unless its a newspaper or something


    Actually, most thefts are done by teenage boys who live in that neighborhood (or whose friends live in that neighborhood).

    The drug addict usually takes from their own neighborhoods also. The "professional" thief is much less common and goes to nice neighborhoods.


    So with known thefts going on in the neighborhood and its a good neighborhood?
  • Gene_Ginny's avatar
    Gene_Ginny
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2016
    mockturtle wrote:
    fj12ryder wrote:
    ^^^^^^^^^^^A little basis in fact would be wonderful with a statement that starts "It's been well established...". :)
    This article cites several examples of this phenomenon in different cities in the US. NYC is the best known study.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory

    You beat me to it.
    Another link to Broken Windows Theory Perhaps the most notable application of the theory was in New York City under the direction of Police Commissioner William Bratton.

    edited to add this quote from the above link:
    When Bratton resigned in 1996, felonies were down almost 40 percent in New York, and the homicide rate had been halved.
  • jfkmk's avatar
    jfkmk
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2016
    pbmazda32 wrote:
    right is right, and I wouldn't be so scared to stand up for yourself. I'm not a troublemaker, but I do protect what I have and my family. I once shot a man I found living in my elderly neighbors basement. Turns out he was an escaped convict. She was so old and in bad shape, she never went in the basement. This guy had been living in her basement for months and I only noticed because I found tracks going to a basement window when the snow started falling. I didn't get in any trouble, I was actually thanked by the police who showed up. Ambulance people took him to the hospital, docs patched him up and he went back to jail. I never went to court.


    So you went and shot a man because he was living in your elderly neighbors basement?
  • Crowe's avatar
    Crowe
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2016
    pbmazda32, I also call BS. Show us proof.

    I'm usually a pretty quiet person and keep to myself.

    Funny statement because you're bragging to a bunch of strangers about what a he-man you are.

    But i would never just stand there and watch someone steal my stuff.

    Then I suggest you keep a lawyer on retainer, get your will updated so your beneficiary gets what's due him/her, and think about what's truly important in life. Stuff ain't it.
  • ralphnjoann's avatar
    ralphnjoann
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2016
    pbmazda32 wrote:
    right is right, and I wouldn't be so scared to stand up for yourself. I'm not a troublemaker, but I do protect what I have and my family. I once shot a man I found living in my elderly neighbors basement. Turns out he was an escaped convict. She was so old and in bad shape, she never went in the basement. This guy had been living in her basement for months and I only noticed because I found tracks going to a basement window when the snow started falling. I didn't get in any trouble, I was actually thanked by the police who showed up. Ambulance people took him to the hospital, docs patched him up and he went back to jail. I never went to court.

    fast forward a couple years I'm in Akron Ohio putting in a garage door. I come outside to get a tool out of my truck and found two guys digging my tools out for me. One of them got away but I put the other one in the hospital using two 3/8 steel bars I used to wind the garage door springs. Police thanked me again. Never went to court.

    I'm not trying to sound like a tough guy or nothing. I'm not actually. I'm usually a pretty quiet person and keep to myself. But i would never just stand there and watch someone steal my stuff.

    This proves nothing except in these two situations no charges against you were filed by the authorities, and I assume, neither of the criminals filed charges against you for whatever "rights" of their's that you may have violated.

    The same circumstances in a different jurisdiction could have a much different outcome. DAs decide if charges are warranted and juries decide guilt or innocence. There are no absolutes and no guarantees as to the outcome and you could have just as easily wound up in jail.

    My point here is that there are a lot of variables, and there can be very negative consequences stemming from the best of intentions. One person's experience should not be used as a guideline for another's choices.

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