Burgled

Originally posted by picastoc ↑

Hi Tau, I have been reading some of those sophisticated security ideas on this thread which people have so thoughtfully made for you. I thought I'd balance it all a bit by posting here as I am a female and you mentioned the predominance of posts by males.

I live in the 'burbs. I feel safe where I am even though break ends can happen, as you stated, anywhere, being in a townhouse arrangement with 3 others probably reduces the risk. I like my locked front gate on my picket fence which fully embraces the front garden. I face a street. No.4 had someone break in while she and her two sons were asleep upstairs and they did so through the laundry. She had left the laundry unlocked and her handbag on the kitchen table. Good thinking, huh???

They were not aware until the next morning. My place has window locks on all windows and since reading your story, I have turned the keys in the downstairs ones. The street outside has a very bright street light which illuminates the front garden. Dead locks on front door and kitchen door with access to garage which is itself locked both front and back.

I think it is safer in the 'burbs, myself than on a property such as you on. Your visitors may have been kids. I couldn't imagine having to puts bells on door, armed myself with oven cleaners and/or baseball bats, replace peripheral fences, get a dog etc etc etc as a woman. Would take very little for an angry bloke to overpower me so I don't intend to try that. You should be able to feel relaxed and happy when you go to sleep at night. That is your right.

I hope you make the right decision which suits YOU, not anyone else. I wish you very well indeed.
ps Two of my 3 neighbours are single women and the one breakin I wrote about was the only one I've heard about in 14 years.
If leaving out the welcome mat on an unlocked laundry door at the back of the unit complex when you live at No. 4, the back of the property, and probably done so regularly, is really a break-in. It could be called, come in and help yourself to whatever you want downstairs. I think she lost only cash and/or total handbag.

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Hi picastoc - I have just re-read your post - pretty good and pretty much the conclusion I have come to. I will eventually move into a small villa environment, but it is not easy to sell here, houses seem to be on the market forever - so for the time being I need to be a little more secure here.
I have actually worked from the inside out - leaving the fence situation in abeyance, although that is the weak point (but it's also the most expensive one to fix). My bedroom door now has a strong bolt and very soon I'll have roller shutters on the bedroom windows, both windows face the garden and the back. The thread on torches was useful, so was the one on safety lights.
A lot of the other suggestions were just 'boys stuff' - understandably - and weren't they having fun - made me laugh, too, which was important!
I've also gone back to waking early, which I always did in the past - I guess the long winter turned me into a hibernating animal.
Generally though I am getting more relaxed as the days progress, I just don't like 'feeling afraid and worried' and I manage to control my mind should it wander to the 'what ifs'.
My birth certificate is hopefully in the mail as we speak and then I can apply for the other documents. Cards etc. is all fixed. - one worry is that I had a hard drive computer back-up in that document folder (it was WD My passport) - apparently they are easy to get info out of - of course I changed all my passwords, but wonder if I should change my bank account also? - I have had that account with the same bank literally for yonks and there were some disused cheque books (stubs only) in that case.
No more cumbersome back-ups for me, except on small memory sticks which one can hide easily; photos will all be doubly available on my computer and tablet which I hardly use (and they didn't find) and this event has lit a rocket under me to get that large family album via 'albumworks' going - I have done individual ones for the kids, but not the family&ancestors&friends one.
I really did appreciate all the posts! Interesting (and kind) characters here on Hotcopper, don't you think?
Thanks Picastoc
Taurisk