ive been ripped off

[Bo Heck]

Oh by the way, every new year's eve at midnight I am out on my porch in my underwear and t-shirt firing off blanks from my shotgun and shrieking at the top of my lungs. I think this might also work to keep my daughter's would-be boyfriends away someday.

My brother and I shoot in my grandparents backyard all the time, there is a field right behind the yard, the beginning of around 40 acres. We have a neighbor who is a retired deputy, came over one day when we were shooting and told us he felt much safer with us out shooting all the time in plain sight (not to mention sound). Who in their right mind is going to try us? We also leave our targets up in case anyone wants to make sure we could hit them if we tried.

 

[bluesman2a]

Take it from somebody who has been there. Re-KEY NOW. We had 3 break-ins in less than 60 days a couple of years back. You think it feels bad and your wife is freaking out NOW? Try after the third time she comes home to it.

You can have a lock-smith rekey or you can take them to your local home-depot/lowes and they will re-key them for you while you wait.

 

[JB740i]

Sorry for your loss. It ***** that people can stoop so low.

Lets face it...there is little police will do about a home break in where only property loss is involved. Do NOT expect some ***** CSI chick to show up taking fingerprints. Do NOT expect some handsome hispanic cop to start canvasing all your neighbors for leads. That stuff is only on TV.

They will fill out the report. PERIOD.

When I've had something stolen or my store has been broken into they've taken fingerprints. Everytime. PERIOD.

 

[headwrench]

thanks bluesman. i called the local lowes , they will re-key my locks for 5 bucks each. hell of a deal

 

[mikeyr]

why re-key ? are thieves really smart enough to make copies of keys they might find in the house ? if that is the case I would have to re-key my cars as well which is a scary thought.

Not been broken into yet, but my father-in-law was prior to his death and we moved in 2 months ago so I am worried (we did re-key as we re-modeled).

 

[bluesman2a]

why re-key ? are thieves really smart enough to make copies of keys they might find in the house ? if that is the case I would have to re-key my cars as well which is a scary thought.

Not been broken into yet, but my father-in-law was prior to his death and we moved in 2 months ago so I am worried (we did re-key as we re-modeled).

They may not be smart enough to COPY them, but they were alone in the house for a while. What about that spare set of keys you had laying in <FILL IN THE BLANK>? The spares you won't find missing until you come home and your rear door is open with no sign of forced entry.

As for vehicles, you're ABSOLUTELY correct. They caught the little bastards that broke into our place (after the 3rd time they did it). They had extras for my wife's car, my car, and the classic Jeep I had been working on for FOUR YEARS. Luckily we just took the two modern cars in and had them change the RF ID code in the keys, lock was the same, but car wouldn't start, it was $100 cheaper. I also pulled the coil on my Jeep. It saved us three stolen vehicles too.

Since then, it has become habit for us to put all spare keys, openers, remotes, etc into the big safe when not in use.

 

[headwrench]

why re-key? because my wife wants it done. enough said .LOL and it is a lot cheaper than all new locks which is what she wanted to begin with. all this **** started from 1 or 2 a holes. damn them!!!!!!!

 

[headwrench]

worst part is , i have no computer at home. i can only putter around on this site when at work. doesnt give me enough time to enjoy it. damn them!!!!!!!!!

 

[Junkman]

Your home owners insurance will cover the cost of re keying or replacing the locks. This is a little known fact that they don't tell you, unless you ask. It is almost a standard policy with all insurance companies..

 

[Vinko]

and 1 overhead door has Vicegrips clamped onto the track, so no body can open it (with the Garage door open unplugged)

That's a good idea.

How easy is it, though, to open one of those garage doors, when it's plugged in? I've always wondered that.

 

[oldgoat]

Hate to hear that you got ripped off. I put my garage around behind my house instead of straight back from the driveway. Never liked the idea that people could walk by and see inside it when you have the garage door open like all the neighbors do. Since I have a privacy fence it is a little hard for people to be able to see inside even if the door is open. I've thought about the alarm system, but the people I know with them seem to have false alarms. I am thinking more along the lines of a driveway alarm that will sound a alarm or beeper inside the house if someone comes in. Wouldn't help in your case I guess, but in our house there is usually someone home or will be coming home.

 

[clutch47]

Yo,
Sorry to hear about your break in. Spineless, soulless pricks anyway.I work in a prison and some of the crooks give up their secrets. We usually set ourselves up. The old show and tell when selling something is the ticket. This crook named Jack told me he'd watch in the auto shopper here in PA and the pictures were the give away. Call, go check out the quad or jet-ski.....Your work schedule is usually when you aren't available in the ad.... Stuff sitting in the background of the pictures....etc...
I built my Garage with 2x6 walls and ordered windows for 4 inch walls. Plenty of room for window bars. As was stated before, put a curtain or shade up inside so the bastards can't see the bars. I plan to put re-bar stoppers between all the studs before we sheet the walls inside. That'll slow them down as well. You could easily make replica stickers from copying and pasting an ADT picture and laminating it. I am putting up cameras and little red blinking lights and whatever I can conjure up....and I am going to wire up a motion light inside with an air horn and a cheap ac/dc converter in the trusses.Movement, lights and a screaming air horn....HAH!!! THAT WILL SCARE THE S**t OUT OF THEM. The best part of all is sitting on my front porch on the weekend cleaning my AR-15 and pistols and having a beer with my buddies and the wife. She shoots too!!!!!
Good luck man, and take a stand. They won't be back if you EXPECT them to come back....They will know.....

 

[Full Size 66]

My good friend is a lawman for a local agency and has advised me to not advertise the guns too much. However the shooting blanks w/ 12 ga. is a good idea. They may not know exactly who it is but they might get the idea.

 

[wrenchr]

2 beagles and a shotgun are very good home security!!

 

[stinkythings.com]

It really ***** to read how many people have been broken into.
Back in October my wife and kids went to the bank, came back 20 minutes later and the house was robbed. This was at 10:30 in the morning. I Cant tell ya how much that phone call ***** when youre at work 45 minutes away! They ripped the back door open, it was unlocked. I always told my wife they are going to get in anyway dont bother to lock it. They stole cam corder, digital camera and jewelry.We Filed a police report , with the detective.
4 weeks later, we get a call , that they recovered my wifes jewelry. Turns out the skell that broke in tried to pawn my father in-laws class ring from the 1950's. The guy at the pawn shop became suspicious and contacted the police. Ok so the system worked this time. So CARLOS DIAZ from BRENTWOOD NY, it turns out is the thief, a professional burglar. The police tied him to 6 more robberies in a 4 block radius over 3 weeks.He has multiple arrest warrants , but they say he is in MIAMI , FL now and it costs too much to bring him back and prosecute.

SO now we have an alarm, heavy duty door lock-dead bolts and alarm signs & window decals. ***** to always have to think about getting broken into now.

 

[RobSmith]

My house alarm and radio connected garage alarm, Telephones a message to my next door neighbour and my parents place. I've told the neighbour to just look out the window and take note of the crooks. The movement detector in the garage also turns all the lights on so the bum can read the sign that says he is being filmed. I also arm the alarm in the house and lock the house when I'm in the shed. It doesn't take much time for some slime to just walk up and slip inside while I'm busy, head down working on something.

 

[sammerdog]

...I had my 1972 Impala Custom stolen from in front of the Police Impound lot on Lower Wacker in Chicago...

Must be new to Chicago.

You realize the engine was in a cop car and the tires were on a Water Dept Suburban within three days of it coming up missing don't you?

 

[Hardware]

I walk around my property with a green beret, mirrored sunglasses, and a .45 sidearm strapped to my side. Neighbors and solicitors think I'm a headcase, and stay away

LOL

 

[Racecarl]

I've got a couple old TVs sitting around. I was thinking about wiring up the flyback transformer (the 30KV one) to doorknobs or other metal door hardware. I would use a motion detector to set it off. Ultimately I would like to have the transformer shock the dog$%&* out of them, followed by all the outside lights coming on along with a video camera. How many hits do you suppose my YouTube video of some $(@*head jumping around with sparks shooting out his hiney would get?

 

[Junkman]

Oil burner transformers are a lot easier to work with, and the high voltage, low amperage isn't going to kill anyone........ unless they have a bad heart. If someone gets hurt or killed while breaking into your home, the local prosecute might go after you, depending on the state you live in. In some states, you have to keep retreating until you are backed into a corner before you can protect yourself from a intruder. Not my idea of good laws, but they do exist, especially in the Massachusetts.

 

[krooser]

I've been lucky... I've locked my shop about twice in the last 15 years and only when I was gone for several adys. It could happen to me, too but I live in a small town where there is little crime.

 

[NRChopshop]

Well part of being a single 25 yr old with a house and a dog is that even if they break in....theres nothing in here to steal! I dont even own a sofa.

Hell the shop i work in hs multiple pieces of 100k+ equipment in it and the ground level windows arent even locked.

 

[headwrench]

im back!!!!!!!!! got the new computer today, how does it look? LOL. next question. what do you guys recommend for a welder. i saw on ebay a welder from a company called ramsond. its a tig, arc & plasma in one unit. anybody hear of them or have one? input please. i didnt realize how much these thing had gone up in price from when i bought mine. not much insurance money left. any ideas on what kind to get. i do mostly thin weld stuff, but also some stuff on the ratrod / hotrod. thanks

 

[devilphrog]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but it seems alarms and other sentry systems are of only protection to our garages and homes these days. The reason I say this is a simple internet search of lock bumping...

 

[mrjsl]

I have a detached shop with a shed off the back, and live at the end of a dead end street, so someone could sneak up on my property through the woods there or from a block away pretty easily.

So, on the backside of my shop and shed, I built a long two level dog kennel/run and I have two big **** hounds in it, and them girls can make a hell of a lot of noise.

On the front and opposite side, I have a little old lady neighbor who is home most of the time, and sitting at her computer looking out a window directly at my shop door and two of three doors into my house.

I also live within the city limits, and it's not ok to shoot guns here, but I have a beater 22 rifle handy and every so often I fire off some rat shot at a snake or something, and that keeps nearby neighbors that don't know me a little uneasy. I also have a neighbor right through the woods who will blast varmints with a shotgun off his front porch, so...

Put all that together, and you have deep south security!

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Take it from somebody who has been there. Re-KEY NOW. We had 3 break-ins in less than 60 days a couple of years back. You think it feels bad and your wife is freaking out NOW? Try after the third time she comes home to it.

You can have a lock-smith rekey or you can take them to your local home-depot/lowes and they will re-key them for you while you wait.

Yes, you need to demonstrate an increase in security NOW !!!

Once you get pegged as an easy target, It gets around.

I don't want people looking in my Garage, I don't want friends bringing friends over, and I don't want the guys from work going all through my stuff and talking about it to anyone who will listen.

Don't mess around, get new locks, and do a few things that show that you have upped your security.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but it seems alarms and other sentry systems are of only protection to our garages and homes these days. The reason I say this is a simple internet search of lock bumping...

If someone wants to break in my house, they are going to have to break something. I don't think of myself this way, but I am a scarey dude. I asked a friend of mine to come help me pull wires a few weeks ago, and he brough an ''assistant''. I was VERY peeved, and I guess I can't hide it. I scared the helper, and made my friend uncomfortable. Afterwards I had a little talk with my buddy about bringing people around.

Easy come, easy go people have a different outlook on property than people who have worked for 30 plus years to get what they have. They don't need to be coming around my place, and as rude as it may seem, I have scared plenty of casual visitors, and I do want people to think about what they might run into if they come around a corner and find ME.

I didn't used to be like this...

 

[z28snksknr]

I have a pretty entertaining story (I'll keep it short as possible):

A few years back, the soon to be wife and I lived in an apartment. Both our cars were broken into and they stole sunglasses, spare change, etc. We called the cops, they wrote a report and told us to lock our doors. Wouldn't take fingerprints.

Next weekend, we go out in Philly drinkin in the wife's Civic, come home around 1am. Had to get gas on the way home, so the tank was filled. Sunday morning we get in the car and the tank is half empty and it smells like smoke inside. Figured we may have smelled like that from the bar.

Next weekend, same thing, but everything that was in the car (papers, little stuffed animals, etc) were all in the trunk and there was a little baggie in the back seat (one of those tiny ziplocks they sell weed in). We then realized that my wife's old purse was in the car and the spare set of keys was in there. These kids had found the keys and were coming on the weekends to take the car, but RETURNING IT. Called cops again and were told that "since they are returning it, it's not stolen". Again, wouldn't take fingerprints. They also told us they couldn't "stakeout" the car because they had better things to do {Faith in law enforcement diminishes}.

So we did it for them. Even called the cops and told them to expect our call and to have someone in the area all night. Sat in my car parked in the dark and waited. Sure enough, they showed up (but couldn't start the car because I removed the ignition fuse). I called the cops and told them it was on. Took the sonofabitch 15 min to show up he was ACROSS TOWN. By this time, they were out of the car and walking back to where they came from. Cops finally showed up and chased them but the fatass cops (one guy was like 300 lbs.) chased the white kid and the younger guy (30's, maybe 230 lbs) chased the black kid. Neither had a chance and they got away - THEY STILL HAVE THE SPARE KEYS!!!

Ended up moving shortly after that. Cost to replace the keys- $380.

Moral: ALWAYS LOCK EVERYTHING UP.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Maybe that last post wasn't clear enough. Young punks killed a old farmer about ten miles down the road this summer, to steal his farm stand money. Punk kids and low lifes are more likely to take an open opportunity as an invitation that to go up against someone who takes an active interest in their property.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. I am truly sorry for your loss. Maybe the rest of us can learn something that will help us down the road. I will certainly be taking a step up in security.

 

[Keep]

Wow that really *****. We have started having issues around here with the "kids" checking car doors looking for change, they have since moved up to breaking lawn ornaments and I am sure its only a matter of time before they start breaking into houses, I will laugh when they break into mine and come face to face with my 3 German Shepherds. At least it will give the dogs something to do until I come home.

First thing I would do is file a police report, mention that you had a "Sears" pest inspector there along with the siding folks. They may have the same info on file for other invasions and it could help them pick the folks up.

Call the local pawn shops, you do have the serial number of the welder right?

As for the locks. Call a locksmith, not Lowes not Home Depot a real licensed locksmith. They will re key your whole house cars and anything else in a few hours. They will also recommend locks to use to avoid issues such as the "lock bumping" that started making the news a couple years ago. They even ran a story up here showing how it was done WTF thanks Global....

On the fingerprint locks, yes there are issues with some but most of them can be solved by simply licking your finger. We use the fingerprint stuff on all our work laptops. I run into this issue daily with users not being able to log in since the reader will not pick up there prints, tell the to wet their finger and it works every time. Winter is the worst time for these as your hands are usually dry from the weather.

lol....just realized this was from March.

 

[ta66]

About 12 years ago I had a Acura Integra (my rice days) which had the skirts, rims, about 6g's in stereo and a heavily modified engine.

At this time I was living at me parents place and my car would always go in the garage at night. The way the garage is set up is 2 roll up doors in front with garage openers and 1 door that leads into the backyard (door that pulls towards you)

I came home about 4 in the morning (really nasty weather that night)and put the integra in the garage and armed the alarm.

Next morning I was on my way to get a coffee, opened the garage door.....and had the shock of a lifetime, there was my car with all the doors opened,and jacked up.
Everything was gone, stereo,rims,seats,camcorder, even the friggin sparkplug wires.

Of course I'm pissed right now, I take a look around the house for any "clues" the gate which leads to the backyard was fine, garage doors were not damaged...how the hell did they get in I'm thinking. I call the cops and they did a report over the phone ??? WTF,

So I left the car for the insurance adjuster to see it the way it was during the week. At this point I'm baffled as to how the f*ck**s got in, they used my tools to take the parts, drank my beer while they were doing it.

I left it alone and just dealt with the insurance. A day later I just happened to ask my neighbour across the street if he saw anything that night and I was ready to kill him after he said this
"yeah I saw you come home pretty late, I was having a smoke in my garage and was looking out the window. When you pulled in 3 guys came in from the side of the house (crawling) and went to the side of your car"
????????? wtf......you saw these guys and you could'nt say anything, you never thought something was wrong???

Well that night taught me a lot, some neighbours are IDIOTS, replace light bulb on garage opener as soon as it dies, and what I do know is have the ownerships for my Trans Am and Buick under a diffrent address, I remember couple of days prior to the break in my freind saw someone writing down my plate(dont know if it has anything to do with it)

 

[caper]

I got a phone call at work last week from my ex wife saying someone had broken into the garage I have at her place.I don't keep any tools there anymore after having security issues before.The door has multiple padlocks,a deadbolt and a regular key in knob lock.The rollup door has padlocks through both of the tracks after being pried up before.So this time they decided to peel the plywood off the side of the building and come in through the studs.Got away with my hunting bow and a few other small items.Nothing much of value there to anyone but me anyway.I've decided to set up my own little burglar alarm.I scrounged a couple of air horns of some tractor trailers at work.There is a 30 gallon air tank already sitting in the garage.I'm setting it up with a couple pin switches on the doors and a few trip wires hooked to trailer breakaway switches running in the walls.Heading to the electronics store tommorow looking for a time delay relay.Plan is to have the relay set for a 30 second delay before it trips the air solenoid to fire the air horns.That way when the a**hole breaks in he'll be well inside the garage before the horns bast his eardrums out.I know that a 30 gal tank will blow those horns for a solid half hour.Hopefully 2 or 3 air horns in a 20x24 garage will leave him curled in the fetal position with his eardrums bleeding.

 

[mrjsl]

I got a phone call at work last week from my ex wife saying someone had broken into the garage I have at her place.I don't keep any tools there anymore after having security issues before.The door has multiple padlocks,a deadbolt and a regular key in knob lock.The rollup door has padlocks through both of the tracks after being pried up before.So this time they decided to peel the plywood off the side of the building and come in through the studs.Got away with my hunting bow and a few other small items.Nothing much of value there to anyone but me anyway.I've decided to set up my own little burglar alarm.I scrounged a couple of air horns of some tractor trailers at work.There is a 30 gallon air tank already sitting in the garage.I'm setting it up with a couple pin switches on the doors and a few trip wires hooked to trailer breakaway switches running in the walls.Heading to the electronics store tommorow looking for a time delay relay.Plan is to have the relay set for a 30 second delay before it trips the air solenoid to fire the air horns.That way when the a**hole breaks in he'll be well inside the garage before the horns bast his eardrums out.I know that a 30 gal tank will blow those horns for a solid half hour.Hopefully 2 or 3 air horns in a 20x24 garage will leave him curled in the fetal position with his eardrums bleeding.

I like that one!

When I was a little kid in the 1970's, one of my friend's dad had a cadillac - this was before everyone on earth had super nice cars. They just had a house with a open carport, and 2 or 3times he had his tires, rims or hubcaps stolen - I don't remember which, because I as young.

Anyway, this car had kind of low fenders, and since the police were never any help, he took a pack of razor blades and taped or stuck them on the inside of the fenderwells so that the edges were barely exposed. Sure enough, next time they tried it, he kept his wheels and his biggest problem was cleaning up the blood stain off the concrete.

 

[XFV8_pano]

When i was 20 i had my car broken into and tools taken from my garage. i lost a sidchrome toolbox and socket set (big $$ for a kid - and a gift from my dad), a maglite and a few otehr things. A year later i was at a friends place and we went to his bedroom to get a book. As i walked in i saw my maglite on his bedside table (id wrapped some tape around it to help me hold it). I picked it up and looked at him. it was the first time id ever felt betrayed by anyone. it ended our friendship. he denied everything, and the police were not interested in visiting him. i never got my tools back - but i took the maglite.

years later i heard he ended up in prison, for theft from his employer. it didnt surprise me.

 

[ZRX61]

I have about $50K or more in tools in my garage. Came home one lunch time to finmd ther garage door open.. PANIC!

Quick inventory showed nothing missing & the reason the door was open was because some idiot had gone off for 5 hours without shutting it that morning... Didn't make that mistake again...

 

[kwhitelaw]

Anyway, this car had kind of low fenders, and since the police were never any help, he took a pack of razor blades and taped or stuck them on the inside of the fenderwells so that the edges were barely exposed. Sure enough, next time they tried it, he kept his wheels and his biggest problem was cleaning up the blood stain off the concrete.

used to do that when I mounted PIAA lights back when they were popular.. wedged box cutter blades between the base of the light and the bumper..

 

[83trekker]

Last summer the night before vacation i ran out to throw in the car set to the truck to help save time, forgot to close the big door, put right at the door for vacation all of our bikes, portable dvd playes tools, damm i was lucky alway lock everything, double check.

 

[Shocker]

The garage door open was happening to me. Found out the cat was stepping on the remote that I left on the window sill.

 

[dustin19]

my great granddad used to keep a bucket of nails rigged up someway to the door of garage so anyone who went in who wasnt supposed to got a headache and cause some kids kept stealing his beer out there..

 

[stewart]

Sorry to hear it!

Check Craigslist and Ebay every now and then. My brother lost two welders and a torch setup. They were found there. Detectives said stuff ends up there a lot.