SilverSmith

Thought long and hard before posting this, I didn’t want to alarm anyone unnecessarily but hopefully someone may learn from my experience.

A couple of weeks ago just before I went on holiday I was awoken in the early hours by a noise in the house, I decided it was one of the cats creeping about so started to go back to sleep when I heard another noise on the stairs, I became slightly more concerned at that point, I sat up in bed to see a **** stood in the bedroom doorway.

At that point I had a fairly major rush of adrenaline (as you can imagine!) and my overriding instinct was that attack was the best form of defence… at this point I was defending my family first and foremost, I was not thinking about my property or possessions! I shouted out and chased the **** down the stairs and out of the house through the front door he had left open to make his escape. Once outside he was away and I stopped chasing when I realised I was a) naked and b) shoeless so couldn’t run.

I had been in the house on my own with my three kids as my wife was working that night, a blessing for both her and him!!! The **** had forced a window downstairs and ransacked the place looking for my Scooby keys, draws opened, bags emptied, coats searched but nothing else was taken, even though there were things which I was surprised to still see there. The police were certain he was after the car and recon they know who is doing this, they just need sufficient proof.

In a way I was lucky, I had had a shot across my bows, little damage done, nothing taken, the fact my son (who awoke when I shouted) or wife don’t sleep any more is immaterial! The house was not alarmed… it is now, together with a number of other security measures. If you do everything you can to make things as hard as you can then hopefully they will go elsewhere.

What ever you think you might do in such a situation you don’t really know until it happens, but thinking about what you could do in advance may help prepare you if god forbid anything happens like this to you. I had my keys in my bedroom, if they had been downstairs my car would have gone but my family would not have been put in danger, this is a tricky one and although I have pondered it I don’t really know the answer. I believe political correctness has tilted the balance too far in the criminals favour, it makes my blood boil with anger when I think that someone came into my house and went into my children’s bedrooms (I’m sure all parents would feel the same way), if for whatever reason the **** got injured the chances are the finger of blame would point at me!

Don’t have nightmares… just be prepared in whatever way you feel appropriate, talk to the local crime prevention officer about your house and your situation! Above all don’t let the scum spoil your enjoyment of your Scooby.

HKSubaru

can't believe what's going on, it's happening all the time since i've got a scooby.. if i knew this was a regular thing, i would of thought twice about getting one.

MJW

Scary stuff, but hardly surprising since its more difficult to nick a car via the 'traditional' methods.
My keys stay under my pillow at night ! Along with my Glock-17 ...

SilverSmith

I still think for every case you hear about like this there are thousands of people who enjoy their car (whether it be a Scooby, Porche, BM, Merc or whatever) without ever experienceing any problem. It can be difficult to keep it in perspective sometimes especially when you are naturally parenoid !

scooby-si

ive got a starting gun up in the bedroom just hope they dont have a real 1 [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

I'm very sorry to hear that I don't really know what to say, just glad you are all OK. I was always worried about that sort of thing happening when I had the car, but luckily it never happened to me.

Is there no chance you'd be able to id the [insert nasty word here] who was in your house? If the police know who it is, but lack proof, I know I'd seriously consider the fact I could.

TAZMAN

just a small idea to help deter the little *****...they usually want the minimum of ttenion and the quickest time in and out. I have a family would never put any possesion before them..however I will always do everything in my power to defend that which I have wroked bloody hard to get.
Simple things, sensor light front and back, house alarm that you can set for downstairs ownly or even the low tech approach, if you leav your stairs dark at night...put a tray, pans or any noise inducing items on the stairs...resultant crash usually scares em off, plus alerts you before they get near your family.

I have lived in some pretty rough parts of the world and the key thing is that this is unlikely to happen to you but could. It is well worth spending some time thinking/planing what you would do if it did happen to you..even if that is just anding the keys over..

good luck and be safe

carla_wrx

had nearly the same thing happen to me but they did'nt manage to break in it was bad enough knowing they had tried never mind getting in.
It happened a few months back same thing woke in the night hearing a strange noise walked into the kitchen where the noise was coming from and saw someone running off away from the window woke partner up who was still asleep and had'nt heard a thing!! told him what had happened.
nothing had gone and they had'nt got in so went back to bed but could'nt sleep.went outside when it was morning and the scum bag had tried to take the window out.
police came out finger printed of course did'nt find anything but c.i.d rang later after they had learnt about what car we had and said it was a gang that break into houses just for the car keys.
that same night they had stolen an audi tt just 3 miles from our house doing the same thing.
we now have an alarm the police said they have never been out to a break in in our area to a house fitted with an alarm we also hide the car keys!!

SilverSmith

Thanks Robertio. Couldn’t ID the **** unfortunately he was backlit by the bathroom light so was just a silhouette.

Worthwhile having all the internal downstairs doors locked from the side where you go up to bed, not impregnable but slows them down and ensures any progress makes a noise.

PG

Never say never and all that but where I live there would be little chance of theft however I have an alarm fitted with zones that can be activated / deactivated via a keypad on the upper landing too. I have also installed panic buttons in the master bedroom and will get round to fitting them in the other bedrooms too.
Better safe than sorry and all that.

Paul

TAZMAN

other great deterrent but a little unorthodox,,,but does work...is to get a cheap photographic flash gun, set on standby and hooked up to a ir trigger, when the beam is broken flash goes off....I have used it to protect my camera gear before in less then nice parts of the world...see how they run....

so if you think you are being targeted it works well...1) screws there night vision 2) gives em brown trousers 3) think they have been photographed...