Re: 21 Things a Burglar Won't Tell You

[Michael Dobony <survey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:47:48 -0500, G. Morgan wrote:

> 13 Things a Burglar Won't Tell You
> http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/slideshow-13-things-a-burglar-wont-tell-you/article163491.html
>
> 1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets,
> painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
>
> 2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard
> last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return
> a little easier.
>
> 3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ? and taste means there
> are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me
> wonder what type of gaming system they have.
>
> 4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might
> leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove
> it.
>
> 5. If it snows while you?re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot
> tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
>
> 6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don?t let your alarm
> company install the control pad where I can see if it?s set. That makes it too
> easy.
>
> 7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on
> the second floor, which often access the master bedroom?and your jewelry. It?s
> not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
>
> 8. It?s raining, you?re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock
> your door?understandable. But understand this: I don?t take a day off because
> of bad weather.
>
> 9. I always knock first. If you answer, I?ll ask for directions somewhere or
> offer to clean your gutters. (Don?t take me up on it.)
>
> 10. Do you really think I won?t look in your sock drawer? I always check
> dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
>
> 11. Here?s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids? rooms.
>
> 12. You?re right: I won?t have enough time to break into that safe where you
> keep your valuables. But if it?s not bolted down, I?ll take it with me.
>
> 13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system.
> If you?re reluctant to leave your TV on while you?re out of town, you can buy
> a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real
> television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
>
> 8 More Things a Burglar Won't Tell You
> http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/article-8-more-things-a-burglar-wont-tell-you/article156681.html
>
> 1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and
> carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
>
> 2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
>
> 3. I?ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your
> neighbor hears one loud sound, he?ll stop what he?s doing and wait to hear it
> again. If he doesn?t hear it again, he?ll just go back to what he was doing.
> It?s human nature.
> 4. I?m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm
> system and leave your house without setting it?
>
> 5. I love looking in your windows. I?m looking for signs that you?re home, and
> for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I?d like. I?ll drive or walk through
> your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my
> targets.
>
> 6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It?s easier than you
> think to look up your address.
>
> 7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to
> let in a little fresh air. To me, it?s an invitation.
>
> 8. If you don?t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the
> jackpot and walk right in.

Many of these also apply to rapists. We recently had a serial rapist use
this last one. He checked the door and if it was open he walked in a raped
whoever he found. No mention of children, but one has to wonder.