Have you been stolen from?
Have you been stolen from?
Has someone or something stolen from you? Do you know who/what it was? Did it affect you? Do you care?
Doesn't have to be serious.
Share your stories!
Yes! Two days ago, someone stole my bike. That is, I had parked it (and locked it) in a bike garage monitored by CCTV at the train station where I commute and when I came back from work my bike was gone and only my broken lock was left. However, as I looked around a little the thieves had not moved it far, only down a floor into the premium "bike hotel" area that is an actual locked in area as well. So I just called the company, and they let me in and gave me my bike back.
Afterwards, I called the police to let them know someone stole my bike and that the whole ordeal was caught on cameras (they have to open an official investigation before the footage can be used due to surveillance laws). As I tried to report the theft (or attempt thereof), I had the following fun conversation with a policeman:
- Me: Explains the circumstances of what happened.
- Policeman: (Interrupts) "Yeah, maybe you should keep that in mind for next time."
- Me: "Uhm what?"
- Policeman: "Yeah, maybe you should be a little bit smarter with regards to where you put your bike."
- Me: "Uhm OK, I just told you I put it in the designated parking spot that, as pointed out, is monitored."
I get that they do not really care about bike theft as they account for 30% of reported thefts, but I mean come on. They obviously moved my bike (along with others, I assume) to a nearby area so they could collect them all in a van later that night and drive off unnoticed. The police could have sent one patrol there at the right time and have them caught red-handed with video footage of the entire ordeal. Incompetence and unwillingness to actually do their work is precisely why there are so many thefts to begin with. Had I said I was a shop owner and had a bike stolen, I am certain they would show up in no time.
TL;DR: Bike got stolen and the police sucks. Thankfully, the thieves sucked marginally less, so I got my bike back.
a) Glad you got your bike back.
b) I know for a while they sold a thing for bikes to identify them and get stolen bikes back. But I am not sure the system really works and I think it's on a sticker. And can't you just peel off any sticker @_@!
c) Cops suck hard at things they find inconvenient to them. I didn't know the reports were that high. I think it's because you're actively messing with a person's means of transportation, that they get reported so much. But nowadays cops don't show up for car accidents. So it's really hit or miss in general.
d) I loved imagining this inconspicuous scrapper-esq van that whisks away all the stolen bikes with the little punk ass thieves thinking they got you so they moved on to the next one. Maybe in you figuring out their bs they might move their bike-hotel to another space.
I crashed a friend's house one night, and I woke up and $50 was missing out of my wallet.
I asked my friend, who I knew had stolen it, "how can $50 disappear from my wallet overnight?" and he looked me dead in the eye and said:
"I don't know man. It's a mystery."
We aren't friends anymore.
That’s a scene from Trailer Park Boys.
“Ray, you didn’t see $60 lying around, did ya bud?”
“Sixty bucks? What, like twenties or something?”
Ah, I totally didn't get this first go round because my brains were trying to put together how a->b. But I get it now, and it also kinda reminds me of this goofabout.
My first ebike was stolen, about a week after I'd put it together. I was looking forward to zipping around my city with it. What really sucked is that I had bought it before getting laid off, and was looking forward to zipping around the city for fun while I looked for a new job. Luckily, I did find something new after 6 months and could eventually buy a new one.
That super sucks, especially the timing. I'm sorry. I hope you're in a better place now?
The value of my labor, daily.
The nominal “cost” of my healthcare, at every encounter.
Etc.
Yeah, that's true. I once read an essay by a dyke who was a construction worker and wondered what life would be like if people just did the work they were interested in and everyone got paid a flat rate. I'm not sure it would work, but it is something to think on.
For me, it was a punk ass who would steal stuff and call me his friend. Although I don't really care (only in that indignant small child way), I did tell my partner just the other day that "I bet you his ass is in jail." Well he is, in fact, he's actually in prison for murder. So yeah, that was a thing.
I'm tempted to make an alt for this but whatever let's go. Years ago when I was 14 or 15 I had an older online boyfriend buy me a vibrator. Never really got to use it as I was too inexperienced.
I had stashed it under my bed in a bag for a portable DVD player. Anyway I come home from school one day and the manual for the DVD player in sitting on my bed. I check, the bag is gone.
Nothing else of value is gone but 2 aa batteries from my Xbox controller and only one of two from the family remote. The vibrator used 3 batteries. So some freak stole my vibrator with plans of using it.
Sounds like your brother did this
He was in prison at the time.
Hookers stole my butt-plugs. Not actually hookers, but my younger gay ass siblings. And I didn't find out until much later. But I straight up told them that was fucking disgusting. Then we let it go like the song. But no!!!!!
Some people are literally so fkin trifflingiagsnakshfask!!!!
Ugh. I gotta like...clear the air. Burn some sage or something, for the both of us!
*p.s. - I def read your name not once, not twice, but three times as Florida Man =)
When I was first on my own, I was living paycheck to paycheck and only ate ramen and oatmeal at home because I couldn't afford decent meals.
The first Christmas when I could finally afford to buy presents for friends at work, I went shopping and carefully picked a gift for each person. Nothing fancy as I was still on a tight budget, but things I thought each person would enjoy. Then I splurged and bought gift bags and decorative tissue paper.
I left them all in the back seat of my piece of shit car to bring to work the next day. I figured it would be safe in the garage in a gated apartment complex. Someone broke into my car and stole it all.
They left fingerprints on my window, so I thought the police could track them down like on TV, but the police couldn't care less. It really deflated me.
but the police couldn't care less.
The police protect property, not people. Your property was just too insignificant for them to care about.
If you have a net worth in the many dozens of millions at minimum, they respond much better to even tiny incidents like that.
I think they protect certain people. I also think there are some good cops out there. People state outright that all cops are bad cops if they are part of an institution of evil. But I mean...my existence whether I like it or not is fueling harm in other locations. And I am still buying in, soooooo.
I only say this because I have legitimately met good cops and bad cops. But I also know bad cops are fucking brutal to minorities (and sometimes even to majorities). And they are firm believers in guilty until proven innocent. But they don't fuck with a lot of shit, and have most def been terrifyingly atagonistic in some situations of my life and radically aloof in others (like say, a child being raped). So yeah. It's just something I sit around and "huh" at because I am not sure what else to do.
I will also say that crime in Seattle where they shooed out the cops went up ten fold. But that cops in Seattle are racist pigs. So...eh? But shout out to that one cool cop I saw in Tacoma who was trying his best to just be a human!
Yes, every workday the owner of company i work in steal from me.
Yes, someone stole a game console from my room in university. Then I caught them selling it on craigslist, contacted them, got their name and got them arrested and my console back.
Lucky for me that I had reported it to the police since I was considering using insurance to cover it. The officer that took the info recognised the persons name because he had pulled the guy over that week and thought it would be fun to catch him with stolen goods as well.
It's funny to me that there's someone out there probably claiming that there's a cop with a vendetta against him.
I mean, it's really easy to see with blinders. But everyone wants to be the hero of their own story, right? I will say the more desperate a person gets, the crappier their behavior becomes. But that if they were caught speeding prior to, they might have some kinda disorder or illness that is going undiagnosed/untreated which would turn around if they had the support needed.
But life has a pretty set timeline, rules and regulations and people who do not fit into the pegs are seen as "bad" and will slowly degrade overtime until they become the degenerates life always figured they were. (But really this is a generalization and some people really are born more chaotic than others.) I guess more so I am just saying sometimes the world is really against people even if they're being indulgent in their thought. Because in general, I believe the world is against most people. Even if you've got a sliver of pie. So, eh it is what it is.
I always think it's kinda funny when people turn things right around and try to sell someone's things right after stealing them. It's a sure fire way to get caught. But I do have a little wonder in my head about the whole thing like. When you get desperate for cash you start just selling things. Anything. Everything you've got. But what happens when that runs out, and you're still in an unsustainable place? Idk. Whole situation is booty either way =X!
And tbh, it takes a real dummy to target anything higher-education based if this is like...past 2010. Cause there are cameras evuh-ree-whereeee! And typically these kids have money, and cops will protect money =P!
Growing up our house would get robbed often. I'd say yearly. Since I was interested in electronics they would always steal my stuff. I'd get a computer and it would get stolen. I'd get a playstation and it would get stolen. I'd get an air rifle and it would get stolen. I used to wish that they would take my sisters dollhouse or books just to even the score.
The worst part was they would trash my room every time. They would break open my cupboards and draws throw my clothes on the floor. One time they stole my playstation and gba and smashed my TV. I didn't even live in a bad area. I lived in the poor part of a nice area. My theory was that people would come from poorer suburbs and since we didn't have a massive wall, gate and security system we got targeted.
Counter craziness - have you ever thought it might be younger richer kids from your area? Cause my girlfriend got shit kicked all the time for being the "poorer" person in a stinkingly rich area. And I think some rich kids are outright psychos. Either way, it sounds fucked. Did you guys end up moving ever? Or like...getting a dog. Cause dogs get thieves to fuck off.
*** Dogs got thieves to fuck off. Idk if they do anymore.
**** p.p.s. - Knew one other person who's ma (single parent) went from a nurse of some sort to a lawyer and they leveled up like crazy income-wise. But they were also targeted because of their social standing and their whole life fell apart. They are most def not doing well, even now.
That sounds horrible, literally couldn't own anything nice without it getting stolen and your personal space getting trashed..
It did suck and we were to poor to replace the items but at the time it wasn't to bad because I'd just go play outside or go to a friends house after school and play on their computer or playstation.
It would be way worse today where everything is online. If someone took my computer away for a year it would heavily impact my social life.
dude no shit that sucks
I've had my bike(s) stolen a few times.
It really sucks since usually I'm expecting to be able to bike somewhere (much faster than driving or public transport in my city) and can't so I end up being late to whatever I was going to. Not to mention the whole process of buying a new bike, a new lock, new lights, etc.
I'm pretty fortunate in that it doesn't ruin me financially to buy a new $400 Craigslist bike plus $100 in accessories but I would rather not do it every ~2 yrs or so
I've heard some people say that they feel violated because someone took their personal stuff, but I guess I just see it as the cost of locking your bike up in public in the city.
Back when I was working with addicts, they'd always peel up and show me their new bikes. Talk about how cheap they got them or what not. And tbh, as far as I know - these people legitimately "bought" them off of others. As in, they weren't the ones who stole the bikes, but they were so happy for the deal. I can say none of them ever seemed to be remorseful about others, and I mean in that sense I get it. Cause if your life is shit, little wins feel like big victories.
But I also think theft sucks, people don't even understand how expensive these things can be and they ride them into the ground or get rolled and the next asshole does. Or the asshole after that. Maybe the secret is that there needs to be a way to get the homeless more mobility so they don't steal from others. Idk. But I can say it probably all stems from the fact that when you're on the streets you're allowed to keep stuff but nothing is ever secure. So they go by them rules for everything. Like, I knew this one wonderful guy who just kept everything in a suitcase, and would roll it everywhere. But one day his suitcase was gone, he looked fucking misreable, and he had to start over cause someone ran off with it one night. So you know, it is what it is - but what it is does fucking suck.
Living with a friend, in the first place after moving out of our parents places. He smoked weed but that didn't bother me. However, one night he invited in the local weed dealer and I was really concerned but he assured me it was ok.
We both worked at the same company, so came home at the same time a day or so later to find the front door was open. They smashed the small decorative window which allowed them to reach in and unlock and open the door.
I can't remember what they stole from my friend but I lost my GameCube, controllers and all the games. Also, my first portable minidisc player and a pair of cheap earphones I used with them which I absolutely loved. The wire was like string and rarely tangled.
I had a few imported US games and I thought they might give me the edge. I rang all the local game shops to see if anyone had tried to bulk sell the lot but I was unlucky.
Ugh, I am sorry. Especially on those imports, that must have cost an arm and a leg. I talked about a friend who lost everything to a drug-dealer's crappy behaviors. I also know someone who was dating someone who invited a random person from the streets to come hang with them and then all of a sudden they were freebasing in their living room. I think they're pretty lucky that things didn't go down like this down the road. Cause sketchy people do sketchy things =/
Sorry again =/
I stole some beers at a party once. A friend and I weren't feeling the vibe, took a few bottles and went somewhere else. I feel bad about it, he was a good dude and didn't deserve that.
I got trashed at my 23rd birthday party a friend threw at her house. It was mostly people she knew, but as I was passed out someone stole my wallet.
My brother stole quite a bit from me during the height of his addiction. He's been clean for several years now though. I'm glad I've got him back.
Oh, and in elementary school when they were at the height of their popularity I had one of my holographic Charizards stolen. Dunno who took it, someone had a come up.
Yep. Fucking hate thieves
Pushbike stolen ... Many times. Once was kinda my fault for leaving it out, but every other time it was some cunt working hard to get a push bike. Every time I only found out just when I was going to the bike to go some where. One time, the bike was in a secure garage with two gates and the fucker secretly tail gated a car on foot to get in and then waited for another car to leave to tailgate them.
Motorbike stolen ... it was a cheap and nasty one but still
Apartment broken into ... 18th birthday present fancy watch stolen along gaming console
Nah, never your fault. You were just being you. Humans make mistakes. Assholes just take advantage of that fact. That garage bit there is why I always tell my girlfriend safety is an illusion. Cause like you could have some Fort Knox shit going on, and still get absolutely screwed out of something. I mean, I'm still locking my doors. I'm not saying like...I'm not, but you know - if people see something they want they'll work their damndest to get it. I'm sorry people kept hitting you up, but I hope things are somewhat better now? At least on the homefront. I don't know about bikes, cause those things are still being stolen like crazy.
When I started University, I used part of my small savings to buy a very nice bicycle so I could get around between uni districts.
When I moved into a shared student apartment, there was a locked bicycle room in the basement. Only resident keys would fit that lock. Nonetheless I still locked my bike separately.
The one day I forgot to do that, my bike was no longer there the next day. It pissed me off immensely because I couldn't immediately afford a new one, and the theft really made me uncomfortable. Mostly the fact that it must have involved someone who lived in the same block.
I bet you it's someone who has always gotten what they want over a person in dire need (which is what I first like to think of). It's probably someone who still does not know the meaning of the word no, even if they've heard it a hundred times. Puck dem!
Yea, I was walking home late at night with my hands full and my phone in my breast pocket. Two folks on an electric scooter zoomed by and grabbed my phone.
It fucking sucked.
Fuck them.
A coworker I didn’t particularly like, but we were able to work together fine, was leaving the job. On his last day…I came in to start my shift, he was ending his…we were the only two on staff (evening/nights job). I kept a box of ice cream sandwiches with my name on it in the work fridge for a mid-shift snack. Found out later in my shift that he ate the last one…put the wrapper in the box and left the box in the freezer. Not sure if it was personal or he was just a POS…but I was LIVID.
Definitely more of a “mildly infuriating” one…but it sticks with me.
Leaving the box and the empty wrapper? Definitely a statement. Malicious af.
Okay, let me play devil's advocate here. I love my wifey very much. But she also is fucking terrible when it comes to some things. Like, I just had to come to terms with it, because she is just so fucking bad about this. She will eat something, like all of that something. Whatever that something is. And just put it back. Like - the trash of it, back. Where ever she got it from. Use up all the rice? The bag goes back. But she has been doing this to me for almost ten years. So like...I am just used to it. *And she's impulsive bc we're both ADHD so like...if she wants something it will be hers.
But anyways, she's also passive aggressive because I think she's from the land it's born in. Not my favorite thing, as an aggressive-aggressive human (=P) but I've just kinda like...come to terms with that too. That some people are just going to be out here expressing themselves like a rat that slunk away after taking a shit in your sandwich. But I also know I can rub folks a certain way and if they don't like me...eh. Probably the same thing, just done differently (as in I guess I'm actively taking shits in people's mouths instead =P). All things aside you might have rubbed this person the wrong way and they might have found this as the only way to "stick it to you" and get a little fuck you energy going before you left. But also could just be a real mindless dip who just saw something they wanted and went about it like a kid with their hand slammed into the cookie jar. So eh.
But I hope you went out afterwards and got yourself the fattest fucking treat known to man and did a little dance too.
People, people, people - if you're in a shared space and something isn't yours unless you've got explicit permission don't touch other people's shittttt! Someday there's gunna be a whole write up on these kinds of acts and there will be some medical terminology for it as we have to share spaces more and more as time goes on. (*Not just assholes and thieves or sandwich snookers)
It was a while now at this point and I have wondered if there was some “he didn’t like me as much as I disliked him” energy. It does seem unlikely that it was unintentional since it’s not a home pantry where everything is yours and u can just be absent minded about it. We all grow and change…sometimes i think it sticks in my head more because I really wanna know the motivation more than anything else.
Thanks for your insight!
A friend in college gave me his Gameboy Advance SP and some games, and I'd collected more games over the years. I lent everything to a coworker and then I was home sick when said coworker moved away and took it all.
Could've left it at work, could've left it with a mutual friend. They were coming back for a visit so I asked if they could bring it and they accused me of not caring about them, only the gameboy, so they did not give it back then either.
It was a huge bummer because I was on THE LAST LEVEL of Pokemon Sapphire and now it's too expensive for me to get another copy. I'd also told the guy who gave it to me originally that he could reclaim the GBA and his games if he ever felt inclined but thankfully that has not happened since I wouldn't be able to return them now.
I've had other belongings stolen from me in the past but it was the accusation that trying to reclaim my property meant I did not care about the person who stole from me that really grinds my gears even now. I'd spent a lot of time trying to help them through some difficult life stuff long before I ever lent them the console.
a) Co-worker is an asshole and who the hey knows what happened to your stuff but you can reach out and see if they maybe have it in a box somewhere. $12 will get you most smaller things shipped across America (pending you're here).
b) Idk where you sit on the whole retro-gaming thing. But they've got gobtones of little handheld systems that can emulate most older systems and they're loaded to the gils with games too. I don't have one (if I feel the spirit I emulate on my phone) but they look pretty nifty. I've actively looked at them and though "Hmm, that's pretty nifty!" I am just not sure how much I would play them, and I already do well enough with my phone.
c) On the tail-end - most people will be friendly first if you do reach out. They don't feel a bunch of shame about anything, especially if you were nice to them. They might just think about the good times you spent with them and reminisce. Seriously, I would consider reaching out and seeing whatsup and then ask them if they remember the DS. But also you clearly kissed it goodbye, so it is what it is. I hope you kick the tail outta the last bit of Sapphire some day =)
Thanks for the thoughtful reply!
This happened many years ago now and I don't have contact info for them or much desire to find out if they're less of an asshole now. I would've thought if they were interested in returning it to me they would've done so at my request back in the day so I imagine asking again now wouldn't make much of a difference.
I'm not too broken up about it; a much better friend who heard the story got me a used GBA and a couple of games for my birthday a while ago so I've managed to rebuild some of my collection. Mostly just upset that someone who stole from me called my character into question when I requested my stuff back. It made me feel like all the time I'd spent helping them with their issues was a waste of my time seeing as they were so quick to make me responsible for their own bad behavior.
I had my art stolen and combined with other stolen art by an AI image prompter. Some of my work is very personal to me and I have zero tolerance for art thieves.
Did you ever get your art back?
Ngl, I stopped posting stuff pretty much as a whole because of bots and thieves and shit heads. But then again, they're gunna steal all of this (text-based) stuff and talk like a shit-eating hooker so muwahahahaha!
Sorry that they did you like that. I'm not even sure what to do in the end because even if you crop your art for litigation and ownership - who you gunna sue? It really is crazy though because I believe creative endeavors are copyright the second idea hits the "paper."
When I was in college almost 20 years ago, my first car was stolen by a pro chop shop.
My first car was a magical feeling of freedom. I was able to go anywhere and have friends with me, it was like a home away from home. One day I parked it and a few hours later I went to leave and the car was gone. I filled a police report and insurance.
About 3 days later the police found the car on the street with no engine, no wheels, just dumped there.
I went to see the car at the impound lot and wow everything was missing or destroyed. The entire car was covered in oil to hide fingerprints. I was destroyed.
There have also been times where people steal from my house, people I thought were friends. But the car really damaged me. I’m not the same person I was before the car was stolen.
That's the thing that's messed up when people say crap like stealing is a moral imperative or people who steal think "they'll be alright, they'll just go get a new _." Of which I have seen both said in my lifetime. There is something that breaks when someone crosses your boundaries in a way that completely blindsides you. I don't really care what it is, but more often than not it's almost like it steals your faith in humanity. And that, you can work on getting back but it's never the same as it once was. Bug hugs, sorry you had to have your baby done like that. Assholes gunna ass. Ugh.
Recent story but not me. A friend of mine just had his car stolen two days ago. He was going to bed around midnight and heard something outside, so he looked out the window just in time to see his vehicle rounding the corner on the street.
He phoned the RCMP who managed to catch the guy a few miles down the road. The thief had ripped the Sirius radio out of the vehicle but otherwise there didn't seem to be any damage. My friend and his mom had picked up the vehicle the next morning and was driving home when they heard a loud "pop" and the vehicle caught fire, burning to the ground. (My guess is when the guy ripped out the radio some wires got damaged and shorted out.)
So now he's scrambling to find a new set of wheels that he can't really afford to do because he needs it to get back and forth from work which is 16 miles one way. He will eventually get some insurance money for the vehicle, but who knows how much, and that probably won't be for a little while. In the meantime he's kind of up the creek without a paddle.
Getting a new car in a pinch is ass. Just pure ass. I think he can get a rental for now, but make sure he makes them move on it because otherwise he'll be ass-out on all of this. We had to deal with something similar recently, and it just was 100% booty. Used cars suck unebelievably right now too. If he knows someone with an older car who's looking to upgrade it might actually cost less to just buy it off the person than grab one from a dealer. But really, it's all just one giant ass-sandwich. Ugh.
Im a bit busy but like I can't believe anyone can get to adulthood without having something stolen from them and likely stealing something to boot.
Yeah, I hear that. I thought there would be more symbolic things in this thread. But it is true, cause we're little amoral monster that need guidance. I remember when I read Lord of the Flies for school and we had a discussion on if we we're born as such. And I remember everyone saying no, we've got what we need when we're born. I think there's some stuff in there, but nah. We're little monsters =P
In maybe third grade I brought my collection of x-men trading cards as part of a sort of show and tell activity. It was in a sizable three-ring binder with those 3x3 slot cars sheets. I had a number of highly valued "foil/hologram" cards. The binder was gone when I got back from lunch. I was devastated and learned to never leave anything of value not locked up if I'm not watching it.
At work we have a kitchen/break room. I've had shit stolen from there a lot. Utensils, cups, bowls. Wash it after lunch, put it in the drying rack, come back in an hour to get it and it's gone. Once my department had a leftover pizza from an event donated to us. I brought in a baking sheet to reheat it in the oven for a lunch morale boost for the team because we had to work that weekend. The sheet, left in a drawer and not visible to any casual observers, was gone by Monday. That was actually the first item I'd had stolen there but I thought I was just s fluke.
I've literally bought upgrades and utensil sets for the kitchen (maybe people "stealing" my utensils just forgot to bring a fork, borrowed mine, and brought it home by accident?). Stuff like drying towels, soap dispensers + large refill bottles, a microwave food cover... all stolen. I'd keep getting frustrated with, for example, people leaving the sponge wet in the sink. I'd think "its been a year since I last donated something, maybe it'll be different this time..." and I'd buy an OXO sponge holder or something and within a week it would be gone. Everyone in my office, including secretaries and cleaning staff, gets paid at least a living wage with great health benefits. Some make well over 100k. I just imagine someone making twice my salary seeing a nice soap dispenser and taking it home... lost a good bit of faith in humanity and affected me way more than it should have.
I found a solution though. Whoever was stealing this shit couldn't deal with the shame of being reminded that they stole it. I started labeling the donated items using my organization's acronym with a permanent marker in big visible letters. None of that's been stolen. I was going to engrave my utensils/dishes but decided instead to look like an asshole and bring my own towel when washing my dishes, drying them immediately, and taking them back to my desk immediately.
Do they still do Show and Tells? Cause I def remember this happening to me too. I think if I were a school, I'd nip it in the bud. I am not sure if it's to practice speech giving in a inoffensive way. But things that promote theft among students isn't great. Especially where there are open spaces (like backpacks just hanging out). But I wouldn't know, I haven't been in a setting like that in a long time.
This second bit hurts, because I know it can be like the Wild West in scenarios like this. I think it's because people are disgruntle but have to act is if they have one setting - "Plesant." And it probably increases if there are corporate culture rituals tucked into the workday. I think doing little things like stealing the nice stuff from the office probably is a way to act-up without getting in trouble. But also some people are probably terribly ADHD (and undiagnosed/untreated) and will walk off with things like forks and stuff because they were being total space cadets.
I think you're on the money with the last bit. People would be glueing goofy stuff to things they like all over the place when stuff started going up I think around the 10s (Maybe a little bit earlier bc of 08) so that stuff couldn't be taken without a) being easily recognized and b) being difficult to take in the first place.
Also with the "joy" of toxic-masculinity men wouldn't even dare take something so "fruity" and I know that unfortunately the sentiment is still shared with certain kinds even to this day. You seem to have found the easiest solution, which is dorm-rules =_o!
In uncivilized countries like the USA I've had many things stolen from my porch, from my car, even an entire car.
I now choose to spend most of my time where I can leave my valuables unwatched in public and my house door unlocked. Living in fear and around crime, adds so much stress, anxiety, and general angst to your everyday life. Life is too short to live in a terrible place
Where did you end up if you're willing to share? I grew up in what was considered a pretty crime addled place, and have lived in several major cities over my lifetime but I legitimately have never had the level of issues that I have had out West. People got some real shit ass fucking head trauma going on. But I also do get the idea of - if everything in your life is shit, you burn the world around you. It just sucks, because instead of helping people out here, they throw them some food and leave them to live and die like dogs. Worst yet, when I was working directly with the homeless it always seemed like the shittiest people who were great at manipulation were the ones who got into housing programs. But I am being kind of extreme in the sense that I know one very special person who works their ass off who got housing and they are absolutely amazing. And there are a couple of people who are no-to-low drama decent folks. But a majority are total scum of the Earth shit heads.
I agree with you though. Especially on account of having gotten our place shot up by some asshole in some bull that we were not related to at all. Still fucks me up, and it's because people are lenient af out here and it's trickle-down shittyness.
My choices are generally not popular with an American audience. There's a lot of propaganda in the world, everyone does it, but the US is the best at it so it can be very difficult to see things outside those borders.
I live all over the world, still do. But I spent over 20 years in the US primarily. I lived in low crime, affluent areas. But the low crime is still absurdly high crime, but is normalized. I won't share all my story but being victimized for my possessions was annoying, but not the end of the world. That's what insurance is for. My breaking point was the second time I was almost murdered by the police for being the wrong colour in my own neighbourhood. I'm talking guns pointed at me for no reason and lots more I don't discuss.
My primary residence is now in the Middle East. Almost immediately, most people make a confused face and the first questions are usually "why" followed by "aren't you worried about..." and then a laundry list of manufactured issues that don't actually exist, or exist equally where they live.
The bottom line is that my front door is unlocked and stays unlocked. When I go the park, beach, mall, restaurant, wherever I can reserve a spot by dropping my wallet or cell phone and walking away without worry. I have all the modern conveniences of the USA and more. I use an app on my phone and a fuel truck comes to me to fill up my car. Leave your keys on the windshield like everyone else and they will fill you up as you're elsewhere. Use the app and get laundry services washed, dried, and folded with pickup from your house and drop off with tip for the cost of a cup of coffee. No tipping culture of 50%, a dollar or two is plenty. I can buy a meal in a restaurant that feeds 4 people for about $5 with apps, entrees, dessert, and tip. I can also buy a stupid gold steak for $2000. The choice is mine.
Public transport works. Food from every part of the world is minutes away. A woman can walk by themselves at 3am with no fear.
I'm currently on a holiday to a different country a few hours away. My door is still unlocked.
When I talk to Americans that have made the move they almost all say the same thing. It takes a few weeks for the constant fear and guard to start to drop. It takes about 2 years before you start to live without that burden.
Every time I am in the US it is just worse and worse. Crime, political discourse, and just general everyday anger between people in every interaction. Walking down a sidewalk or road rage or unfriendly staff, just general anger. When you're around it constantly, you never really notice it. You only notice the extreme outbursts. But when you go somewhere that's finally peaceful, you then become aware of the constant noise and the huge outbursts.
Only other thing I'll mention as this is way too long already, is that the excuse of "I can't just pack up and move" is just an easy excuse. You absolutely can. It isn't easy. It can be isolating if you're going by yourself. But you can. One of my grandparents fled from war with nothing but a single suitcase for 3 children and the 2 adults. Lost everything they had to get a better life and start fresh. Another grandparent immigrated with a whole ship worth of crap. My parents immigrated yet again with moving trucks. I immigrated by air and a couple suitcases filled with everything in the world I hold important.
It takes more money and privilege to immigrate with your possessions. But that's a luxury upgrade. It isn't a requirement.
When I was in middle school, I had these really cool (imo) Nike's that were all white except for the stitching, sole, and the trim on the tongue and the inside were a bright, almost neon green. I saw them in the store at the NEX when we were visiting my brother when he graduated boot camp, and I begged my grandpa to get them for me, and he took a or of convincing and he finally broke down and got them for me. I was so happy about those things, I wore them all the time. One Friday night, when I was at some youth thing at a local roller rink that they put on every Friday night, some bastard kid stole them! I was so upset about it, I had to use the phone at the place to call my mom and tell her what happened. I had to sit around in my socks like a jackass until my mom came to get me. I was super bummed about it for a long time; tbh I still kinda am.
Then later, also in middle school, during a school event at night during the winter, my mom's car got broken into and her purse was stolen from inside. That was very upsetting for both of us.
Legitimately I grew up thinking why you can't have nice things because some asshole always swoops in and takes them from you. I always wonder who all is out here just taking this stuff? Like, you know you've gotta still cohabitate around these people. They at some point in your life gotta look you in the eyes o_o and have that heat on them.
Eh. There's gotta be some science behind it. I wonder how much is compulsive @_@!?
p.s. - I have a friend who had to lie one way or another. They told me they'd say some of the stupidest lies they could so that they could get it out of their system and talk to others normally. I wonder if thieves were out here just taking pens at banks and shizz if they wouldn't feel the need to be ganking so many people's stuff.
Yes. They stole everything of value in my home, which sadly was not much, and they killed the family pets while doing it. No clue who did it, cops tend not to care much when this sort of thing happens to poor people, and they never tracked down who the culprits were. Definitely did affect me and yes I care.
Aww man, fucking puking in my mouth here. I am so sorry. I worry about this. Right now, not living in the most cracked out area, but for sure have lived in some real sketch-pockets. We almost lost our little guys once (after a shit show drive by) and I always worry that we'll be out and some tweaker is going to fuck our lives up real bad by stealing all our shit (replaceable) and harming our pets (not-replaceable). Fuck whoever/whatever fucking thug-faced mother fuckers did this to you. I always call it the crab pot cause the low-end smashes up other people in the rough. Because like you said - the cops do not care, and they know they'll more than likely get away with it. And nobody talks about it, because at minimum it's the middle class folks in charge but more often than not the upper-class folks and that's not a world they tend to live in. Although I do think that both middle class folks and upper-class folks are starting to get hit more than ever before. But not like the rot that festers down in the lower-rungs. And worst yet, it doesn't give you some sort of Job-like resilience. It just smashes your heart to pieces, makes the struggle that much harder, and a lot of folks turn from it and start doing bad right back. Because how you gunna stay straight and narrow when you see how easily you can get away with being an absolute piece of shit.
I'm not saying you though. But I will say I have seen folks turn. And legitimately it breaks my heart. Because people don't even seem to know the game isn't for most people. And that the scarcity is forced. But also things. Like, people are fighting so hard for things, because the bullshit that capitalism taught us. But so much stuff is just extraneous. And like, at the end of the day doesn't really matter. But also poor people don't tend to travel, and tend to live their entire lives in set-spaces and (this is my opinion) but I think that can really fuck you up too. And media doesn't help, because so much of it is chatter and everything alive is trying to buy and sell you on some bullshit.
Eh. Big hugs, I got grumpy just thinking about it. I donno when this was but fuck them again and I hope you and yours found some way to feel safe. Even if it's grabbing a couple of pieces, putting cameras on every wall, glass around the perimeter, bars on the windows. Whatever. This is going to sound fucked up but if you're in a real shady ass space try not to talk with anyone especially the nicest of folks. And keep your windows COVERED and I mean covered - like if you gotta do it with sheets. Make sure if you walked up on them, nobody can see shit in your joint. And make a point of hopping out of your place fast, doing checks that everything is closed up prior, and just going from A-Z. Like I said - don't talk to anyone. It's not a great way to live, but if it's between you and surviving fuck that - just do what you've gotta do.
*p.s. - Stay safe =/!
I lived in an apartment complex in my early 20s. Left the car unlocked one night and someone rummaged through it. The only thing they took was my prescription sunglasses. It aggrivates me to think that the moment they tried it they realized it was a prescription and threw em out. $600 just gone to steal something absolutely useless to anyone but me.
Like bruh.
Woah, I talked about someone who had their car broken open and the only thing they took was sunglasses @_@. Totally, like bruh moment. I've heard people say it's easier to keep nothing in your car and keep it unlocked than to keep it locked with stuff in it. Shrugs.
Either way fk thieves!
The year was 1990. A kid stole my WWF ring and wrestlers. I will never forgive or forget.
Isn't it crazy how you can "go there" when you think about it. It's my lesson in the fact that all emotions are valid. Because I can be young again, and grumpy that some "sumabitch" stole something from me. Among other emotions from memories. But I will say it's horrible to have somoene smile and enjoy your company all while sliding stuff into their pockets. A gal I once didn't like (I like her mama though because she had short blonde hair and a ton of strength) stole something from me too and lied up and down the street over that one. She can go puck herself too, but I also acknowledge big picture these things are just little pieces of my life hahaha!
People broke into our house while we were upstairs with our 1 week old baby, at 1am. They took our keys and our car. We have 4 kids. No way to get them to school or me to work.
Turned out they were aged between 15 and 17 and got a slap on the wrist. We got an insurance payout and a different car.
Ridiculous.
Probably not what you were looking for but this week i had cheese curds stolen at work out of the work fridge. Could only have been 1 of 23 people. Won't ever find out who. I can be reasonably sure it wasn't half of them, can't accuse anyone since im a manager and the company response is basically don't use the fridge if you don't want to have things stolen
Yes, two bikes. Made me very paranoid and hate people.
Did it ever get better? Or stay the same? Cause I think sometimes about the heart as I heard it from a heartbroken guy on Rumblestrip Vermont. He said when it gets broken it's like you put it in a bag and smash it. And it's like china, you can only put it together so many times before it becomes dust. But personally, I've found I am miserable if I put myself there. And instead remind myself that there is no cap on love, and that it's a wellspring that we can all draw from.
But also big hugs =(
The second one was only 2 years ago unfortunately. I don’t trust strangers at all, which is sad because I know most people are generally nice.
Stealing from other people should be punished with chopping their hands off, like the old days! (jk)
I was a kid once and heard a group of kids following me. I was trick or treating.
Heard them coming up behind me and was expecting them to attack me. Instead one of them just grabbed by bag of candy and ran off.
I started to go after them but my friends stopped me and said with all the solemnity a 7 year old could muster, “let it go”.
They shared their candy with me.
Those are good friends =) I don't think it would have played out great otherwise. Cause of that kinda hive-minded crap, where people do way worse when in groups than by themselves.
About 15 years ago I went on a trip from San Diego to NY. We were staying in a shitty Days Inn in some some town. We left our luggage in the rooms, and went out for the day, and I had left my iPod nano in there. When we came back that evening, my iPod was gone and my package of brand new boxers was missing a pair also. I assumed they hid the iPod in the rolled up boxers. We went down to complain to the front desk but they didn't give a shit. Lessons were learned that day. I was so excited to listen to Biggie "Going Back to Cali" on my way back to Cali and that's what was REALLY stolen from me :(
Maybe someone saw you listening to it on the way in and they don't get paid enough to care and grabbed something for their kid =_o! Sorry either way, that sucks. I bet you hated the rest of the trip too.
An umbrella...
Some fellow student named Jordan did it years ago...
I'm still pissed and wondering where wtf he lives
Fuck Jordan, let's go jump his ass =P!
Yeah... let's make it quick, boys : )
We were on holiday at a camp ground when I was child. I had my Nintendo DS with me and I think during this vacation I even bought a carrying case and some games for it with my own money. During the day we would ride bycicles to other places so I left it in the tent buried under some stuff. One day when we came back i could not find it. At first I thought it could be stolen or my dad tried to hide it from me, because I played with it quite a lot which he wasn'ta fan of. So I tried to look through his stuff without him noticing to find it. But i didn't find it and since i am quite reserved i didnt want to bring it up that it was missing.
In the end I think someone at that camp ground must have seen me use it and then waited for us to leave to steal it, since nothing else was stolen.
After that every time someone asked me why I wasn't playing as much as before I told them that I didn't feel like it. And I'm not sure whether they figured it out to this day.
Yeah, I said something like that a second ago to the person who had their iPod stolen. Probably someone saw someone using it and ganked it. A couple of years ago my gal's hair dresser went on a hike with her boyrfriend and he brought his switch and left it in the car (idk if it was seen or not). But they broke the windows and stole it. And I later heard trail heads are easy targets for scummy people.
About 20 years ago, when I was in middle school, some high schoolers stole a game (Halo for xbox) from me while I was walking home. I had borrowed it from someone at school.
Also fuck them.
Someone stole my digital camera when I was a kid. I left it near the window at the place we were staying at for our vacation and someone must have grabbed it from the outside while we were gone. I was probably pretty mad about it back then. Nothing since, that I can remember right now at least.
Hey, that's pretty good! I mean in the grand scheme of things.
I took my bike out for a trail ride, decided to stop at home for a quick refill of water before going out again. I was in my house for under 3 minutes and my bike was stolen from my enclosed front porch.
Reported it with serial number to the police and a stolen bike website but never heard anything back.
I was in college and had to start leaving for classes 20 minutes earlier. I was pretty angry at the time. Now l'll never leave a bike out of my sight unless it's locked indoors or with two U-locks.
Yeah, I wrote a thing up here. I actually heard it's not even two u-locks you want but a u-lock and a...chain or something? There's some kinda master-class crap on Youtube or something but basically the were some people out here probably ten years ago trying to figure out what would keep a bike from getting stolen. And they found that mixing a u-lock and a __ (I am going to assume a thick ass chain yet again - with a solid ass lock) was the best combo. But tbh nothing stops a monster =/!
Glad you're holding it down though.
Yeah, had a drug dealer burgle our apartment (just an opportunistic thing, spare keys had been left outside by a friend who was moving). Fortunately no-one was in, but it sucked to have to deal with all the damage and security.
We eventually tracked them down when they sold some stuff though and they were actually arrested and we got a few things back.
It was awesome the police actually raided them. Unfortunately the new government released them as prisoners with "non-violent" offences.
I had a friend who made bad life choices and while I love them, they are most def not in my life anymore. They stayed up with a dealer and smoked a bunch of shit. The dealer, who is in one of the best pictures I've ever taken in my life by the by I think bitterly, proceeded to steal everything from this person. They met up while we were on a walk, and while my buddy used to buy weed off this person they started doing harder and harder drugs. But that's all to say this fuck-face magee stole everything they could from my buddy. They no longer could do their work, which was remote. They ended up homeless and got ultra fucked (literally and figuratively) while on the streets. I had just moved away, or else I woulda helped. But who the hell knows what that woulda brought in to my life. Sigh.
But fuck drug dealers. Most of them are total fucking assholes. I am glad you got the fkers. Surprised they got off, considering what they probably had around.
p.s. - This wasn't some tab shit btw. This was smoke up a lotta stuff and then gank kinda stuff.
Bikes. It's always bikes
Not mine but from me and it sucks a little. I had a great pair of safety boots, very understandable that they would go missing. I don't have a locker as I don't need one, still a little surprised they went missing.
I always wonder whats up with people who steal shoes. Like, do you really fit them though? Wearing the wrong size fucks you feet up one way or another. So what all are they thinking there?
But also, work shoes are hellllluhhh expensiveeeee! I mean, when they're good. Or they can be absolute dog shit (but do what they've gotta do) and be cheap. But a good pair, I could see someone eyeballing. But when you show up to work in someone's shoes how do you explain you're not a premium fuck-face magee!?
Ty for sharing =)
Yeah, about five minutes ago. It happens. I'd rather extend trust and sometimes be disappointed than live in paranoia.
=(
I don't know what I want to live in. Cause I have been open as a book, and gotten jacked up. Being closed off is most certainly not healthy either. And things are things. But I really wish people stayed in their lanes.
I had a car broken into, but there wasn’t anything worth taking, so they slashed a tire on their way out. Luckily they left enough clear fingerprints that they were actually ID’d and had to pay for my slashed tire. They had broken into several cars in the area and I guess their fingerprints on my window was their undoing.
Frankly it was more insulting that they didn’t think any of my stuff was worth taking. :/
Back in primary school someone stole one of my bakugan out of my bag. It was the snake trap which folded into a cylinder instead of a sphere like the normal ones. So sad.
Ohhh that takes me back. I forgot all about those. I wasn't really interested in them, but kids at my school were. I'd steal them from stores and trade them for stuff I actually wanted.
I always played with them a tiny bit before I'd trade them. They were pretty neat. Lots of different shapes. I have no idea how they were actually meant to be used. Hard nostalgia wave, though.
Legitimately, while I write all this fuck thieves shit I will say that when I was a kid I sometimes got cheap stuff from a "friend" (who's name i sitll remember probably on account of being one of the only people around with green eyes, let alone being black with green eyes). He would always bring me stuff and trade me for things or if I had a little cash I could buy it. I later realized (much, much later) that he was stealing it from ???? but I def had a cd player from him and rocked it for like...fifteen years? So in one sense that's pretty cool, but in another it is a =(!
I had Utena cards, freakin' UTENA CARDS. That someone once stole. Who wants Utena cards? At leaast way back when? Nobody but this bitch. Yet someone else took them and lord knows did what with them. But yeah, I feel this.
I've been robbed twice. The first time was a classic trick. One day after school, I was trading Pokémon cards as usual. I had just received a new pack and went to the kid who checked for fake cards. He told me that one card, the Kyogre EX, was fake. I was suspicious because I had mentioned that Kyogre was one of my favorites. He explained that the redness on the back and the paper thickness were off. I trusted him and showed him my entire collection, keeping the Kyogre. After chatting for a bit, I took my book and went home.
The next day, I did the same thing, but when I got home, my entire collection was gone. My mom called some teachers, and it was a big deal because losing something as a kid feels devastating. A few weeks later, the kid approached me and said he found something in the boys' locker. I checked, and it was my collection, but my beloved Kyogre and Pikachu were missing. I asked him directly why he took those two cards, and he denied it. He offered to trade me for "similar" cards. I agreed, lost five cards, but got my two favorites back.
The second time I was robbed was about two years ago. A seemingly legitimate Amazon delivery driver rang my doorbell, handed me my package, and started making small talk about how beautiful my lawn was and how he wanted someone to make his lawn look like mine. At that moment, I had no idea what was happening. I later suspected that my bike and skis were taken and stuffed into the delivery van. To clarify, it wasn't an Amazon Prime delivery, but it looked similar because of the blue color.
After the small talk, he said goodbye, and I checked my package. To my surprise, it was an old book, like the free ones libraries give away. I felt something was off, but since I’m not a morning person, I went to work without thinking much about it. When I got home and went through my usual routine, I felt like I had forgotten something. I remembered the Amazon guy and the package, and then I realized that Amazon doesn’t ship to my country. I know that sounds like an important detail to forget, but I can be pretty forgetful.
Confused, I checked my lawn and then turned my home upside down, quickly noticing my bike and skis were missing. The bike wasn’t a huge loss since I didn’t ride much, but it still hurt because bikes aren’t cheap. The skis were particularly upsetting because they were a gift from someone very important to me. Luckily, my insurance covered everything, but the sentimental value can never be replaced. The police were informed, and some of my neighbors were also missing items.
a) Fuck that kid, he's probably a total dipshit to this day. I often wonder are people just born this way, or do they learn it by being around equally shitty people.
b) I'm not a morning person either. My brain never works, but especially prior to 10:30. It's like the wild west up in here. I'm sorry a dip decided to sketch you out of your safety. Again. I've lost sentimental stuff overtime and it smarts every time but in the end I always figure the bond (love) is bigger than the things. Even when it's like - familial stuff. Thank you for sharing though, it was a solid read. Big hugs!
Years ago my house was broken into and many things were taken, but not all the things you'd expect. They did take my PS3, laptop, and desktop but left the TV and all other electronics. Took only the Harry Potter movies from my bookcase of movies. Took a cheap anime sword. Among other odd things.
Honestly, it was mostly just inconvenient. Insurance gave me more than it was worth, even after I told them so.
However, it kinda looked like they knew what they were going for. Nothing was ransacked or anything. It wasn't any of my current, at the time, friends but it may have been someone familiar with my place.
This is going to sound janky but I wonder if the person knew you cause the very specific stuff they took. But it also sounds super paranoid and I am not trying to bring any of that into your life so scratch that and just let it go...oh shit - I see what all you say there. Yeah same though process. Probably just some asshole. Let it go~~~
Got one of those rare holo hieroglyph Mew pokemon cards stolen when i was a kid, i still think about it.
Many times! It's shit.
Yo, you're the two caution symbols person. I seen you around! He-yo! I scanned your so and such, cause I didn't know what all the symbols mean but I guess folks don't like your bluntness. Tbh I wish I could be more blunt, instead of running on like I know where I wanna get but can't figure out the right path. Blunt, and tactful. Both are good. Either way, I hope you are in a more stable and happier situation because it sounds like you've been shit kicked a lot. And that's no good, all around.
my father gave me a lesson once when my bike was stolen when i was a child. he told me that they did it because they felt they had to; not because they wanted to target me and that remaining angry about it was unproductive because they will never know nor care.
i try to apply that same lesson every time someone wrongs me.
That's some good stuff. Like it's on them. It's why I try not to get upset if someone's having a mood swing or something. Cause that's on them, not me. But it can be harder to practice the more toes that get stepped on.
The was in the 90s when I was growing up. Some asshole straight up came into my parent’s house and took these expensive ass Guess shorts while I was napping. Also had my wallet and ID in there. In a few days, the ID showed back up in my mailbox. I have a feeling it was a scumbag dude I grew up with but I’ll never truly know for sure.
Yo, at least you got the set back. But who the fuck does that? I hope that dude wasn't some kinda freaky ass pedophile who was coming for booty or some shit.
Yes, by pirates. They looted me art thinking they could get away with disregarding even any minimal courtesy for that, but I showed I can go full Julius Caesar on them, and with the power of a single prayer to mod, almost like magic, their very substance vanished in a puff of smoke. Don't mess with creative minds.
Yo, much love but that's actually like hard for me to read. I mean the text. Idk if it's cause I sit kinda back or my brain but I gave it a try and I couldn't get through it. But it sounds like a fuck-face stole your art and you got them to take it down. Which is ballin'! I knew one artist who got their stuff stolen by some Chinese company/artist something like that. They were despondant, but it seems like there's really nothing you can do in this scenario. Which stinks.
Had a Yamaha R6 stolen from me a few months after I got it. Was barely broken in.
That sucks. Idk what happens in this situation. Like, do they insure motorcycles? Idk. I also don't know how one keeps it from getting ganked outside of taking in indoors tbh. And that's not always viable. But I do know people who ride love it, so I hope you got another somewhere down the line.
