Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You
We were talking about home security here last week and I saw this post on another board today and thought it would be good to share with as many people as possible.
I recently came across an article that I am sure will help you protect your home from burglary. It was written by a criminology professor that interviewed over 100 convicted burglars and a security consultant for research on a book. There are also a couple of links below which provide more information if you are interested. This tips are very good, and feel free to pass them on to family and friends making their lives safer as well.
Here's to 2010 being your best year yet!!!
THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
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:
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.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and
Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor. com; and
Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St.
Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
Re: Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You
Oh...and since we got the alarm installed in October (I think?) it has been set off no less than 4 times by yours truly. I really do rock! haha
"The House We Built."
A journey of building the dream.
Heck no! Our house was robbed growing up and DH's house had an attempted burglary when his then-wife was home with their newborn!
I don't think you have to be OCD about everything all the time, but at least acknowledging some of the things on this list can prevent criminal activity.
That's basically what I said....
I, however, WILL obsess over this entire list, because IMO you can never be too careful with this kind of thing. I pick and choose my OCD.
Thanks for posting, FCB!
i love(d) that show! another thing they cautioned against was not to leave car keys near the front door or on a hook next to the door leading into the garage. in other words, don't make it easy to for a burglar to have access to your car that's home while you are not.
in several episodes, john (the guy who always broke in) found the car keys right off, and the car happened to be in the garage. he loaded everything into the car, while still in the garage, and then drove away with the owner's things in the owner's car.