Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

I got this in an email today. I think I've seen it before, but thought there were enough good tips to be reminded of, even if you've read it before. Plus I know there's a lot of paranoid people like me on this board.

THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU

Here are some really great tips which may save you some

heartache, agony of dealing with the insurance company and out of pocket

expense.

Read this and heed the remarks - these are not jokes - this is

serious business.

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 that no one is

at home.

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 way too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink and

the windows

on the second floor, which usually offers access the master

bedroom - and

your Jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up

there too.

8. Let's say 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 correct, I won't have enough time to break into that

safe where you

keep all of 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.

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 are 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 I'm able to walk right in.

Sources: convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon,

California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey; and Richard

T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St.

Louis, who interviewed105 burglars for his book "Burglars on the Job."

Protection for you and your home - if you don't have a gun,

here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you (I guess

I can get rid of the baseball bat).

Read on - there are still more tips to avoid a bad day.

WASP SPRAY

A friend who is a receptionist at a church in a high risk area

was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them

when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police

department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she

get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away

and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to

get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily

blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She

keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention

from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby

at home for home protection...

Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly

woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save

your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania

Southview High School. For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp

and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more

effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30

feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "Spray

the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades.

It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for

protection, look to a can of wasp and hornet spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get

out." Maybe even save a life.

PUT YOUR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents,

your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run

across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night...

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get

in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will

be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it

off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch

coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put

your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you

probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go

off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until

your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key

fob. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm

goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the

burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors

will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure

enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys

while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same

way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone.

Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is

great information.

Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack,

where you can't reach a phone. Many people are recommended to carry

their car keys with them in case they fall outside. They can activate

the car alarm and then everyone will know there's a possible problem.