Phew, I don’t know where this week went!
I went to a meeting last night of our Neighbourhood Initiative (READ: neighbourhood watch). It was very interesting and here are some things the Police Sup said:
1. Do not feed the bergies (we have a couple of “local” bergies that sleep at the school) and by law you cannot remove them
2. Do not give people that come to beg at your house money or food as it encourages them to come back
3. Do not put your dustbin out the night before as the vagrants scratch in it and can see what you have bought
4. If you have bushes or trees obscuring the view from the road have them trimmed back so no-one can hide in them
To me this was an “inconvenient truth” as it means was cannot be giving and I have to mow down some more trees. The dustbin thing made me giggle as all they’ll find in our dustbin is dirty nappies and dog poo.
Then today I get an email from a friend, one of those “this happened to a friend of mine” emails and I got quite a fright. Basically the email refers to the guys that are at robots that prey on women on cars and point to their tyres etc and get them to roll down their windows and then snatch and grab.
On Sunday I went to the shops and had Daniel with me and a guy at the robot was pointing and waving at the front of my car, luckily I only wound down the window about 3cms as he was talking about how he loves my car etc and then he was checking my cell phone on my lap and staring into my car. I quickly told him to p-off and wound the window back up. I remember driving away feeling stupid and even told hubby about it. And I thought I was quite street smart. So, just beware.
We have a “new” black bag issue in our area. The criminals are covering themselves in a black bag so if the Community Patrol or SAPS comes past, they crouch down and look like a bag of rubbish! Meanwhile, they’re checking out the neighbourhood to see where they can break-in or hijack next. So we now have to watch out for moving black bags too.
Another crime method is tying your electric gate with cable ties so the gate won’t open. When you get out to investigate, they steal your car.
I’m so paranoid, I’ll drive a whole tank of petrol out driving around until the driveway escort arrives!
I think as times are getting tougher, crime is going to be on the increase, and the criminals are coming up with some ingenious plots to try and rob us.
Take care !
Scarily enough, I have had a smash and grab before, lost my laptop, and an attempted one a few months ago. My sons best friends mom has had 2 smash and grabs in 1 month. She has no insurance, and both times lost her handbag, cellphone, ID etc. She is a rep, and is in and out of her car many times a day, and both times put her bag in the footwell. Unfortunately if these guys see a handbag on the passenger side, its an open invitation. Mine is by my feet, out of sight.
I’m lucky as I drive a “mommy car” so there is a place to put the handbag out of sight between the seats. Sorry to hear about the smash and grabs 🙁