freckles_and_doubt | with cat-like thump

Gah. Likewise, phooey. Had another Great South African Experience yesterday, wandered home after work to find the house ransacked and mysterious thumping noises in the Evil Landlord's bedroom. Stood on the patio for approximately three hours, although in hindsight it might actually only have been ten minutes, feebly pressing my handy-dandy key-ring panic button and hoping the intruders were as cowardly as I was. Fortunately they were, and presumably made good their escape through bedroom window (they levered off the cast-iron burglar bars) while I was still waiting for the armed response. At any rate, when the nice gun-toting security guys arrived the house was empty of burglars. Also, of computers, monitors, stv's DS console, jo's leather jacket and my nice little Grundic CD player that was a communal gift from friendly friends lo these many years ago, plus various sundries. Even as I write the sweet constable lady is sitting in my office re-taking my statement, on the grounds that the one the cops took last night made no sense. (I think this may have been them rather than me, although I wasn't at my best owing to the wibbling).

We got off lightly, actually - all our data is more or less backed up, and supposing insurance pays out, I was due for an upgrade anyway. The thieves, clearly lacking all taste and discernment, either spurned my CD, DVD and jewellery collections or were interrupted before they could grab them. (They did, oddly enough, steal three bars of soap and a pair of my socks, which they subsequently dumped by the rubbish bin. The modern burglar appears to lack all coherence as well as taste). It would have really burned if they'd taken the discs and jewellery, those collections are highly personal, selective and amassed over a process of years and continents.

The whole thing was probably the EL's fault, since his early-morning fog caused him to wander off to work without setting the alarm, under the vague delusion that jo&stv were still in the house. In revenge, he gets to deal with the insurance. Heh. Also, I now have absolutely the best grounds in the world for seriously nagging him about fixing the bloody front gate.

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oh no!

Nooes! I'm glad things weren't worse ... :(

I am glad that YOU are safe and sound.

Me too, oddly :>. It could have been a lot worse, and I'm very glad I exhibited the requisite chicken behaviour and didn't try to go into the house and root out the bastards.

Geezus, that sounds miserable and scary. I'm so sorry to hear it.

Bit worrying that the thieves could identify an unalarmed house so quickly.

And where were the cats while all this was going on? sheesh.

Actually, I should have known something was wrong when there were no cats in the living room when I arrived. They all wandered in about an hour after the police had left, looking nonchalant and slightly traumatised.

I have also been wondering how often potential burglars wander past the house and check if the alarm's on, for them to hit the one day we left it off with such pin-point accuracy. Bastards.

Shame, poor thing! :-( Glad you're fine and it's only possessions that suffered.

Oh hell, I'm sorry. It makes me cross that we're so acclimatized to the SA situation that one's immediate thought is 'Thank heavens it was only a burglary, and no-one was hurt'. Hugs, and supportive meepings.

Quel abomination. It was not cowardice but damn good sense that kept you firmly outside with the alarm button rather than inside with the abominators. Good for you.

The EL must be informed in no uncertain terms that gate-fixing, like any other basic security arrangements in SA, cannot wait for round tuits. Do not nag; insist. Hell, I insist, and I'm not even there. I require my friends to be kept safe.

Ouch...! That's pretty bad. Good to hear that it's covered, though.

Oh crap! Oh CRAP! Honey, that's AWFUL! :-( Thank goodness you had backups, that nothing irreplaceable was taken, and that everyone is okay.

I guess I can't complain about our garage being broken into anymore... :-(

Hugs, Dayle

I am so sorry to hear that...but luckily they didn't take the personals!

Reagarding hitting the place ont eh one day teh alarm is off,
possibly they get a list from the alarm company?

Or is that just way to suspicious on my part.

How complacent I have become: My father wants to buy me a burglar alarm as a house warming gift... (in a place in which there is no requirement for such things) I would prefer a Jamie Oliver pot set or a washing machine much more pleasurable to be sure!

*hug* I'm so glad that nothing happened to YOU! I'm also very glad they didn't take the irreplaceable (or even the hard-to-replace).

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to the EL!

Oh no! You must have lost count of how many times this has happened to you :(

Are stv&jo's things covered by the insurance? (I have zero qualms about you claiming them as your own, btw)

Note to self: back up laptop stuff.

I do seem to have some unfortunate burglary karma, don't I? Possibly I was a highwayman in another life. Or a music recording company executive.

We would certainly have claimed for jo&stv's things; however, not only are their things not covered by the insurance, but apparently neither are ours. The alarm wasn't on, so the company is refusing to pay out. I am prodding the EL with sticks to make him fight it - I really can't afford to replace my computer.

That is really kak. Well done for noticing and not going in, though!

I can't take much credit for noticing, they more or less trashed several rooms - pulled things out of cupboards and strewed them around the floor with gay abandon. The EL's study and bedroom looked like a tornado had hit them, and the bedroom wall unit was pulled away from the wall and destroyed in the process so it hung drunkenly sideways in a trapezoid. Amid, may I add, the smell of cherry brandy, they tipped over a bottle. I possibly wouldn't have noticed if I had a paper bag over my head or my nose in a book.

Aaaarrrggh! Glad you're ok. Keep hitting the EL with sticks!

You know why they stole three bars of soap as well as everything else, don't you?

Oh, man. Ouch ouch ouch. Man. :-(

Is good that you didn't lose the personal stuff, but... ouch. Hope you win the nasty insurance fight, though I wouldn't count on it. (I imagine impersonal insurance person standing holding up contract and pointing to subclause 15.2(c), looking impassively into the middle distance while you flail and moan.)

(My sister was also recently burgled. Her insurance *is* paying out, but she emailed me in some panic to say HELP they took her bag and it had her sock kit in it and that couldn't be replaced in SA, please to bring knitting gear forthwith, kthxbai. She was very calm about everything else. I was impressed with her priorities.)

Yes, that was my first thought as well. When we got burgled a few years back, my first question when my landlady called to tell me was "is my cat alright?".

In the end it's only stuff, people/pets are irreplaceable.

So far the EL can't find a clause in his insurance contract which specifies that the alarm must be on, so hopefully we have a chance. But it's well known that insurance companies are icky greased reptile creatures who will slither out of anything they possibly can.

I am judging from context, and the onset of minor knitting guilt, that you are probably Scroobius :>.

Correct. Sorry I forgot to sign. Also, go EL! Fingers hopefully crossed.

I really don't know. Keep waiting with bated breath for someone to explain. Why? Why?

scroob

Oh extemp, that SUCKS!!!
To make a small echo in your witterings room, glad you're okay and good job staying outside. Also, here's hoping the insurance pays out.

everymoment
(hug)

Shoot. That's not nice. Glad you are not hurt or anything like that, though.

That was me, BTW

Curses and supportive wossnames.

Yes, me too. I must be particularly dense this week, the cosmic or possibly obscene significance of soap is escaping me utterly. (If it wasn't obscene, why is bronchitikat being coy about saying?!?)

Sorry not to get back to you sooner, my email went toes-up yesterday. Fortunately service has been resumed today. w00t! for the Geek Husband.

Why take the soap? So they could make a clean get away!

Sorry, you did ask. Was it worth the wait?

with cat-like thump

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