OT - "i've been robbed" a vote for insurance!

check this out - i was very selectively robbed two nights ago.

someone climbed up and cut out all the copper out of our buildings AC system monday night. while they were up there they apparently jostled open some windows and came in and took ALL our still cameras, one little consumer video camera and a smal pile of change. a total of 5 cameras and about $2.38. strangely they didnt snatch the brand new fire breathing hp laptop, the ipod, the lcd HD tv, any of the musical instruments or G5's that were all within feet of the window they came in. - go figure the criminal mind???

i got off pretty easilly this time around but the point of my post here is - GET INSURANCE! it just may save your butt. we have a policy with the hartford where we have lost property insurance for the office and $1,000,000 liability and we pay a flat $500 a year. even with the $1000 deductible we'll be able to at least get 3 cameras replaced.

dont walk, RUN to your friendly neighborhood insurance agent. may just be the best few hundred bucks you'll ever spend!

Man, Wayne, you've had such misfortunes when it comes to security...I feel for you. (Still remembering my three-month-old G4...stolen along with a guitar, a bass, a PC, a FireWire drive, and two Sopranos DVD sets three years ago...)

Did you guys have a security system? Another investment worth considering.


www.derekmok.com

Sorry Wayne. Thieves like light items so they can skulk off into the night. Thus leaving the HEAVY G5s and HD TV behind. Tough to hide from people lugging that stuff.

$2.38 in change? Were they feeding a meter?

Yes, I have renters insurance. Too much equipment laying about.

Again, sorry man.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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Awful Wayne. Got me thining that is for sure.

Very sorry

Michael Horton
-------------------

no. no security in place - stats said that its not an prime crime location. so it seemed superfluous at the time...

but i am considering a motion sensor alarm or some of those little wireless motion sensing x10 style camera setups that will post pics to a webserver (as we have some idea of who the suspect is)

so - learn from us folks: insurance + security = happiness!

man that really does suck. sorry.

i had my laptop stolen about a year ago ... I had to go away on a trip, wife and kids had just arrived in Malaysia ... had only been here 2 days. picture the scene: my wife hunkered down over boxes, doing some unpacking, my kids sat at the table doing some coloring. had been various people in and out th ehouse all day; landlord, plumber, electrician etc ... suddenly my daughter pipes up "Mummy, who's this man?". My wife looks around and see a gut in a full face motorcycle helmet grabing my laptop of the table, and the mobile phone from the wall where it was charging ... scoots out of the house and onto a waiting bike and away. What a welcome eh? called me up in floods of tears "... really sorry, your laptops been stolen..." oh man, like I could care less ... who knows what could have happened.

so yes indeed - learn from us folks: security is really important, and not just for your 'stuff'

Sorry about that Wayne.
It reminds me the New Year, i went to Spain with my wife and her parents for a party in a resort.
During the fireworks show at midnight some "easterns" a gang from Romania payed us a visit. (Since the colapse of the former Soviet Union and with the borders of Europe open this has been a serious problem)
On Jan, 1th when we arrived at home in Lagos, south of Portugal, the door's were open lights on and the rooms in a mess, like the movies...
Coincidence or not they didn't toke my 17" Powerbook, ipod, and my flat-screen TV out of my room. They were looking for money and jewels.
I know the felling man, it's true invasion of our privacy. But this is important, no one hurt you. There are a lot of cameras but there is only one Wayne.

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

Wayne,
Do you live in Portland? Stealing the copper sounds like a tweaker crime. I did a couple days of ride-alongs with the Portland Meth Unit and one of the things I found out is that they steal all the copper they can get their hands on. Gutters, romex, chimney flashing, any copper.

The other thing that tweakers are ALWAYS after is porn. For some reason, they always have to have plenty of porn on hand (so to speak).

Any thing distinctive about the stolen merchandise. I know the odds of any of us coming across the stolen items are slim, but you never know. Seems like a lot of people have been victimized by theft regarding cameras and such. maybe we should have an product ID forum, regarding stolen merchandise. Every little bit helps I guess.
I don't know if anyone remember on the news a while back this woman had her laptop stolen. She went to work at Radio Shack the next day and the theives just happened to go to her store for laptop accessories. She recognized her laptop becauses of certain marks she had on it. She call the police and it was a happy ending.

Having equipment insurance these days is not an option, but a requirement. This is a tip I got from our neighborhood police officer: there is one extremely low cost item that can deter the casual "smash and grab" thief (other than a large barking dog) - alarm window stickers and/or lawn signs. You don't have to have an actual alarm, either, there are plenty of places on the web that sell just the signs. I have used them myself, as well as dummy CCD cameras running on a battery that show a red light as if they were recording.

Makes me sound like I live in a high crime area (which I don't), and I naturally have no way of knowing if they have worked (and again, I now have a REAL alarm on the house) - but it can't hurt and it's an inexpensive way to go.

Wayne. My sympathy goes out to you. It's also such a horrible feeling of personal invasion to be robbed.

Best wishes,

Harry.


Harry Bromley-Davenport

I don't know if this helps to be roubbed or getting a visit from anwanted a$$"#)/, a lot of people descrive the gear, computers, cameras and so on... in the forums. Perhap's someone in your area can look at this and plan the act.
The better thing to do is never mention your bellongings here on the net.

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

It's always a misfortune in some way with poor wayne. Bad luck. Coulda been much worse for the copper thieves, though:

[www.usatoday.com]

It's the ice heads (methamphetamine addicts) stealing & selling copper to salvagers for quick cash. I know a girl that lost her 9 year old son to that sh!t (state took him away).

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

WAY OFF FCP TOPIC

Grafixjoe,

That's a horrifying post you made about the 9 yr old son. You mean the kid was put into State care because her mother was a tweaker? I mean -- you use the word "lost" -- and I have to ask what the situation was. Forgive me for being, maybe, too inquisitive.

I too have had a close experience with a family I know who have fallen foul of the dreaded tweak and have destroyed themselves and their lives and that of their children. Not educated people, but good hearted folks who just couldn't resist the immediate high.

It's almost a cliche -- like -- "oh yeah, another tweaker".

Best

Harry

Yes, harry..."Lost" means taken away. Her son was taken away from her by the state and placed with her ex-husband. In Florida, the state has power to walk in your house, make a decision on the welfare of your child and if they see fit, WALK OUT OF YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR CHILD and there's nothing anyone can do about it (even if it is a misunderstanding). That's the child protection laws in Florida. If a neighbor calls the Sheriff because they hear a little too much yelling coming from your house, a DCF Agent and the Sheriff show up, assess the situation and make that decision. Even if they were wrong, your child is brought to a foster home while they sort out the technicalities. It could take WEEKS or MONTHS before you get your child back.

It is TERRIFYING to live in Florida with kids.

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

That is a truly appalling story. I feel terribly sorry for your friend. It seems as if the Florida laws are beyond over-zealous.

Best wishes

Harry

...which is why we are LEAVING after our International Adoption is completed.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.