Have you been burgled??

Amalgam · 12-02-2013 01:13AM

wandatowell wrote: »

Thinking of getting myself an extendable baton as a means of protecting myself in case I catch the scum entering my house.

Not 100% sure on the legality of having one of those things tbh

A springbat..? No legal context for them at all, you'll be nicked for carrying\using one.

Doesn't mean you can't improvise.. fire poker, bit o' lumber etc.

Bad Santa · 12-02-2013 01:14AM

Amalgam wrote: »

I met burglars. Me in bed, naked. They were armed. Not fun.

I mean to have you, even if it must be burglary!

greenflash · 12-02-2013 01:14AM

Twice and I was out both times.

First time was in May 1998. I lived on my own in Kilmainham and my junkie neighbours came in through the back door and pretty much cleared the place out while I was at work. They used my own bags to cart everything away with them and went selling my CDs and runners door to door in St Michael's estate in Inchicore. Other neighbours had seen them during the day but hadn't realised they'd done my gaff until I called in when I got home. Cops did literally nothing because it was the first 'Blue Flu Day'. Got some kind of revenge a couple of weeks later (on junkies, not cops) but obviously never saw my former belongings again.

Second time I was in Portugal with the missus three years ago and came home to find the house ransacked. They took a jacket and €50 cash I had put aside for a chiropodist appointment - my feet were in rag order from work boots. Cops turned up and said they were probably pros working the area and only wanted cash or gold to make life easier for themselves. Laptops and other electrical goods weren't touched. Got the house secured and had a monitored alarm installed. Got better boots since but feet are still in rag order.

Saint_Mel · 12-02-2013 01:14AM

Smidge wrote: »

LOL

But as you say, very weird that the stuff was just "handed back"

Yeah,had visions of a Police Academy type scene with all squad cars pulled up outside the front gate while the villans legged it out the back!

We were often told, again by taxi drivers, we were in a "watched house"!
Never knew who was watching it, apart from the lad across the road as it turned out, but we made sure the rent was always paid on time

Every single thing was left back though, even down to a mug with copper change in it that one of the lads had in his room!

Kerrigooney · 12-02-2013 01:15AM

Amalgam wrote: »

A springbat..? No legal context for them at all, you'll be nicked for carrying\using one.

Doesn't mean you can't improvise.. fire poker, bit o' lumber etc.

Don't suppose my sword would be very legal either,would it?

Busted Flat. · 12-02-2013 01:16AM

Amalgam wrote: »

A springbat..? No legal context for them at all, you'll be nicked for carrying\using one.

Doesn't mean you can't improvise.. fire poker, bit o' lumber etc.

Pick axe handle, a four sprong fork inside the door, you will have a bit of reach with it. But wait till the bastard head is in the door.

Smidge · 12-02-2013 01:16AM

Amalgam wrote: »

I met burglars. Me in bed, naked. They were armed. Not fun.

The event adrenalised me for months. Sleeping with a baseball bat. (don't laugh, under the covers..) Stacking items behind doors downstairs to create a commotion etc.. I'm not the same person. I can't wait for the days to get longer.

'Modern' burglars. Gold hunting. Sod everything else.

I heard a story once(cant remember who) that if you are being broken into you should run down the stairs, stark bollack naked(obviously being a man), screaming like a banshee, and waving an implement of some description over your head.

Nothing deter's someone quicker than a naked madman with his todger flying:D;)

Busted Flat. · 12-02-2013 01:17AM

Smidge wrote: »

I heard a story once(cant remember who) that if you are being broken into you should run down the stairs, stark bollack naked(obviously being a man), screaming like a banshee, and waving an implement of some description over your head.

Nothing deter's someone quicker than a naked madman with his todger flying:D;)

Mine would never reach over my head.

Smidge · 12-02-2013 01:24AM

Bad Santa wrote: »

I mean to have you, even if it must be burglary!

I think you are thinking of buggary;):D

Patr2 · 12-02-2013 01:25AM

wandatowell wrote: »

Thinking of getting myself an extendable baton as a means of protecting myself in case I catch the scum entering my house.

Not 100% sure on the legality of having one of those things tbh

I think once your defending yourself on your property its okay? Dont hold me to that if you bate the ****e into someone though im not sure!

Ruudi_Mentari · 12-02-2013 01:28AM

A fair few fellas tried to get in 'round the back alright but I stood resolute with a walnut cracker. No breaches

Reati · 12-02-2013 01:31AM

I'm curious - For those who this unfortunately happened too, did you have any home security items like alarms, camera etcs?

KERSPLAT! · 12-02-2013 01:39AM

No thank God! I live in an estate of about 70 houses and in 24 or so years I think there has only been a handful of break ins. Considering only a few houses here would have alarms we've been very lucky

catallus · 12-02-2013 01:41AM

Smidge wrote: »

I agree 100% there.
I'm a "young" person and was upset and nervous in the house after it.
Can only imagine how it would affect an elderly woman.
Must have been very frightening for her especially being home when it happened.

This is the untold silent misery visited on normal people by these criminal thugs.

The funny thing is that some people seem to have an idea in their heads that these burglars are "gentleman crooks" who are walking down the road minding their own business when they spot an open window or some-such and innocently investigate it and then magically find themselves inside the house helping themselves to your stuff. I think we all know the reality is different; these guys stake out targets and systematically commit their crimes.

Ireland is a small country; ALL of the burglaries in this country are down to not more than 200 hardcore crooks; of course the cops know who they are but so what? If they are not caught red-handed in the act OR they confess then it's suspended sentence all the way. They know how to work the system, this is their job, their livelihood, their calling in life; it's how they pay for their families much the same as any paye worker gets a payslip at the end of the week.

Vojera · 12-02-2013 01:44AM

Yes and it was horrible. It was a house share and happened one of the very rare nights there was no one home.

Nothing of mine was taken (nothing worth stealing) but the entire house was turned upside down. There wasn't a drawer that wasn't rifled through or dumped on the floor, all the furniture was thrown about or broken, the place was destroyed. My housemates had a bit taken-xbox, laptops, clothes and shoes, which I found bizarre.

I had to wash every item of clothing I had, couldn't stand the idea that some stranger had been touching my things, and I stayed in my girlfriend's house for a good while after it. The idea that someone had been walking around my home while I wasn't there was incredibly violating.

Witchie · 12-02-2013 01:44AM

While living in Dublin had some scobies walk into our kitchen and rob my wallet off the table while we were watching the simpsons. (It was the one where side show bob takes them on the boat and stands on all the rakes!) They also stole a pair of Levis off the washing line and the stereo from the kitchen.

space_man · 12-02-2013 01:47AM

wandatowell wrote: »

Thinking of getting myself an extendable baton as a means of protecting myself in case I catch the scum entering my house.

Not 100% sure on the legality of having one of those things tbh

what little i know about self-defence tells me such a weapon might not be much use in a tight corner.
i have pepper spray, and a hammer, though i'ld probably end up smashing meself with the hammer, and/or collapsing under the influence of the spray.:(

Been burgled once. they made off with me stereo, but i actually tracked it down on Garda Patrol. (i kid u not!)

Smidge · 12-02-2013 01:51AM

catallus wrote: »

This is the untold silent misery visited on normal people by these criminal thugs.

The funny thing is that some people seem to have an idea in their heads that these burglars are "gentleman crooks" who are walking down the road minding their own business when they spot an open window or some-such and innocently investigate it and then magically find themselves inside the house helping themselves to your stuff. I think we all know the reality is different; these guys stake out targets and systematically commit their crimes.

Ireland is a small country; ALL of the burglaries in this country are down to not more than 200 hardcore crooks; of course the cops know who they are but so what? If they are not caught red-handed in the act OR they confess then it's suspended sentence all the way. They know how to work the system, this is their job, their livelihood, their calling in life; it's how they pay for their families much the same as any paye worker gets a payslip at the end of the week.

Not sure I can agree with you on this part, I think there are a lot more than 200 crooks and the ones who are now doing the house break ins are the young scum trying to get a quick few quid foe booze and drugs.

When I lived in Dublin a neighbour of mine(very elderly woman 80's)used to go to the bingo on a Wednesday evening and after to the local for 2 glasses of guinness(her daughter brought her every Wednesday).

When they got back to the house(the old woman lived alone btw and was still very much in her faculties)one Wednesday, local scum had broken in.

She had very little to steal tbh as we were not in a very affluent area.

But the tragedy in all of it was that not only had the scum broken in and thrashed the house but they has sh1t on her bed and then smeared it all over the bedroom:eek::mad:

This upset her more than the break in itself

Smidge · 12-02-2013 01:53AM

Witchie wrote: »

While living in Dublin had some scobies walk into our kitchen and rob my wallet off the table while we were watching the simpsons. (It was the one where side show bob takes them on the boat and stands on all the rakes!) They also stole a pair of Levis off the washing line and the stereo from the kitchen.

One of my favourite Simpsons ever:D

Sorry for your loss btw

Witchie · 12-02-2013 01:53AM

space_man wrote: »

what little i know about self-defence tells me such a weapon might not be much use in a tight corner.
i have pepper spray, and a hammer, though i'ld probably end up smashing meself with the hammer, and/or collapsing under the influence of the spray.:(

My aunt always kept a wee tub of pepper at the top of the stairs so if someone was coming up them she would sprinkle it down into their eyes.

I used to keep a baseball bat by my bedside when I lived in Dublin. My ex hubby used to be out cold asleep and I would be sure there was someone in the house so I would leap out of the bed and head out of the room swinging the bat and roaring down the stairs "get the f... outta my house or I will f...in kill ya. Don't ring the guards (ex hubby's name inserted here) they are leaving and if they dont they will be going in a body bag anyway"

I would go down the stairs and tap the baseball bat on the locked doors downstairs during this tirade but we never were burgled in that house. Maybe news got out about some mad woman who got up shouting in the middle of the night for no reason and they were too scared to risk it!

7 7 12 · 12-02-2013 01:56AM

We all know the "community" of people who are responsible for most of these burglaries

Conor Bourke · 12-02-2013 01:57AM

I rented a room in a house in Galway that was owned by a Guard, and he lived there too. We had an alarm which we would set when we'd leave but it was the first time I'd lived in a house with one so I didn't know you could partially set it for night time and as a result never bothered to do so. Neither did my landlord or the other girl living there until after we got robbed.

It was a Sunday night, I had cleaned the kitchen, put everything back in it's place and was heading to bed when my landlord came in, he remarked at how tidy everything was, I went to bed. I presumed he'd check all the doors as he did every other night. He didn't realise the patio door was open (and it must have been for days). The alarm wasn't on either. I awoke at 6am the following morning to a text from himself telling me not to touch anything in the kitchen, he'd discovered we'd been robbed when he had gotten up for work an hour previously. All they took was his massive tv but there had to have been at least two of them. I popped my head into the kitchen before I left and noticed the dagger was out of the knife block, resting on the counter. Scary to think they had been prepared to use the knife if one of us had come down :eek:

TheBegotten · 12-02-2013 01:59AM

The best hand-to-hand weapon for defending yourself in a house would want to be max 3ft, unless you have some sort of training. Anymore and it'll get in the way too much it be too easily deflected. A small hurley, short axe handle or a poker would be about right.

7 7 12 · 12-02-2013 02:04AM

Zeds dead baby

Bad Santa · 12-02-2013 02:05AM

Smidge wrote: »

I think you are thinking of buggary;):D

Uncle Monty you mean? Never

Witchie · 12-02-2013 02:06AM

Smidge wrote: »

One of my favourite Simpsons ever:D

Sorry for your loss btw

I know I loved that one too and it was the first airing of it and we were laughing so hard we didn't hear the scrotes in the kitchen. I was pregnant with my first lad at the time too so was a good job I didn't go to the kitchen to get something coz god only knows what would've happened.

Every time that episode is on I think of that day!

Smidge · 12-02-2013 02:09AM

Bad Santa wrote: »

Uncle Monty you mean? Never

"I mean to have you even if it is burglary"

:D

Smidge · 12-02-2013 02:14AM

Witchie wrote: »

I know I loved that one too and it was the first airing of it and we were laughing so hard we didn't hear the scrotes in the kitchen. I was pregnant with my first lad at the time too so was a good job I didn't go to the kitchen to get something coz god only knows what would've happened.

Every time that episode is on I think of that day!

You poor thing, stressful thing to happen to you when pregnant.

On the plus side, love the sound that SSB makes when he steps on the rakes.

"bwwwuurghhhhuh":D

Cereal Number · 12-02-2013 02:15AM

The Government rob me everyday

Cereal Number · 12-02-2013 02:17AM

Alaskimo-cake wrote: »

I rented a room in a house in Galway that was owned by a Guard, and he lived there too. We had an alarm which we would set when we'd leave but it was the first time I'd lived in a house with one so I didn't know you could partially set it for night time and as a result never bothered to do so. Neither did my landlord or the other girl living there until after we got robbed.

It was a Sunday night, I had cleaned the kitchen, put everything back in it's place and was heading to bed when my landlord came in, he remarked at how tidy everything was, I went to bed. I presumed he'd check all the doors as he did every other night. He didn't realise the patio door was open (and it must have been for days). The alarm wasn't on either. I awoke at 6am the following morning to a text from himself telling me not to touch anything in the kitchen, he'd discovered we'd been robbed when he had gotten up for work an hour previously. All they took was his massive tv but there had to have been at least two of them. I popped my head into the kitchen before I left and noticed the dagger was out of the knife block, resting on the counter. Scary to think they had been prepared to use the knife if one of us had come down :eek:

Maybe theyd make you a sandwich just like in Only Fools And Horses, fancy a sandwich Gary?

Have you been burgled??

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