Victim of a crime

[+ purplekow]

I think of myself as having led a rather safe and protected life, yet in thinking back, I havz been a victim of

crime on many occasions. The first time i was a victim of a crime, i was about 10 years old and i was lying on our couch late at night when a brick was thrown through the picture window of my home striking the lamp next to the couch and shattering it. The brick was likely meant for the house next door which had just been sold to black family, integrating our previously whites only neighborhood. Since then, i have been victimized numerous times. Robbed at knife point, pickpocketed by a street prostitute, car stolen twice, tires slashed, car broken into at least 4 times, one home break in, physically assaulted in a parking lot, employee embezzlement of more than $14500, stolen check, grab and dash wallet steal, stolen bike, hit and run damage to a new car i owned for 2 days (Jaguar convertible, was very sad, $20K worth oaf damage). All the while living in relatively safe middle to upper middle class neighborhoods and leading a law abiding life. We have all been victims of crime, but in retrospect, this seems often though none were particularly serious.

How often have you been a victim of crime and to what severity?

[+ Avalon]

In my apartment complex years ago my old car was pranked by teens over several months. Pulling the rubber strip off the side. Stealing the radio antenna. Removing the gas cap.

 

Same car - this happened on a Christmas Day - the doors were unlocked and someone rummaged through the car. Moved the seat. Stole a box of cookies. Someone gave me cookies and as I diabetic I didn't want to be tempted so I put them in the car so to give them to someone else. They were not in plain view.

 

Same car. The grocery store began charging for grocery bags. So I kept several bags on the passenger side floor. The doors were locked this time. The passenger side window was broken. I'm guessing someone saw the bags and thought something was in them.

 

The car was parked in a different place each time.

 

Several times someone scraped the car tag off the licence plate. One year stole the licence plate!

[+ bashful]

When working at fast food restaurants as a teenager, twice we were robbed at gunpoint.

 

Used my brothers bike to go to the store, came back out, bike gone.

 

Just moved to a new city, all I had in my apartment was a bed, and a small TV on top an empty packing box turned upside down. Got home from work, and went to turn on TV... it wasn't there.

[+ E.T.Bass]

House broken into. Bicycle stolen twice. Front tire of bicycle stolen another time. Hit and run. Calculator stolen. Somebody took/ate my pop tarts in the break room at work.

[RM]

Had stuff stolen out of my car in SF, LA, and in my home city. Especially annoying in LA since I stopped for a few hours on my way to San Diego. All my clothes were stolen. I bought some at Nieman Marcus and got a discount for signing up for their credit card, never used again. Had my car stolen at gunpoint; my wallet stolen at knifepoint. Was burglarized once - they even stole a pillow case to carry food from the freezer. My wallet disappeared at the Atlanta airport in 1995, the first time I'd ever needed ID to fly home. The only loss was $2 on my credit card, but it was hard to get home without ID. My Saturday night bridge club was robbed at gunpoint. My partner experienced that - I was on vacation in Boston at the time. My rental car was broken into in Washington DC - the window was broken so they could steal a bag with my bowling shoes in it. I guess I've been more careful lately - nothing like that has happened in the last ten years.

[Guest europeanman]

They broke in my flat years ago. They stole an old computer, an old TV and an old Hi-fi. They were worth almost nothing, but I still remember the feeling of insecurity when I opened my door and saw the empty spaces. I slept in a hotel that night.

[+ Pensant]

I’ve been very lucky. Except for leaving a pair of Persols at a restaurant over ten years ago, I’ve never had anything stolen nor had any of my places burgled. Even when traveling, I’ve never been pickpocketed or harassed. Years ago, when I took a particularly intense self-defense course, I learned situational awareness. As soon as I leave my house in the city, I go on Orange alert. I’m always paranoid about security, so I’m always locking and securing things.

[+ Charlie]

Apartments burglarized twice; two bikes stolen, one of them left for only a moment in front of house, the other stolen from garage while door was open (he jumped on the bike and rode away as I chased him on foot); car window smashed by vandal; contractor took money for job, then disappeared without doing the work.

[Chuckball]

My house was broken into. TVs video game and electronics stolen. Insurance covered it all except the loss of my grandfather's gold pocket watch. Insurance company said I needed extra coverage for jewelry.

[+ Keith30309]

Car window smashed twice, a couple of disappearing contractors and renters, grey-market watch salesman.

[MikeBiDude]

Pickpocketed in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Everything was is in that wallet! Led to my future methods of taking less plastic and cash out on the street with me when I travel, and leaving more in hotel safe.

 

Was an Amex Platinum cardholder then, they were nothing short of *amazing* getting me a new card and helping out.

[+ g56whiz]

Years ago my SUV was broken into and cd’s stolen. Ever since I’ve chuckled at the thought of a shouldered boom box prancing down the block blaring the music Hildegard von Bingen or Josquin des Prez.

[Bearofdistinction]

I think of myself as having led a rather safe and protected life, yet in thinking back, I havz been a victim of

crime on many occasions. The first time i was a victim of a crime, i was about 10 years old and i was lying on our couch late at night when a brick was thrown through the picture window of my home striking the lamp next to the couch and shattering it. The brick was likely meant for the house next door which had just been sold to black family, integrating our previously whites only neighborhood. Since then, i have been victimized numerous times. Robbed at knife point, pickpocketed by a street prostitute, car stolen twice, tires slashed, car broken into at least 4 times, one home break in, physically assaulted in a parking lot, employee embezzlement of more than $14500, stolen check, grab and dash wallet steal, stolen bike, hit and run damage to a new car i owned for 2 days (Jaguar convertible, was very sad, $20K worth oaf damage). All the while living in relatively safe middle to upper middle class neighborhoods and leading a law abiding life. We have all been victims of crime, but in retrospect, this seems often though none were particularly serious.

How often have you been a victim of crime and to what severity?

 

Robbed at Gunpoint on three occasions while working in mainly cash businesses -- Mugged while a we bit tipsy walking to my car in the gayborhood -- probably a good thing kept me from driving! Had a car stolen from in front of my house - and I live the big bad city

[jawjateck]

Never had a break-in or experienced an armed robbery. Just a few cases of petty theft, which includes a couple of "gentlemen". Those annoyed me more than someone snatching something out of my yard or storage building.

[caramelsub]

I’ve never had anything stolen, or been a victim of violent crime. Only once in high school, my north face backpack was stolen and vandalized, and that was because I never put a lock on my locker.

[LoveNDino]

I read this last night, and wanted to say “I have not been a victim, ever, but I don’t want to jinx myself.”

 

Cut to this morning - rear passenger window smashed. Had to call the cops. Hot cop came, and apparently they already apprehended the guy last night.

 

YES, HOT COP....

 

Also, KY has a glass waiver law - apparently, if one has comprehensive auto insurance, the deductible is waived to fix one’s car windows....

 

So all in all - the only losers here are GEICO, the perp, and Habitat for Humanity who missed my services this AM.

 

Did I mention that the cop who came was hot?

[LaffingBear]

Almost never. Nothing noteworthy. One car window smash in SF. Multiple other car-incidents, like having it vandalized/"keyed", discovering hit-and-run damage.

 

The only mildly intersting thing I can recall, was when, in the 80s, living alone, I came home to find my marijuana gone from my otherwise undisturbed apartment. Must have been the maintenance men. How do you report that theft?

[+ sniper]

pickpocketed once, but the thief was kind enough to just take the cash and leave the wallet with my ID and cards in the casino restroom so I probably netted out about the same...

cash stolen out of a HS locker

backpack stolen from a bar, nothing of value init except a personalized rugby jersey

and house burglarized - got my class ring and some old coins that may not have been worth much. The worst part about that was my house was kind of a pigsty at the time and I had to let the cops in and say, "No, they weren't in this room, it already looked like this..."

[+ purplekow]

Wow This thread is making me feel as though I have really been picked on. I though my experience was average but apparently not.

[+ g56whiz]

Years ago in NYC, Time Warner added the viewing of some porn movies to my bill. I was actually away (at a religious retreat mind you) on the designated dates. I called Time Warner to complain and contest the charge. After a good deal acrimony they agreed. About six months later the co-op’s handy man was summarily fired. It seems one of my neighbors returned home midday to find that handy man sitting on her couch jerking off to porn on her tv.

[marylander1940]

I had a flip phone taken pickpocketed from me in the early 2000’s.

 

That’s all, I guess I’m lucky considering I bought property and live in Logan Circle in the late 80’s

[+ purplekow]

Years ago in NYC, Time Warner added the viewing of some porn movies to my bill. I was actually away (at a religious retreat mind you) on the designated dates. I called Time Warner to complain and contest the charge. After a good deal acrimony they agreed. About six months later the co-op’s handy man was summarily fired. It seems one of my neighbors returned home midday to find that handy man sitting on her couch jerking off to porn on her tv.

Well that was handy.

[+ sniper]

Wow This thread is making me feel as though I have really been picked on. I though my experience was average but apparently not.

Well, my size probably deters a lot of one-on-one stuff, being 6'3" and looking more muscular than I actually am keeps a lot of people from bothering with me.

But I'm also fairly cautious about where I go/park/etc too.

[P Gren]

I found a wallet in a locker at the swimming pool with $80 in it. I turned it in to the front office and it was returned with a thank you. The next week I had my wallet taken at the swimming pool (from my unlocked locker). No good deed goes unpunished.

[JayCeeKy]

I had the rear window of my car smashed out over night at an apartment complex when I lived in south Jersey. This was a week after I had a disagreement with another resident who said that he "owned" the parking space closest to the building; I disagreed with him stating that the manager said there was no assigned parking. Gee, I wonder who broke my window?