Thieves *rant*

[TheTerrorist_75]

Yesterday totally sucked. I hadn't been able to visit the work site because of the bad weather during the past week. The hot tub company stated they couldn't get the tub to us while it was nasty out yet the delivery person showed up last Monday evening. I went to work yesterday morning and discovered someone had uncovered our handtools that were tarped and placed in a back entrance alcove of the home we are working on. They had been pawed through then left to the elements. I spotted the hot tub sitting on the patio we had just finished laying pavers on the previous week and the open trench where the electrician had ran the conduit and wiring for the tub. Not even thinking about anything but bailing the water out of the trench, layering hand tamped gravel in it then finish laying the 8 sq. ft. of pavers over that area so the tub could be put in place I soon learned my gas powered 250 lb. plate tamper was missing. Without that tamper I couldn't tamp the pavers in place.

As I was writing this the homeowner called and informed me the only company with more than one person that showed up during the week was the people delivering the tub. They were subcontracted to deliver it. She said they didn't show until it was dark out and when they were done the boss distracted her as they were leaving while the other guy loaded up the truck. She said the boss kept her busy so she couldn't see what the other guy was loading. I now have his name. The interrogation shall commence.

Edited December 13, 2006 by TheTerrorist_75

[jsbowen]

Nothing worse than a thief....plain and simple. I hope you get it straightened out.

[JDoors]

The "police blotter" in the local paper almost always has items about the theft of construction equipment. Ticks me off. Hope something leads you to recovery.

[TheTerrorist_75]

The homeowner is going to call me after she gets out of work with the delivery guys phone number. I looked up the name in the white pages and got two hits. One checks out to be involved with education services and his home is in a rich neighborhood. The other lives in a more rural area and Google Maps satellite view shows he has a large structure (possible multiple bay garage) behind the house. I know someone who deals with hot goods in the area of the second guy. He has been notified. Once I get the phone number and can confirm where this POS lives I will proceed to inform the State Police.

Edited December 13, 2006 by TheTerrorist_75

[garmanma]

Rule #1 in the trades- Never steal another man's tools. We had a guy show up on a site once, with a whole bunch for sale. Each with different ID marks. He was in pretty sad shape when the cops were finally called. Sadly some of the biggest thieves on the site are fellow workers. I hope you nail him.

Mark

[bozodog]

A liar will steal from you, and a thief will lie to you. They are hateful creatures.

When I had my furnace installed I told the contractor it would be safe to leave his tools in the basement as it was only me in the house. He said "no way" I NEVER leave so much as a screwdriver on the job. EVER!

And I've found even loaning tools is risky.

Good luck getting that guy. Smart detective work on your part.

[robroy]

I once had a bunch of wrenches and sockets stolen from an enclosed porch while I was in the house. Knew who it was but could never prove it. Found another reason to beat the crap out of him and never lost another thing. It was a neighbor known for being light fingered

[mystified]

I was once on a job site where some guys came around at least once a week selling "used" tools....obviously stolen tools. One fellow worker told me I ought to get some tool I'd been wanting because they had one for only twenty bucks. I told him it was stolen from some other worker, and I wouldn't take it if it were free. He didn't have much to say to me after that. Stealing a working man's tools is really low. Hope you get it worked out, and the thief should have to answer for it in a court of law.

[JDoors]

As long as we're talking about stealing from co-workers:

I was fairly used to loaning out tools and sometimes having to make the effort to get them back, and also used to, but never content with, tools walking off on their own.

A co-worker needed help moving and when I opened his home toolbox for a screwdriver to disassemble his bed, my initials were on "his" screwdriver. I pointed that out to him and he said, "Oh ... this is embarrassing." Embarrassing, indeed.

[mikex]

Use a dremel to etch the tools the spray paint them with a bright color paint. It is hard to get all the paint out of the little cracks. and if you etch you initials it will not matter if they try to paint over it. Be creative in the places you etch, places where they will not likely look.

M

[JDoors]

Sounds like sound advice, but my tools were all engraved with my name, a fairly uncommon one, and it made no difference whatsoever to the type of person who would borrow and not return or who would outright steal. They don't care about your property or what you do with it. They're either thoughtless or malicious. Though bright pink or lavender are good color choices if you're going to make an effort.

[garmanma]

As long as we're talking about stealing from co-workers:

I was fairly used to loaning out tools and sometimes having to make the effort to get them back, and also used to, but never content with, tools walking off on their own.

A co-worker needed help moving and when I opened his home toolbox for a screwdriver to disassemble his bed, my initials were on "his" screwdriver. I pointed that out to him and he said, "Oh ... this is embarrassing." Embarrassing, indeed.

I started the "no tools loaned" policy after years of getting them back(most of the time)in worse condition then when they left my shop/van. My brother-in-law was the worst offender. Thank God he moved from across the street. My kids, I have to keep reminding, but I think back to the days when my dad would be screaming after he'd run over a wrench while mowing grass

Mark

[shanenin]

My kids, I have to keep reminding, but I think back to the days when my dad would be screaming after he'd run over a wrench while mowing grass

Mark

I always have to remind myself of the same thing. I used to mess up my dads stuff horribly.

[thesidekickcat]

TT, I am so sorry to hear of your tool (s) being stolen, am betting it was more than one gone once you keep on checking/remembering what you had there as greedy thieves usually take big and small stuff both.

I get so mad at thieves of all stripes, I just end up sputtering...not even able cuss, which is good I guess.... but oh how if I catch them in the act can I ever tell them off!!!

Over the years, we have had the company's and our work tools stolen out of car, and have had home tools and more that just "walk off" etc. It never gets any easier to understand how people can steal from others, especially a working man's work tools.

It seems like it is growing into a huge serious problem at construction sites of all kinds. From stealing appliances out of apartments/condos/homes, to even yanking out the wiring and other metal to sell for salvage, to the tools used to build those places!!! Unbelievable the people stealing the stuff, the middle men selling it, and lets not forget the just as guilty ones who buy stolen goods. If caught those people excuse it by oh well it is covered by insurance....which most likely with high deductables nowadays it isn't, or if a claim is put in and paid then rates go up (and not just for the insured who made the claim but everyone else). GGGGGRRRRRRRRR!!!!! I hate thieves!!!!

I hope you get your stuff back TT, and the thieves will get something to remind them it wasn't a good idea to take the stuff in first place. I have never done any revenge stuff, but sure have considered it a few times!!! Personally I think the justice system will fail in such issues thereby creating a climate of it's ok to take stuff as long as it is under whatever the local limit is to prosecute, so no problem even if caught. I advocate shame as a great deterrent to doing crime, so lets bring back the modern equivalent of town square stocks to stick the guilty parties from thieves to buyers in and we can pelt them with insults and rotten fruit to shame them into straightening up their miserable lives. Ok, so I am not PC and the ACLU would take me to the cleaners for even suggesting stocks as a alternative sentence, but something has to change and fast or society will only continue it's downhill slide!!!

Pat

God bless everyone.

[JDoors]

I started the "no tools loaned" policy after years of getting them back(most of the time)in worse condition then when they left my shop/van. ...

Oooo! I forgot about that!

A friend had his furnace go out, I loan him my new space heater. Months later he hadn't returned it, I had to go get it. "It's in the basement." Yeah, the damp, soggy basement. It's no longer a new space heater, it's rusted and dented. Grrr.

I loan another friend my new folding ladder. Months later he hadn't returned it, I had to go get it. "It's out back." Yeah, out in the rain and snow. It's no longer a new ladder, it's corroded and has paint spilled on it. Grrr.

[garmanma]

I started the "no tools loaned" policy after years of getting them back(most of the time)in worse condition then when they left my shop/van. ...

Oooo! I forgot about that!

A friend had his furnace go out, I loan him my new space heater. Months later he hadn't returned it, I had to go get it. "It's in the basement." Yeah, the damp, soggy basement. It's no longer a new space heater, it's rusted and dented. Grrr.

I loan another friend my new folding ladder. Months later he hadn't returned it, I had to go get it. "It's out back." Yeah, out in the rain and snow. It's no longer a new ladder, it's corroded and has paint spilled on it. Grrr.

I had a pair of jack stands with my name welded on them . My brother-in-law had them for so long he swore up and down they were his

Mark

[JDoors]

I had a pair of jack stands with my name welded on them . My brother-in-law had them for so long he swore up and down they were his

Mark

Aww! He loves you SO much he welded YOUR name on his jackstands! What a LOVELY gesture!

[baker7]

Interesting post:

I had a friend named Bill that went to PA last summer and spent time with a supposed friend he met on the net. My friend has a large CD collection of music, and brought them all with him. One Night while he was in the restroom, this girl STOLE a bunch of his CD's and then told him that they were lost.

So then he had to spend over $200 to replace some of the ones he lost, and did not get ALL of them back: She set him up badly, and then later on, told him that she took the CD's - my buddy got mad, and did not talk to her for awhile - He and I BOTH can't STAND LIARS and Thieves.

I don't mind if someone asks me to borrow something, but I have had stuff stolen from me, and then the culprit (another friend of mine) denies the theft, even when the evidence of his crime is right in his trash can! He once told me that he did not take a set of my keys and SWORE up and down that he didn' take them - they were found in his room, and his case manager and I asked why he did it, and he said "I don't know" but the keys "magically returned to my door after that. and my mantra is:

"If you want something from me, ask - I may say YES, I may say NO, but when I say NO, i MEAN it! - DON'T Steal from me"

I hate a thief, and I dislike a liar as well People have to learn the basics, and my friend knows them - he just would steal something I had, because he couldn't get it himself.

Brian

Edited December 19, 2006 by baker7

[JDoors]

... but I have had stuff stolen from me, and then the culprit (another friend of mine) denies the theft, even when the evidence of his crime is right in his trash can! He once told me that he did not take a set of my keys and SWORE up and down that he didn' take them - they were found in his room, and his case manager and I asked why he did it, and he said "I don't know" but the keys "magically returned to my door after that. ...

Oh! Good one. Probably told this a while ago but: A roommate asked me to help set up the TV/VCR/Stereo in his room. Pulled out the cabinet and ... why ... there's the ruby ring my father made for me, sitting behind the VCR. That's, umm, odd, isn't it?

I'm terribly forgetful so rather than accusing him of anything right away, I ignored the ring until I had some time to think if I had loaned it to him or not (it's a possibility). Later, no, I hadn't.

When he wasn't home so I went to retrieve my ring ... it's no longer there. Huh. Imagine that. When I knew he wouldn't be home for a while I went through his things (feeling some guilt, but then, I had good reason to be there) and I could not find the ring.

I was preparing to let him know I wouldn't be renewing his "lease" so rather than getting into a fight over something he'd deny anyway, I just added "thief" to my list of reasons for kicking him out.

Then, on moving day, I volunteered to help him move. He handed me boxes and furniture to set in his new place while he went back to the truck to get more. I searched each item before setting it down and found my ring. Glad I volunteered to help!

I have to wonder what he thought when he discovered the ring was no longer there ...

[Pete_C]

I know the feeling.

I had someone jimmy the locks on my truck toolbox and steal the toolkits out of one side last year.

They probably pawned them or sold them at a yard sale and got under $30 for what cost me over $300 and will cost me even more to replace.

I am still discovering things that I thought I had one of which they must have gotten.

I have a shed in my back yard which I just use to store "outdoor" stuff since the city has an ordinance against outdoor storage. I kept a hasp and padlock on it to keep the dogs out.

Some moron bent my nine foot fence down in the middle of the night, tore off my Mercury vapor lite ( I guess he wanted to be unobserved ) and tore off the door. Then pulled everything out only to discover there was nothing worth stealing.

One of my wifes friends made a point of saying she would never steal from strangers. This made me wonder , is this her way of saying she steals from friends, family and people she knows? I have noticed that every time she comes by something I swear we had foodwise ( a can of tuna, steak in the freezer, the canned spam, campbells soup etc) comes up missing. The OL insists I must be mistaken, that I just have forgotten when we used it; and I never have actually caught the bitch in the act.

I wont go any further but have to agree with you all .

[JDoors]

... I have a shed in my back yard which I just use to store "outdoor" stuff since the city has an ordinance against outdoor storage. I kept a hasp and padlock on it to keep the dogs out.

Some moron bent my nine foot fence down in the middle of the night, tore off my Mercury vapor lite ( I guess he wanted to be unobserved ) and tore off the door. Then pulled everything out only to discover there was nothing worth stealing. ... One of my wifes friends made a point of saying she would never steal from strangers. This made me wonder , is this her way of saying she steals from friends, family and people she knows? I have noticed that every time she comes by something I swear we had foodwise ( a can of tuna, steak in the freezer, the canned spam, campbells soup etc) comes up missing. The OL insists I must be mistaken, that I just have forgotten when we used it; and I never have actually caught the bitch in the act. ...

(Man! I've been robbed more often than I thought!) Had my storage locker cleaned out when I lived in an apartment. Kids, they took all the stuff I'd kept since I was a kid (including a beautiful chess set given to me by my Dad).

All I'm gonna say about the kleptomaniac is, it's not uncommon. As long as it's restricted to stupid stuff, let it go. What's a can of tuna or soup? It's annoying and offensive, but she likely has a mental or emotional disability -- Have a heart.

[Pete_C]

... I have a shed in my back yard which I just use to store "outdoor" stuff since the city has an ordinance against outdoor storage. I kept a hasp and padlock on it to keep the dogs out.

Some moron bent my nine foot fence down in the middle of the night, tore off my Mercury vapor lite ( I guess he wanted to be unobserved ) and tore off the door. Then pulled everything out only to discover there was nothing worth stealing. ... One of my wifes friends made a point of saying she would never steal from strangers. This made me wonder , is this her way of saying she steals from friends, family and people she knows? I have noticed that every time she comes by something I swear we had foodwise ( a can of tuna, steak in the freezer, the canned spam, campbells soup etc) comes up missing. The OL insists I must be mistaken, that I just have forgotten when we used it; and I never have actually caught the bitch in the act. ...

(Man! I've been robbed more often than I thought!) Had my storage locker cleaned out when I lived in an apartment. Kids, they took all the stuff I'd kept since I was a kid (including a beautiful chess set given to me by my Dad).

All I'm gonna say about the kleptomaniac is, it's not uncommon. As long as it's restricted to stupid stuff, let it go. What's a can of tuna or soup? It's annoying and offensive, but she likely has a mental or emotional disability -- Have a heart.

Yeah, it is weird; she knows that we cook big (hey the dogs will eat leftovers) and if she needs dinner friends are always welcome . And if she just asked I would almost always say sure take it.

What really gets me upset is when something dissappears and I made plans for it while at work and get back and it is not there . (Like I get an urge for a steak, knowing I bought two last week and we only ate one. Get home and go to pull it out of the freezer and it is gone. Or have a hankering for bacon with breakfast tomorrow and know I had one left in the freezer since I checked before I went shopping three days ago and go to get it out and it is gone.) Kind of like the last beer syndrome.

With tools the same thing. I really hate it when I had a specialty tool for a specific job and haven't needed it for a bit and when I do need it, realize that it was one of the ones stolen. Then I have to go and figure out where to go buy a replacement and spend the time doing that when if I had the tool the job would be over with.

[JDoors]

... if she just asked I would almost always say sure take it. ... What really gets me upset is when something dissappears and I made plans for it while at work and get back and it is not there. ...

I don't know her or course but from your description it's a mental or emotional problem so I doubt she even needs the items, nor will asking you fulfill whatever's going on in her head (it may be too difficult, even painful, for her to ask).

I don't know what the correct thing to do would be -- Confronting her even in a helpful, compassionate manner may not work: "We noticed some items missing, we don't mind, but if there's anything we can do for you let us know, just come right out and tell us what we can do if you feel you need something." I just don't know if that would work or not.

Your "looking forward to an item" explanation reminds me of a time I took something.

I wanted a snack but didn't have anything. Gee, my roommate has some ice cream ... not much, but enough to satisfy my craving. I was going grocery shopping later so I would replace it before he got home.

Yum, good ice cream.

So I go grocery shopping. At the time I always paid cash and as I got closer to checkout I totaled items up and ... Hmm, I wouldn't have enough. Then, I realized WHY I wouldn't have enough. The reason I paid in cash at the time was that I used "rent" money from the roommates and ... The guy whose ice cream I ate was WAY past due.

So I thought I'll be darned if I'm going to return groceries I need, to replace an item of his, when the reason I didn't have enough case was he was behind in rent -- I returned the ice cream and bought what I needed.

A while after he came home he started ranting about his missing ice cream and how much he was looking forward to eating it. I felt some guilt, some justification, and a bit of anger over the late rent, all-in-all I just shut my trap rather than fight over some missing ice cream.

[Pete_C]

Yeah, she (the friend) got outraged when her sister called her a thief for taking a can of SPAM without asking. I doubt any action would really change things. Not sure if she is looking to get caught and accused so she can be outraged, or what. I have long since quit being worried about it, just occaisionally annoyed and I keep the main pantry locked when we have visitors or guests. The OL calls it paranoid; I just view it as preventing confrontations.

[JDoors]

... The OL calls it paranoid; I just view it as preventing confrontations.

I agree, if there's an easy way to avoid a problem, take it.

Uh-hem ... As long as the subject in question doesn't now feel the urge to take something other than food; Knick-knacks, clothes, other household items.