Ever been robbed?

[RoJoHen]

I'm pissed right now. No, I was not the victim of a robbery. My 89-year old grandma was.

Apparently the other afternoon, a man came to her door and lured her outside to talk about some trees that he was going to be chopping down in the lot behind her house. Meanwhile, another man snuck into the house and stole a bunch of her stuff. There was no violence; my grandma is perfectly fine. The stuff they stole was small -- cash, jewelry, etc. -- but it still blows my mind.

She's healthy, which is the important thing, but it's still unbelievable. This is the kind of thing that I see on the news or read about, but it never actually happens to anybody I know. What kind of douchebag robs an old lady?

 

[auntiehill]

We were robbed right before we got married. There was a box on our doorstep--FedEx was supposed to send to the apartment office, not drop it on our doorstep. It sat there all day while we were at work, so the burglar knew we weren't home. He smashed the door in and then trashed the place. He took the package---a wedding present from my cousin--along with one of my necklaces. I came home from work, walked in and saw the mess. Our apartment was completely trashed. Apparently, the thief hit several apartments in the building--but was only looking for cash, guns, or maybe drugs, because he didn't take much. He left all the computers, monitors, stereo, watches---I'm guessing because he couldn't shove it in his pocket and run off with it.

I was so stunned that when I called the cops, I couldn't remember my own address. I had to look at some mail that was on the floor. My mind just went completely blank. It's a very creepy feeling to realize that not only has some stranger been rummaging through your things, but that you're not safe in your own home.

We moved shortly thereafter, and FedEx replaced the wedding present for free. It took a few years, but hubby replaced my stolen necklace, as well.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I'm glad to hear that your grandmother's okay, RoJoHen.

To answer the question, yes. Two years ago, a guy broke in my house overnight, threatened me with a knife, and raped and robbed me. Not an experience I'd wish on anybody.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Yeah, it sucked. I wasn't hurt or anything and didn't lose that much money (they only took 30€ or whatever I had in cash on me) but it still really sucked, that feeling of helplessness etc.

re: who robs an old lady? Criminals generally are both cowards and opportunistic, they do whatever is easiest. Wether that's stealing candy from a baby or tricking an old woman, everything's fair game to such scumbags.

 

[RoJoHen]

re: who robs an old lady? Criminals generally are both cowards and opportunistic, they do whatever is easiest. Wether that's stealing candy from a baby or tricking an old woman, everything's fair game to such scumbags.

Yeah, I mean, I guess I understand that an old lady makes for an easy target. This kind of shit is just so beyond anything I would ever conceive of doing that I'm always blown away when I hear that people are capable of it.

 

[Roger Wilco]

To answer the question, yes. Two years ago, a guy broke in my house overnight, threatened me with a knife, and raped and robbed me. Not an experience I'd wish on anybody.

That's horrible. Hope you're ok now, or as ok as you can be.

Yeah, I mean, I guess I understand that an old lady makes for an easy target. This kind of shit is just so beyond anything I would ever conceive of doing that I'm always blown away when I hear that people are capable of it.

Yeah, there are some serious assholes out there. Puts things in perspective regarding being angry at people on some internet forum for saying things you disagree with and stuff

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^Thanks, I'm doing pretty well by now.

 

[C.E. Evans]

It's a blessing when no one gets hurt during a robbery. Stuff can be replaced, but not family or friends.

Earlier this year, I had my license plates stolen from my car. They didn't want the license plates, just the tags on them because they couldn't afford to/didn't want to buy their own or their vehicle couldn't pass inspection for renewal.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

When I was in college I had my car broken into - twice.

Also more recently, I had musical gear stolen from a LOCKED equipment room. They took my synth, but not its amplifier, which is weird because the amp case had wheels!

 

[Timby]

My apartment was robbed on Christmas Day, 2005, while I was visiting my family about four hours away. Nothing of tremendous value was stolen (an old Super Nintendo and games, an Xbox and games, a leather jacket, a blanket, some DVDs), and the robber(s) left my video camera and microphones and my engagement ring (I hadn't yet proposed to my wife), all of which were in plain sight.

They also stole my frozen pizzas, but left the Coors Light I had in my fridge. Who the fuck steals a man's frozen pizzas?

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^Uh, the same guy who stole the meat out of my freezer thirty or so years ago? He left the quiche and the ice cream.

 

[Starbreaker]

Just a nitpick, but robbery is when you take something by force, threat of force, or by putting the victim into a fearful state.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^Uh, the same guy who stole the meat out of my freezer thirty or so years ago? He left the quiche and the ice cream.

So all he is saying...is give quiche a chance.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^Oh, groan... I'd really like to give you a quiche of my mind, but I can't come up with quite the right words.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ You must have them kept under lock and quiche then.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Sorry to hear about this, RoJoHen. It's never easy when those we care about are taken advantage of, even if they weren't harmed.

To answer your question: strangely enough, I've never been robbed, despite the fact that crimes of this type aren't uncommon round my way. The next door neighbours were once burgled - they were out for the night, and the culprit clearly knew it, taking the opportunity to break in and swipe whatever caught their fancy. I don't believe it was ever solved.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Just a nitpick, but robbery is when you take something by force, threat of force, or by putting the victim into a fearful state.

Correct. We've described larcenies and burglaries in addition to robberies. But, like you said... nitpicking.

^ You must have them kept under lock and quiche then.

Heading off-line now. I need some quiche and quiet.

 

[Pingfah]

I was once headbutted and knocked out, for a Donor Kebab.

 

[thestrangequark]

I was pick-pocketed once. Someone stole my wallet out of my purse. She charged up a couple thousand on my credit card and spent about $800 with my debit on train tickets (apparently this is common; steal a card, buy a couple of monthly LIRR passes, and sell them off). It was the LIRR passes that alerted my bank, they canceled the cards, and I got all my money back, save for the $40 in cash that was in the wallet.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I was robbed at gunpoint by two adults who pulled up next to me in a car while I was walking to school in junior high. I'm not sure what kind of monetary windfall they were expecting to get from a 12-year-old walking to school in a poor neighborhood, but I bet it was all champagne wishes and caviar dreams for them after laundering my lunch money.

My car (my beloved '71 Olds Cutlass that I mentioned in the first cars thread) was stolen from the campus parking lot at college and probably wound up either stripped for parts or as a squad car for a corrupt Mexican sheriff in Tijuana. I never saw my precious Green Machine again.

My apartment was burglarized in the 90s and some electronics stolen (stereo, DVD player, VCR, etc.). I was pretty sure it was the tweakers down the street looking for some stuff to pawn for drug money since other apartments had been hit in the area by someone who knew when the tenants were out, but the police couldn't prove anything (not that it was a high priority case for them anyway). They were eventually evicted due to complaints from the residents and the burglaries magically stopped.

Nothing has happened at my current residence, fortunately, though I did have a guy walk in through my front door late one night (it was unlocked since not everyone was home yet) and then ran once I came out of my room. I think he might have just been a drunk who got the wrong house though, since he was pretty loud about it.