Theft - Final Update 7/24

[halplm]

So, I moved this weekend (on a side note, I hate moving)... and the movers I hired left some of my boxes unnattended for like... 3 minutes (so they say, could have been longer I suppose), and when they got back two boxes of my stuff were missing.

I still haven't determined what was in those boxes, but it could have been a couple hundred dollars worth of comic books, and as many as 50 or 60 DVDs... so... it's not good. Fortunately I paid for the insurance, and have renters insurance that should cover losses but then again, it could also be documents I need or pictures... Anyway, the negligence of the movers aside...

I still can't fathom people that just walk up and take people's stuff... I mean, I can understand if you're desperate for money, think you have no options, or something like that... but this was inside a rather expensive apartment complex... so they can't be that hard up... it was just a guy casually walking up, taking a couple of boxes, and walking away... I don't understand how people can do that...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Neither can I, hal. That really sucks.

[vison]

That's awful, halplm. It seems that some people will steal ANYTHING, on the off chance that there is something valuable (pawnable) in the mix. Maybe that's it?

I hope it turns out to be just stuff you can easily replace.

[axordil]

Greed and lack of morals comes in many guises. It can wear cargo pants and carry off boxes, or suits and carry off pension funds. It's the same impulse and the same lack of empathy at fault in either case.

I do hope your rental insurance, or the mover's liability insurance, covers it. But a good comic book collection is much, much harder to replace than an appliance or a car.

[Cerin]

I'm so sorry to hear that, hal.

Yes, it's hard to relate to people being so selfish and inconsiderate when you come right up against it that way. That's the way I felt the first time I realized that someone had razored out pages from a library book. Couldn't be bothered to make a copy, I guess. It really boggles the mind.

[halplm]

Thanks guys. Ax, there were two boxes stolen... one was my personal stuff (which I verified was NOT my box with my first edition Silmarillion), which I'm hoping was just DVDs, as some of my other books would be hard to find.

The other was actually a box of inventory for my new store... so the comics would have been new (and thus easy to replace), or it was just supplies or toys... I'm not as worried about that box, although it will be hard to figure out what's missing, as we'll basically have to take inventory of all our stuff...

I was really upset initially, as I didn't know if the insurance would cover any of it, and the Movers were very "stuff happens" about the whole thing... turns out they were leaving my apartment door wide open while going back and forth from the truck too (I was waiting AT the truck to watch my stuff)... Also, the police were useless... doesn't matter how much value was in the box apparently...

I sometimes think it's silly not letting movers handle things like computers or jewelry but I'm extremely thankful I did not this time... even though it cost me a day of PTO and I feel extraordinarily drained physically and mentally having to move a lot of stuff myself...

I can't imagine what I would have done if my box of REALLY expensive comics had been taken... Those would not be easy to replace, and any insurance company would fight me over the value of them...

[axordil]

Cerin--

Sometimes petty crimes are the most mind-boggling of all, yes. I can understand crimes of pure greed or of desparation, but not laziness.

Well, beyond perhaps traffic and parking violations...

[Whistler]

A friend at work just moved, and the movers stole $10,000 worth of her jewelry.

[Cerin]

My friend moved and the movers lost all of the family photographs, years' worth.


Whistler, surely your friend will have some redress?

[anthriel]

My friend, who will moving to Mexico soon, had all of her jewelry stolen out of her suitcase in the Mexican airport.




Ummm... that makes me feel good. How about people who might want to put something INTO a suitcase? Huh?


hal, I am so sorry this happened to you. Being robbed does make me wonder about the overall condition of the human race... as you say, this was probably NOT a single mother desperate to feed her children.

Crummy thieves.

[halplm]

wow, my stuff was nothing compared to either of those

My Dad's first thought was that it must be the movers themselves, but I'm not sure how that would have been possible with me sitting in the truck... not to mention... why tell me about it if they did? I wouldn't have noticed for a week at least (although now I know to count boxes... not to mention label and inventory stuff in them).

I don't know about it all, though... I feel horrible when I notice I got an extra dollar in change or something... although I tend to think those type of things even out in the long run, as I've been shortchanged plenty of times as well...

I don't really know if it's a moral issue so I see it so differently, or if its cultural or what. I guess some people just learn to take what they can... which is so very opposite how I view the world...

[Erunáme]

Wow...I'm now nervous about moving our stuff to England as our stuff will be completely out of our hands for a while...and it will include Iavas's expensive stereo equipement.

Anthriel: do you mean your friend put her jewelry in checked lugage? If so, I wouldn't have done that. I would have kept it with me on my carry on bags.

[anthriel]

Yes, she did, Eruname, and she has heard that from everyone she has told the story to... and I doubt she does it again.

Her point, though? Doesn't matter that it was in her bags. They shouldn't have stolen it!

I can understand why people are telling her to not put expensive stuff in her bag in the future... seems so obvious now, doesn't it? but... I also see her point.

[Whistler]

My friend is all right, and her insurance company has already replaced some of the jewelry.

It's just the idea of placing trust in someone, and having it grossly betrayed. That's probably more unsettling than the loss.

[Griffon64]

Here in South Africa they've started sealing your check-in luggage in shrink-wrap at the counter, because the airport personnel simply help themselves to the contents otherwise

And I fly tomorrow

That's why the few documents I REALLY can't afford to lose goes in my carry-on baggage!

Thievery is always wrong, in my opinion. I've shipped my stuff a few weeks ago ( well, it is still being shipped of course ) and I watched closely as they packed everything, sealed the boxes, wrote out the manifest lists. And insured everything. But some of that stuff will be hard to find and replace, too. I hope nobody gets itchy fingers at my posessions!

Anth - your friend story reminds me of what you often hear in South Africa. If something gets stolen out of your car you were "looking for it" because it was in the car in plain view of thieves. But uhm, hello, it is INSIDE MY car damnit, how on earth does the logic work that says me owning something and letting someone else see it, invites them to steal it and makes it MY fault? Ditto bag-snatchers, muggers, burglars - it is always the victim who was "looking for it". In a recent high-profile case Jacob Zuma, my country's ex-second in command, was tried for rape ( he still has corruption charges hanging over his head ) and during his trail he testified straight-faced that the fact that he could see his victim's knees and that she didn't had her legs together as she sat on his sofa meant she was "asking for it".

He was aquitted, by the way, and also shared such gems as "if you shower afterwards, you won't get HIV" during his trail.

[Primula Baggins]

Wait.



Griff.

Is flying.

Tomorrow.









(Hal, I'm sorry about the theft! The degree of selfishness that shows, even aside from issues of right and wrong. . . . )

[Cerin]

Yes, Whistler, I see what you mean.


Eru, I'm sorry we've put these ideas in your head right now.

[Erunáme]

Yes, she did, Eruname, and she has heard that from everyone she has told the story to... and I doubt she does it again.

Her point, though? Doesn't matter that it was in her bags. They shouldn't have stolen it!

I can understand why people are telling her to not put expensive stuff in her bag in the future... seems so obvious now, doesn't it? but... I also see her point.

Well, yes of course, I see her point as well and it's a very valid one. Of course one should not expect for their things to be stolen and no one ever is "asking for it".

Though unfortunately in today's society it does seem like we do have to expect bad things to happen and try to plan accordingly. :|

No worries, Cerin.

[Erunáme]

My friend is all right, and her insurance company has already replaced some of the jewelry.

It's just the idea of placing trust in someone, and having it grossly betrayed. That's probably more unsettling than the loss.

Jewelry can have a lot of meaning as well...anniversary gifts, wedding presents, wedding/engagement ring.

I lost an earring that Iavas gave me on our wedding night. I wouldn't have been so upset about the loss of it if it weren't for sentimental reasons. If someone were to ever steal, say my wedding ring...that would be really tough. Sure it could be replaced, but it's just not the same.

[Jnyusa]

hal, I'm really sorry to hear about that. The feeling of violation really is worse than the monetary loss ... unless the monetary loss is very large.

But I would suggest that you report this incident to the Better Business Bureau, and I would give a copy of the police report to the manager of the apartment/condo as well. The movers should have been more careful about closing doors and not leaving things on the street and the manager should know that there is possibly a thief on the premises.

Jn