Packages stolen off of my front porch (a short rant)

[Steppapajon]

Earlier this week I had two packages stolen off of my front porch in broad daylight. The third edition lyman cast handbook and a lee 90 grain swc .314 mold. Then i discovered my 5 gallon gas can (full of gas no less) and push mower were also missing. After a quick search I find my battery charger is gone too. Need less to say I am pi$$ed. I call the sheriff make a report then lick my wounds. Then it occurs to me that if the thief has half a brain he now knows I have at least one gun and might decide to make a return visit next time I am out.
Not the first time I have had things stolen but the first I ever felt like someone was just waiting to get into my house.
Moral of the story... it is pretty easy for thieves to know what we have if we are not careful. Be diligent my friends.
Rant off and thanks for listening.
SPJ

[Bzcraig]

For that reason any package coming UPS I pick up at the UPS Store, same for FedEx and if coming USPS and won't fit in mailbox I have it delivered to work.

[Artful]

Sorry to hear this happened - maybe invest in a few stickers or a lawn sign informing Mr. Crook that you have just signed up for Security Alarm Monitoring, to give you a little room to get better security in place.

[GoodOlBoy]

Buddy of mine had a bunch of stuff from a rifle to mowers and even a piano stolen from him. Three days later his wife finds it for sale on craigslist by his own nephew....

GoodOlBoy

[country gent]

I know the feeling having a riding mower stolen and some small items also. Its a feeling of being violated thats hard to describe. Ive had lead ingots stolen from the garage also. My Delivery people normally put items in the one grill on the deck for me. Its out of sight that way.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I can't stand thieves.

[shoot-n-lead]

Aggravating to have this happen, I know from experience. However, please do not let the fear of a return visit from a thief, drive your life. Control the things that you can and let the rest of it, go.

[MaryB]

Camera on the porch! ID the thief and get your stuff back! I bet it is a local who is into drugs.

[coleman]

Time for a rattlesnake in a box left on the porch!

[w5pv]

Fill your gas can with sugar water and a couple inches of gas and set it out you will lose a gas can but they will spend a lot in repairs.There is a Ford pick up that hasn't ran in years acrose the hiway from me but I haven't lost any more lawn mower and small engine gas.

[BrassMagnet]

Time for a rattlesnake in a box left on the porch!

Doing this is criminal.

[BrassMagnet]

Fill your gas can with sugar water and a couple inches of gas and set it out you will lose a gas can but they will spend a lot in repairs.There is a Ford pick up that hasn't ran in years acrose the hiway from me but I haven't lost any more lawn mower and small engine gas.

This sounds like the best idea I have heard!

[Col4570]

Some years ago we where bedevilled by Milk thieves stealing bottles of Milk from the Doorstep.My late Dad watered down some White Emulsion Paint and filled some Bottles.The thieving stopped immediately.I will never understand the mind set that carries no guilty feelings by the perps.

[starnbar]

Set a game camera out if they did it once they will be back easy pickings are just too tempting for em and don't be surprised when you find pictures of a neighbor at your door the pictures work good with LE when they go to make the arrest.

[Handloader109]

I do like the doctored water in the gas can. Make sure you have a full gallon! I had a few month old riding lawnmower stollen about 10 yes ago out of my shop. Gone less than an hour.......neighbors across the street 99% probablity due to no one else could easily see us leave. My shop was broken into several times after we moved out of home in MS, shop was full is furniture and some tools. Stole a bunch of stuff before we recognized it gone. Glad we finally got it emptied and sold. I thought about laying low for them, but decided it was best not to try. Feel your pain.

[osteodoc08]

A liar and a thief. Cant stand either one.

[dakotashooter2]

I know the feeling having a riding mower stolen and some small items also. Its a feeling of being violated thats hard to describe. Ive had lead ingots stolen from the garage also. My Delivery people normally put items in the one grill on the deck for me. Its out of sight that way.

Works till they take the grill.................... I'm supprised the popularity of trail cams and other types of security cameras have not slowed down thievery (and trespass)........ Seems like almost everyone has them these days......

[Mauser48]

Load up! I like the idea of spiking the gas can too.

[rancher1913]

luckily knock on wood, we haven't "lost" anything but one time after a snowfall (we hadn't left the house in days so place looked like we were gone) had someone pull through garden and around back of house, got out of the truck and headed to back door with a crowbar, they were met with a double barrel and their story was they were looking for a lost horse. gave sheriff the plate number. I suspect they changed their shorts when they got home.

[Beagle333]

I put up a trail cam. They like trail cams too, apparently.
Haven't put out the effort and $$ yet for a live remote cam so they can't just take the pics with them.

Summer is the worst time. The neighborhood kids are out of school and bored.

[jmort]

"I bet it is a local who is into drugs."

Yes indeed

[jonp]

We leave our valley bulldog outside loose during the day. She is friendly if we are there, not so much if we are not

[quickdraw66]

Putting a fake one of these in a box and leaving it on your porch would probably result in a change of pants for the thief.

http://nootropicdesign.com/projectlab/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/dynamite1-large.jpg

[bangerjim]

Happened to me a couple times. Police reported "a black van with 5 Hispanic males were following UPS trucks and stealing parcels off the front porches of customers" Never caught them. Too many of them!!!!!!

Insurance covered the several hundred $$ involved.

Stuff probably ended up at one of the many swap meets around here. Or on-line at evilbay.

Now I ship ALL items to my office for security.

[Tackleberry41]

You never really know about people. I worked at a Mercedes dealer, one would think with that kind of money, nope they stole everything that wasn't bolted down. Stupid stuff, clean out the coffee creamer, or the toilet paper. Can afford a mercedes or Porsche but stealing toilet paper. They put those dispensers in the bathroom, and made some minor changes, stuff stopped disappearing. Went to get rid of my trash today, dump some used oil, they have a filter crusher there, well somebody emptied the hydraulic fluid from the crusher. Really stealing used hydraulic fluid?

Was in Fla visiting my mom, lives in a gated retirement community. Sadly they take everything thats not bolted down. Had to put in video cameras as people would clean out the fridge in the clubhouse, stuff people put in there for a party later in the day, come back all gone. Same thing take the toilet paper out of the restrooms. Guess some just don't have any money, so feel its okay to take it.

Had some stuff disappear at a house in KY, just pulled into the driveway, took what they could grab and left. Didnt even notice it missing for a bit, useless to even call the cops. I did but the report never got filed. Where I live now, I don't really worry about leaving stuff out. The yard is fenced and the 2 dogs are usually out, not many people tend to come in a yard with a 110lbs bulldog and a pitbull patrolling.

[Charley]

Cameras wont stop people from stealing, but you might be able to ID and catch those doing it. If cameras stopped thieves, you wouldn't see videos like this one.http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/05/30/watch-florida-gun-store-thief-stuffs-assault-rifle-down-his-pants

[.45Cole]

I leave the bulky shiny things about to load them up. I figure they will have a full load before they get too far in. Might dye the gas too, like red. Red coming out of a red can wouldn't be noticed.

[Steppapajon]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. A few like coleman's "Time for a rattlesnake in a box left on the porch!"
made me laugh and wish I could.
w5pv's sugar water idea sounds like a good one too.
I think I will go with MaryB's idea and buy a security camera system.
Just have to remember to not have it shipped to the house!
Feeling better all ready
SPJ

[MaryB]

Someone swiped gas off my front porch a couple times, figured it was the meth using ex next door neighbor so I took a gallon of methanol and put it in an empty 1 gallon gas can. Yup his lawnmower went up in flames after it shrapneled the engine and punctured the gas tank. Never lost gas after that.

[wonderwolf]

As a UPS Driver it really surprised me how "open" some houses are that I deliver to are. Some I'm pretty sure I could walk in the front door and out the back without anybody noticing. Big dogs scare me as I have a "Oh SNAP" moment about once a week with one but a treat usually settles 95% of them down, the other 5% are the "aggressive breeds" and I don't dare get treat tossing close enough to them to find out if it would work or not.

If you have a dog most likely it can be bribed albeit SLOWLY....a smart criminal will befriend a dog days before a break in if the target is rich enough, tranquilizers are also an option if stuffed in some treats. If you go to gun shows make sure you are not followed home, this has happened to several older men at our shows and one almost didn't survive the beating during the break in. If you set up at gunshows make sure you don't have any shipment boxes with your address on them on the table ...or anywhere else that a passerby can easily get your home address info from. One more reason a P.O. Box is a safer way to go. I cut my labels off before the shows if I'm bringing boxes from home. If you sell stuff locally on craigslist meet in a public place never invite a stranger into your shop.

I've been the victim of apartment theft luckily only once, They broke into a disconected storage unit and stole gas cans (jerry cans too :( ) and some tools of mine that I had since I was 10 years old. I felt terrible because dad always said if I took care of those tools they would last me a lifetime and now there were probably at a pawn shop somewhere.

Out of 4 really good friends I have only 1 that I know of has never been the victim of theft and I think it helps he lives on a military base/near one where its almost punishable by death to steal (which it should be, or maybe just your thumb if caught)

[45workhorse]

Make sure your trail cam does not flash or make noise. It might wind at up at the pawn shop also

[leeggen]

Had a friend that put a black snake in a purse once. Left it on porch and this black guy grab it and ran to a cadilac with friends in it. All of a sudden all 4 doors blew open and everyone inside ran like little girls. He called police and explained the car at the end of his drive and the police arrestted a couple guys for it. Now can't you just hear them explaining that to a judge?
Diesel in a red gas can works pretty good. Their vcar will smoke big time and run like junk for awhile.
CD

[Blacksmith]

Did you know that beer bottles make good emergency urinals when traveling? You can even re cap them, to prevent leakage, if you are careful to not damage the cap when opening. If you have been on a long trip just leave the six pack on the porch until you can dispose of it properly.

[SeabeeMan]

Cameras wont stop people from stealing, but you might be able to ID and catch those doing it. If cameras stopped thieves, you wouldn't see videos like this one.http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/05/30/watch-florida-gun-store-thief-stuffs-assault-rifle-down-his-pants

Or this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52nuUljFsCQ

No BS, that is literally my neighbor. Well one of about 16 people that live in 2 decrepit trailers with every item they can get for less than a dollar at thrift sales, junk shops, and charity hand outs strewn in their front yard. Several friends who are LEO remarked that much of it is probably stolen, but without police reports with serial numbers, there isn't much they can do.

[nickeda85]

Friend of my dad's did the gas can trick once when his lawnmower gas kept coming up missing. Believe the mix contained diesel and sugar with a little gas thrown in. He found the vehicle and can a few miles away, confronted the person,took the gas can (with his name on the bottom),and told them to enjoy putting a new engine in. Serves 'em right.

Dave

[Houndog]

When I owned my tractor trailers I started noticing fuel being taken from a tractor parked in a certain place. I put about 20 gallons of gas in the saddle tank and let the thief steal it. The next day one of the house trailers in a nearby trailer park exploded and burned. Needless to say problem solved! Gasoline and oil furnaces don't mix! Never did have another problem.

[jcwit]

Sugar in the gas or gas tank?

http://blog.nwautos.com/2010/10/sugar_in_gas_tank_is_followed_by_problems_that_are nt_so_sweet.html
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/sugar-in-gas-tank.htm
http://chemistry.about.com/od/weirdscience/fl/Sugar-in-a-Gas-Tank-What-Really-Happens.htm
http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

This enough? There's plenty more.

[wonderwolf]

Military has a manual out on sabotage and subversion that offer a LOT of different things for engines, acids bases and other exotic stuff few worked well iirc.

Also fake bomb scare is a felony offense fyi

[MaryB]

That is where the methanol worked well, ran super hot, melted a piston, end of one lawn mower...

[benellinut]

Many many years ago while rebuilding yet another four barrel Rottenchester carb I noticed tiny grains in the float bowl, I called a couple other guys over to look at it and one of them said it looks like sugar but we couldn't figure out how it got past the filter unless it happen when someone had changed it or tried to run it without one for a while because it had clogged with the sugar. There was also a "sock", a screen in the tank that acts as a primary filter for bigger particles on the fuel pickup line in the tank, but somehow the sugar was in the carb so it was puzzling how it got there. Anyways one of the guys took a few pieces and put it on his tongue and said, "Yup. sugar" so I did the same and sure as hell it was sugar. It had not melted or dissolved and hadn't caused any damage. We offered to pull the gas tank but the customer didn't want to pay for it, he never did come back with any problems so apparently there wasn't enough in the tank to clog the pickup tube screen.

About twenty years later we had a Nissan Pathfinder towed to another shop I worked in that was a no start, having good fuel pressure, spark and timing I zeroed in on the fuel. I took a fuel sample for the injector rail and found what first looked like water in the fuel but it smell like bleach. Knowing there was a remote latch for the gas cap door I looked and found the door was slightly bent on the edges and the paint chipped where someone had pried it open, this guy had pissed someone off. What ever it was it had started to corrode the insides of the fuel lines and would develop a white corrosion on any bare metal in about an hour. We had to replace the entire fuel system, gas tank, fuel pump, lines, hoses, injectors, injector rails, everything. Luckily the spark plugs looked normal, looking into the cylinder through the spark plug hole all looked normal. Didn't appear to have caused any noticeable damage to the engine, it ran fine and the owner never came back with driveability or engine problems.

[rockrat]

Karo syrup in the engine oil destroys the lubricating properties of the oil, or so I have heard.