How sad is this?

I was on craigslist and this ad caught my eye. I swear some people can be real jerks. It's makes you reevaluate your own life and see how fortunate you are.

-mano


Dearest Loser Thieves,
Thanks so much for popping the lock on my minivan and for taking all my stuff. I should've known better than to park at Todai and attempt to enjoy an evening with family. I also wanted to commend you on your activity planning skills. You were such a creative help in planning the week my brother was here from Florida. I was wondering how exactly we should spend our time. And you came up with the perfect scenario. You brilliantly suggested that an evening on the phone with credit card companies and banks would be much better than the drive-in movie we had originally planned for. And you thought that I should spend most of the week he was here without sleep wondering just how I might continue through the week of finals without my most crucial laptop with all my notes inside. And you wisely decided that I wouldn't need the gift cards that were given to us after our home burned down in October. After all. What good would gift cards do me since I shouldn't bother driving without a driver's license. And thank you for taking the photo book of my two little kids. One of the only remnants left over from the fire. And thanks for deciding that my days should include trips to the store to buy a new purse and wallet---even though you took the one I liked best. That's okay. I'm sure you had fun tossing it out the window of your (most likely) stolen car on Tecalote Road. I'm sure my purse was much happier there than strapped to my shoulder. I also enjoyed your suggestion to include trips to the bank to dispute each charge you made. Don't worry. The accounts are closed. Thanks also for taking my gym bag with my ipod in it. A gift from my husband for Mother's Day because he wanted to make me feel better about losing everything in the fire. But you were wiser. You knew I wouldn't need the ipod anymore because the thought of parking anywhere---especially in a gym parking lot----is probably not the safest way to go. I'm so glad you took it and my brand new tennis shoes because now I don't feel so much like going to the gym anymore and I have a pretty valid excuse. Thanks also for the fact that I'm supposed to be leaving on vacation---our first family vacation after a year of hell---and instead of packing, I'm spending time waiting in line at the DMV and scrambling to call airlines to see if they will allow me to fly with a temporary license. This is so much more entertaining and productive than playing with my toddlers at the community pool. And I wanted to especially thank you for taking all my bare escentials makeup. That stuff was so brand new! IN fact, since all my other makeup burned up, I went out just a month ago and finally brought myself to accept the reality and bought a new set. But I suppose you had better plans for my makeup than I could ever dream of. And just so you know. I did get my binder back from the great storage place you picked out. I like your taste in dumpsters. Large area to throw a lot of random, unassuming people's personal belongings and typically, no one would look there! But thank you "citizen" for calling the police! And another girl that you violated/robbed on her BIRTHDAY in the parking lot of Dave and Buster's also got all of her cards back, too, from that practical dumpster. The border patrol mistakenly gave me her stuff, also. But I was not about to toss the few things left that belonged to her. No. Way. I looked her up on zaba search, found her father, called the family and got an address. I then shredded her account numbers,(with her permission) packed them up in a ziploc bag along with her remaining cards and mailed everything back to her in a cute little envelope with a nice note inside. But I guess you couldn't offer the same courtesy to me or anyone else for that matter. Now that we're talking, by the way, who did you steal the blue qualcomm bag from? I'd like to get an address for that poor girl so I can pay to ship her stuff back, as well. The border patrol told me they would just throw it away so I opted to take that, too. I'm still looking for its rightful owner. So mostly I want to say thank you. Thank you for a healthier heart: it beats so much faster now everytime I lock a door and check it twice. And thank you for all the sleep I've been avoiding. I get so much more done now that I have so many hours in my day/night. And thanks for reminding me to lock every door and window. I actually wake up with nightmares about being robbed now so that's kind of a nice change of pace. And thanks for taking all my meds. I had to make several trips to the dr and pharmacy to get those all back again. Don't worry. My insurance didn't cover it. Our deductible was mistakenly too high and in an effort to avoid a rate hike, we just decided to take the loss. So, loser thieves. I hope you have a happy life with other people's things. Life on the street must be amazingly exciting. I'm sure you're proud of yourselves and all you've managed to accomplish in this short life. Perhaps one day when we're all in heaven, your party and event planning skills may come in handy. Hell must get pretty lonely and boring after 2,000 years. Maybe at that point you can put your skills to good use and dream up ways to spend the next 2,000 years in the hottest (no pun intended) place around.

I like the posters writing style and ability to cope with the situation.

In 1996 I moved from upstate NY to Bridgeport Connecticut. Bridgeport is not exactly a "nice" place but work made this a necessity. My buddy Ray helped me move to reduce the cost, and stayed overnight after the the last trip of three to recover from an incredibly long day before heading back to NY.

At some point that very first night I woke up to hear someone walking around, and in the moonlight of my bedroom (no curtains yet) I saw a large figure with his hand pointed forward, with what appeared to be a knife in the shadow. I sat up in bed getting ready to leap out and then I heard "click-click" and my buddy Ray with his noticable irish accent calmy say,

"I believe you are in the wrong house. I will afford you two choices. You can die here, right now or you can leave, never return, and tell all your dirtbag little theiving friends that if they come here they will die where they stand."

The dark figure with the knife in a shaky voice said "I'll leave" and was escorted down the stairs and out the front door with my 6'4" irish friend with my 12-ga mossberg planted in the side of his neck.

Over breakfast I gave Ray my four guns, as my gun permit was only valid in NY. For years, I wondered the intelligence of that move.

Man, some people are just parasites. When one of my friends was moving out here from LA she stopped in Dallas overnight to see a Cowboys game, and while she was in her hotel room her truck and U-haul trailer were stolen from the parking lot. She did get her truck back, but besides the stuff she'd brought into the hotel with her, everything she owned was stolen, including all her pictures of her dad, who had died a few years before. And even better, she'd been living in her mom's condo and the homeowners insurance didn't cover her stuff.

Over breakfast I gave Ray my four guns, as my gun permit was only valid in NY. For years, I wondered the intelligence of that move.
That would have been about the last thing I would have done the morning after something like that. I imagine the laws up there make things pretty difficult, though. I actually just bought my first pistol on Saturday. Picked it up yesterday and put 50 rounds through it with my friend whose stuff was stolen. I've got two decent-sized dogs as well, but I still didn't feel like I was being proactive enough in protecting my own safety.

This was in my college days, back then I had a little red Toyota Starlet. My last class ended at 8:00 pm, I was dead tired and half asleep when driving home. At a traffic light I started realizing that there was a rosary hanging from my rear view mirror, and the floor mats were light grey instead of the usual black. With mounting horror I realized the stereo was different too. Horror of horrors this was not my car!!! :eek:

I went back to campus and lo and behold my little red Starlet was parked very close to the place from where I took this one, but at the time there were no parking spaces close so I had to leave the car like two blocks away.

I will always wonder how scared the owner of the Starlet must have been when she/he wanted to go home at the end of his classes. How long did it take him/her to find the car. Oh well, at least she got an honest thief (me) and it was just a scare.

Five months after my oldest son was killed, my husband forced (in a good way) me to get outside to feel some sunshine on my face. He took me to our main local park, we took a brief 15 minute walk. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, hardly anybody at the park, he thought he had locked the car. When we got back to the car, my purse was stolen, I was carrying all my pictures of my oldest son with me. I didn't give a rats butt about the rest of the stuff, but the pictures could not be replaced.

Scum bag(s)

OMG..thats horrible. :( Sickening.

Last year I went to leave a few things in my son's car at college while he was in class, and I couldn't find the car. Of course, turned out the whole car was stolen right off the campus. It was the dead of winter, and of course they got his coat, his ipod, all his CDs, etc..but that wasn't near as bad as the fact that they dumped all his textbooks and we had to replace them. Jerks...We got the car back though, with them in it.

Pales in comparison to this ladie's story though...jeez.

JODY, I'm so glad you are OK!!!!!! I was worried!

That would have been about the last thing I would have done the morning after something like that. I imagine the laws up there make things pretty difficult, though.

Three of the five weapons I own would not have been allowed in CT, and no permit would be transferred or issued, though one of the three (as well as one that is allowed) are not on a state permit so CT would have little say in the matter. Those two I can carry anywhere I want in any manner that I wish, but I choose not to, as I am not really concerned about personal safety in this manner any longer as where I live this is not an issue. I've long sinced moved from Ratport, err Bridgeport CT.

I keep all my weapons in my friend's basement in my own 12-rifle safe and he does not have the combination, simply because he has a pair of adorable girls and I didn't want him writing the 5-digit combination down anywhere for them to find. He has his own arsonal anyway ;-)

I actually just bought my first pistol on Saturday. Picked it up yesterday and put 50 rounds through it with my friend whose stuff was stolen. I've got two decent-sized dogs as well, but I still didn't feel like I was being proactive enough in protecting my own safety.

What did you get?

If you don't mind I would like to make a suggestion. If your local, county or state police department offer a defensive weapons course, take it.

These courses teach many things but the three most important things are as follows:

1. You will learn the firearm laws specific to your state as they relate to the use of deadly force. Some states (like NJ where I live) do not allow escalation of force for civilians, except on your own property (such as break and entering). This means if an attacker draws a knife, bat, metal rod, I cannot shoot him in the face, leaving a body on the ground. I can break his temple with the butt of my gun however.

Many states make these laws unnecessarily complex so it's worth understanding them fully. After all, you do not want to be sued by the now-dead attacker's family for use of deadly force unless necessary - typically the laws of most states put the burden of proving necessity as the weapon's holder.

2. You will learn how to draw your weapon in a manner that it cannot be taken from you and used against you. This is probably the most common problem with new handgun owners - they fumble to draw and lose their weapon to their attacker turning the odds further south.

3. You will also learn how to use your weapon under duress. Shooting inert paper targets is one thing, however drawing your weapon during a confrontation and aiming it at a fellow human is an entirely different experience.

As I'm sure you know if attacked your body will respond by flooding you with adreneline and that unfortunately clouds some people's judgement at that very moment in time when when you need to be calm, cool and focused.
Most of these courses demonstrate this through "attack play" with non-lethal rounds in your own weapon and lots of body armor on them and you, so you can at least get a feel of what an attack might be like, and see how you respond, and get a feel for your weapon under pressure.

You want to know BEFORE an unpleasant reality falls upon you that you can stay in control, make the decision that's most appropriate, and draw (or choose not to draw) your weapon and respond cool as a cucumber.

I am suggesting this simply because you are a new handgun owner, and not for any other reason. I suggest this to all new handgun owners.

I just want people with weapons to use them appropriately and safely, and not make an unfortunate mistake they will regret the rest of their life, assuming their mistake does not take their own life. Sadly, I've seen poor outcomes with my own eyes twice in my life, the latter of the two resulted in my thigh being skimmed and a hole in my driver's door and a broken passenger window. The man who fired in my direction was killed with his own weapon immediately afterwards. I and my girlfriend at the time almost joined him.

What did you get?
CZ P-01 (http://www.danwessonfirearms.com/product_detail.php?id=28). That was at the top of my list, though I was open to other models, and as soon as I picked it up I was sold.

If you don't mind I would like to make a suggestion. If your local, county or state police department offer a defensive weapons course, take it.
I think that's a good idea myself, and I'm also interested in defensive pistol competitions at some point (assuming my skills reach that level). I have a little bit of martial arts training and we worked with prop guns sometimes, and it would be good to get back into something like that.

In Florida protections for gun owners are pretty strong, as we have the Castle Doctrine (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0776/SEC013.HTM), which basically assumes that anyone breaking into your home is there to kill or assault you and allows the use of deadly force against them. We also have no duty to retreat in public and can meet force with force anywhere we have a legal right to be. So it's a pretty good state to be a law-abiding citizen in. The only part of the laws here that I'm really unsure about are those pertaining to carrying while engaged in outdoor activities. You can carry without a CHL while hunting, fishing, or camping, but I'm not sure if just day hiking would be included and I'm not sure if it's open carry or concealed. You can keep a gun in a car here without a CHL, but I work at a university so that's a no go most of the time anyways. So pretty much the only time I'd be carrying it outside my apartment would be while hiking or camping.