On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 smac at visi.com wrote:

> I guess this is one of the ways homes get robbed, over heard conversations.

Not a major one.  Let's see, what sequence of events is necessary for this 
to be a problem:
	A) You get work done at your home by a worker
	B) said worker wanders around your house to notice what you have
	C) said worker comments on what you have in the local bar
	D) Said comment was overheard by a burglar
	E) Burglar finds out where you live ("I was over at this
	   guys place and..." doesn't help)
	F) Burglar decides to go rob your house

If any one of those things doesn't happen, you house doesn't get robbed 
simply because you had a guy over to fix your ceiling.

Rather than hanging out in bars hoping to evesdrop on talkative repairmen, 
your average burglar is more likely to be out driving around and casing 
neighborhoods.

When you buy new electronic or computer equipment, fold the boxes up and 
put them into trashbags when you throw them out.  Much more likely than 
overhearing the worker talk about your new 52" flatscreen TV is that the 
burglar has driven by your house and took note of that big box for the new 
TV you're throwing out with the trash.  When you go on vacation, even a 
few days, have a neighbor pick up your mail and advertising circulars- 
nothing says "I'm not home!" quite like a pile of advertising circulars by 
the front door (except at my place, where they say "I haven't bothered to 
throw them out yet").

The other thing to do to prevent your house from being broken into: get a
security alarm and/or a big dog.  People go into house robbery because
it's a low risk/high reward form of crime.  They're furniture movers
seduced by the dark side.  It doesn't matter that the security system is
nothing more than a sign planted in the front yard, or that the large dog
is a complete wuss who is more likely to cower in the closet than attack
the burglars- they might *not* be.  You've just made your house too risky 
to rob.

It's impossible to make it impossible to rob your house- any security 
system can be worked around.  It's fairly easy to make your house not 
worth the trouble to rob.  This is the secret to all security, house, 
computer, and otherwise.

Brian



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