Sunday, March 11, 2007

Tale of a Lucky Idiot

I’d just like to take a moment to thank my neighborhood for being such a safe place to live. It’s an older section of town and there is some low rent housing about four or five blocks down the road, but overall, I feel very safe here. And I think it’s very important that I live in a place that harbors me no ill will since I am clearly incapable of protecting myself.

Only an hour ago, my family and I returned from a visit to Kansas City. We left yesterday morning and have therefore been gone for just under two days. We arrived to find our front door open. No, not unlocked. Wide open. The spring-closed storm door was shut to keep the cats in…but the actual door was open to the world.

“Come on in!” it said to the teenagers in the neighborhood. “Have a wild party. Puke in the corner and spray paint the walls.”

“Me stereo system, su stereo system,” it said to anyone passing by who happened to be in the market for electronics at the rock bottom price of FREE!

“Make yourself at home,” it said to any homeless crazy folks who were looking for a warm bed and a closet to crap in.

Fortunately, my neighborhood is safer than I am. So, I’d like to thank everyone around these parts for ignoring the invitation my open door was shouting to any an all passers-by.

And furthermore…I’d also like to thank the neighborhood for ignoring this issue last time I did the same, exact thing a couple years ago.

Man, I’m an idiot.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess the ocd I have it when it comes to locking doors isn't necessarily a bad thing. :)

Glad everything turned out okay.

Moksha Gren said...

Alvis - Normally, we're pretty good about this sort of thing. I've locked my own mother out in the sub-zero weather while she was outside smoking due to my impulse to lock the door behind me. But we were running late Saturday morning and just skipped merrily away without a second thought. I even sat with my cousin this weekend, comparing our neighborhoods and told him the story about the last time I went away for the weekend with the door wide open. Little did I know my front door was again open as I told him this story.

Si - Luckily, it was a beautiful weekend so the furnace wasn't overly taxed.

I actually think most places could get away with it for a night. I think most people are either a) decent people who have no interest in breaking into my home or b) not brazen enough to just stroll in even if they're pretty sure no one is home. You're right, however, that it's probably best not to experiment with this theory.

Mark said...

Probably unless they're casing the joint, a passerby will figure somebody's working in the yard and just popped in to take a phone call or grab a water.

But, for that long, you are indeed fortunate to be in your neighborhood and not countless others.

Being rushed is the number one way to forget something that you normally perform on a subconscious level.

Anonymous said...

We live in a nice enough neighbourhood, and would probably get away with it around here, too, though I'm not entirely sure.

We often hang out in the basement during the evening, where we have the tv set up. Our basement has uncommonly large windows (for a basement anyway) and we are not in the habit of closing the blinds - I'm a sunlight lover. Last fall, however, we had teenagers (or so we assumed) knocking on the window panes. They also knocked loudly on the door once or twice evenings when I was home alone with the baby. Left soda cans on the doorstep.

All in all, they just came 6 to 7 times, and did no more harm than this, but you wouldn't believe how it can make you nervous nonetheless. Winter, combined with closed blinds, put an end to it, and I don't believe they'd have the gut to enter and vandalise a home, but still... better safe than sorry.

Good thing you have great luck. Does that mean you get a wish now?

One Wink at a Time said...

As Mark said, about the rushing... It never fails, when I'm in a hurry, I forget something. Had I left the door open like that when we'd been gone for a weekend, our neighbors (bless their hearts) would have called us or something. But Poopy would never ever let me forget it. It would be added to the ever-growing list of my over-lookments and under-achievals.
So glad things are just as you left them.

(Jet, I cleaned it up, you owe me, man. And for the wings.)

Moksha Gren said...

Mark - Rushing was indeed the culprit..but that wouldn't have made me feel any better had we got robbed. We just need to do a better job of remembering that while time with family is nice...an extra minute double checking things before we leave is never a bad idea.

Jet and Wink - You guys did a pretty good job of cleaning up the place. However, I did find a empty bottle of tequilla and a disposable camera under the downstairs couch. I don't think I want to know.

Emilie - That would have creeped me out too. It's one thing to be pretty sure it's just kids. But it's another to be so sure that you're ok sitting in front of windows you can't see out knowing someone may be looking at your. Unsettling to say the least.

As for wishes, Mine already came true. "Please let everything still be there...please let everything still be there."

Wink - As diligent as my neighbor across the street is, I'm actually very surprised he didn't come over and close the door for us. I need to go chat with him and let him know that if he sees the door open like that again...it's perfectly reasonable to assume that I'm again being complete fool and that assistance would be appricated.

BD said...

Low rent housing is a sign of danger?