What more can we do????
Last week, just after finding our fuel drum close to empty we borrowed a 20lt jerry can from our friends so that we could at least get to a filling station to fill our car. All was good. I think it was very the next day we headed off to Botswana to do our monthly grocery shop as well as purchase some supplies including 40 litres of paint for the Willow Park dining hall and a few other nick knacks for around Willow Park and our house. The house we live in doesn’t have a huge amount of storage space so I did need to leave the paint under the carport again for a few days and then I would take it out to Willow Park. It was in these few days that someone got into our property again and stole our last two metal jerry cans (they were out of eye sight … at least it wasn’t our friends jerry can) and the 40 litres of paint for Willow Park. I think the thing that frustrates us the most is that this time it was done in broad daylight whilst Jodi and I were out for only 30 minutes. Both Jodi and I are at a loss at what we can do … we changed our gate remote codes again, we padlock the gate of a night time and moved everything else that isn’t nailed down to the back of the property … but other than that I don’t know what else to do … do you have any suggestions?????????
Are you sure they are using the gate? I’d make thorough inspections of the fencing, ensure the electrics are working (it is electrified isn’t it?), make sure there aren’t any ‘secret’ holes under the wall or anything like that.
Possibly talk to the parents of the previous owners if you have their contact details. Perhaps the previous owners had similar problems or know ways to get around the gate that need adressing.
I’d also look for hidden areas around your yard, in your house and garage and any servant quarters onsite, see if there are cupboards where this stuff is just being temporarily hidden.
Is it possible to install some sort of serveillance system?
Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help back here in oz.
October 23, 2008 at 10:58 am
Now you’ve got me thinking! In each of us, a Sherlock Holmes is lurking.
Here’s my tips:
1. Install cheap motion detector spotlights.
2. Next time you are in SA, buy a fake camera or two, or make some, and bolt them to the side of the house and near the main gate.
3. Trade your current friendly, lick strangers to death dog for a massive ridgeback.
4. Scatter some fine grit around places that you think people are getting in [it won't be obvious like the main gate] and see if you can pick up footprints.
5. Always lock your doors, even during the day, and don’t stop until things settle down in a few years. We do it in Oz, you should.
6. Leave a jerry can and other attractive items outside, make a great show of leaving the house, ride around the block and come back suddenly.
7. Rig up jerry cans with fishing wire that can’t be seen so that if they lift them up the line pulls a whole lot of bottles or cans and makes a huge crash.
8. Rig up a simple circuit that sets of an alarm when a jerry can is lifted up off a pressure pad. Excellent idea!
9. Design a fake security company sign to display prominently.
10. Leave a Gospel tract on anything unsecured.
11. Offer money reward to neighbours servants for any useful information.
12. Buy a second Ridgeback and display ominous warning signs: “Please do not feed yourself to our dogs, we are already in a lot of trouble for the people they have eaten last week!”
That’s it. Follow the above, and if problems still persist then let me know, and my new ideas will be more radical, and will involve Semtex, contacts I have in the mercenary world, and other cunning tactics to outwit, outplay and outsmart the thieves.
October 24, 2008 at 1:26 am
Hi Andrew, So sorry to hear of more things going missing……PLEASE!!! DO NOT
take heed of No. 6 on Stan’s list unless you have a carload of people with you. If they are caught red handed you never know what they could do. The things going missing are only material things we certainly don’t want you or Jodi to go harmed in any way. Love all the other ideas though. Lots of love Mum & Dad
October 25, 2008 at 6:13 am
I would suggest watching Home Alone 1 and 2 for some ideas. My favourite is probably the blow torch.
On a more serious note we sure hope you find somthing to curb the loss of property.
October 26, 2008 at 12:22 am
Harry, I know some people who know some people who are good at making people dissapear – Do you want me to give them a call?
Alternatively, Stan is on the money with #3. Chain a big ugly dog to a central point and the radius you create with the length of chain will become extra secure storage space.
October 27, 2008 at 7:32 am
I am LOVING these ideas … please keep them coming through. I have actually been inspired by mixing a few of these ideas together.
I have taken notes whilst watching Home Alone (thanks Robert) and have loved the idea of the little kid attaching live wires to metal objects.
If I then mix suggestions 4, 6, 7 & 8 of Stan’s instructions I think I may have a full proof plan. I will be able to entice the robbers into the property (6) and when they try to pick up the metal jerry cans they will not see that I have rigged the jerry cans (7); but instead of it being rigged up to a whole heap of cans or on top of a simple circuit (8) I will have them linked up to a car battery (alteration of 7) and then when we return home after our trip around the block (6) we will see charred footprints leading to their point of entry (4). How does this sound?
October 27, 2008 at 8:07 am