| Author |
|
Manny
Senior Member
Joined: March 23 2003
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 172
|
| Posted: February 18 2007 at 20:14 | IP Logged
|
|
|
A couple of weeks ago the hard drive in one of my touch screens died.
I figured it would take me a long while to get around to fixing it.
So I bid and won a KeyTec TouchScreen overlay for one of my old laptops on eBay for $50.
I figured the package was late so I looked it up via the tracking number.
The seller sent it to me without asking for a signature request, so the delivery guy just placed it on my porch.
He should have placed a Billboard reading 'Look, free surprise gift".
A while later a thief comes by and takes it.
It's ironic that the touchscreen he stole was to replace the one in the foyer that would have shown him a snapshot of himself as he looked through the door's window.
Here's a video of the whole experience.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
dhoward
Admin Group
Joined: June 29 2001
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4447
|
| Posted: February 19 2007 at 13:27 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Manny,
Awesome video. I cant believe some jerk just walked up and took the package right off of your porch. I have stuff left all the time (even have the signature file on record) since Im hardly ever home during UPS/FedEx hours. Kind of an eyeopener.
Just wondering...what kind of resort do you have for this kind of problem?
Sorry to hear about this kind of stuff.
Dave.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Manny
Senior Member
Joined: March 23 2003
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 172
|
| Posted: February 19 2007 at 13:47 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, it's considered petty theft, so it's a 1 in a million that something will result from the police report. The officer liked my setup and took a copy of the video on cd-r.
I told him my plans of creating a decoy package with gps tracking. $30 dollar cell phone from Target with free Mologogo s/w installed. He said that if I find him to call the police.
That would make the whole thing worth it.
Decoys are fun.
I had somebody stealing my paper every other morning last year, until I filled a delivery bag with an old paper and dog poop.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
onhiatus
Senior Member
Joined: May 12 2004
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 279
|
| Posted: February 19 2007 at 14:30 | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wow, what did the seller say?
I'm with Dave - I hate packages requiring signatures as I am rarely home during the day. Of course one of the advantages of living on a dock is that anyone "visiting" has to walk past my 8 neighbors - and everyone is pretty aware of who belongs.
Edited by onhiatus - February 19 2007 at 14:30
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Manny
Senior Member
Joined: March 23 2003
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 172
|
| Posted: February 19 2007 at 14:50 | IP Logged
|
|
|
The seller never replied. They went through the iSoldIt chain.
Yeah, location matters. I'm on a moderate to high traffic street.
My 8 neighbors would have drawn straws to see who would get to steal it. I got to move out of the ghetto.
Edited by Manny - February 19 2007 at 14:50
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Manny
Senior Member
Joined: March 23 2003
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 172
|
| Posted: March 02 2007 at 22:55 | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'M A FREAKIN IDIOT!!!!
I had the Boost Mobile GPS tracker ready and tested.
Placed it in a box (bit bigger than a shoe box) with newspaper and put the box into a recently delivered DHL bag.
I was home all day ducking from the front windows so as not to be seen from out side.
I put on some steel toed boots, shin guards, and a cup I have from kick boxing.
By 2pm I was about to give it up and try again on Monday.
I heard a car pull up, and someone get out, I caught a glimpse from the den and started making my way to the front door, with a maglite in hand.
In all the excitement, my adrenalin rush made me forget about the GPS.
TOO SOON!!
I opened the front door while he was still 2 feet away from the package.
Once again:
I'M A FREAKIN IDIOT!!!!
This guy had a goat-tee. I wasn't sure if it was the same guy.
He was completely caught off guard and started babbling about some guy he knew who used to live at my house before me (my neighbors later confirmed that there was only a little old lady here for the last fifteen years.) He said that he lived just around the corner from me. That his name is Richard Parker.
I followed him to his car casually.
I still had the mag-lite in hand (so I guess I wasn't that casual)and with other I was trying to get my camera phone out of my pocket. I used the pretense of bringing in the recycle bin. As he was leaving I saw boxes in his back seat (he may have just robbed some other people.) I check the picture I snapped and it was all black, stupid fat fingers. He waves as he drives off.
Screw it!
I run inside and get in my car. I'm telling myself I'm not paranoid, that he was after the decoy.
I start looking for him around all the winding roads and dead ends that are "right around the corner", and nothing.
I head back to my street and there he was to my left. I hit the gas and he knows I'm tailing him.
He slows down and rolls down his window, and I yell out "Show me your ID"
He says that he told me the truth about who he was and what he was doing. We've stopped traffic but I don't care.
I bluff and say, "Don't make me pull out my gun."
"You have a gun?" he asks.
"and it's licensed, baby!, I answer.
(Note: I know I sound retarded, but that's what came out.)
He pulls over, and I'm thinking I wonder how far I'll take this. Cars are passing us as we're on the side of the road. I leave the flashlight in the car and he shows me an empty wallet, some kind of cardboard id , and a picture of a kid with a soccer ball. He says that's all the id he has and that he's just out of jail.I'm still not a 100% sure he's the same guy or another thief. He hasn't done anything threatening so I'm standing there pretty much impotent.
He asks what this is all about. I tell him I've been robbed recently, and that if he were me he'd do the same, right?
"Yeah", he answers as the question was rhetorical.
This time I aim slowly and snap a picture of his lic. plate.
He makes a u turn and gets on the nearby freeway, probably to his real home.
The whole conversation and experience seemed like some kind of game we were playing. I didn't catch him red handed, so did not call him a thief to his face, and he had to act innocent without giving me any real info about himself.
I called the cops again, and asked to speak with the officer that took my last statement. I said I had a lic. plate number this time. The lady just forwarded me to "investigations" where I left a voicemail.
I'll be posting the video from the sec.cams soon.
My neighbors are proud of me, and tell me it's unlikely he'll be back.
I'm mostly pissed at myself for ruining the trap that would have had this guy in possesion of stolen property plus an address to follow or give to the police.
I guess that's why I'm not in the law enforcement business.
So there you go...
(I've been posting my little saga all over the place and have found the venting to be therapeutic.) 
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Active Topics 
Memberlist 
Search 
Help
Register 
Login
PowerHome Messageboard : PowerHome Hardware
Topic: FedEx Bandit
