Theft

Blogs, like diaries, keep track of events in our lives both good and bad. My bicycle was stolen out of my garage on Thursday night. It was a nice one (Norco Tundra) and I had fitted it out with a gel seat, extra handle grips, back rack and fender plus a nice pannier lock and kickstand. All my bike tools of course were in the panniers. All I have left now is my new helmet.

It funny but when something like this happens to you one takes it rather personally. What did I do to become a target? My neighbour had his new mulching lawn mower stolen out of his yard the same night. He is not feeling hurt - he is angry!

Today as I was sitting outside with my "boys" (cats) I was trying to read and get past thinking about my loss - our losses - when the young man directly next to me offered his commiserations and said he knew what it was like. He was at a football game a few weeks ago and came out after to find his $70,000 truck stolen. This man works two jobs to keep this vehicle. It is his pride and joy and he had just invested $1500 for a DVD drive to be fitted into it and had an x-box in the back. The police found his truck 4 days later with busted steering column and driver window and, of course the stereo , dvd, xbox all gone. He says he doesn't feel the same sitting in it anymore. The pride has been replaced by a feeling of violation. To add insult to injury the auto insurance will cover his losses only up to $1000.! (doesn't even cover the cost of the DVD drive).

Thieves don't take into account how hard some of us scrimp and save to get something nice when they steal it. Most times they simply strip and discard the item elsewhere. My bike will never be recovered, of course. Probably all they got out of it is a joy ride and now it is sitting somewhere abandoned. (Guess I should have fitted it out with a GPS so I could find it.) As badly as I feel, I have to say at least they didn't steal my computer or imagine losing a whole new vehicle. I know it is "just stuff" but theft leaves one feeling raped no matter what is taken from us.

They say there is a lesson in every tragedy but I am struggling to find the answer to this one unless it is to safeguard the rest of my stuff more seriously. When I think of it though - if thieves want something there is nothing 100% foolproof to repel them. Kinda makes one feel a little helpless, doesn't it?