A Question For Night Shift Workers

NoNameNoNumber · 1 Oct 2016 at 23:42

When I go to work in the car that obviously leaves a spot on the drive, and seeing as my OH has been away all week that leaves the driveway empty... Obviously no one home, and the house sits in darkness... Does this make anyone else feel uneasy? I have 2 single garages and normally there's a car parked in front of each one.

Do you leave any lights on in the house or something? I have a couple of security lights up for what they're worth. The neighbours aren't exactly our best friends so its no comfort knowing they're there!

adam cool dude · 1 Oct 2016 at 23:51

Get a dog.

arc@css · 1 Oct 2016 at 23:52

I tend to leave some lights on when I go out in the evening.

shauncr91 · 1 Oct 2016 at 23:59

Lock the house, get an alarm and finally get insurance?

Rroff · 2 Oct 2016 at 00:10

Decent hidden safe for anything you'd really care about losing, other than that what can you do - many neighbourhoods I've lived in people don't even blink an eye if an alarm goes off :S

diamount · 2 Oct 2016 at 00:23

Most burglaries take part during the day. So you're fine.

Werewolf · 2 Oct 2016 at 01:10

Get a couple of timers for lamps and set them to turn on and off so it looks like someone moving from room to room now and then, say one for the living room which is on until X time, another for the kitchen that turns on/off a few times and one for the bedroom.

You could also leave the radio on or something so it seems occupied and there is some noise.

diamount said:
Most burglaries take part during the day. So you're fine.

Aye that's true but there are still the night ones about, although they are probably more careful and likely to go for the open window etc.

Some twit tried to get into one of our downstairs rooms last year at about 1am, I had the vent window open as I was watching TV with headphones (and browsing on the computer at the same time) with the lights off.
I'm still not sure who was more scared, him when I realised it wasn't the wind blowing a bush outside the window so a branch was hitting the window (it took me several seconds to remember I'd cut the offending branch earlier in the week) and stood up making some noise, or me when I realised some thieving ********** ****** **** ******* ************* ******** ******* had just tried to reach in and open the main (locked with key out) window.

Unfortunately I was a little shocked and didn't ring the police for about a minute or so, although I did see him running when I opened the curtain (I opened the curtain, told one of the other members of the house who was "why aren't you ringing the police already?" with me being a little "oh, right I should do that").

wildman · 2 Oct 2016 at 01:11

claymores on the drive, it's the only way to be sure

Akagi · 2 Oct 2016 at 01:14

Werewolf said:
Get a couple of timers for lamps and set them to turn on and off so it looks like someone moving from room to room now and then, say one for the living room which is on until X time, another for the kitchen that turns on/off a few times and one for the bedroom.

You could also leave the radio on or something so it seems occupied and there is some noise.

This, its what we do when we go on holiday.

We also asked one of our neigbours who doesn't have a driveway, if he would like to park on our driveway for the week etc... Might not work in your situation mind.

wildman said:
claymores on the drive, it's the only way to be sure

Make sure you point them the right way!

NoNameNoNumber · 2 Oct 2016 at 01:24

All good advice, I do have a timer as I bought the house 2 years before I moved into it... So yeah might be worth digging it out and hooking a lamp or two up...

Alarm, as pointed out above. Nobody responds anyway so not particularly high on my list of essentials... Its all upvc with ABS Avocet locks, security lights, fully insured buildings and contents with the valuable stuff declared... I do have a safe too, although never use it.

I'd love a dog, hankered for years for having a German shepheard... Not really fair for the 2 x 12 hr day shifts every 8 days when he'd be on his own though I don't think. Although I'd be out from 6 till 6, my OH would only be out from 8 till 5:30, not fair on a dog though IMO

Akagi · 2 Oct 2016 at 01:47

Thats why you get 2 or 3 dogs!

scotty365 · 2 Oct 2016 at 05:56

adam cool dude said:
Get a dog.

^^^this^^^ - it really does deter thieves even if its a small one

NoNameNoNumber · 2 Oct 2016 at 06:01

I'm out for 12 hours at a time though.

Arthur Hucksake · 2 Oct 2016 at 06:57

NoNameNoNumber said:
I'm out for 12 hours at a time though.

Three lamps. One in the living room, one upstairs in a back bedroom and one in the backroom.

Set timers, as already mentioned. If people are scoping the house they will see lights come on at random and it'll deter them.

NoNameNoNumber · 2 Oct 2016 at 07:03

That comment was more aimed at the recommendation of a dog.

RoboCod · 2 Oct 2016 at 07:08

Timers on lamps is what we have and would be effective in giving the impression someone is home. A fake alarm box on your house, especially if the rest of the street do have alarms, makes your house less likely to be targeted. Then go one further and get working cctv.

Flyer1210 · 2 Oct 2016 at 07:09

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