Are you parents paranoid about theft?

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-05-11 07:25am

Was just subject to being called a "moron", "fuckwit" etc. by my father for not following a builder upstairs (to my parent's bedroom) which he needed to use for access to the balcony. Never mind that I was already woken up at fucking 6:30am (sick, so I was bloody snotty and sneezing and needed at least 3 hours more sleep to feel better) to mind the house while the builders walked through it.

(I responded to my dad's abuse by calling him a fucking asshole and telling him to go fuck himself, btw)

But really, what pissed me off is the *automatic assumption* that any stranger in the house will steal something unless closely supervised- never mind the amount of money that's being paid for them to do a job and the automatic suspicion that would fall on said stranger if anything were to go missing. For fuck's sake, what was I going to do, follow him up the small flight of stairs to my parent's bedroom (four storey house, parent's top, living and kitchen 3rd, my and my brother's room, AV room, laundry, main bathroom 2nd, and rumpus 1st) and watch him as he did his shit? What the fuck is he going to think? He's going to think I'm watching him to make sure he's not stealing shit, that's what. And that makes me uncomfortable.

Rant off.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-11 07:30am

Paranoia can help most times. The automatic assumption that strangers are friends you haven't met yet is just as silly as assuming they're all evil scumbags.

I'd certainly be wary of them, obviously you've never seen any programmes called Builders From Hell or House Of Horrors. I doubt it's a UK based thing to have cowboy builders that not only do a piss poor job, but treat themselves to family trinkets too.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-05-11 07:32am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Paranoia can help most times. The automatic assumption that strangers are friends you haven't met yet is just as silly as assuming they're all evil scumbags.

Oh, I fully understand supervision, hence my sitting where I could see them all while partially watching TV while sneezing and blowing my nose constantly, but following them for the two seconds they need to go upstairs and out the balcony?

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-05-11 07:33am

Yes, this shits me too. And as a result, I am called "naive" for simply giving people the benefit of the doubt.

Some people are just paranoid. And paranoia runs in my family (at least my immediate family).

And Vympel you have more balls than I do. I've been in similar situations before, and I always keep a level head - I don't think too well on my feet. A shame, 'cause I always think afterwards "maybe I should have stuck up for myself a bit more, instead of just glaring with hate."

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-05-11 07:34am

I'm actually the one whose the most paranoid...

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-05-11 07:35am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I'm actually the one whose the most paranoid...

What, you mean medically paranoid? Or just in general?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-11 07:36am

They're going to get you Spanky. It's only a matter of time...

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-05-11 07:37am

And Vympel you have more balls than I do. I've been in similar situations before, and I always keep a level head - I don't think too well on my feet. A shame, 'cause I always think afterwards "maybe I should have stuck up for myself a bit more, instead of just glaring with hate."

I actually did the glare with hate thing (it's my typical course of action), then I just thought, fuck it, I'm not going to tolerate this abuse, and just full on gave him both barrels. Normally, me shouting at him alone would be enough for him to try and attack me, but strangely he didn't. I was so furious I probably would've been ready to stab him if he had tried, I swear ...

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-05-11 07:42am

Vympel wrote:I actually did the glare with hate thing (it's my typical course of action), then I just thought, fuck it, I'm not going to tolerate this abuse, and just full on gave him both barrels. Normally, me shouting at him alone would be enough for him to try and attack me, but strangely he didn't. I was so furious I probably would've been ready to stab him if he had tried, I swear ...

You write what I feel, man. Damn. At least the situation in my home has been calm for several months. But there was a time I just didn't want to interact with anyone except my mother.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-05-11 07:45am

I'm paranoid about workers in my house. I do my best to avoid seeing them and for them to see me. I don't know why, but that's how it goes with me.

But it's not because I'm afraid of them. Quite the opposite. I actually harbour some sort of hostility towards them.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-05-11 07:46am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:They're going to get you Spanky. It's only a matter of time...

lol.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-05-11 07:56am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:I'm paranoid about workers in my house. I do my best to avoid seeing them and for them to see me. I don't know why, but that's how it goes with me.

But it's not because I'm afraid of them. Quite the opposite. I actually harbour some sort of hostility towards them.

You're just one big psychological disorder. I'll bet the Stanford psychology guys would love to meet you.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-05-11 08:28am

Meh, that's what I get for growing up in the woods and not in a real neightborhood.

But hey, at least I wasn't raised in a cage for 18 years like Shinova was...

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2004-05-11 09:14am

Vympel wrote:I actually did the glare with hate thing (it's my typical course of action), then I just thought, fuck it, I'm not going to tolerate this abuse, and just full on gave him both barrels. Normally, me shouting at him alone would be enough for him to try and attack me, but strangely he didn't. I was so furious I probably would've been ready to stab him if he had tried, I swear ...

Jesus Christ! You....you...you're so fucking cool! Not to hijack the thread, but I fucking hate verbal abuse. My parents are also paranoid about theft (with good reason, as maids did steal or try to steal some stuff) and dad can be a real pisser at times. I wish I had the guts like you. I usually just do the glare thing if the SOB starts yelling and pissing me off and sometimes I just want to kill him or make him unable to piss. But without him I wouldn't get a roof over my head and a PS2. If only he wasn't the bread winner...I could just...

Note: Sometimes, rarely, we do get a little close. A little close would be what you consider normal chat between two people who aren't in a family, who are just...casual, you know. Geez, no wonder I'm so fucked up.

Newayz, if there are workers, plumbers and that shit, we have to watch them. It's really annoying since they work for a very long time and we just sit there and do nothing. I don't feel comfortable watching them, but I know that they might be theives and since I'm in the Philippines, there's a good chance that they are thieves.

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2004-05-11 09:49am

Well...I don't want to side with your dad because he treated you real bad [if he doesn't know something someone does, he wouldn't like getting yelled at like that for his lack of knowing], but labourers have real sticky fingers. My dad is in the industry, and the number of thefts by people under him is pretty numerous. This one guy actually nicked a fucking painting! Like that wouldn't go unnoticed.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2004-05-11 11:20am

Sure, his dad has some justification since theft happens. But being an asshole and verbally abusing your children is much harder to justify.

Post by **RogueIce** » 2004-05-11 11:30am

I just sleep when the pest control people come by and I happen to be around.

Hell, they have a key to our house, so it's not like it's going to matter that much.

On the other rare occassions we have people over here like that, it's usually in the living room anyway. Or they're doing something electronic, in which it pays to be around so they can show you what they did, tell you how to work that newfangled cable box, etc.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-05-11 11:38am

My dad grew up in New York City, and he passed his paranoia on to me. This doesn't necessarily mean that I'll sit there hunched over a plumber who's working in my bathroom to make sure he doesn't steal anything, but it means that I know a potential thief when I see one, and I know under what circumstances a theft is most likely to occur. Though if someone is going to be working in my room, I'll be near there to make sure he's only doing his work, and I'll put anything pocketable in my pockets while he's there.

Most people are under the misconception that thieves break in to your home in the middle of the night and threaten the children or something. Not true. Thieves will break in mostly in the middle of the day, when the doors are most likely to be open and unlocked. The good ones will scout your place and find out during what times of the day the house is empty and if anyone has a habit of being careless and not locking the door. They'll also look inside to see if you have anything worth stealing, and where exactly it is if you do. They won't be rummaging around your stuff; they'll pick a few things out that they want and go straight for them, getting in and out as quickly as possible.

The best defense against thieves is to always close your blinds and leave a radio or TV on when you leave the house. Then your place just becomes too much trouble with too many unknowns.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2004-05-11 03:31pm

Why is that paranoia or bad? Of course I'd being watching them. It's the little things that can disappear.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-05-11 05:25pm

I dare anyone to break into my house. The ATTACK BIRD will be deployed!

My parents really are paranoid, but for good reason. My brother has some... ah, "interesting" friends (read: moronic, sociopathic scum). I really hate having to follow that bastard around the house, and would just as soon not have him in at all. But after catching them trying to make Molotovs in the basement, I'm up for it.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2004-05-11 05:38pm

reminds me of a joke.

A burglar breakes into a house. As he's sifting through the drawrs in the sitting room he hears a voice "Jesus is watching you" The burglar is startled for a second and then realises it's just the family's pet bird. "Jesus is watching you" it repeats. "Your a funny little fella, whats your name" "Clarence" replies the bird. "What kinda people name a bird Clarence" asks the burglar. "I don't know" counters the bird, "The same kinda people who call a rotweiller Jesus".

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-05-11 11:28pm

I'm pretty paranoid at times, I've been known to hide my stuff when my sister's friends come over.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-05-11 11:40pm

Having grown up in Russia, where stuff will be stolen whenever you call the workers (unless you keep an eye on them at al times), I'm what you ewould call "paranoid". Although I usually do what Durandal does and pocket (or hide) anything valuable before they arrive.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Phantasee · Post by **Phantasee** » 2004-05-12 12:13am

I don't mean to be racist...but there was a guy who helped build our current home. He was a Native American. Until then, I always tried to stay open-minded. But this guy just reenforced every stereotype about the Natives except for drinking Lysol...He stole my damn GameCube! He stole money out of my fathers wallet, and he stole building supplies. He almost stole my mom's wedding ring! What kind of guy does that? Luckily I saw my GameCube sitting in his truck before he peeled away. My dad chased him down and fired him. He got the police to search his house for our stuff. We got about $900 worth of stuff back. They said about $400 was already gone. So now he's in jail.

Yay for the law.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2004-05-12 12:47am

HA!

I was in the exact same position as you Vympel, but it was the Telstra guy. Being a bit more paranoid, I would walk infront of them just to 'open the doors' and then when they start getting to work, I walk away (that way they know that I am around). But apparently that wasn't good enough for my dad, and we had a similar arguement.

When he was done with his ranting I asked; 'Is there anything missing?' And stragely for my dad he actually gave me a straight answer; 'No.'

What else was there for me to do, but give my patented and well documented 'dumbass' look at him?