Don’t Sound The Alarm
We have an
alarm system on our townhouse. Our
neighborhood does not have a crime problem, and we don’t have much to steal if
we were broken into, but Mrs. C feels safer with the alarm system. She never leaves the house without setting
the alarm.
Go for
the mail several blocks away…set the alarm.
Drive to
the store for only a few minutes…set the alarm.
Pretty
much leave the house…set the alarm.
I hate the
alarm, but I really can’t complain too much.
Before we were married, someone did break into the house. Of
course, the alarm didn’t bother them. Burglars
know they have about 8 minutes to take whatever they can grab and leave before the
police arrive. In this case they even
cut a phone wire so the system did not make the call to the alarm company for
them to alert the police anyway.
The alarm made a lot of noise, but the neighbors just ignored it. False alarms from a house or a car are not uncommon.
These burglars
stole nothing because Mrs. C came home only minutes after they broke in. They skedaddled out the back door and took
nothing.
It is creepy
though, knowing strangers were in your house.
Anyway,
because of this, Mrs. C demands the alarm be set whenever we are away.
It is not difficult
to set, it is not difficult to unarm on entry.
Except if you have skeighty-eight different codes to remember; computer
code, phone code, credit card code, garage door code etc., and you are 74 years
old, sometimes you punch the wrong code when you get home.
Also, about
every other time I leave the house I forget something and have to go back. When I do this, I have to wait for the alarm
to stop its 60 second beeping (I don't know why it does this, but it scares me to touch while it is beeping) so I have plenty
of time to punch in the disarm code.
Anyway, I
hate the alarm system. Besides we now
have a “Ring” camera system, so anyone that approaches the house sends an alert
to my cell phone and is recorded. This makes the alarm system a little less
necessary.
Today I left
to go to the bowling alley. When I got
in my car, I realized I forgot something.
I went back to the door and waited for the beeping to stop, entered the
house and punched in the code. I punched
in the wrong code due to an old-age brain-fart.
I did not
hear the unalarmed “boop.” I froze for a
minute, realized I made a mistake and punched in the wrong code again.
“REE-ah-REE-ah-REE-ah” It would not stop!
Now I know
the company would call and ask for a code word to confirm I just set off the
alarm by accident.
The phone
did ring.
“Yes”
“Sir, I
see your alarm is activated, do you have the code word?”
Crap! The code word is the last name of Mrs. C’s
ex-boyfriend.
“Ah, my
wife is out, she knows the code word…it is the name of her ex-boyfriend.”
“That is
not really good enough sir, I will have to alert the police.”
“Wait, I
know it starts with a ‘C’ right?”
“I can’t
really help you with it sir.”
“Wait…wait…I
complained to her about using her ex-boyfriends name and she changed it. It is her mother’s first name.”
“I shouldn’t
help sir, but you are on the right track it is a lady name.”
“I think
it still starts with a ‘C’ right.”
“Sir I’ve
said enough.”
“Just
blink twice if it starts with a ‘C’.”
“I’m
calling the police sir.”
“Constance…I
think it is Constance!”
“YES!”
“Can you
turn off the damn ringing?”
“Just
punch in the correct code.”
“I’ve
been punching in the code, it doesn’t work…WAIT (I suddenly realized I had been
using the wrong code) let me try again.”
The “REE-ah-REE-ah-REE-ah” stopped.
Back to the
phone.
“It stopped;
I remembered the right code…thank you.”
“You’re
welcome sir, have a nice day, and please don’t leave the house without your wife!”
I hate that
alarm system.
What a story. I agree it can be a panic when you forget a code ... like I often do. Here are a few suggestions I use, JoeH. They might be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI have written the code in ink on the wall next to the buttons I have to punch. Also, I have written the password numbers at the back of my credit cards.
Another suggestion. When we go out, we always hide the TV remote control. That way any thieves taking the TV will not be able to make it work.
Another idea. Before we go out we push all the chairs over. We throw pillows and books and magazines on the floor as well as pictures and things. We empty all drawers on the floor. If a thief breaks in he'll think we've already been burgled and there's nothing of value to take.
One day we had a thief get in with an OCD for cleaning up and he tidied the place for us. So it worked to our advantage.
God bless.
And THAT is exactly why we never got an alarm system... My hubby's rememberer didn't always remember, either.
ReplyDeleteWhat we DO have is an alarm system's sign in our front window. Mike bought it a number of years ago from a guy who was installing a system across the street from us. It translated to some folding money in that guy's pocket, and we figured the sign would be enough of a deterrent for anyone who was thinking about breaking in. Why risk it? There are plenty of houses in the neighborhood WITHOUT a sign. :)
Our alarm system quit working not long after we moved in....we never fixed it, which is a sigh of relief because I have the same issues you do, punching in the wrong number, then you try to re-enter and it doesn't work. Argh! We do have a Ring doorbell and another Ring over the garage. These make me feel much more protected than an alarm, because I can speak to the person at the front door, or yell at the person in my front yard (if they are up to no good, hahaha).
ReplyDeleteI never thought of putting in an alarm system but I have heard good things about Ring; might have to look into that. I hate when companies know our passwords that we established and they won't help us figure it out. Had to do that for Verizon one time. She did give me good hints because she knew I knew it but I didn't have it complete. Oh well.
ReplyDeletebetty
Sorry Joe but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole predicament. Cracked up at the security guys final advice. My dog is my security device. She will happy dance around the burgler while he tries to find anything of worth.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't say this because I'm telling all of the world that we don't have an alarm system. I wouldn't care if a burglar took anything but having someone else in the house would give scare me if I came on them in the act. Having 3 shotguns gives me a little courage and being a good shot helps too. I would put in a camera but I watch Paranormal Caught on Camera and what might show up...aliens, space ships landing in the yard, something weird coming out of the Creepy Woods, seeing myself on camera..might just be scarier!
ReplyDeleteOh that is so funny. I even laughed out loud on this one! Thanks
ReplyDeleteAh, too funny Joe! (Patti's happy-dance dog gave me a chuckle too) But I couldn't help thinking, there must be a better way...! I don't blame your wife, there's some scary people out there--meanwhile, I grew up on a farm and there wasn't a key or lock on the entire property... those were different times for sure
ReplyDeleteFunny, but not in the middle of it, and everyone thinks he's a comedian.
ReplyDeleteAfter surprising burglars in the house, i understand why Mrs. C is nervous and wants that thing on.
You must be exhausted after breaking into your own (town)house! I had a burglar once, in my Springfield, MO apartment. Stole a VCR, with my new videotape of Aliens in it! The thief pried open the front lock, and went out the sliding doors and over the wooden fence surrounding the patio in back.
ReplyDeleteThe policeman who investigated told me, "Sometimes they get cute like that, throwing your clothes around the spare bedroom. You're lucky he didn't throw your refrigerator contents around the kitchen." I was too ashamed to tell him that I was the one who left the clothes a mess in the spare bedroom.
Thank you for making me laugh. It's been a while since I had a good giggle.
ReplyDeleteHa ha... that was funny (the last part)
ReplyDeleteBut all. said and done, the alarm should be in place in every house, the way things are turning out in the world and my gut feeling says it is going to get much worse with more unemployment around the corner.