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Original poster

Putting a holiday all over SM while you're still away

136 replies

EhatBow · 01/08/2022 15:42

Doesn't it worry you to tell the world the house is empty for 2 weeks?

People do things like automated lights and curtains to try and make the place look occupied and then spend the holiday posting pictures.

When I was a child my parents wouldn't eveb have milk or papers delivered so they didn't have to cancel them (thereby telling people) when we were away, so I accept my normal may be extreme, but isn't it foolish to go out of your way to publicise when you're away?

OP posts:
blanchrspot · 01/08/2022 19:36

The only people I know who splash their photos all over fb are over 50s tbf!

Hardbackwriter · 01/08/2022 19:42

MsTSwift · 01/08/2022 18:49

Surely any self respecting criminal has moved to online or banking scams? Much more lucrative and less risk and effort. Burglary was a real issue when I was a teen in my parents rural village thinking about it anecdotally no one’s been burgled there for years - used to be a hot topic we got done 4 times in 90s.

Yes, burglary does seem to have really dropped off as a crime, it's massively less common now than in 2002 and I think it was already falling off then. I guess it's both that, as you say, other crimes have taken over and also that it's so much less lucrative to rob houses now. Remember when people used to get robbed for their VHS players? The equivalent tech now has so much less value secondhand that it's so much less worth the effort of stealing.

I definitely think that because of the higher rate in the past there's a generational aspect to how concerned people are about burglary. My in-laws got upset with me because I said 'have a lovely holiday' as I left their house and 'people might hear'! There's a lot of paranoia about burglary as the potential aim of people 'driving around slowly in a van' around me, but, happily, a lot less in the way of actual houses being broken into.

Putting a holiday all over SM while you're still away
thewindbeneathmywings · 01/08/2022 19:45

It makes me laugh that people close all of the curtains when they go away. I deliver Avon in my village and when I'm doing my rounds it's always so obvious whose on holiday for all the curtains closed in the middle of the day!

Phos · 01/08/2022 19:54

We almost always have house sitters (family or friends, not random ones from agencies or online!) because one of our cats reacts badly to catteries. At worst, someone comes twice a day to check on them so I don't usually think twice about posting on SM if I want to.

It seems a really common thing though.

Whatnow321 · 01/08/2022 20:23

I’m with you. We were burgled once the day before going on holiday. It was a striking coincidence and I do wonder if someone overheard us talking at the local pub. Ever since I’ve been very paranoid and don’t ever post on SM until I’m home

Idroppedthescrewinthetuna · 01/08/2022 20:31

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair
So although you can say your post is private, sometimes you can do a google search. The insurers will search for any way not to pay up. So if they can google a search and your holiday snap pops up they can invalidate your insurance.

It's not as much of an urban myth we would like to believe. I have an unusual name. There is only one of me on facebook. I am private, but say if I was on holiday and added a photo of me on a beach and made it my profile pic (why I would care about SM on hol anyway beats me) my insurance would be invalidated.

TopKnotch · 01/08/2022 20:48

But my house is never empty? Even when we're away, we have animals so someone always moves in to take over. In fact, my parents probably occupy the house more than when we're home but out at school and work all day normally...

Posting pictures of yourself on holiday and being burgled is the same bad luck as it happening to people who nip to the shops or get robbed while they sleep.

But if it helps you to feel smug and sure it's their fault, go ahead!

blanchrspot · 01/08/2022 21:17

@TopKnotch most burglaries don't happen when a house is empty...

TopKnotch · 01/08/2022 21:22

Right, so why give a monkeys if people post social media pics of their trip?

blanchrspot · 01/08/2022 21:33

who said I give a monkeys about that? I was just pointing out an empty house is not more likely to get burgled.

blanchrspot · 01/08/2022 21:35

Besides isn't it the police who warn against social media photos on holiday?

RampantIvy · 01/08/2022 21:36

I don't put pictures of my house on SM, and no-one I know associates with criminals as far as I know. My privacy settings are set to friends only, so I'm not sure how a random stranger would know that my house was empty unless they were casing the joint.

Hbh17 · 01/08/2022 21:39

Putting holidays on SM is a stupid thing to do - not just because of security, but because it's basically showing off. Absolutely nobody is interested in your holiday photos (or mine - but, to be fair, mine never have any people in them!).

IglesiasPiggl · 01/08/2022 21:42

Hbh17 · 01/08/2022 21:39

Putting holidays on SM is a stupid thing to do - not just because of security, but because it's basically showing off. Absolutely nobody is interested in your holiday photos (or mine - but, to be fair, mine never have any people in them!).

I am interested in my friends' holiday photos, and they are interested in mine
Nobody is showing off, we're just sharing what's going on in our lives. Why so grumpy?

honkeytonkwoman38 · 01/08/2022 21:43

My house isn't empty. It's got family in it whilst we are away. So there!

SweetSakura · 01/08/2022 21:49

We always have a dog /house sitter when we go away so the house isn't empty

SwedeCarrotLime · 01/08/2022 22:00

I don’t post until we are back home. We have light schedules set up with Hue which I suppose is the 21st century equivalent of the lamp my dad used to rig up on the landing with a mechanical timer plug. I also hide my jewellery somewhere really obscure. When we were burgled in the 80s we lost some sentimentally priceless pieces which were worth very little in monetary terms and probably ended up thrown into someone’s garden.

IglesiasPiggl · 01/08/2022 22:04

midairchallenger · 01/08/2022 19:16

Your address is on the electoral roll, it's not that difficult to find out where someone lives if you know their name.

Both my first name and surname are very common and I live in a big city. I really can't imagine a burglar trawling through all that gubbins trying to find (pretty much) which Katherine Thomas of Edinburgh I am.

blanchrspot · 01/08/2022 22:08

My house isn't empty. It's got family in it whilst we are away. So there!

🤣🤣

ThanksItHasPockets · 01/08/2022 22:09

I understand your point, OP. Everyone here is insistent that their SM is locked down but I have been amazed over the last week at the number of people whom I follow in a professional capacity on Twitter who are posting photos of their current holidays on their public profiles.

PolkaDotMankini · 01/08/2022 22:13

I'm on holiday and posting lots of photos on FB. It's locked down though: I only have people who are actually family and friends, I review all the security settings regularly etc. If one of them wants to rob my house then I'd be very surprised.

TonTonMacoute · 01/08/2022 23:28

Can’t believe how many people on this thread still think their SM posts are safe and secure because they check their security settings!

Monkeybutt1 · 02/08/2022 06:26

I can't believe how many spend their time on holiday posting pics on social media. When we go away, the phones are on airplane mode and are just used as cameras.

IglesiasPiggl · 02/08/2022 06:44

Monkeybutt1 · 02/08/2022 06:26

I can't believe how many spend their time on holiday posting pics on social media. When we go away, the phones are on airplane mode and are just used as cameras.

It takes less than five minutes to post a few photos. I like doing it and always go on holidays that allow time for relaxation so I manage to find those five minutes whilst on holiday!

RampantIvy · 02/08/2022 07:14

Isn't posting a few holiday pics the modern day equivalent of sending a postcard?

It is also a jolly sight quicker than writing postcards.

It seems to me that there is a lot of sour grapes on this thread, and a lot of posters who don't seem to understand how social media works.

Unless someone knows me they wouldn't know which house was empty.