All these people who cry "burglary!'.

[seeker]

It always happens at night and there are never any witnesses. I bet they either left the door open, just inviting people into their houses then shout "burglary!" when someone misreads their signals. Or they've just lost their stuff and say it was a burglary to get other people into trouble. Or some people just do it for the attention. People should take responsibilty for their stuff.

Oh, I'm agreeing with you, BOF my darling. I knew a woman who - terribly sad - kept a pristine house, nobody was allowed in it ever because she wanted to keep it perfect, she never went out without locking it up, all her valuables were kept in a safe deposit box along with her money and she had herself hypnotised so that she would forget the combination so it couldn't be tricked out of her (of course that meant that she could never afford to go out or have fun but that made her house EVEN SAFER so it was alright).

And one day she just went out to the shops to get some groceries for her ailing neighbour, and when she came back her entire house had been ripped apart, windows smashed, all her belongings gone, mess everywhere, and every single one of her neighbours saw it happen and it was a group of men who were probably foreign to boot and she never recovered properly.

And I just think that all these people who complain about their car stereos getting nicked or being overcharged, they're the ones who are really to blame for people not taking my friend seriously because they diminish the public perception of how serious the crime is with their petty complaints. Well, I say friend, she was really the daughter of a friend's hairdresser's cat, but STILL.

Sorry Afternoon- I just took a metaphorical dump in the thread's parlour there, didn't I?

It was the adrenalin...

It may be a piss take thread, but there is an important point:

If there is no evidence of a break in (ie forced entry) your insurance WILL NOT pay out.

So yes, it is possible to be burgled and not believed.

And people DO fake the circumstances of loss of items (including claiming burglary when there is none). This sort of fraud pushes up all our premiums. There should be stronger sanctions against such fraudsters.

That's what I'm saying. I think people who say they have been burgled shouldn't be beleived unless they can actually prove beyond any doubt that they weren't faking it or negligent. After all, there other "crimes" that this standard applies to. Why not burglary?

Gosh yes, you're right. Perhaps we should apply your ideas to rape too? Make the victim prove beyond doubt that they aren't faking and them blame them because they were "asking for it" by putting their "assets" on display.

SoupDragon, that's what this thread is about, surely?

I think thats the point being made SD. Sounds ridiculous when the same logic that is applied to rape is applied to burglary, doesn't it?

No worries BOF. I thought i maybe didn't make myself clear.

Absolutely, soupdragon. It's not fair to burglars otherwise.

What about people who have houses in unlit streets - they are asking to be burgled, surely.

The burglars aren't at fault really. They are just petty thieves who probably hadn't had any nice things for a while. We should support them.

If they are kind enough to admit they dunnit though we should let them off a bit. Halve their punishment.

If it wasn't for property programmes on the tv there'd be more burglaries...the robbers just can't help it and need to find their outlet somewhere....

SoupDragon, that's the entire point of the thread -- to take all the "she was asking for it" / "she probably just made it up" / "you need to take responsibility" arguments that are trotted out about rape victims all the time and show how pathetic they are by applying them to another crime like burglary.

Yes, OK, he shouldn't have burgled, but if he gets a conviction then his life will be ruined.

Is this a serious thread? Have I missed something?

burgle is a funny word, say it over and over...you'll see.

....and it doesn't matter how the contributors to the property programmes are treated, in fact it's empowering really isn't it?

Those poor burglars really NEED that stuff, otherwise they'll get all lonely and suffer psychological trauma.
Really, home owners should have an "open house" every so often where you can take what you want as long as you leave a box of chocolates.

Ok - im being a bit thick and have no idea whats going on but having been burgled (we were asleep in our beds at the time) im finding it a bit uncomfortable as its a horrendous thing to happen.

meditrina actually they do pay out as we have NO idea how our burglars got in, police think they may have been following us about and stolen DP door key off his keyring as that was missing the day it happened but tbh we still have no clue - thankfully we were believed as we would be screwed now (they stole a £25,000 car).

Can someone explain what the threads about please!!

oh I see!

Well we dared to have a nice car that obviously made the burglars ill with jealousy and the just had to steal it, not their fault really - have I got it!!

I knew someone once. They lied about being burgled for attention.

True story.

The houses in those property programmes have a great life! If you've got a beautiful pair of bay windows then why not use them? I think it's onlly ugly little pebble dashed semis that complain about them

Henwelly - its not about burglary, its a metaphore for rape. And a very excellent one, great thread.