Worthless Thieves

[integrityman]

Im sure many of you out there have been targeted by those that are too lazy to earn an honest living, recently I was targeted too. I had been out clearing snow and stopped at a grocery store on the way home. I intended to buy two items. I had a Troy Bilt Polar Blast (a mammoth 45" unit that weighs almost 500lbs) and a smaller Toro in the bed of my truck. I had them both strapped down with ratcheting straps. Now normally I will back up to a light pole or other obstruction to deter thievery... but that day I did not. I let my guard down. Within a minute or two of going in the store these buffoons backed up to my truck and dropped the tailgate of both trucks, cut the straps and rolled the equipment onto their truck. The theft took less than a minute to execute. Fortunately the theft was caught on video- and I was very lucky to get my equipment back undamaged.-Albeit almost a month later. The moral of the story: NEVER let your guard down! Use a good strong chain to secure your stuff.

[Hoji]

So are you pressing charges ? Are these bad boys going to jail? So the rest of us are protected?

[integrityman]

yeah- im presing charges, the clown that stole my stuff is in jail for trying to steal some atv's then leading the police on a long high speed pursuit. The jackass fence that bought my stuff gets a walk because he coughed up where my stuff went... Guess you gotta make a deal with the devil sometimes...Trust me on this though, there are just too many of these pieces o' #@*% out there to let your gaurd down for even a minute.

[Stillwater]

scum of the earth.........

[ken gustafson]

Been there and done that. If the Officer's had treated me like I was the victim from the start...I would not be trying to sell trailer locks. But they did treat me like I was a thief..thinking I was trying to get insurance money. Once things were straightened out and we were now looking for the thief...well things got better but I never forgot the treatment. Trailer theft is not that big of a thing on their radars. I could really get up on a soap box and spout off on this issue. Better to keep my mouth shut.....Ken

[lifetree]

Been there and done that. If the Officer's had treated me like I was the victim from the start...I would not be trying to sell trailer locks. ...

I had some equipment stolen which included a lawn tractor that was secured with 2 steel chains and they cut through them in a second with bolt cutters !! Moral of this story is that even locks won't stop them ... it may slow them down for half a minute, however, it won't stop them !!

[BSIA]

my brother does lawn care in Atlanta. He said there was some low-lifes riding around in a
truck. when they saw a lawn care trailer with the gate down they would pull up to it and grab the weed eaters and blowers out of it and take off. By the time you got out to truck they were long gone

[Tharrell]

Ha ha ha, I was so perturbed when my stuff was stolen, I told the officer that if I ever caught anyone stealing I would cut their fingers off with a skill saw, a quarter inch at a time! He said to make sure there was a tall cornfield nearby! It feels real personal when someone steals from you. Tony

[davis45]

At least you got it back. I had a dirtbike stolen around 2 years ago, it was worth about $5500. They found it over a year later about 25 miles away when they ran a drug bust on someones house in the ghetto. Found it on the back porch. Insurance didn't give me anything and the bike was complete trash, sold it for $600.

[AI Inc]

Big dogs and firearms.

[Dynamic]

Hang one you catch in the front yard and it will scare away the rest!

[J&R Landscaping]

I try to make it a habbit of not going anywhere other then to a dealer or nursery or other supplier when I have a loaded truck or trailer. Good for you for getting your stuff back and for pressing charges!! I can't stand it how some people would let theives get away.....

[olyman]

me thinks that fence would get a visit from someone---------

[landscaper22]

I have said on here before that I have been hit at my house when I let my guard down. For the LCOs that have not been hit, don't wait until you get hit to begin keeping your guard up like the rest of us. Protect your stuff. Never leave your truck with equipment unattended to go into a store or to eat lunch. Make sure you can see it at all times. Also protect it at home too. Come up with some creative way to provide security for your stuff. I'm telling you now, there have been some people roaming my neighborhood lately, and some low life butt heads know what I have. And I know they are coming back one day. I'm ready!!!

[landvet]

I know this sounds terrible, but be leary of your employees. I 've lost over ten grand in equipment theft by employees that I thought were good people. Hell, they even stole one of my trucks out of my driveway on a sunday aftrenoon! It was the only thing I got back! I'm glad you got your stuff back.

[landscaper22]

I agree about employees. Do everything you can to deter this. Even if you have to install a couple of cheap cameras. Let the employees know you have them installed. Things like that will deter foolish activity. But when you get a bunch of drug heads sometimes they will stop at nothing to get their next fix.

[smcunningham]

I hope I don't catch someone stealing from me or I'll probally be in more trouble then they will.....if there alive:)
(AR-15 w/37mm launcher/scped infra/Rd dot las/remov stck)

[landscaper22]

That's awesome! :gunsfirin

Just make sure you rig up some system, like a inside chime motion sensor, so that when someone comes near your stuff, you will know it during the middle of the night. Then you can take care of business!

[smcunningham]

landscaper22 That's awesome!

Just make sure you rig up some system, like a inside chime motion sensor, so that when someone comes near your stuff, you will know it during the middle of the night. Then you can take care of business!

I have something that alerts me no matter if I'm half way across the world...

[integrityman]

Thanx for all the tips... I did go to Tractor Supply and purchased about 8' of the fatest case hardened steel chain that they had along with Industrial sized padlocks to keep my stuff in place.... I (hope that bolt cutters will not defeat.) The guy at the store could barely cut it with the chain cutting tool at store....In case that doesnt work, Ive thought about painting my stuff a super bright orange or yellow (maybe pink) just to make my stuff more identifiable in case it is stolen....- might be good for advertising too! Generally speaking if I have to stop at a store to pee or grab a bite I will back up to a light pole or other obstruction as well as park in a spot where I can easily see it and put my blower and string trimmer etc inside the vehicle...... And that day I didn't... I was in a hurry and paid the price. The cops were nice enough, but ya gotta keep the pressure on them....they usually have bigger fish to fry and a piddly theft that has insurance behind it just doesnt rate. In fact, that same day it happened I printed out pictures of all my stuff and dropped it off at various police agencies, pawn shops, repair shops etc. For the most part ya gotta do the cops jobs for them just b/cause they have no vested interest in your property...The sleazy fence is a bar owner...... so without casting bar owners in a bad light, some of those establishements are known as fencing sites too (that said many bar owners are great folks and don't tolerate that crap for a second)....so... keep your gaurd up, lock your equipment up at all times, even at your shop or garage....keep your serial # recorded, scrstch or engrave your name in/ on your stuff too. I got lucky, most guys never see their stuff back....

[TGK]

You said it, take current pics of all your equip., and record serial #s. Ofcourse insure everything. when your **** gets stolen you give the police copies and its real easy to spot at a pawn shop. If it doesnt turn up collect ins, and party! oh i mean replace stuff.

[mattfromNY]

When I was working at the dealership, we had guys come in at night and stole 13 Ferris mowers. These mowers were in the back row of equipment, up against the building with a steel cable running through them. We got it on video (through the front window, so it wasn't really clear to see facial features or license plate numbers), they pulled in with two 18 wheelers, guys actually lifted them up and carried them over the equipment in front, to a lift gate on the truck. This all happened in under 20 minutes! Yes, under 20 minutes to carry 13, 600-1000 lb. mowers over top of other equipment, load up 2 trucks and bolt! To my knowledge they never caught the guys. If I remember correctly, my boss had a $500 deductible/ per machine on his insurance, so he got some money back, but still lost over $6500, and I'm sure his insurance went up putting in a claim of that caliber.

[WJW Lawn]

I hope I don't catch someone stealing from me or I'll probally be in more trouble then they will.....if there alive:)
(AR-15 w/37mm launcher/scped infra/Rd dot las/remov stck)


Remind me never to post a negative comment about you dude lol

[BUCKEYE MOWING]

Remind me never to post a negative comment about you dude lol

LOL ...that's good

[smcunningham]

WJW Lawn Quote:
Originally Posted by smcunningham
I hope I don't catch someone stealing from me or I'll probally be in more trouble then they will.....if there alive
(AR-15 w/37mm launcher/scped infra/Rd dot las/remov stck)


Remind me never to post a negative comment about you dude lol

Say/type what you want touch my sh*t and its another story....lol