The sad reality is crime knows no boundaries. Living in this beautiful country, none of us is immune to crime. This unfortunately includes our children, who are taught and reminded from an early age to be aware of crime.
Statistics indicate that a large part of petty theft is cell phones. A petty, but unnecessary theft that creates such huge irritations once we realize that little device is missing! Blocking the phone before the new owner can make too many calls at our expense, the hassle of replacing the sim card etc,
So it was with great frustration that we as a family recently learnt two very valuable lessons in smartening up, and being one step ahead of the criminals. All for a cellphone! When evening approached my son failed to do one simple act: to draw his bedroom curtains.
As dawn broke we were awoken by our three dogs continual barking. Instead of taking heed of their warnings, we simply reprimanded them. Seconds later we heard the sound of smashing glass. It was 4.30am! Some brazen visitors, spotting my son’s Blackberry charging on his desk next to the window, smashed the window pane and grabbed the phone.
Our lesson learnt: Always draw the curtains throughout the house each evening and take heed of your dogs!
However, on a lighter note. Late last year my son and his friend had very similar stories to share. Their Blackberry’s were missing and most definitely stolen! My son’s incident occurred whilst he and his three friends were in our local supermarket. As I ticked off my shopping list, the boys ambled casually behind me deep in conversation.
We arrived home after a busy week, and as I made hotdogs the friends had a refreshing Friday afternoon swim, and then retreated to my son’s room to play Play station. It wasn’t until late Sunday afternoon when my son asked if any of us had seen his phone. We all searched high and low. Suddenly I recalled the boys telling me on Friday how they had been approached whilst in the supermarket and questioned by a stranger. That was it! This character was no doubt a pick-pocket and had craftily taken my sons phone. I phoned his phone leaving threatening messages for the thief. I proceeded to BBM him, telling him if he returned the phone no questions would be asked! To no avail. Not that I thought for a minute, the thief would actually do as I had asked and return the phone.
We raced off and did the necessary and blocked the phone. Relating our story of how some common thief had stolen the phone to who ever would listen.
Two weeks later, my son walked sheepishly through as I prepared breakfast. In his hand was his blackberry. He now remembered that Friday night as he and his friends chatted and played Play station he had placed his phone in his cupboard, where unbeknown to him, it had slipped in between his baggies. His phone had been on “silent”. Not needing his phone until much later in the weekend, he had no recollection of when in fact he had last seen it.
Two days later, his best friend told a similar tale. After sports, he arrived home and searched frantically for his cell in his sports bag. Darn it was gone! It had been stolen. Josh and his mom phoned the phone cursing the would be thief. His mom rang the number 22 times. To no avail. Josh arrived at school the next day and heard the following announcement in assembly. Whoever misplaced their cell phone at school sport yesterday afternoon. Please come identify and collect your phone at the office
So the moral of this story I would say is ….. It’s not always all bad.
