If You Want to Get Burgled Rent a Room.

If You Want to Get Burgled Rent a Room.

by Terry

As someone who spent a few years in rooming houses I can tell you that if you want to lose stuff, that’s the way to do it.

Lost count on the number of times I was robbed, I’m not sure I can call it burglary when the suspected perps live in the same building. It was not always other roomers, but often it was.

Sometimes people carelessly leave the front door open for anybody to walk in and anybody sometimes did, then busted in a room or two and helped themselves. Most times tho it was those you shared the place with, the same ones that smile so friendly and salute you when they see you.

On the few occasions that I could, I checked the place out before agreeing to take a room. Some judge I was, I got ripped in those places too. Most times you don’t get the option to check jack, take it or leave it is whats offered, and mostly you take it as you have to have somewhere.

It does not take you long, or I’ll say that it did not take me long to learn not to have too much stuff. What you carry around with you and as little else as possible is what you want. This includes clothes, lost a good winter jacket taken from my room in the summer, and good boots.

You need one watch and one cell phone and cash, with you all the time. You go without an entertainment center even a radio in your room, unless you want to be buying them over and over that is.

That life is behind me now I’m glad to say, I hope it always will be behind me it is not a good life. My lady and me have a small place of our own, we don’t care that it is small it’s ours, as long as we meet the payments.

Things get stolen from homes as well as rooms, but it’s a lot safer I think. We don’t have a burglar alarm but we take good care, we have good locks and make sure doors and windows are locked, I’m a double checker, my wife laughs.

There are nasty people out there.

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Oct 11, 2012

Rented Rooms

by: T.D.

Isn’t it funny how one persons experience can be so different from another person.

I spent years in rented rooms for up to nine months at a time, then move on to another city. It was my employment that required it, inconvenient but paid well. Not once did I have a thing stolen, true that the rooms were not the lowest rent, but then most didn’t have much in the way of locks.

Didn’t lose a thing. Maybe I’m just lucky, I do actually believe in being careful and I know what kind of scum is out there.


Jul 12, 2012

Not under your own control.

by: Martin (editor)

Hi Terry,

Thank you very much for your post.

I’m sure that ‘rooming’ carries with it all the security pitfalls that you say it does, the major pitfall being that like apartment living your security is not under your own control.

Your advice to leave as little as possible of any value in your room, when staying somewhere that so badly lacks even basic security, is of course right on the button.

It’s more than a little inconvenient though, when you can’t even leave good clothing behind.

I’m glad that you now have a place of your own and you feel more secure. Keep double checking, nothing wrong with that. Don’t mind your wife laughing, she’s probably very glad you do it.

Martin (editor)


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