Wood thief - again

[precaud]

Woke up this morning to a cold rain and a pickup truck backed into my driveway. Hurriedly got dressed, went out, saw my upstairs burn stack uncovered and someone taking an armload of wood to the pickup. Caught in the act and easily a foot shorter than I, he dropped them on the spot, gave me his story (his brother told him to do it), and started putting the wood back, apologizing every step of the way. He had taken about 1/4 cord, and put it all back. I took the truck license number and haven't decided whether to call the cops or not.

What a way to start the day.

 

[kenny chaos]

I'd a kicked his butt and then called the police.
If you're easy, he'll be back.

 

[Nonprophet]

At this point I don't know if the cops would actually do anything or not seeing as he put the wood back. For sure what I would have done is put the fear of god into that guy--we are armed and dangerous here and if i catch you doing this again I'll drop you right here in the driveway...........

I have NO tolerance for thieves..................

NP

 

[precaud]

Well after writing this, I called the police. You're right, there has to be some consequences for doing this or he'll be back.

 

[precaud]

The police actually responded quickly, took maybe 5 minutes to get here. The license plate number was expired and last registered to a car not a truck, so no trace possible there.

Next season I'm moving all of my burn stacks out of sight from the street entrance. It'll be a lot less convenient for me but that should solve the problem. Like the cop said, these are petty criminals, they won't work too hard to get what they want.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

They aren't petty criminals, they are scum.

 

[precaud]

Totally agree, Dennis.

 

['bert]

Should have put your least favorite maul through the window on the truck! Would have made it easily for the cops to find. You are very calm, I would have lost it.

 

[dave11]

This sort of thing is amazing. It's almost like these people don't consider stealing wood to be actual theft.

But instead of confronting him, or shooting him and going to jail, why not call the police right away so they could have caught him? Let him happily load up while they're on their way. He'd have also been busted for the stolen plate too. He might have seen some jail time.

 

[CowboyAndy]

This sort of thing is amazing. It's almost like these people don't consider stealing wood to be actual theft.

But instead of confronting him, or shooting him and going to jail, why not call the police right away so they could have caught him? Let him happily load up while they're on their way. He'd have also been busted for the stolen plate too. He might have seen some jail time.

but if the thief took off before the police got there...


i would have called the cops then stalled the guy until the cops got there.

 

[burntime]

I would have offered to sell him what he took for 500 bucks and a copy of his drivers lic. If any more disappears then call the cops. I don't play. If no dice I would call the cops and not let him leave if I had to park my truck in front of him. He will just be back, he knows your schedule now. Sad part is that this is pretty petty to a cop even though he violated you property...they will come out and never pursue...

 

[mbcijim]

They make driveway alarms now that go off when someone drives across your road. They are wireless and are pretty loud in your house. Maybe consider one?

 

[katwillny]

I would have Put him on his asssss with a quick jab-cross-uppercut to his face. What guarantees me that he will stop at the woodpile. Today is wood, tomorrow may be my car stero the day after that is him harming my family. My motto is, cross my property line, I WILL cross your face and put you on your assss. Then I will call the cops on the grounds of home invasion.

 

[billb3]

Scum can also come back for retribution scummy acts.

I hope that's the end of it for you.

 

[TreePapa]

Maybe you might not want to wait 'tiil next season to move your wood piles?

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[Danno77]

Man, this is just wrong. I can't even imagine stealing like that. I don't know what I'd do if in that situation. One part of me says that someone should take care of the dirty rotten scumbags, but another part of me says that they probably need a break in life and something more creative (ala cinematic feel good "work off your debt" kind of stuff as in Gran Torino, etc) could be a better solution that wouldn't entice them to retaliate or re-perpetrate.

I really just don't know. I guess I see it along the lines of stealing food and clothes. While they are definitely symptomatic of a disregard for the proper avenues to obtain basic necessities, that does not mean that they are not also symptomatic of someone who might also be overwhelmed with life's hardships.

Not implying that it's right, merely that it might be symptomatic of being a scumbag AND being in great need (as opposed to being only a scumbag, or as opposed to being in need).

Should you find out that said individual is not in great need and is genuinely a scumbag with complete disregard for other's property, etc, then all bets are off, protect yourself, your family and your property in any way that you see fit.

 

[dave11]

The guy came there with a stolen plate on his truck, or at least one he got from somebody untraceable.He was not some juvenile delinquent just looking to make some bucks fencing stolen wood. And I wouldn't be surprised if he had a rap sheet, a prison record, and a .38 sitting on the floor of that truck, in case you got out of hand. This is what they learn in prison.

Call the cops and take some digital photos while you're waiting. If he gets away, he'll be easy for the cops to find, driving a pick-up full of wood. Or you could follow him yourself and phone in to the cops while you're driving.

 

[blades]

always if possible get pictures, video even better. Most of police consider wood thieves petty, But there is a counter offensive, Trespassing, around here that is a $2k fine if you push it. Post some private property signs of the approved type for you area. Once one or two get clipped that way word gets around quick. I have heard every excuse in the book and a couple new ones lately like the one that swore in broken English that he could not read. Course that piece of pipe I was holding with the wood on one end might have had something to do with his speech impediment.

 

[TreePapa]

Move your good firewood to out of the way and out of sight location. Then stack "spiked" firewood ... maybe M-80s in the splits ? Okay, nothing destructive. There's got to be some way of treating the wood so that the smoke turns a different color and "marks" the theif's location. I doubt he is using a smokeless EPA stove.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[JBinKC]

I really don't find this kind of criminal activity surprising given the economy and the inability to make a living wage on unskilled labor. I would definitely move the wood immediately to the location you prescribed.

 

[LLigetfa]

You shouldn't have to move your wood because of some thief. Put in a driveway alarm or do like I do, keep a German Shepherd.

 

[stee6043]

It's kind of shocking to hear so many people say "I'd have kicked this guys arse".....would you guys really risk going to jail yourselves for this deadbeat? He would probably turn around and sue you...and win. And he'll get some ungodly settlement which may have been exactly what he was after to begin with.

Who knows...this guy might go around all day doing this HOPING someone will hit him in the face. His lawyer is on speed dial. You just never know these days. Trust nobody, document everything (calls to the police) and don't do anything crazy. At least that's what I'd do....

 

[PunKid8888]

It's kind of shocking to hear so many people say "I'd have kicked this guys arse".....would you guys really risk going to jail yourselves for this deadbeat? He would probably turn around and sue you...and win. And he'll get some ungodly settlement which may have been exactly what he was after to begin with.

Who knows...this guy might go around all day doing this HOPING someone will hit him in the face. His lawyer is on speed dial. You just never know these days. Trust nobody, document everything (calls to the police) and don't do anything crazy. At least that's what I'd do....

Honestly thats easier said then done. In the moment depending on the situation it might be tougher to think out all those possibilities while your running out there with a large solid object in hand.

 

[Nonprophet]

It's kind of shocking to hear so many people say "I'd have kicked this guys arse".....would you guys really risk going to jail yourselves for this deadbeat? He would probably turn around and sue you...and win. And he'll get some ungodly settlement which may have been exactly what he was after to begin with.

Who knows...this guy might go around all day doing this HOPING someone will hit him in the face. His lawyer is on speed dial. You just never know these days. Trust nobody, document everything (calls to the police) and don't do anything crazy. At least that's what I'd do....

It IS a dilemma as to what to do in situations like this. The bottom line is that nothing I own is worth dying for. That being said, if you make yourself an easy mark, they WILL be back if there's no fear. Thieves are little more than predators, and predators know that if the risk is greater than the reward, it's always better to move on to easier pickings. That's why I said I'd put the fear of god into him--you come back here and there WILL be consequences......

I travel quite a lot in the 3rd world. One trick I learned long ago is that if I'm ever in a village or a situation where I feel like I'm being "sized up" as a possible robbery victim, I casually reach into my pocket, pull out my switchblade knife (which are legal in Oregon BTW) flick the blade open, and start cleaning my fingernails with the blade tip. Eyes usually pop pretty wide open. I'm not threatening them, but I'm sending a clear message: pick somebody else. I figure they think if I had that knife so handy, what else might I have to defend myself?

NP

 

[Tony H]

I have one buddy who ran into those situations a couple times and what he did was walk over to the car/truck and if the keys were in it lock the door and call the cops . The scumbag had to run and leave his vehicle or sit and wait for the cops.