Van broke into. .

We had a generator stolen from site over night, along with other tools. Oddly, within days, a chap cold calling around sites offered it for sale to us! He was adamant he had bought it as a job lot from an auction. He actually left it with us and scampered, police uninterested in taking it further, even with reg number.

 

Gypsies in Stratford offered us one yesterday afternoon.

 

Around 35 years ago, when I was a mere apprentice, I remember working late at a co-op in the Midlands, me and another engineer were installing all the refrigeration equipment as that's what we were, a refrigeration company.
So around 9pm we went outside for a breather and found a couple of chaps attempting to push a large generator up a couple of planks into a van, now being helpful chaps that we were, the usual 'hang on chaps', 'we'll give you a hand', which we did, and they thanked us profusely.

The next morning all talk on site was about a very expensive generator that had been stolen overnight....well we couldn't say much, could we?.....

 

Surely in the age of online everything it is not beyond the ability of tool makers to issue a unique serial number and stamp it on every tool, or even embed an RFID chip in the plastic. This would make it a lot easier to identify them, register them, report them stolen etc etc. Might not get your tools back but would keep them off fleabay and out of cash converters. But then again if tools weren't stolen sales of new ones might just fall.

Si I have had tool cover with my PL and PI insurance and just got tool cover with my van insurance - now off to check exactly what I am paying for.

 

Many years ago I worked away a lot and the wife (now ex) had decided to sort out the insurance,one day when I arrived home the insurance man had called to collect his money (pre direct debit days) anyway he's telling me how good this policy was,20 grand contents etc etc.Now I'd just brought a Kango breaker out of the van,so I asked him if it got robbed out of the house would they replace it,he asked how much and I said around £700,he then said definately not as it was "contractors plant" I couldn't understand how they could say that if my wife had a £700 necklace they'd replace it no problem but not my tools.I cancelled the policy there and then,we had very little of value at the time as we were just starting out,as I said to him "if some nicks the tv I just go to work to replace it,if someone nicks the tools we're stuffed"

 

The only one I know of that actually uses serial numbers is Hilti,when you buy a tool from them they register the serial number to you,if the tool gets stolen notify Hilti and it goes on the register,if someone else takes it in for repair or service they inform the police.They did some gear with keyfobs,Metabo tried a similar thing,but my mate has around 150 pieces of Hilti kit and was interested in the keyfobs when he replaced the tools.The problem is each tool needs its own fob,now he has a lot of staff and they all use different tools at different times,he wanted all the tools on the same fob,one fob on each set of van keys so any van can use any tool.They said it couldn't be done,so it meant either leaving the fob with the tool (pointless) or each member of staff having a load of fobs.

 

Yes only the insurance you get with the tools in your house overnight is when they brake in you have the right to defend your life and property even if that means you kill them.

 

Ah

yes but only if they come into the upstairs,or bedroom if it's a bungalow! As ridiculous as it may seem a burglar can sue you if he hurts himself while robbing your house! A mate of mine who was a copper once told me a cracker,get a cheap stanley knife,a new one is best and place it in a plastic bag,out of the way but handy if needed.When mr robber turns up beat the living daylights out of him then get his prints on the knife before putting it back in the bag,when the police roll up swear on a stack of bibles that the only reason you battered him was he had the knife.Apparently this alters the charge from burglary (slap on the wrist and don't do it again) to aggravated burglary which apparently always results in the offender getting a spell in one of her majesty's hotels,plus it justifies why you kicked the **** out of him,apart from the fact that it made you feel better.lol

 

Yea that does bare truth. Friend of mine got 6 month community service for beating a burglar into a comma with a baseball bat.
In court it turned out he only had a baseball bat and the judge said if you play baseball why do you not own a baseball and a glove? This proved he had the bat deliberately as a deadly weapon and got 6 months community service.

If he had slashed him up with a standard kitchen knife i am sure he would have got off with just a mark on his record.

 

My sentiments exactly, I keep a big knife in my bedside drawer, never needed it but you never know. I would gladly do the prison time with a big smile on my face.

 

Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6... with you 100% on that one @sparky Si-Fi

 

I have a large german shepherd,unfortunately she doesn't understand law,anyone entering my home uninvited is getting bitten,and god help any burglar that woke her up,she hates her sleep being disturbed.
The most bizzare one I ever had was one night when a lad entered our house and attacked my wife,I have body armour,handcuffs and an extendable batton (asp) from a previous job.Well I hit the lad 3 times with the batton and he ran off,the police turned up and threatened to arrest me! as they said the batton was illegal,the dopey cop said I should have used a knife if I felt threatened as everyone has knives in their home.I visited the local nick the following day and spoke to the inspector,after telling him what had happened he agreed with me that used correctly the batton was non lethal and the better option.The cop who'd advised me to use a knife got a right rollocking.

 

and the stocks

 

Definitely.

And pillory.

 

And what punishment would be appropriate for builders, plumbers etc who use their mobile phones when driving. I know that sparks never do this as we know how to fit handsfree kits.

 

I keep a pickaxe & sledge handles handy,wouldn't hestitate using them, no way you could anyone say I had them deliberately for protection, as in building trade so it's handy to have a spare or two at home...

 

Caught some intruders in my place years ago. Before I could report it the Police had run into them as one was hobbling down the street holding a rag covered in against his head.

When the cops came round they started the conversation was quite amusing when they said something like "we caught they guys that tried to break in, shame you had to defend yourself like that. Are you ok?".

When one of the intruders mouthed off to me and got to close he seemed to have missed the 6ft pipe I was holding, smacked the end down on his toe and then as his head came down it was too tempting a target and caught the pipe on its way up. His mates thought better of it and dragged him on his way.