Better hope I don't see you.

[RRS]

It takes a real common motherfcker to steal another man's tools.

Someone stole my entire hand pruning arsenal today. I had a big rubbermade box with two pairs of sthil loppers, J-thomas loppers, three pairs of felco hand pruners, felco and sthil folding saws, sthil hedge shears, and a bunch of trowels and little stuff. Probably close to $1000 worth of tools. We were all in the backyard in a nice subdivision, came back out front and the box was gone.

I know who was working in the neighborhood today, and I have an idea who could've done this.

All I can tell this person is, I'm a pacifist, I learned not to start fights a long time ago, and this should scare you. If I see you with my tools you better have a better weapon than me, and I have some good ones on my truck.

You peice of *****.

[Mo Green]

That really sucks that someone has to steal your stuff. That is pretty low. I think a little street justice is in order. I would give him a chance to return your stuff in a timely manner, but if he doesn't then I think I would track him down and make him pay.

What neighborhood were you in?

[Mike J]

Im to far away or I would help you take care of the problem.

I hate a thief!
Mike

[hardboiled]

Canvas the neighborhood, asking the homeowners. I bet somebody saw something suspicious, that may lead to the recovery of your tools. Good Luck. I feel your pain. I lost a b/p blower off the truck and before I could get back to it, a power company employee picked it up (stole it).

[RRS]

What neighborhood were you in?

River Rd. Hills.

The thing that really sucks is I just replaced half of this stuff three months ago after one of my guys left the box sitting on the trailer tongue.

[RRS]

I feel your pain. I lost a b/p blower off the truck and before I could get back to it, a power company employee picked it up (stole it).

That's common as hell too. To find someone's tools and then not try to find the owner. All of my hand tools have "Richmond Residential Service" and the number etched on them with an engraver.

[RRS]

It's all insured, but the deductable is $1000 so it's not worth the claim. The policy is basically to cover a total loss such as the storage building burning down.

[clclawn]

how big of a problem is this. Ive been doing this for 7 years and never had anything stolen. I take no measures to protect the equipment on the job. is it common enough to take the time to lock stuff down?

[Jack D.]

Mr. RRS,

Please accept Jack D.'s condolences and view this as a message from above that the time has come to shed inneficient hand pruning instruments and purchase gasoline powered units.

[hardboiled]

It is big around here. If my work takes me out of view of my truck, I usually lock things with a cable to attached eyebolts that have the nuts welded on. I've already found a handle bolt on my Proline missing the nylok nut. I assembled it, so I know it was tight. I believe someone was working on taking it before they were interrupted. It was locked by a cable to the truck. If you can slow them down, chances are less that they will get it. A lot of theft around here from snowplows to contents of contractors vans. One funny story from when I was in paving..... A police officer pulled up to a guy loading a piece of equipment, decided to assist with traffic control as it was a busy street, and sat while the guy loaded and took off. Came to be that he was stealing the machine.

[backsmackwristcrack]

my sincerst condolences man. got ripped off last year rather hard and yeah it hurt. I do have to say a rubber maid box isnt going to cut it. Heck my enclosed trailer doesnt cut it. There are vans out there with all the right tools running off a generater or comressed air tanks that will cut my rig open like a tuna can. Its a full time gig for some people. I lock it up every job and still check around the corner. Its a low thing to steal a mans tools.

[Woody]

Man, that sucks RRS!

All I can say is, I do the same as Hardboiled. If I am going to leave sight of my truck, EVERYTHING is secured. Sure, they can still rip me off, but there are many, much easier marks where the stuff is just sitting there.

Besides, with the new concealed carry law, they have really got to ask themselves... "Do I feel lucky??". A man has got to know his limitations. And someone trying to rip me off is out of luck, and way beyond their limitations.

If any of you guys ever catch a thief in the act, it is YOUR end of the bargain to make sure they NEVER do it again. In other words, testing the skin-removal capabilities of your new RedMax trimmer on their body is certainly in order! I'll keep up my end of the bargain by making sure they never set foot in YOUR neighborhood. Unless you live next to a cemetary.

Woody

[Clim Cadidlehopper]

IF you need some big boom to scare the living wajebazz out of them I have a 500 S&W I will loan you but it kicks like a mule or three, if you hit them oh well Oop's. Sorry to hear about Your lose, in a week or so check out some of the pawn shops in the surrounding cities maybe just maybe.

[GrassMaster]

How to Lie, Steal, Cheat the Working Class & Get away with it?

Don't forget to check your local Lawn Service & Landscaping companies... They are the major buyers of stolen equipment, them or the thieves will spray paint it, sometimes file or scratch off serials or even take a Chisel or screw driver & pop off rivets on serial number plate. All True Facts!

Special note: Do not let the pawnshop check for serial numbers in their database, because what they do is, if they think it's stolen, they will input reversed serial numbers or numbers just a few digits off because this gives them perfect excuse when detectives come around with their list of serials numbers of reported stolen equipment. I don't know what happened Detective, I or the other Stolen Property Fence Guy that works here must have inputed the numbers wrong... Yeah Right...

I been there & done that...

There was this landscaper guy in the area that was writing bad company checks for Equipment, he was taking the equipment straight to the Local Thieving Pawn Shop... He was getting $100 per piece of New Equipment & they gave him $200 for new utility trailer, he wrote check to trailer dealer for $800. 30 minutes later he pawned it for $200 Cash.

There was 5 dealers & the trailer guy at this pawn shop, the pawnshop owner had 13 pieces of equipment locked up in special room, but he couldn't hide the trailer...

After 6 of us arguing with Pawn Shop owner, I challenged him to a game of scrabble or spelling it was his choice (He lost his Cool) & police made him open the locked door, 13 pieces of new equipment never used & all 13 pieces had serial numbers reversed in his database.

This is what made him lose his cool.
I challenged him to a game of Scrabble or Spelling contest, it was his choice & told him he could go first, The words were Lying Thieving Bastard, He lost his cool & Police officer laughed & told the owner to unlock the door or he would walk outside & let us open it!

Good thing we didn't get in fight because he was about 30 years old, looked like body builder, let me see he could probably pop me about 3 times for every one time I hit him, unless I hit him with baseball bat that was next to me... But I wasn't Skeard I had my Wife with me & she would have tore him up... I reckon I could have bite him if it got real bad... or If he hurt my wife... I could go get my 21 year old daughter that would have got medieval on his ass & gave him an A#1 Mr. 5-Ass Whoop. YEEEEEHA!

Thank God, President Bush, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter & Martha Stewart that he wasn't any good at Scrabble or Spelling... It saved my Big Fat Pot Bellied Butt Big Time.

LOL, he didn't stand a chance at scrabble or spelling, I found out later he just finished 4 years at Columbus State University. Thank God I went to South Georgia Public School in Early 70's back then they actually taught Reading, Writing & Math Skills. I'm 9th Grade Educate. BRAG

If he could have made it through the first three words I could have creamed him with words like bicycle, cemetery, mortgage or I could have pulled out the big guns & made him spell twostrokenecrophiliac, he did try to screw us out of stolen equipment & he was dead wrong. That's fact Jack!

PS: Before the Spelling Police try to arrest me, the words Skeard & twostrokenecrophiliac are both in my Mason Dixon Dictionary here on my bail of hay next to my puter!

PPS: When you know people are lying to you & they acting real cool playing you like a fool, you just got to think of an alternative means of upsetting them, because they are used to the standard set of rules. I ain't used to nothing if they have done me wrong?

PPPS: The pawn shop owner didn't get in any trouble after having reversed 13 serial numbers & caught at it, he's still in business. I'm still a RedNeck just older!

[Ric]

RSS

My sincerest condolences, Having worked in a prison, I believe a modified muslin Eye for an Eye legal system is the best. You Steal CUT OFF Your hand.

We all identify with our Job or profession. These guys are proud they are thief and too lazy to work. Prisons are only a training ground to improve their skills. One B & E convicts was taking Locksmithing as his rehabilitation. Right, Rehab to improve his Skills.