I forget who said it but there is a great saying.  It is, "Learn from other
people's mistakes because you won't live long enough to make them all
yourself."  Well, I hope that you can all learn from my mistake.
 
I, like many of you, had people say that it is important to inventory your
property and to record the serial numbers of the different items.  That way
if someone breaks into your home you can supply the police with a list of
serial numbers.  I always thought that it was a good idea but I kept putting
it off because I knew that it would never happen to me, but it did!
 
Most of you know that I am a truck driver.  I am in my truck about 28 days a
month so I decided that it wouldn't make sense to rent a house or apartment.
So I live in my truck and have a storage locker where I keep the rest of my
stuff that I don't have in the truck.
 
Sometime during the hours of 8:00 and 11:00 P.M. on Saturday someone broke
into my truck.   They took my CB, TV, video camera, and all of my computer
software for a total loss of around $4000.  The police were called and they
came and did a report and the crime lab came out and took fingerprints.  The
chances that I will ever see my stuff again is very rare.  I did supply the
police with a list of everything that was taken but I couldn't give them any
serial numbers.  I think I might have the video camera's serial number in
storage and when I go to Idaho next week I will check.  If I would have had
a list of the serial numbers it would have increased not only the chance of
me getting my stuff back but it would have increased the chances of catching
these thieves when they try to pawn or sell the stuff.
 
The only condolence was that I had taken my computer and Sammy, Doris, and
Buddy with me into my friends apartment so they were not in any danger.  I
get cold chills and just shutter to think what might have happened if my
kids would have been in the truck when it was broken into.
 
Please, take some time this week and inventory your property.  Make a record
of all of the serial numbers of your equipment and keep a couple copies of
it in different places.  If nothing else, it will give the police one more
way of catching these people.
 
Since I know people will ask, no I didn't have any insurance coverage on my
personal property.  Since I don't have a house or apartment I have no home
owners or rental insurance.  The truck is a company truck and they carry
insurance only on the truck and not my personal property.
 
The thing that really saddens me the most is that I had a lot of video of my
kids in the camera case and now its all gone.
 
Please learn from my mistake and make a detailed inventory of your stuff so
you don't have to go through what I am.
 
By the way, Sammy is doing well.  At least something is going good.
 
Jason, Sammy, Doris, and Buddy
ICQ # 7528859 (Sammy's Dad)
ICQ - www.icq.com
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2305]