Dramatic
As I was walking back from the corner store this morning having bought milk for my breakfast cereal, I saw a pair of fire trucks race up the street towards me - and stop in front of my apartment house. Doors flew open, and the crew of eight ran in carrying a variety of metal boxes.
In case you were wondering, seeing firemen run into your apartment building is not a calming or reassuring sight.
I looked around carefully but could see no smoke or flames at any windows, nor hear any cries of distress, so I followed them in. The firemen were on my floor, in front of my neighbour's (closed) door. (At this point I have to explain that my neighbour is a sad case, he was forced into early retirement because of alcoholism and appears to be attempting to drink himself to death. His 80-year-old mother who lives in an apartment upstairs had him committed to the psych ward for a month last summer to dry out; on returning home his first thought was to slit his wrists, which he survived. It's very sad, she is frantic with worry and he ... just seems to want out.)
He didn't answer the doorbell nor their pounding on the door, and for some reason his mother's key wouldn't fit the lock (which is why, fearing the worst, she had called them). So the firecrew got out an industrial-strength drill, put the bit to the lock - and in twenty seconds they were in his apartment. The good news is that they found him in bed asleep, falling-down drunk but otherwise OK.
The bad news is that bit about them only needing twenty seconds and a good drill to get in.
It's reassuring to know that the firemen can get into your apartment if they really want to, I would hate to be lying on the floor bleeding to death and listening to them struggling. But it is just shocking how easy the getting-in was. Locking your door is close to a waste of time, it only stops the bored or drug-addict teenager who has snuck in off the street in search of easy prey, and God knows there are enough of those; a serious burglar would be inside your apartment with the door closed behind him before the neighbours looked out to see what all the noise is.
posted by Udge @ 21:20
3 Comments:
Just last night I came home from a musical evening and discovered I had left my door open. No burglary, but I think my little dog was terrified to be left alone "guarding" such a vulnerable territory. She "thinks" closed doors are safe because at least they keep other dogs out!
Now I'm a teeny bit insulted...no one thinks my stuff is worth stealing!
I had similar thoughts when I locked my keys in the car and someone showed up with a little metal bar 'jimmy' that they stuck between the window and popped the lock. There are different shapes of them to avoid triggering the airbags.
Did the drill not make much noise? I'd imagine it would be almost as easy for burglars to pick locks or go through windows as to cut a hole in the door and let themselves in. Although twenty seconds is a short amoung of time.
Sad about your neighbour. Depression and alcoholism are not a good mix. I hope he gets the help he needs and especially so that his mother doesn't have to lose sleep over it.
That is a bit of drama for an easy-going day. It is reassuring to know that the medics and firemen can get in that quickly, but a bit frightening to know that a good buglar could too. I tend to lock my door just to make sure it is not easy access for someone to enter while I'm gone or asleep.
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