Leaving the house alone when going on Vacations

I’ve mentioned before several times how going on vacations is usually a great way to get your home burglarized in Argentina.
Leave for a week or two and the chances of that happening increases exponentially.
So when I told everyone I was going to Spain for a month a couple of you guys sent me emails or comments asking if this was wise. I really appreciate your concern and now that I’m back, let me tell you I left knowing very well what I was doing.
Without getting into much detail regarding what I did myself, there’s a few tips I’d like to share with you.

Alarm + Safety Door + Burglar Bars

A house without burglar bars in Argentina might as well have a sign hanging in the front door saying “please rob me, I’m the most stupid human specimen left”. Some places being better than others, at least in the suburbs of Buenos Aires don’t ask people to be sorry for you if you get robbed if you didn’t bother to install burglar bars.

Alarms are also fairly common and armored safety doors, while you see several, they aren’t as common as they should be. Most people still feel that a solid wooden door provides security and they really don’t get it how simple it is to just kick them down or force them with a crowbar. SWAT teams and criminals alike, they all know that the front door is often the best entry point and the one most overestimated in terms of gaining access to the building.

Now, these three combined provide a good level of protection if they work along with the right “software” for the family: Situational awareness, security habits, keeping the door locked, not opening the doors to strangers or when not completely sure that the person on the other side is not a threat.
But the level of security provided is one that works either when the house is occupied or when left alone for short term periods.
The burglar drives or walks around, sees your “hard” house, and goes for an easier target. Even if trying to break in, a good security door and alarm may be too much.

Your unoccupied home on the long Run

But what happens when its clear that no one is home and no one’s coming back soon? Even worse, what happens when somehow the information of your family traveling for x period of time gets to the wrong ears or a criminal finds out after doing a little bit of intelligence?
Your house my friend, is a sitting duck.

Even if you have a good security setup with motion sensor cameras, you’ll just end up with a film of the burglary.
Sometimes the alarm sends them away, or cops show up quick enough, but the damage is already done: Broken door, windows, busted burglar bars, unless someone is there to take care of things, its just going to be a matter of time before someone finishes what others started. If the house is isolated, it will usually be picked clean.

There’s only two ways in which you can be leave a home empty for long periods of time during high crime times.

1)Leave the house occupied:
Someone you trust staying at your house is usually the best thing to do. Of course this must be someone you can depend on and not just anyone, preferably a best friend or family member.
If you have a pool for example and a nice garden, maybe a friend that owns an apartment would be glad to spend some time at your place.
Combined with the existing security this is the best way to ensure your property will be there when you come back.
Showing up after a week or two abroad only to find a house picked clean, including furniture and even toilets robbed, is an all to common story around here.
Just out of pure evil sometimes they urinate or defecate on the carpet and walls ( have a relative that went through that) Imagine coming home to an broken, empty home and having to clean that up. Even worse, finding another family actually moved in, claiming someone sold or rented the house to them! Again, happens often enough.

2)Have a house in a secured location:
This is the best alternative if you can’t have someone stay at your place, but it will depend on location and its of course not something you’ll be able to change. Keep this in mind when buying real estate, offices, or second residencies.
An apartment with a good security armored door and placed right next to ( or above ) a building that has good security is a good way to go.
If you have an apartment or home that is right next to a police station, bank or some other building with tight security, combined with a hardened home, chances are that no criminal will risk breaking into it. The harder it is to brake into your home, the more noise and time will be required, and this increases the chance of getting caught.

That’s it for now guys. Keep these things in mind if you’re planning on leaving for some time. Maybe talk with friends or relatives.

Take care.

FerFAL

Security for Women

Anonymous said...

Let me start by saying that I am a woman, and I completely understand fears about kidnappings, sexual assaults, or worse. However, I found this post sad and disturbing for many reasons.

I disagree very much with the idea of intentionally making yourself ugly to avoid being a crime victim. The main reason it disturbs me is because, for most people, it's demoralizing and damaging to your self-confidence to intentionally let your looks go. When you know you look like a troll, you start to feel like it to. Don't believe me? Go put on your Sunday best and look at yourself in the mirror. Who doesn't get a small boost in confidence when they see themselves looking pretty damn good? People generally feel better when they look their best.

Now I'm sure at this point someone is thinking that I'm materialistic, shallow, consumerist, etc. I'm far from it--I really don't care what you wear. My entire point here is that in a SHTF situation, you're going to want to want every shred of self-confidence and positive thinking you can muster up. Taking extreme measures such as gaining weight (which, btw, is just all-around bad advice, sorry) is going to put you at a psychological disadvantage for survival.

You don't have to sacrifice your looks to protect yourself. Let me tell you about how I protect myself. First and foremost, I carry a gun and a knife with me at all times, and I have taken self-defense classes. I keep myself in shape in case I need to run or fight. I'm extremely vigilant when I go out, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. I keep myself free of distractions while in public, like cell phones and iPods. I wear sensible footwear and sensible clothing. By "sensible clothing", I mean nothing flashy, expensive, or provocative. I can easily blend into a crowd.

Notice how nowhere in the above paragraph did I mention gaining weight, wearing baggy clothing, or generally looking like a hag. If you want to do that stuff, go right ahead, but please don't fall into the trap of believing that you NEED to take those measures in order to be safe. You don't.

Furthermore, I take offense at the underlying implication in the original post that ugly women are less likely to be victimized. This is perpetuating the myth that attractive women are just "asking for it" by looking sexy. This has been debunked many times over. Men do not rape for sex; they rape because they get off on control, domination, and power. They can just as easily get that from someone who is utterly repulsive. And let's not forget that sexual assaults and kidnappings are most often committed by people who know the victim. In these cases, looking unattractive isn't going to save your butt.

February 7, 2010 1:03 PM

Thanks for that comment. Lots of good advice right there.
I couldn’t get my wife to dress bad or make herself ugly even if I tried, so no, I don’t think its shallow at all. I think it does boost your self confidence and your morale as you mention.
Staying in fighting/running shape, having shoes and clothes for that as well, and being religious about carrying your weapons sure is the way to go.
I’m not so sure about rapists and the way they choose their victims. Each monster seems to have its particular perversion and no one, of any age or appearance is safe.
There’s rapists that have raped 80 year old grandmas and stay within that pattern for whatever messed up reason they have in their heads, others even rape babies, but I’d say that the most common type of rapist prefers young women.
Then again, as you mentioned, most rapes are perpetuated by people that knew the victim, often they are relatives. I’d say you have a pretty broad popuri of freaks out there, but for some reason the rapist going after young girls is more common that the one going after the grandmas. No, not saying its the victims fault, just saying what happens most often.
Here’s the link to the excerpt about rape in my book, The Modern Survival Manual, with some advice for women, including some advice from a rape victim: link.

FerFAL

Reply: Kidnappings in USA: How to prepare for them

Anonymous said...
I wanted to share on this topic as this is an important one that unfortunately seems to be a growing concern for us here in the USofA.

As a single woman with no familial support, I am caring for an aged and completely dependent father (who is almost 80). All my life I was called "beautiful" and a "babe" - but we live in different times and I now "fly under the radar" in every way possible because if something were to happen to me, my dad would die.

Here is what I do and why;

First of all, for security purposes I NEVER wash my car(s), (when it rains, they get washed; good enough), I don't fix "dings" as any "self-respecting" thief would not pick my car over a hot-looking one nearby. I never leave anything in my cars to tempt anyone either.

Because I feel secure in myself, I dress down for "camouflage", I wear nondescript "old & shapeless" clothing; I never wear makeup and I will don ugly brown glasses to wear. (I plan on getting an old lady wig at some point - in case!). I walk with purpose and a swift stride in and out of stores; I never carry a purse, I never flirt or act "feminine" with guys, my behavior is "non-sexual" and no-nonsense. I am alert and will move away from males who may turn to get a better look at me; I do NOT make eye contact but am aware of them peripherally and will move away. I quickly move in and out of wherever I have to go. I don't chitchat or stroll. I keep my dad with me at all times but due to his being wheelchair bound, I will run into stores and back out to him, where he is - locked in the car, with the brake on, etc.

Now, I have always been pretty careful, but last year we had a kidnapping right in our area. My girlfriend was very nearly nabbed by a man on her way to work at 8am (she was near a school). She ran as he stopped the van and tried to chase her on foot to catch her. She is 38, has 8 kids but dresses like a teenager and has a ponytail. She would not go to the police (she may be "illegal"). She was lucky that day. But, just two days later, in the same area - a 16 yr. old was kidnapped right near her school - at about 7 am. Her pictures show she probably had a ponytail, too. (*easier to grab and take down) This guy was cruising schools looking for a target in the early mornings while it was still a bit dark until he "caught" one. He drove a van with no windows. This freaked me out. I went into a hyper-vigilant mode and became "more underground" - I put on weight to make sure I would not be targeted but still dress "non-sexual" always. My main reasons for all this is in keeping my dad safe because there is no one else and if something happened to me, he'd be dead.

I truly believe the kidnappings here (we are 35 mi. from the "open" border) are related to the "sex-slave trade" as they just "disappear" - there are no calls, no notes, & no ransom wanted. I willingly have sacrificed my looks and femininity to keep my dad safe. I am also doing what is necessary in case of SHTF scenarios, but I thought since this is such an important thing to be aware of, I would share what I do - out of necessity, being a single female. Oh, and don't think I walk around "fearful" either, I don't. I have a prayer life and I utilize it daily like a force-field for protection - but if anyone were to ever grab me, trust me, to keep my dad safe, I'd tear the attacker's eyes out blind. Seriously, I would - as I believe it is cowardly not to fight for your loved ones and honorable if you have to die doing it. God bless us all. Keep safe.
February 6, 2010 1:59 AM

First of all let me congratulate you for you dedication to your family. Seems pretty rare these days.
What you do is what lots of women do in dangerous places round the world as well.

Thanks for mentioning sex slavery. It’s a serious problem here in Argentina. “White” trade, as they call it here, happens very often and while mentioned on the news, its not covered nearly as well as it should. There’s SO many children and young women that end up as sex slaves, moved around the provinces, forced to “work” in different brothels. Sounds crazy but they are so well organized that the network is almost impossible to crack, specially because of the police being involved at a local level.

Did you consider purchasing a firearm for concealed carry? Assuming its legal where you live, you certainly have the right mindset for it.

What Anon 12:18 PM said is also true. You can keep your guard up in general terms but still live life. Even though its sounds kind of cold talking about something romantic as something practical as well, finding the right man for you would not only be good for you sentimentally, it also means having someone there for protection, watching you back, etc.
A partner for life in general, but also someone that helps when you need him, its easier to get by both in good and bad times when you have someone at your side.
Having said all this, marrying and having kids or not is a very personal decision. For me its by far the greatest joy I have in life and you sound like a nice person, so that’s why I’m mentioning it, please understand I don’t mean anything else by it.

As you said, we really just know what you’re saying and nothing more, but I just wanted to point that out.

Take care, and good luck!

FerFAL

Kidnappings in USA: How to prepare for them.

Don Williams said...

Ferfal, a news report from here in the USA:

"GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A 4-year-old boy abducted by masked men from a Mableton trailer park was reunited with his mother Thursday night.

Christian Guevera was found safe and sound at an apartment complex in Gwinnett County Thursday afternoon. Gwinnett County's SWAT team went to the Madison Ridge Apartments at 1121 Indian Trail after US Marshals received information the child was at the location. ...

...The boy's mother told police that two men wearing ski masks tasered her, tied her up and took the child Thursday morning....

...11Alive's Jaye Watson talked to the boy's grandfather, who said the two men who took the child demanded $1,000 to return the child.

Another relative told reporters the boy's father died in a motor vehicle crash and the mother recently received an insurance settlement. The relative said the mother recently started dating another man and that boyfriend told the suspects about the inheritance."

Ref: http://www.11alive.com/rss/rss_story.aspx?storyid=140463

February 4, 2010 9:01 PM

Anonymous Don Williams said...

Another example of kidnapping for ransom here in the USA:

"SAN ANTONIO -- Two men have been arrested in connection with a kidnapping scheme that involved holding construction workers hostage for a huge ransom, police said...
...Police said the victims were taken hostage to extract ransom money from their boss, who is a contractor.

Investigators say the workers are building a hotel in San Antonio. The suspects somehow gained knowledge that a significant pay day was about to occur."

Ref: http://www.kens5.com/home/Police-construction-workers-held-hostage-for-huge-ransom-82372082.html

February 4, 2010 9:10 PM

Anonymous Don Williams said...

Example 3 of recent kidnapping for ransom in the USA-- this time near McAllen Texas:

"EDINBURG — An undocumented immigrant accused of kidnapping a Mission woman and holding her for ransom pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping charges Jan. 15.

Javier Vereozo Ortiz was sentenced to four years in prison as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Investigators alleged Vereozo and another man — Roberto Jaico — took the woman from her home, held her for four days and demanded a $500,000 ransom from her family before releasing her unharmed."

http://www.themonitor.com/news/pleads-34731-attempt-ransom.html

Thanks Don, I’ve been getting several emails lately about the growing amount of cases of kidnappings in USA.

It’s so unfortunate, I’ve been talking about this problem we live with here in Argentina for many years, explained in my book that it’s a rather common post –economic crisis crime that we simply never experienced before 2001. I hoped it would never happen in USA but well, now it clearly is.

Do you guys notice how all these things that supposedly would never happen …. “unless TSHTF”…. Are happening and yet things keep going as usual, just different?
Supposedly America would be utterly destroyed and people would live “a la Mad Max” before kidnappings occurred in USA as they occur in 3rd world countries.
But no, things just aren’t that drastic and spectacular, it just crawls into our lives and we have to learn to live with them, adapt and prepare.

Kidnappings is a kind of crime for which you can clearly prepare for.
Following these simple rules you very turn yourself and your family in a hard, unattractive target. It’s the equivalent of your house looking like Fort Knox and being right next to a police station: A criminal will find 100 targets that look easier and more doable.
I also googled tips for avoiding kidnappings and was pleasantly surprised that the Mexican government pretty much advices the same things I’m saying here.
So please, if crime is getting worse in your area, keep these rules in mind and put them to practice.

7 Rules to Avoid Kidnappings

1)KEEP. YOUR.BIG.MOUTH.SHUT.
This is by far the most common reason why people end up being kidnapped.
Most often its not the rich and famous that get hit. It does happen but it generally requires defeating serious private security, doing intelligence work, and while the booty is bigger the risk also increases.
Forget about Hollywood and what you see on TV. Don’t think for a second that this is something that only concerns billionaires.
Would you pay 1000 dollars to save your child’s life, how about $5000? $5000 bucks is a lot of money my friend, and some people are willing to cut off your kid’s ear and mail it to you for less.
Its much more common for “ordinary people” to get kidnapped based on trails or tips.
Someone sold a car, a house, someone’s wife is being a loud mouth about his sugar daddy’s company doing very well and someone overheard. The maid or cleaning lady that comes once or twice a week noticing there’s a lot of money and talking to their friends or relatives.
It very important to incorporate this into you life, as a standard way in which you simply operate 24/7: Don’t talk about money, keep your voice down, be careful about where you talk about these things and never brag about extra profit or mention cars, houses or such being sold.
On one occasion when my mother was visiting, I had to point this out to her while walking in Buenos Aires down town area. Typical of loud Latins, she was talking out loud about salaries in Spain, forgetting the almost x6 exchange rate.

2)Don’t brag and don’t look “rich”.
Sometimes even if you don’t say it out loud, the way you dress, the jewelry women carry, the car you drive and the lifestyle you have says much about you as well.
Try not looking rich. Even more stupid than this, don’t PRETEND to be rich either. Rolex? $1000 purse? Bet you’d pay 100.000 pretty fast if I send you your son’s finger.
This is typical of new rich or middle class with higher expectations, to live beyond their means.
Very bad idea. As sad as it may be, lots of people do this, pretending to be something they’re not.
During good times its just pathetic, but during a kidnap its hard to explain a that you actually don’t have a million dollars, that you’re rather 500.000 in debt.
I know lots of people that drive cheaper cars instead of fancier ones they could easily afford for this reason alone; not looking wealthy.

3)Stay in touch.
It’s important that every adult in the family: A) Has his own cell phone B) Is religious about keeping it charged and carrying it.

Lots of virtual kidnappings can simply be avoided by doing this, and in case someone goes missing its of course much easier to track down.
If real kidnaps already occur in USA, trust me its just a matter of time before virtual ones start as well. Its simple to do, all you need is a phone and time until you find the right victim. After finding someone that gives away vital information over the phone, its easy to scare a family member into dropping some money at one location to save his loved one.

4) Don’t give information over the phone.
Not even your first name. Don’t fall for tricks to pry information away from you either. I’m a friend of your mothers/father/brother”, if you keep talking you’re already saying at least that such person exists.
“What’s your name and who are you looking for?” That’s the only thing you should say. Don’t let a stranger bully you or use a command tone of voice over the phone to get information out of you. They pretend to be cops, hospital workers checking for a relative of your that got hurt and is now in the hospital, once you accept the existence of such person and he/she’s clearly not there, they switch the tone of voice and tell you they’re actually kidnappers and have that person with them. They sometimes hang up and call later, maybe another day, and use the gathered information in a similar manner.

5)Don’t leave kids alone.
Children and even pre-teens or young teenagers are favorite targets.
You can usually tell if the family has money by the clothes, or their cell phone, or if they have expensive private school uniforms. Its became such a problem here in Argentina, that for some time private schools no longer made it mandatory to wear the uniform and I believe that even today some schools still do so.
Kids are usually more naïve, not that strong, and there’s nothing a parent wouldn’t do (or pay) to save his kids life.
When in doubt if your son/daughter is old enough to be alone on the streets these days, its better to fall on the side of caution. Drive them around or get some other responsible adult to do so.

6)Be aware of your surroundings.
Both on foot and when driving.
Being armed and knowing how to use your weapon is important, but as I’ve said hundreds of times already, avoiding the encounters entirely is MUCH better. Avoiding the ambush, even if its for just 2 or 3 seconds makes a world of a difference and is always 1000x better than being the fastest gun in the planet.
So people, be extra careful out there. Look alive, check your surroundings. Avoid dangerous or deserted places. When it comes to kidnappings be specially aware of cars driving slowly towards you or people purposefully walking towards you. When in doubt look around, if you see a second person or group of people doing the same you sure are being ambushed.
When it comes to driving its important to change schedules and routes often.
Going always to the office through the same route, always going out at exactly 8.00 PM and arriving home at 7.30 PM makes things terribly easy for any would-be kidnapper. Be careful on stop signs and red lights. I’ve mentioned before on several occasions how we’ve learned to ignore them here in Argentina because of security problems, specially at night.
When you think you’re being followed turn 3 times in the same direction, if the car is still following you drive quickly to the nearest police station, call 911 and warn your family as well.
Of course, dont open the door to strangers and increase your homes seucrity measures as we've often discussed.

7)Get the police involved immediately
Specially when you live in a country like USA that has serious police, the chances of survival increase if you contact the police.
Being honest here, often it works the other way around in certain 3rd world countries where even the police advices you to go back home, shut up and pay.
But in the States, going straight to the police is still the best thing to do.

FerFAL

Reply: Shelter, food,water‏

Good comments there guys thanks.
+1000 on store what you eat. That’s another reason why I recommend buying ordinary supermarket store food that has long shelf life but its still common stuff our kids ands ourselves already eat.

About mercury, tuna and seafood.
The FDA recommends up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) of low mercury fish ( canned tuna) per week.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/FoodbornePathogensContaminants/Methylmercury/ucm115662.htm
I’d say this is EXTREMLY conservative given that in some places people eat all kinds of fish on daily basis.

I’m just back from Barcelona, Fish is pretty much all they eat there. Didn’t see a disproportionate amount of people with three legs or two heads, but they do have higher mercury levels in general.
Now, lets be honest here as well. In spite of that higher mercury level, if you compare the population of Barcelona to Orlando for example, I’d say that in Barcelona people clearly have a healthier diet.
No use in going nuts about fish and then stuffing your face with junk food full of hydrogenated fat and sugar.
In Galicia where my family is from, eating “Cazuela” is almost a religious matter. Again, people looked pretty healthy there too.
Light canned tuna, you can eat 200 gr. per week. In my family a tuna pie has mostly vegetables and a small can of 150 g. That’s 150 gr divided 4. So there’s no risk in eating that kind of tuna pie 3 or 4 times a week.
Best thing to do is have a well balanced diet. Just like everything else, excess (of anything) is bad. Heck people, to much water is fatal as well as a death no long ago in a water drinking contest proved.
And when in doubt, go for some salmon or cazuela over saturated fat burgers and fries. :-)

FerFAL