Last night, much to my chagrin, a stranger decided to invite himself into my open garage and unlocked car.
I became aware of this mystery man’s presence when the sound of our doorbell interrupted the “Gossip Girl” episode my roommate and I were watching. The sound of our doorbell was as foreign to me as the car crook. My roommates and I have what some would call an open door policy; others might simply refer to it as carelessness.
Our doors are rarely locked, thus allowing our friends to enter at their own risk, and neighbors to stop by at any hour of the day to borrow a cup of sugar. Perhaps we are slightly oblivious to the University Park crime rate, but when one of us forgets our key and stumbles home at odd hours of the night only to find the door locked, there’s trouble.
After a quick game of “Nose Goes” and a few great grunts, I shuffled downstairs to open the door. Standing in the dark were our neighbors with looks of alarm on their faces.
Apparently, a suspicious man had been seen lurking about their garage only a few minutes prior to their arrival upon our front step. We quickly bolted to my garage, which we also leave wide open and welcoming. Grabbing an umbrella from the nearby coat rack, I wound up, ready to swing. We found no man in sight. However, it was no surprise to discover that my car had also been left unlocked.
Apparently, the garage hopper was aware of our open door policy and decided to help himself to the contents of my vehicle. Thankfully, the only thing his sticky fingers ran off with was my Illinois toll pass, which he is more than welcome to have considering I currently reside in the state of Texas.
However, I will say that I am quite offended that he left behind forty or fifty CDs, a cute pair of shades, a pile of my clothes, and some tanning oil. Not only did the invasive man insult my intelligence, but my music and fashion taste as well. If the amateur had looked hard enough, he would have noticed the DVD player on the shelf directly in front of my car. How rude and reckless of him!
That being said, this serves as a valuable lesson to us all. Always lock your doors, even when you are at home. It’s a dangerous world out there, and though some of you may practice the “sharing is caring” method, it can easily be abused.
Thankfully, our garage bandit was a bit brainless, like myself. However, this is not always the case. Navigation systems, iPods, cell phones, laptops and textbooks are not cheap or fun to replace. Thieves are capable of stealing your time and valuables. Locking your door is a quick and easy way to prevent this.
As for my roommates and I, the doorbell might take some getting used to.
Jordan Jennings is a sophomore journalism major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
