dreamcar:
RC:
Milanno:
RC:
Such a neighborhood can be annoying but it has a few perks as well. ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/wink.gif)
Well RC, some of us would like to have so caring neighbors. It is very helpful knowing that you can leave for long vacation and people around you will notice police if something is suspicious ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/usa.gif)
Well...this is what my mother says when I always complain about the neighbors. ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/grin.gif)
I have a very sophisticated alarm system with direct connection to the police and tons of cameras all over which I can even access from outside Germany, so no worries about the house. Also the house is never empty, even when we are on vacation and we have a security company checking for it a couple of times as well, so I don't really need the neighbors to do that.
It is a very safe environment though, this is true. Why all that high tech security? Well...I just love this stuff (gadgets and all...) and some of it (cameras and some outdoor sensors), I installed myself.
All those precautions and gadgets to keep thieves away, none of them as good a deterrent as a slightly underfed big dog whose teeth are wire brushed regularly ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/wink.gif)
It is pretty easy to get rid of a dog...trust me, I'm a pharmacist.
![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/ignore.gif)
The gadgets are my toys, my wife always complains but I know that she is actually happy that she can go out in the garden and call for help if there is an intruder (I won't go into details but the stuff I installed or had installed is pretty nice). Of course there is no 100% safety but the alarm also goes off when there is a water breach or a fire, so this is not about criminals only. The police is only five minutes away from my place, another advantage but unfortunately if the police comes and it was a false alarm, it costs me 180(!) EUR each time. It happened twice over the past five years or so (my son pushed a panic alarm button once and the other time, it was an electrical malfunction because of a weak backup battery) and when you lie in the garden, listening to music...wife...dreaming of sandy beaches and suddenly two police officers with a drawn gun appear in front of you...not pretty.
We also have a security service who checks on the house from time to time but the alarm always goes to the police.
Maintenance is pretty easy, there isn't much to do because it is mostly a wired system. Also, even if someone wants to break in, we have P6B glass allover, so you need dozens(!) of axe(!) blows to actually make a hole into these windows and at the first blow, the glas breakage sensor will react, so... ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/grin.gif)
This kind of safety isn't really needed in our neighborhood (or in most parts of Germany for that matter) but like I said, I love gadgets and we had to renovate parts of the house anyway when we moved in and my parents moved out, so...
My mother said I have paranoia
because of these changes but she lives in the house next to mine and has a similar security (I didn't stop at the main house
) and I don't have the feeling that she doesn't appreciate it. Every time she is alone in the house and/or goes to bed, she activates the alarm. Yeah, paranoia my ass. ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/ignore.gif)
Lately, burglaries have increased a lot in Bavaria but our neighborhood was never an issue. Also, there are clear warning "signs" on the house (alarm flash lights and sirens...the one you can actually see
) and burglars usually go for soft targets. Another thing is that we don't have anything worth steeling and professional burglars usually don't try to break in into such a protected house, unless it is worth it. We are more afraid of non-professional burglars who just want to see if there is something valuable. These are the most dangerous ones because when they panic... ![Smiley](/staticimages/graemlins/ignore.gif)
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Audi R8 V10 Plus (2017), Mini JCW (2015), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)