[JenAjd]

Had another thought on this...yes it isn't something the guy should have done! BUT...maybe there is some dementia beginning there. SOME people do strange things and their personalities change too. Just a thought.

I'd say...if it happens again then you'll have to do other measures if this "talk" with him apparently hadn't 'sunk in'!!!

[katezbox]

Freeda,

I think this guy was one of those who had the mentality that if he was stealing from an unknown, and unlikely to get caught, that it is OK. These are the same people who complain about something insignificant in a restaurant to get some freebies, that try to sue for any minor infraction (after all, an insurance company can afford it...), that suggest splitting the bill, when their dinner makes up more than 50% of the total and that stiff the waitstaff of a fair tip.

I think your husband did the right thing. If this man tries this again, I would tell him that you are calling the police. This is stealing, plain and simple.

[l2ridehd]

I guess I would take my cutting pliers, unplug his cord, coil it up until I reached him, cut it off and say thanks I needed a new extension cord.

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Gracie, I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying it seems to be the TV mentality. There really does seem to be a way of thinking that says if you're not using it and if I don't break it, it's okay for me to use it without even asking.

Personally, I think you should ask before parking in someone's driveway or at least leave a note but people just park and walk away. I suppose I could give my neighbor $0.05 for the electricity I use in trimming my bush since it takes me about 5 minutes to cut it down to size and shape and maybe a dollar for the house where the circuit breakers constantly trip. For the circuitbreaker house, I also trim the neighbor's trees, so I think they're getting the better deal.

The odd thing is I'm willing to bet the people who feel free to just use/"borrow" wouldn't have dreamed of doing the same thing in their last hometown.

Surely not. Surely people in TV know the difference between borrowing and stealing! This was stealing, plain and simple. I'm appalled.

I think I would have video taped the cord from my house back to the guy using the equipment to use for evidence. If he didn't apologize and have a heck of a good excuse, I would have sworn out a warrant for his arrest.

We are all responsible for making TV safe, fun and livable. Stealing obviously is not the way to do that. But knowingly letting TVers steal from each other-- and blowing it off as "an entitlement mentality" that equates theft with borrowing-- is not the way to do it either. If I see a crime committed, I'll report it.

Did I mention I was appalled?

[bkcunningham1]

I'm shocked and amazed. I read it laughing like it was a made up tale Freeda. Unreal. He was stealing. Plain and simple. What absolute nerve.

My husband said if you are leaving your house for an extended period and want to prevent someone from using your outdoor outlets, just throw (or trip, ever how you say it) the breaker to the outdoor receptacles.

[scroll]

My first thoughts would be to cut the cord to make a point. But, as a cooler head should prevail I would just unplug it and wait for him to return as you did.
My reason being is that you never know who or what kind of person you are dealing with. The last thing you want to do is create a problem that could escalate like the Hatfields and McCoys. I lot more damage could be done to you and your residence than just some lost electricity. Some people can do crazy things like killing shrubs, grass, oil stains on driveways, holes in screens etc. You can call the police and get a report but until you put up surveillance cameras or get concrete proof you become the loser. Do not be a loser to a loser. You did the right thing and I doubt it will happen again.

[hedoman]

I'd just give the cord a huge yank and scare the dude straight. Then cut the cord....... OR hit the breaker switch on-off on -off just to aggrevate the guy

Oh I would have some fun with this but our neighbors are too far away so no fun for me....

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by scroll

My first thoughts would be to cut the cord to make a point. But, as a cooler head should prevail I would just unplug it and wait for him to return as you did.
My reason being is that you never know who or what kind of person you are dealing with. The last thing you want to do is create a problem that could escalate like the Hatfields and McCoys. I lot more damage could be done to you and your residence than just some lost electricity. Some people can do crazy things like killing shrubs, grass, oil stains on driveways, holes in screens etc. You can call the police and get a report but until you put up surveillance cameras or get concrete proof you become the loser. Do not be a loser to a loser. You did the right thing and I doubt it will happen again.

Now that is a post by a person with good common sense.

[2BNTV]

Freeda:
We wondered later, trying to figure out what would cause someone to do this, if maybe not all houses here have outdoor electrical outlets (although I would assume that they do), as a reason he would have done this; although when he and my husband were talking, he never offered this as a reason for what he had done. (He didn't offer any excuse; no apology; just took his cord and left). But even if that had been the reason, we would have thought someone would at least ask in advance. (And, if we had been asked, and if the reason had been that the man didn't have an outdoor outlet, or something else that was reasonable, we would have said 'fine' - it's just the boldness of using someone else's utilities without asking, rather than the actual cost, that bothered us).[/QUOTE]

I would be extremely annoyed that someone would do something like this without getting permission. It is so inappropriate. It would not be the money but the principle for me.

My take on this person is since he didn't offer an apology for his behavior leads me to think that this person has some emotional issues within themselves.

I like the idea of turning the breaker off several imes. I would turn the breaker off when he starting trimming, wait for him to walk back to the outlet and turning the breaker back on. After doing this several times, he might feel it would serve him well to use his own electricity.

I personally would not confront him as he seems to be in his own world and could lead to a potential incident.

As Murphy Brown said, "I don't know what he calls it in his world but in my world I call it BS.

[Niels]

I can't believe the number of posters on here who said they would cut the cord (I assume AFTER they had unplugged it ). I think that by cutting the cord you take a minor problem (someone stealing your electricity) and possibly turn it into a MAJOR WAR. This person is your neighbor. Someone you might be living next to for many years. Do you really want to start an ongoing war with a close neighbor over a few cents worth of electricity?

My personal opinion is, anyone bold enough to steal someone else's electricity can probably figure out a way to get even with you several times over for cutting his cord. Just look at Scroll's post for a few ideas on how this person will get even with you.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by Niels

I can't believe the number of posters on here who said they would cut the cord (I assume AFTER they had unplugged it ). I think that by cutting the cord you take a minor problem (someone stealing your electricity) and possibly turn it into a MAJOR WAR. This person is your neighbor. Someone you might be living next to for many years. Do you really want to start an ongoing war with a close neighbor over a few cents worth of electricity?

My personal opinion is, anyone bold enough to steal someone else's electricity can probably figure out a way to get even with you several times over for cutting his cord. Just look at Scroll's post for a few ideas on how this person will get even with you.

Ditto.

Bill

[Talk Host]

I think I might try this approach.....(but then that's just me)

"Hi neighbor. I noticed that you plugged your trimmers into my outlet. I certainly don't mind you using my electricity for this small job.....after all, that's what neighbors are for....to help each other. I'm wondering if you are having some problems with your exterior outlets. We should all help each other whenever we can, and I would ask that you give me a heads up when you are going to plug into our outlet. We don't want to use the same circuit for some other appliance and blow the breaker. Hey, have a great day, and anything that we can do to help, let us know."

JLK

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

I think I might try this approach.....(but then that's just me)

"Hi neighbor. I noticed that you plugged your trimmers into my outlet. I certainly don't mind you using my electricity for this small job.....after all, that's what neighbors are for....to help each other. I'm wondering if you are having some problems with your exterior outlets. We should all help each other whenever we can, and I would ask that you give me a heads up when you are going to plug into our outlet. We don't want to use the same circuit for some other appliance and blow the breaker. Hey, have a great day, and anything that we can do to help, let us know."

JLK

Perfect! That'll avoid the 'war' potential that Niels mentioned.

Bill

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by Niels

I can't believe the number of posters on here who said they would cut the cord (I assume AFTER they had unplugged it ). I think that by cutting the cord you take a minor problem (someone stealing your electricity) and possibly turn it into a MAJOR WAR. This person is your neighbor. Someone you might be living next to for many years. Do you really want to start an ongoing war with a close neighbor over a few cents worth of electricity?

My personal opinion is, anyone bold enough to steal someone else's electricity can probably figure out a way to get even with you several times over for cutting his cord. Just look at Scroll's post for a few ideas on how this person will get even with you.

I wouldn't cut the cord either. I agree it could escalate to a major war, but there's an even more important reason. Two wrongs don't make a right. Think about it. Wouldn't cutting the cord be fighting theft with criminal damage to property? If I run across someone whose standards of conduct I find contemptible, the last thing I hope I would do is lower my standards to his.

Flipping the breaker on and off could damage my own equipment/ appliances tied to the same breaker and would just encourage the guy to make sure I'm not home when he breaks in.

I think Freeda's husband did the right thing to talk to him first. However, unlike TH, I would not pretend that, like the thief, I also make no distinction between "neighbor helping neighbor" and theft. That would lead to a worse-case scenario, the one Red described in which TVers actually assume "entitlement" to taking from neighbors without permission (see also, theft).

Isn't acting like this is no big deal doing precisely that: granting TVers entitlement to take things belonging to others without asking? Isn't saying what TH suggests saying precisely that it's an acceptable norm?

Wouldn't kicking the can down the road-- or worse, calling it acceptable-- contribute to the problem in the long run, instead of helping to prevent an entitlement mentality from taking hold?

[duffysmom]

This is a person I would keep my eye on. Someone who is bold enough to do such a thing is bold enough to escalate to something damaging and illegal.