Not sure why this type of thinking doesn't belong in TV. The reality is that we all need to be responsible for our actions. Being from California and having experienced a few quakes, I made dang sure that any home I purchased was not built directly on a fault line -- that's just asking for trouble. That doesn't mean I hope that a massive quake occurs and damages someone's home on a fault line. It means I think it is a poor choice and that if you make the choice to live on a fault line, you are assuming the risk. (BTW -- I did not make the original example of an earthquake/fault line. That was Vinny. I just stated that having lived in earthquake country that, yes, I would blame the victim for their loss. Doesn't mean I wouldn't help them every way possible. Doesn't mean they wouldn't have my sympathy. Just means that the ultimate responsibility lies on their shoulders.)

If I choose to cross the street in front of a car and it hits me, I'm responsible or, at least, I should be. If I choose to drink and drive and get into an accident, I should be held responsible. We all make choices and take risks. We should all take responsibility for those risks. In this case, someone lost their luggage because of a combination of poor judgment and bad luck. I really and truly hope it wasn't the deliberate taking of luggage that someone knew was not trash. Hopefully, the tag has their address or phone number and whoever took the luggage will quickly realize this was not trash and get it back to them.

I had never heard of pickers or gleaners before. You learn something new everyday.

Public streets.....trash picking is legal.

Is it? What about recyclables? Where I lived before moving here, it wasn't legal to take recyclables from someone's trash. Not sure about other things.

I think this was in a Villa area, those are the only private streets in TV.

I know I did ask about "trash pickers and gleaners". I have never seen one to my knowledge in the 18 months I have lived here.

If I saw someone going through my trash and he was not the trash collector employee, I would call Community Watch in the same way I would if I saw a panhandler going house to house.

I would expect Community Watch to observe this person and to call the police, if necessary, to have them leave The Villages - public streets or not - they would be creating a nusiance.

If the unfortunate lady who set her suitcases with $5000 worth of jewelry and a basketball on the curb, went back inside the house to wait for a ride, was the victim of a picker or gleaner - you can certainly see the "creating a nusiance". However, it is still mostly her fault for not taking reasonable precautions. Good luck on an insurance reimbursement.

not an editorial, just a thought
 

Is this a patio villa or a court yard villa complex? Just curious because all though we live in an amerillo we originally wanted a CYV until we realized of the only three windows that one could see the front street, two were in the garage and the other one was in the guest bedroom leaving the two other views to six foot walls. So if this crime (and it does sound like a crime) occured in a CYV it is unfortunate that unless adjacent neighbors were out front NO ONE would/could see what happened anyway. It bothers me greatly to hear that this could happen here not matter what type of home they were in.
I think I understand now why a village sales rep told me last year " we love selling CYV because in two years we are selling them again".

Oh, there are trash pickers who live in T.V. I've heard of people seeing stuff put out for trash or recycling and others who've nabbed whatever it was that seemed to be worthy of getting. Lights that weren't wanted by the home-owner, things like that! I personally haven't spotted anything set out that I'd want to take...except after Christmas saw a perfect poinsietta on the curb but we didn't stop so I didn't nab it!!!

I think the villas in question are CYV's.

The sales rep comment is interesting, I know a lot of people who have lived in CYV's for years and say they are there for the duration. I think there is a lot of movement in general whether it is a villa or ranch or designer or premier. People just like change and with so many houses on the market the grass is always greener ............

Tbugs, the pickers I see don't actually go thru your trash. If something is set out by itself, that is what they take.

trash
 

If you put something down by the street,its fair game.If you do not want someone going thru your trash,do not put it out. I had seen many many people going thru my stiff the I laid out. Many people are having tuff times.ease up. Do not understand calling community watch. Spend more time on something worthwhile.

you are missing what the cyv's are all about. they are very close and yet provide much more privacy that the kissing houses do! both in the front as well as the back.

Okay, I think that I finally got it about "pickers". Basically, anyone could be called a "picker" if you see some discarded item from a house sitting by the curb for trash haulers and you decide you could fix it up and take it.

I did put out a lawn mower one time in my old home location and a very short time later, a neighbor came and took it so he could fix it up and use it.

I was actually thinking a "picker" was a scavenger who came into the area from outside.

I would not call Community Watch if I saw a person just taking an item like that - but would call Community Watch if they were actually digging through trash bags.

Thanks for the clarification.

Some "pickers" probably are from outside. It is not illegal. These are public roads for the most part. Even on the supposedly private ones in CYV neighborhoods who would care? It is done in neighborhoods in cities and towns everywhere. Another name for it is recycling. Keeps more out of our landfills.

I agree with the earlier poster - if you don't want someone to take it, don't put it out.

Bag Theft
 

To all readers of this thread - let's get it straight once and for all. I am the neighbor of the unfortunate person who's luggage was STOLEN! I am the person who arrived just as my neighbor discovered the THEFT and the airport shuttle arrived. Our trash pickup, for the day involved, is one pickup of regular trash and the trucks come through only once, sometime after 12:00 pm on Tuesdays. The THEFT was realized about 11:15 am BEFORE THE TRASH PICKUP! The cases were separated from the trash. Equally disturbing is the newspaper report on this incident. It states, "The women also told authorities that it was trash pickup day and the suitcases could have been mistaken for trash, according to the report." I must question the accuracy of this article since, once again, THE TRASH WAS NOT PICKUP PRIOR TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE THEFT! - The bottom line: We are very safe in The Villages but we are not immune to what happens in the real world.