Tools stolen from uninsured house- What would you do?

[joinerjohn]

Years ago (whilst self employed subbying on sites) I'd spent all day in Leicester on a pub refurb and worked until around half nine at night. Got home around half ten, parked the van up and thought, ach, the tools will be fine in there until morning. (usually took the tools out, but was so tired that night)
Got up in the morning to find an empty space where my van had been. Gutted,,,,,,,(didn't even feel that bad when the first wife left me) Reported it to the police and phoned the contractor to tell him I couldn't come to work until I'd got transport and some tools. Phoned up the insurance company. They said although personal items were covered by the insurance, my tools were not covered. (how much more personal do your tools get??) Anyway, the police found the van about a week later, burnt out in a country lane, just outside Derby. Insurance company eventually paid for the van (about a grand). Replaced that with a cheap runaround, but couldn't afford to replace all of my tools, so had to build them up again over a few years. Needless to say, they were never left in the van ever.
When I worked for the council, we had erected a tower scaffold(about 6m high)at the side of a building we were replacing fascia boards on. While we were up the tower, some cheeky git, nicked our bags in the front garden containing our lunch.

 

[Alarm]

Had vans done twice.

As a working locksmith and woodworker/metal worker have had the usual stolen.

Drills
Welders
Generators
Wood working kit ( Estwing hammers, Marples "sash range" chisels ect)
Metal working kit ( Grinders files drills ect)

List goes on.

Any Coont who steals from a tradesman needs a good word with a long prison sentence and bad food. As any criminal does.
Not a free regime choice of food, games and toys.
Your there for punishment not a free loading few years.

AND you pay for the items stolen, if you killed then hang.

Toe rags, and that's being polite.

 

[peekay53]

bite the bullet and admit you should have been more responsible about your own tools so no sympathy your tools are your livelyhood you were charging these people to use your tools in their house and then you want them to compensate you for being lazy sorry pal but feel more sorry for the client your lucky they are not claiming off you and saying maybe you never excercised due dilgence when trusted by them to lock up when finished

peekay53

 

[1john]

Of course tongue in cheek, I know how toolage can add up, doing multi trade work I seem to have the majority of what you listed, although some of it is blue bosch or makita. Plus tools for other trades!

 

[captaincaveman1]

About 14 years ago i went into a chippy on my way home i was in there only minutes when someone came running in saying anyone own a van outside so i went out to find back window smashed toolbox worth (£300) and new meters worth (£800) gone , i jumped in the van and headed towards what i knew to be a rough housing estate and by chance turned into the road this thief was walking and a red mist descended i mounted the kerb opened the drivers door and knocked the s*@thead over jumped out and kicked him everywhere he got up ran off and i chased him down the road got down the road and reliased id left my van running with door open and my meters and tools all over the floor so i ran back and luckily everything was still there . I often think back to that and about what could of been the conseqences for me because i could easily of killed him how would anyone else of reacted??

 

[mattylad]

Sounds like you did the right thing.....

 

[peekay53]

to us on here you would have been a hero one less scumbag looking to steal our vans/tools / livelyhoods well done you only problem is he was still able to run in my world he would limp for the rest of his life

peekay53

 

[cajar]

If there was a bit more of that .................there'd be no more van thefts

 

[Alarm]

I would have done the same.

After my van was done, and some of my mates (Sparkies, so you know the value of test equipment and such like). We went to all the local pubs looking for someone selling tools................................

One for the winning books, took sons to world championship stock car or something like that. Came out after a few hours and found the side window smashed in sons were in tears ( Younger then, about 8 and 9) over it. But, with the deadlocks on all doors and two alarms ( one manufacturer one I had fitted. Together with a steel welded bulkhead ( Did I mention I weld too? ) nothing was stolen.

But a broken window and electric winder fooked. Cheaper than the tools and test equipment going though!

 

[crank39]

About 14 years ago i went into a chippy on my way home i was in there only minutes when someone came running in saying anyone own a van outside so i went out to find back window smashed toolbox worth (£300) and new meters worth (£800) gone , i jumped in the van and headed towards what i knew to be a rough housing estate and by chance turned into the road this thief was walking and a red mist descended i mounted the kerb opened the drivers door and knocked the s*@thead over jumped out and kicked him everywhere he got up ran off and i chased him down the road got down the road and reliased id left my van running with door open and my meters and tools all over the floor so i ran back and luckily everything was still there . I often think back to that and about what could of been the conseqences for me because i could easily of killed him how would anyone else of reacted??

I'm 42 and the most placid guy you'll ever meet but i wouldn't hesitate in doing exactly what you did, god help anyone who i caught stealing my livelyhood, i would go as far to say i'd be doing time

 

[peekay53]

would like to think we love our wives as much as we love our tools
but somehow i dont think so if some demented idiot was stealing my wife i would quite happily pay for the taxi
good job she cant read or i would be in trouble

peekay53

 

[Alarm]

LOL

Even if someone was to do my ex wife wrong they would suffer. As for my partner now ( never going to get married again) the results would be the same.

 

[plumbswe]

Some silly comments on here. The lads van was off the road so it was difficult to get them home and back again. We can all take the moral high ground and say what he should have done from in front of a computer screen. Im sure those commenting would have done exactly the same.

 

[Alarm]

Some silly comments on here. The lads van was off the road so it was difficult to get them home and back again. We can all take the moral high ground and say what he should have done from in front of a computer screen. Im sure those commenting would have done exactly the same.

Did I miss something here?

Care to explain?