There’s a certain level of pride in ownership. Think about it: you have a few buddies who come over to watch whatever sporting event you’re into, and one of them comments on your television set. Next thing you know, you fall into a self-indulgent monologue about where you got it, how much you paid for it and the size and features of the screen, before one of your buddies finally stuffs a beer into your hand and reminds you the game is about to start. A person usually can’t help it. Pride in one’s belongings is a normal instinct, albeit self-indulgent and unnecessary.
Last night, someone broke into my family’s vehicle. This is the third time in as many years that this has happened. Speaking from a professional standpoint, there’s not a hell of a lot one can do about something like this. It’s a petty crime with little to no evidence, which means there isn’t anything for the police to go on. I know this from experience. From a personal standpoint, I consider it a violation of my privacy and an invasion of my home. Although the vehicle may be parked outside, it’s my property ON my property, and no one has any right to access it without my consent.
So, why do these people do it? I wish there was an easy answer… From a humanity perspective, I’m certain there are some who are simply seeking out cash money. That certainly seemed to be the case with my vehicle. I opened the driver’s door this morning to find my glove box and dash compartment sitting open and papers strewn all about. Even some of the menial electronics I had in the vehicle, such as a dash cam, were left untouched. This leads me to believe that they hoped to find coins, at the very least. But we keep nothing of value in our vehicle.
There are different schools of thought, in relation to a crime like this. Some people believe the best course of action is to simply leave the vehicle unlocked, allowing persons unknown an unhindered access to the vehicle so that they ca see there’s nothing inside and move along. Others, such as myself, believe that there’s no value in accommodating criminals in order to make their process easier, regardless of their reasons.
There is a enough suffering in the world without intentionally causing more. Besides the inconvenience of having to clean everything up, I spent the morning drop-off explaining to my 5-year old son why someone came into our vehicle and made a mess, even if the vehicle didn’t belong to them. What’s more is the sense of random strangers being inside the vehicle where I transport my children adds an unwanted sense of reality to the violation.
I find myself in a position now, where I am considering taking added security steps in my home including a camera system or a car alarm system. Despite the fact that keeping one’s doors locked should be enough to inform any person that they’re not welcome, the way of the world seems to require more. The worst part is the sense of anger I feel towards these persons, and the potential actions I may take if I were to ever catch them. I don’t want to be that kind of person. But one can only take personal violations for so long. ☯
The Blogging Buddhist 