Re: security in cohousing
From: Sharon Villines (sharonvillinesprodigy.net)
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 07:18:21 -0600 (MDT)
> I'm sorry, but that seems like quite a bit of overkill to me. There is a
> huge difference between how much crime there is in urban areas and how much
> people perceive there to be. .[snip]
> I'm not saying you don't need common sense things like lights, etc. But I
> think complicated alarm sysrems are more often an annoyance than a help.
> When was the last time you saw a car alarm do anything but piss people off?
> An alarm that wakes the neighbors is not going to promote good relations
> when your teenager sneaks in the bedroom window.

I couldn't agree more. The time I lost everything I owned including my brand
new car I was living with a fabulous alarm system that the neighbors ignored
because immediately after the alarm sounded they saw lights go on and then
the alarm stopped. Assuming that we were home and had triggered the alarm
accidentally, not realizing that the robbers had stuffed the alarm with
coats to muffle the sound, they didn't even call us to see if everything was
okay. And these were perfectly caring neighbors and long-time friends.

I now live in Florida which is blanketed with gated communities with guards
at the entrances. I have friends that I do not visit because I don't want to
deal with their guards. Are they safer because they have guards? No. Every
study has shown that it means nothing. But the developers say they have to
include them because people think they are necessary.

I have a friend who lives with gates that are activated by me calling her so
she can open it or an opener that she has to carry when she goes out. She
has MS so when it is nighttime, I often pick her up. If she forgets to take
her opener, she has to walk from the gate, several blocks, in the dark
across parking lots, along dark sidewalks, to her unit. Other times I can
just drive right in because someone has just crashed through the gate and
broken it off. Gate Rage.

It would be interesting to know, if those who live with security systems are
the ones who think they are necessary, or the people who do not live with
them who think they work.

Sharon Villines.

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