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Thread: Our van was vandalized last night

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    Canadian Guru DaveP's Avatar
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    I didn't post about this earlier today, because I had to get my thoughts in order. It's very upsetting. My wife is really upset.

    We moved here to Glace Bay a little over a year ago and haven't had any problems with anyone. People here are friendly, my wife and I are friendly. A couple of the kids had bullying problems last year, but that was taken care of by the school. As far as I know, there aren't any people in this town who have anything against any of us. We're not confrontational people.

    But this morning we found our van vandalized. We had half a dozen apple trees in pots outside that the kids grew from seed, and a dozen planters filled with soil that we grew tomatoes in last year. They were all thrown inside the van along with other garbage that wasn't anywhere near our house. Unbelievable mess. Shocked me. Broke my wife's heart because she thinks someone hates us.

    We phoned the police and had them come down. I know there is little they can do, but I hoped maybe whoever did this might see the cops here and know we're taking this seriously. The officer said she thought it might be kids, and just random. I hope so. She also said they'd pick up patrols down in our area.

    I'm sad about the apple trees, especially. The kids have been growing them for 4 years. We've repotted them but there was a lot of root damage.
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    Luv Saving People Money MortgageQueen's Avatar
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    Aw. . .that seriously sucks!! I wouldn't be surprised if the Officer was right. Kids with waaaay too much time on their hands and not enough parental control. You could make the whole experience somewhat valueable by having a heart to heart with your kids. Ask them to think about how bad they felt about what happened. . . . then tell them to keep that feeling with them in case they ever were in a situation where kids around them participated in vandalism. Hopefully they'll remember how it feels to be the victim.

    Of course, this has nothing to do with your kids Dave. But at some point in their lives, kids do crazy things. . .especially when their with a group of friends.
    I don't know. . . maybe I'm crazy. . .I just try to find something positive in stuff like this that I can learn from. Empathy seems like a good lesson in this situation. .. . . .?

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    Smart Canuck Kitty77's Avatar
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    Oh Dave, so sorry to read about your van, how sad... Hope the plants survive for the kid's sake. Take care and hope you have a better day tomorrow.
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    Smart Canuck glowworm2k's Avatar
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    I'm sorry to hear about your van and the kids' trees. I know the police probably can't do very much to help after the fact, but I think your strategy of calling them so that word gets around that you're taking this seriously is a good one. Being in a small town, I imagine that word gets around pretty quickly and hopefully will put an end to stupid teen mischief. I hope you and your family don't take it too personally; I agree that it's likely a bunch of kids with poor judgment (and probably over-the-limit blood alcohol or drug levels) extending their May 2-4 nonsense at your expense.

    Here's hoping the trees pull through!
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    Mastermind Natalka's Avatar
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    What a stupid and meaningless thing for them to have done! I'm sure it was just random, though... probably just brats with too much time on their hands.

    Did they break into the van, and was there damage there?
    I only ask because I understand 'small town' - and having homes and vehicles left unlocked, but when I was living in one, there was a point where locking everything had to start because people were coming from 'outside' the community to vandalize and steal.

    That said, I've had my car broken into twice here in the city - lock forced with a screwdriver.

    Hoping the apple trees make it - hopefully they are hardy enough!

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    Canadian Genius DiamondLil's Avatar
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    Awww... Sorry to hear about your plants. I live in a small town too, and months ago there were some teens breaking into cars (RIGHT IN THE DRIVEWAYS) stealing from them. They only targetted unlocked vehicles, and I bet its safe to say your van was unlocked...

    I am sorry for you and especially for your wife, its an awful feeling having your property violated like that. I dont think you or your family was targetted or that someone hates your family, I think it was just a crime of opportunity: the a**hats found your car unlocked and proceeded to trash it.

    Hugs to you and your family - I hope the trees can be salvaged.
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    Awwww, ave I know how you feel, having been vandalized many times I would say it is more than likely not personal but you never know. We are one of a very few anglos in my area and we are targeted quite often. When my car was stolen once though it was just joy riders, they did $4000 worth of damage, nothing personal they just needed a ride.
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    Smart Canuck bluerose's Avatar
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    Sorry to hear ,sounds like some kids have nothing to do over there its the same here for kids.
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    Contradiction in progress sweet sparrow's Avatar
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    Teens and young adults can do some really stupid things in the mob mentality. And in small towns, there's generally little for them to do or places to go. Hopefully, they'll feel some remorse and you'll be nicely surprised one day.

    I hope your trees surprise you too and grow stronger. Some plants have quite a fighting spirit, don't give up yet. I hope your wife feels better soon and doesn't think anyone hates your family.

    A similar thing happened to my mother in the tiny town she lived in. Someone ripped out all her vegetables, smashed her clay pots against the brick wall, tore up her peonies, and stomped on her lilies. She spent weeks on that garden, working through her arthritic pain, and it made her so happy. It probably took someone 15 minutes or less to undo all that.

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    Canadian Guru hollyquaiscer's Avatar
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    Dave, this saddened me so much when I read it. It's not even the point that they were rude, irresponsible and have no idea what their actions do to others. The fact they they were even on/in your personal property is an invasion of privacey. It's the most terrible feeling when our personal space has been invaded like that. Taking somethiing that the children have worked so hard to impress you with, to make this earth a better place, and to watch and nuture, makes me very angry. I hope your wife will come to see that it likely was just a random act of somebody with nothing better to do than destroy anothers personal property. I feel for her because I would definately start to wonder what I, or a family member had done to deserve this and believe it was a personal attack as well.

    Please express my sincere feeling of being sorry that she, you, and your family have had to go through this. We had a similar thing happen years ago as well, and it take a bit to feel comfortable in your own home after something like this. It's terrible to think that we have to live under lock and key, but it seems that in no matter how small the twon is, we have to face the fact that this is what is has come to. Again, I'm so sorry that your family had this happen and has to go through this, but I'm happy you called the police and hopefully word will spread and whoever did this will think twice about doing it again.
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    The ONLY Diva of SC! saveadollardiva's Avatar
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    AWWW I am sorry to hear what you guys went through! I think it is just random. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Tell your wife sometimes kids act stupid and don't know the outcome of what they are doing. I think it was just kids playing a prank, but just went a bit to far. I don't think anyone you know did this. Just try to stay positive and move forward. I would say to your kids sometimes people feel so loney bad attention is better than nothing. These people who did this probably need some help themselves. People sometimes act out when they are mad and it doesn't have to be towards someone they know.
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    That sucks Dave, but kids do stuff like that, it was probably just wrong place wrong time more than something personal
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    Mastermind Lynn49's Avatar
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    Oh, Dave...I'm so terribly saddened to hear about your vehicle, and those trees that you and your children lovingly tended and nurtured. It looks like all of us here, at one time or another have been vandalized, including us. When we first moved in here (our daughter's former home) we found eggs splattered on our front window..I wanted to move out there and then. But it only happened once, so it was nothing personal, just a 'welcome to the neighbourhood', likely from an area close to us where police activity seems to be a monthly occurence. Our van was stolen a few years ago for a joy ride, but thankfully it was found in tact. Dave, sometimes bad things really do happen to good people for absolutely no reason at all, and like MortgageQueen, it can be an opportunity for a lesson for your kids who, in the future, may remember this incident and not make a bad choice.
    I hope you haven't given up on those trees, even the ones that don't look like they'll pull through...we've all seen treees that we marvel at, hugging cliffsides for instance, that look like they don't have a hope to survive, but do. Those trees were tended lovingly and I think they'll surprise you. What an awesome thing to do, btw...growing them from seeds!
    Please tell your wife from us, that we've all been victims at one time or another for no good reason, and that she should just realize that there are kids with far too much time on their hands and with very little suprevision who are allowed to run free and make others unhappy. You mentioned that your wife is involved in her community church...perhaps through her involvement, the pastor can reach out to his community and preach about what vandalism does to a community, how trust is damaged, how a community can hurt...

    I wish you and your family well, Dave, and I want to hear in the future that those apple trees have thrived and are growing!
    Love and hugs from all of us, here, Hon...Lynn
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    Mastermind Natalka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sweet sparrow View Post

    A similar thing happened to my mother in the tiny town she lived in. Someone ripped out all her vegetables, smashed her clay pots against the brick wall, tore up her peonies, and stomped on her lilies. She spent weeks on that garden, working through her arthritic pain, and it made her so happy. It probably took someone 15 minutes or less to undo all that.
    This happened to my mom, too, in the small city we were living in. Just at prime harvesting time, some things were taken, but more hurtful like your mom's, things were just wrecked.

    BUT, there's a funny addendum to that story... I was about 26, I guess, and I had come home for the weekend. I was out late at my boyfriend's (now husband), and was coming home maybe at 3 a.m.
    Well, as I was driving down the street, about a house away from ours, I cut the headlights and pulled in to park in front of our house (mom's room was the only one facing the street, and I didn't want the headlights to shine in her window).

    Before I get a chance to step out of my car - just the moment it was taking to get my purse, there's a police car behind me, and an officer coming to the car - asking why I was there and what I was doing. I explained that I was just coming home. So he's asking well, why did you turn your lights off before you parked, so I told him - he thought that was actually funny (duh).
    He said they were patrolling the area because my mom had reported her garden being raided to the police (which she had not told me!).

    But, gee, if I were going to raid the garden, I would have driven in the alley, duh.....

    Yeah, it was a really funny episode to tell everyone about the next day... and my mom related it to all her church friends, sheesh!
    Last edited by Natalka; Wed, May 23rd, 2012 at 10:23 AM.
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    I'm so sorry to hear about that. It is such an awful feeling when people disrespect you and your property like that. I have had my car vandalized and stolen and it is a gut wrenching feeling I know.

    Sending you and your wife big hugs.
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