Friday, 27 January 2006
Australia Day Fun
At 1:30am Australia Day morning I was awoken by the sound of breaking glass, and a thud. Jumping out of bed, I initially thought it may have been one of the kids falling out of bed, but there were no crys or screams, so I guessed not. Flicking on lights I ran down stairs, was someone trying to break in? No. Maybe someone had broken a bottle on the ground out the front? No, but when I went out the front I found fruit that had been thrown against the house, plums or peaches, bananas smashed on the garage door, and a frozen pasta in the garden!
Looking around inside again I found the source of the noise in the spare bedroom, there was glass all over the floor under a window, smashed, by an orange, and clothes-horse which was against the window was tipped over (the thud). I called the cops on 000. To me it seems silly to be calling the emergency number for something, that I feel should be simply referred to the local police station, but I was pretty sure that's what you are supposed to do (and I was right). I explained the situation on the phone, and was told the police would come by, but they couldn't tell me when.
Within a short period of time at least one (possible more) vehicles started doing screechys (donuts, skids around corners and round-abouts, wheel-spins etc) around the estate. Dogs all across the neighbourhood barked constantly. Even though it was a hot night (we had the windows open), I didn't see a single light turn on in any other houses; did they not hear it, or what? We could hear people in the back of a ute yelling each time the vehicle came by. Was it a coinsidence or were they the ones with the fruit?
I called the nearest 24 hour police station, it rang out once. I called again, and was answered, "its a busy night, you should call 000 and update them", I did. "Did I think those in the ute were responsible?" they asked, I said "it would be a good guess!".
After an hour of waiting for the police to come by I went back to bed, and didn't sleep. The tyre screeching continued, the ute was now also going off-road across vacate land at the back of some houses, effectively through our neighbours backyard. While lying in bed I thought about the mess in the other room, I hadn't touched a thing (maybe the police would want to see it), the orange could be leaking and staining the carpet :( So I went to move the orange, it was only a little squashed; when I picked it up, it was cold, after a hour in a hot room. I think that it had been FROZEN, like the pasta, and when I thought about it, probably also the other fruit, they hadn't really gone splat.
I think I fell asleep at about 5am, I hadn't heard any tyre screechs since 4:30am, and the cops hadn't turned up either, not even a drive by.
The cops didn't come by at all, but we were out for about an hour during the day. There were no phone messages either, and I know they have my number, I had to give it to them twice.
So far as Australia day, I'd just as well have not had it this year. The window replacement will be about $170, the carpet needs shampooing (little fragments of orange must sprayed around and we didn't see them initially), and the curtains are still stained after 2 washes (any more and they'll probably fall apart). It's probably not worth making an insurance claim, and anyway so far we don't have a police report. And it's not just the monetry side of things that really annoys me, its the time. Instead of playing with the kids on our day off, there 'unplanned' work to do, picking up glass, vacuuming the carpet, covering the hole, washing the curtains, organising a glazier (and being there when he comes)...
Some notes from when I called 000:
I don't really prescribe to those that complain "what are the police doing? I pay taxes", I am not blaming the police, I know they work hard, in a dangerous and un-glamorous profession, maybe it was a busy night, or maybe the message never got through? Whatever, I'm still pissed off, not only about what happened, but also what didn't. I can see why some people could be driven to taking matters into their own hands.
Looking around inside again I found the source of the noise in the spare bedroom, there was glass all over the floor under a window, smashed, by an orange, and clothes-horse which was against the window was tipped over (the thud). I called the cops on 000. To me it seems silly to be calling the emergency number for something, that I feel should be simply referred to the local police station, but I was pretty sure that's what you are supposed to do (and I was right). I explained the situation on the phone, and was told the police would come by, but they couldn't tell me when.
Within a short period of time at least one (possible more) vehicles started doing screechys (donuts, skids around corners and round-abouts, wheel-spins etc) around the estate. Dogs all across the neighbourhood barked constantly. Even though it was a hot night (we had the windows open), I didn't see a single light turn on in any other houses; did they not hear it, or what? We could hear people in the back of a ute yelling each time the vehicle came by. Was it a coinsidence or were they the ones with the fruit?
I called the nearest 24 hour police station, it rang out once. I called again, and was answered, "its a busy night, you should call 000 and update them", I did. "Did I think those in the ute were responsible?" they asked, I said "it would be a good guess!".
After an hour of waiting for the police to come by I went back to bed, and didn't sleep. The tyre screeching continued, the ute was now also going off-road across vacate land at the back of some houses, effectively through our neighbours backyard. While lying in bed I thought about the mess in the other room, I hadn't touched a thing (maybe the police would want to see it), the orange could be leaking and staining the carpet :( So I went to move the orange, it was only a little squashed; when I picked it up, it was cold, after a hour in a hot room. I think that it had been FROZEN, like the pasta, and when I thought about it, probably also the other fruit, they hadn't really gone splat.
I think I fell asleep at about 5am, I hadn't heard any tyre screechs since 4:30am, and the cops hadn't turned up either, not even a drive by.
The cops didn't come by at all, but we were out for about an hour during the day. There were no phone messages either, and I know they have my number, I had to give it to them twice.
So far as Australia day, I'd just as well have not had it this year. The window replacement will be about $170, the carpet needs shampooing (little fragments of orange must sprayed around and we didn't see them initially), and the curtains are still stained after 2 washes (any more and they'll probably fall apart). It's probably not worth making an insurance claim, and anyway so far we don't have a police report. And it's not just the monetry side of things that really annoys me, its the time. Instead of playing with the kids on our day off, there 'unplanned' work to do, picking up glass, vacuuming the carpet, covering the hole, washing the curtains, organising a glazier (and being there when he comes)...
Some notes from when I called 000:
- After the initial Police, Fire, Ambulance question, I was immediately asked where I was. Not what is the nature of your emergency? I understand they need to confirm that it is not a crank call, but they know what address I am calling from, and anybody who I call knows my phone number. What happens if you're cut-off while you're still giving address details?
- They asked me if this was a recurring event? "Recurring since 1:30am" I thought. What difference does that make? Do nothing and it quite possibly will become one.
- They never asked me if anyone was hurt, or even if there was any danger. A frozen orange would be about the same size and weight as a cricket ball. It penetrated a window, and knocked the clothes-horse over! What if there was a child in bed under that window? Or if the curtains were open, glass would have sprayed all of the room.
- They didn't suggest any further action that I should, or shouldn't, take.
- They didn't care.
I don't really prescribe to those that complain "what are the police doing? I pay taxes", I am not blaming the police, I know they work hard, in a dangerous and un-glamorous profession, maybe it was a busy night, or maybe the message never got through? Whatever, I'm still pissed off, not only about what happened, but also what didn't. I can see why some people could be driven to taking matters into their own hands.
