It never fails that every few months like clockwork there’s a suspicious person or persons getting into unlocked cars in local neighborhoods.
I get the helpful prompts when the holidays roll around and am glad that local police efforts include reminders about bringing packages inside as soon as possible.
On one hand, it’s pretty sad and pathetic to have those folks that prey upon others by stealing, burglarizing, or robbing them.
But, on the other, what really baffles me is the number of people who still have their cars or garages unlocked!
If you hadn’t experienced it yourself, you might have heard it from your parents or grandparents about how Matagorda County and by extension, its small towns, used to be “safe” places.
My elders have remarked plenty of times about how they just left their doors unlocked without a worry or care in the world.
I’m talking not just cars either – whole houses, sheds, or garages.
Honestly, it sounds like some sort of conspiracy that invited unwanted attention and that if you locked your valuables up then you were “hiding” something.
That might be that part of my brain that enjoys crime shows and movies too much, but still!
In fact, they’ve often commented that having to “lock up” all the time is only a recent problem due to whatever societal cataclysmic event that is currently befalling us.
I’ve heard them blame everything from a college education, 5G cell towers, and the Internet to social media, a lack of “proper manners” and someone’s “upbringing.”
And I say “them” as a collective because it’s not one or two of them sharing this opinion but a whole lot!
Maybe it’s just a generational or locational sort of thing?
When you factor in crime statistics as major cities have expanded and rural communities became the minority, it definitely paints a negative view of urban living and how growth doesn’t seem to be a sustainable goal without proper infrastructure support.
I’m including things beyond the normal scope of infrastructure like education, healthcare, and other social support structures.
Overall, I’m sure there are a lot of reasons why, when, where, and how it’s become an issue.
In fact, I probably explored those in my college sociology classes!
But, from my earliest memories, I’ve always locked up the house or my car after leaving it and I never left anything open, in plain view, or unlocked as a temptation to others.
It was ingrained as one of the basic tenets of protecting myself and my belongings.
Not to mention, my grandparents and parents always made sure to lock up if I was left alone somewhere – in a car or at home.
And that even continued well into my teenage years when I could lock things up myself!
Though, just like anyone else, I’ve forgotten or been too busy to bother with it if I was making a short trip between my car and the house.
However, once I remember it, I’ll lock up the moment I’m back inside the vehicle or step outside to lock up when I’m in the house for long stretches of time.
I do make a point to always lock up when I go to bed at night – checking all the doors and using keyless entry remotes for the vehicles when I can.
Plus, it isn’t that hard of a habit to start training yourself to do, and with enough practice, it turns into sheer reflex.
