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The original was posted on /r/twoxchromosomes by /u/lumoslomas on 2023-08-10 17:31:04.
I usually live alone, but luckily my mum has been staying with me recently. I had to go into hospital overnight, but she stayed at home so the place wasn’t empty. My mum is super paranoid but in this case it worked in our favour, as it was all the measures that she had in place to stop break ins that told us someone had tried.
They tried the back gate but couldn’t get in because she’d blocked it up with bits of wood. Then they pulled two boards off the fence and got tangled in the washing line that my mum put at neck height. Undettered, they tried a screwdriver at the back door and back window.
There’s also evidence that they’ve tried to break into the front door and front windows with a screwdriver. I’ve come home from hospital to spend all day dealing with the police and my landlord (who I’m relieved to say were really helpful)
But my mum, who’s a really light sleeper, wasn’t woken up by any of the noise. I’m a really deep sleeper, so if she didn’t wake up there’s no chance I would. And I’m struggling with all the questions in my head - was this targeted or just opportunistic? Why were they so determined to get into my house despite all the barriers and the fact there’s nothing valuable in sight? What made them stop? What would I even do if someone did get in? I’m all of 5’4" and weigh nothing, and my mum is in her 70s
I can’t afford to move, but I’m scared of staying here. This is supposed to be a ‘safe’ area - up to now the only crime around here was flytipping. According to police my mum went above and beyond with her anti-intruder measures, but that didn’t seem to deter them. I don’t know if I’ll feel safe living here, especially after my mum goes.