Personal Drama - any thoughts?

[Shamaness]

Well done, Emeline.     Glad to know that you've got oodles of support, and not just the moral kind.   

[wiccawench]

  you did BRILLIANT!

and yes volunteer fire brigade..... kudos... that is exactly perfect!

[Grimus]

Christ, I read this whole thing thinking 'jeez tough spot, jeez what's she gonna do, jeez disabled unarmed drug dealer jeez.' And then she oh yea I can have 20 firemen here in minutes and I know a couple of SAS guys. Damn, you got no worries at all.  Well done, glad to see you drew the line.

[Xenopus]

I'm so glad you've got that great backup. I would only add that I think I would change the locks on the house if you have a trustworthy locksmith.

[rbrgs]

No good deed ever goes unpunished.

[madison]

Sticky problem, wonderful response taken.  Well done!

[nicekitty]

Emmeline:  the trick is to learn from this experience so it doesn't even get that far next time.  You sound like a very kind person, which likely means there will be plenty of people who try to take advantage of you.  I would especially question what it was about your approach that made this thief feel she could phone you and try to give her a second chance.  Anyone can get ripped off or taken advantage of once, but she was confident enough to try to have another go at you...

[Shamaness]

Emmeline:  the trick is to learn from this experience so it doesn't even get that far next time.  You sound like a very kind person, which likely means there will be plenty of people who try to take advantage of you.  I would especially question what it was about your approach that made this thief feel she could phone you and try to give her a second chance.  Anyone can get ripped off or taken advantage of once, but she was confident enough to try to have another go at you...

An excellent point that we'd all do well to ponder for ourselves.   

[Six Gun Jim]

Emeline that is a lousy set of troubles. You be safe and don't worry, dealers don't like attention. A doper does whatever comes to mind but a dealer might not want the attention roughing up a couple of innocents would bring on him. To most dealers business comes first, this isn't business. Good luck Em, be proud of yourself for taking a stand. -James   

[Ellie]

I don't know the social dynamics (for lack of a better term) of your community but is it possible that these 20 or so able-bodied firemen could pay a visit to these folks and let them know in no uncertain terms that they are not welcome? Although it sounds like the woman is much more of an actual problem than her drug-dealing husband.

I think it's a sure bet that the other people this woman cares for are being victimized as well. Although I do find it puzzling that she's even working, much less trying to manipulate you into giving her stuff and stealing from you - I guess her husband isn't exactly a top performer amongst the drug dealers in the area.

[Aussie]

Although I do find it puzzling that she's even working, much less trying to manipulate you into giving her stuff and stealing from you - I guess her husband isn't exactly a top performer amongst the drug dealers in the area.

She's probably working in private houses so that she can case them and steal money and trinkets. Nice, lucrative little rort she has going there - $20 here, $40 there - pretty soon you've got some real money happening. Smart trick to steal the cash off the table and then deny it. Being the only person, beside Emiline and father, to have access sort of points in one direction only.

Emiline, piss her off real quick and continue with your complaint. She's a manipulator, a liar, a scam artist and bloody dangerous. The cheek of the woman wanting to come talk to you to deny stealing the $20 and the $40. You know she stole it, she knows it and the employer should know it.

People like that just fuck with your brain and are better kept at a very long distance.

[girlofcelje]

 I live in public housing and there only one or two people around here I trust in a small way.Others
are around town.I dont get involved with anybody,hang out ectt.I had one woman begging at my door
but it stopped when I didnt answer anymore.There are known thieves here and they are  avoided if
you are smart.The key to life around here is not to hang out with those that hangout in front of the building
and gossip

[Emeline]

Thanks so much residual, Vagabones, Killian, shamaness, Redreamer, aslinged, Xenopus, madison, kitty, James, Ellie, Aussie and everyone else who has given advice and support - sorry if I missed any names - but I am most grateful.

The latest is I went ahead with a written complaint to her employer.  A manager came out to my place and discussed it with me and offered an official apology.  She asked how I wanted it resolved and I told her what I wanted most of all was a guarantee from her that there were measures in place or she was going to put measures in place to ensure Rebecca would have no further opportunity to steal from anyone else.  She assured me that they would.  I told her "well you better, because if I find out you have done nothing to protect these elderly/disabled people from her then I WILL put it in the hands of the Police". 

She has now been to interview Rebecca and come back to my place.  She brought back all the items I had given Rebecca.  She informs me their employees sign contracts that they will not accept gifts from any clients. 

She wouldn't tell me exactly what they are going to do with Rebecca but she said Rebecca strenuously denied the thefts and she would be discussing it further with her own manager as to what further action they would take against her.  I asked her again if they had protective measures in place for the elderly/disabled people I was concerned about and she assured me they did.    I'm going to be "casually dropping by" to see some of those elderly/disabled people though just to discreetly check everything seems okay.   That won't spook them any because they've known me all my life - I used to go camping all the time on the 90 year old's farm with my horse when I was a kid as his farm runs along the river, and he's always pleased to see me.  He's a lovely, lovely man. 

Anyway, I think Rebecca and her drug dealer husband are going to cut their losses on this one.  They must know I could go to the Police on this one and as others have said in their posts - I really don't think they want to kick that hornet's nest over.

I have told only one other person about what happened with Rebecca stealing the money (that is, apart from the whole of LATOC ) and she got quite concerned and said, "Oh Emeline, they are such bad people, leave well alone".  Actually that just heightened my resolve.  I thought, wow, this is the story of the whole human race.  Not enough of us make a stand when we should.  Instead we just "let it go" and that's half the reason we ended up with this rotten world we have today.

I'm not scared.  I was for a while until I made up my mind I would see this through.  Once I did that, rolled that dice, I just lost my fear. I said to my friend, "Well if I have to die I may as well die standing up for elderly and vulnerable people against drug dealers and thieves".  As the Indians used to say, "It is a good day for dying".  Of course I'm being probably just a little dramatic.    (I realised this when  I found myself thinking about it and muttering those infamous words of Dubya's "bring it on").

I think the big lesson here is to remember - never take people at face value.  I swear to God some of the most respectable, good looking, apparently "classy", "ever so nice", "friendly", "kind" etc types (on the surface) are the WORST of the shysters and lowlifes.  They're the most dangerous because they have it down to an art form.  And they have no conscience.  I have seen them in action.  THEY HAVE NO CONSCIENCE. That's pretty hard for people with empathy to even understand or believe.

As others have said, they can make you doubt yourself, doubt even the facts, make you feel remorse and guilt for something THEY are responsible for and look you in the eye while they lie through their teeth and pick your pockets.

It's so hard to be cynical about people, but I find that cynicism in my soul far too often.  That said, I do believe there are good people in the world and that most people at least, wouldn't do you a bad turn in ordinary circumstances.  It still pays to have a healthy skepticism in my opinion, without trying to be too cynical and we should stand up for what is right, even if it's not always easy.    I think we all have to get into the habit of doing this now because post peak those who are more likely to make it are those with a lot of backbone - moral as well as physical.  At least in some contexts. 

But there's gonna be plenty of shysters and sociopaths around too - the human version of cockroaches.

[gnomore]

A fire brigade?

An ex sas soldier....

Police???

All of these third parties just waiting to come rescue you and your dad from bad people.

Here is your wake up call... You need a gun and you need one now. You just pissed on the toes of the local drug dealer whom is most likely on drugs himself. Only worse, you pissed his wife off so he will be doubly offended. If you get hurt you can never use the excuse "why me". You know ahead of time trouble is brewing. Take action to protect you and your family. Dont end up a victim here.

[Grower]

Good for you. Think of all the people you've saved from being fleeced.