(YouTube)
A D.C.-area couple said they were sick and tired of thieves pilfering packages from their front porch, reports WJLA, and decided to take action, with the help of their two pooches.
Surveillance footage had caught a man stealing a package from their doorstep and taking off last week, which was the third time such a thing had happened since October.
“Obviously, it made me really mad,” said the woman. “I worked hard, saved my money, bought something and then it was just gone.”
She says she and her boyfriend decided to put a box outside as bait, fill it with dog feces and angle their surveillance camera toward it to get a better angle if the thief decided to come back. And this week, he did — so the couple posted a video of the man walking toward the camera, picking up a box and walking off. It’s called, aptly, “This DC package thief is about to get one unpleasant surprise.”
The couple also filed a police report, with the hope that now that he’s been seen on video, he could be caught. They’re also handling their packages differently.
Stinky revenge: Couple tricks holiday package thief into stealing box of dog poop [WJLA.com]
I think I smell a potential lawsuit here — seriously. Human or animal waste would be considered a bio-hazard, and if it caused harm to the thief, the vengeful couple could be placing themselves and their home at risk. Same thing, really as booby trapping your lawn or your bedroom: thieves have successfully sued, and placing such a trap could get you arrested. I’m not saying the world should work this way, only that it does. I sympathizes with this D.C.-area couple, but it wasn’t a smart move.
It should be the de facto standard that anyone who sues on the grounds that someone made an unsafe thieving condition should be locked up longer for attempting to deflect culpability for their actions. I personally don’t agree with the boobytrapping laws, though I am aware that they exist in most places. I, of course, do own private property and am very protective especially of my primary residence. I understand that many people have never and do not have a reasonable expectation to ever own something themselves (the “you didn’t build that” principle comes to mind) and as such have not developed a protective and constructive mindset. I’m clearly not one much for legally leaving room for people to become criminals and to be protected in their actions, which is why I like living in a state with not only Castle Doctrine laws, but “Stand your ground” as well, legally protecting me in all places I have a need to defend myself or the people I’m with from someone making bad choices.