The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
First Aid For The Ailing Houses
Generally, however, shuttering a house or pulling the shades is an invitation to burglars. Neighbors should be alerted to watch for any shades that are drawn during the vacant period, which may indicate illegal activity.
Some persons advocate leaving a light or two burning during the time the owner and family are away, but this may often be as good a notice that no one is home as a dark house. A recent development is the photoelectric cell that turns lights on when it becomes dark outside and turns them off again at daybreak. Even this may not be safe.
A combination rigged up by one resourceful householder used a photoelectric device and a time clock, such as those used in clock radios. The photoelectric unit turned the lights on at dusk each day, and the clock turned them out at 11 P.M. Two lamps were connected to the device, and gave the impression of a cosy family evening at home.
Another grave mistake made by many vacationing families is to forget notifying the newsboys, the mailman, the laundryman, and the milkman that service should be discontinued. An overflowing mailbox, a clutter of milk bottles, and weathering newspapers is an invitation to house breaking. Neighbors should be alerted to pick up circulars and other advertising material that is often left in doorknobs or on porch steps.
Notes to friends should never be placed in the mailbox or tacked to the door. They should be called before leaving, or neighbors should be requested to relay the messages.
Reporters of the local paper should not be notified that a vacation is impending. Burglars often watch for such notices during the vacation season, and may even arrive with spurious packages or boxes which they will "just leave inside the door." Neighbors left with keys may let them in, and the lock on a back door will be tripped to permit a nocturnal entry. Even while someone is watching, these experts may be able to jimmy a front door lock so it will not catch securely when the door is closed.
It is better to notify reporters when the trip is over and the home owner has returned with some news of where the family has been.
Lawns should be mowed. It is usually possible to get a neighborhood youngster who would like to make a little extra spending money by mowing the lawn once a week.
If ladders must be left outside, they should be firmly chained and locked to a secure support. The better course is to take them inside.
