The Coral Gables Times

The author, David Skowronek, speaks from experience—for the benefit of homeowners. from kicking in a store. And I don't have to worry about fancy burglar alarms, barred windows, heavy-duty locks, and safes. Also to this the fact that suburban areas aren't as heavily patrolled as metropolitan business districts, and you have a burglar's paradise. Especially in the summer. Of course, all is not open windows and clean getaways. Burglars have problems, too. Dogs, for instance—and sometimes worse. I remember one night finding a ground-floor window unlocked in an expensive suburban home. I knew the place was empty because I'd just spent five minutes pounding on the front door. So I raised the window and hoisted myself in. I was head and shoulders inside when I noticed two glowing eyes blinking at me in the darkness. That's the way cats look at burglars. Usually it's friendly since cats and burglars have much in common. But these eyes were eight inches apart! Two one-eyed cats, maybe? Feeling a little sick, I turned my penlight on them. Staring me dead in the face was somebody's pet panther. Fortunately, the beast was on a chain— I wasn't, but I still took half the window with me getting out of there. EVEN THOUGH burglars would rather work on an empty house, it doesn't always turn out that way. Sometimes a burglar doesn't find out it's inhabited until after he is inside. This happens often enough so that every homeowner should be familiar with the etiquette of being robbed—or, what to do until the burglar leaves. If you're smart, you don't do anything. You don't panic and, above all, you don't jump out of bed and try to apprehend the intruder. There is a popular and dangerous misconception that burglars don't carry guns. Well, you should have seen the one I carried. It was so big and ugly it scared even me, but on at least one occasion it was all that kept 220 pounds of indignant home-owner from clobbering me with a golf club. My gun was never loaded—I'd rather go to prison for burglary than murder—but others in my profession aren't so fastidious. There is one very effective thing you can do when prowlers go boomp in the night. Simply make a bit of noise: creak the bed springs or kick the wall. A burglar listens for these things. Any waking sounds from the occupants mean it's time to go, and he'll be more than happy to climb right back out without making any trouble. The chief concern of the homeowner, however, should not be getting burglars out of the house but keeping them out. ■ You can start by not using spring-type snap locks on your doors. The rankest amateur can open these with a piece of celluloid faster than you can with a key. The best locks are the dead-bolt type that have to be locked manually. Use these not only on the front door but at the rear of the house where most illegal entries are made. And be sure you have good mechanical locks on your windows. ■ If you have to hide a spare key use a little imagination when you do it. Try hiding it at least ten feet from the door. ■ Never leave your home empty with all the lights turned off. A light burning in the window discourages most burglars, but if you let it burn on into the daytime you might as well send out invitations. A cheap photoelectric switch is good insurance here. The best place to show a light is in the bathroom window. A single light there, no matter how late, will convince most burglars that someone is up and about. ■ If you plan on being away over a period of days, be sure to stop all deliveries, and arrange for a neighbor to pick up the mail and tend the lawn. A cluttered front porch and a shaggy lawn are sure indications that a house is up for grabs. ■ Dogs are fine burglar insurance, but if you take yours with you on vacation make certain his empty kennel isn't too conspicuous. Taken with other small signs, this can say a lot to an experienced burglar. ■ Don't allow the local papers to print one of those vacation items about your leaving. Burglars are great ones for reading the society columns. ■ Notify the police when you leave on vacation, and give them the approximate date of your return. You'll be making their job easier because they will know what houses to watch for any suspicious activity. TO INSURE that your house will still be secure on its foundation when you come back from that next trip, just look it over from my point of view, and compare it for burglar appeal with those nearby. Professional burglars take the course of least resistance. There are plenty of houses where they can ply their trade, and they always choose the one that is easiest— the one with the open door, the unlocked window, or the obviously absent owners. They seldom come uninvited. Suburbia Today, July 1961 7

Pool water protection starts small ... with HTH chlorination.

From the smallest wading pools to the largest swimming pools ... HTH keeps the water healthy and tempting for tots and adults, alike. Just emptying a pool is never enough ... a child can contaminate a freshly filled pool in seconds. All pools must be chlorinated every day, regardless of size. Dry, free-flowing HTH Granular or handy HTH Tablets release effective, dependable chlorine to keep pool water sanitary all day ... make pools a healthy place to play. For the details, write for a free copy of HOME POOL CARE. Keep your pool "drinking clean" with HTH Olin CHEMICALS DIVISION HTH® is a trademark FREE BOOKLET OFFER Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, Baltimore 3, Md. Please send me your free booklet, "Home Pool Care." Name | Address | City | Zone | State ST-07 9325