We had a bit of excitement in the ‘burbs last weekend.
I was having a nap when I was woken by a message from my neighbour.
They thought their house had been burgled and, as they were overseas, they asked if I could check it out.
I carefully selected a weapon – an alloy pole that would hurt but not cause too much damage to me or the perpetrator.
By the time I arrived, the neighbour’s dad and another neighbour were already there but there was no burglar and no sign of a break-in.
Technology is a wonderful thing – even if it is beyond me.
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I learned their security system had alerted them and let them speak to the intruder, who apparently legged it.
Shortly afterwards, I received a photo and video of what had happened, so I drove around looking for the bloke, with no idea what I would do if I found him.
No luck. So, I decided to go around the street and chat with the other residents, showing them the footage.
“He looks dodgy. He’s probably breaking into other people’s homes as we speak.” I was on a roll.
After looking at the photo a few more times, I had the strange feeling I may have known this dodgy-looking bloke and wondered if it could be a young man from the next street back.
I messaged his dad. He came straight back to me with a yes. He said he would find out more.
Now here is the thing: I have had this young man work for me, I have patrolled with him and his family at the surf club. I just hadn’t recognised him initially.
Instead, I thought he had committed the crime of the century and, as a result, had spent half my afternoon trying to solve that crime.
It turned out the so-called burglar had kicked a ball over the fence. When he went to retrieve it, the alarm sounded and a voice over the speaker challenged him. He panicked, decided the ball could fend for itself and bolted.
After an exhausting afternoon, I sat down with a cup of tea and marvelled at how people on the other side of the world could watch and even speak to someone at their home.
I then had my second epiphany of the day – if they had seen that, chances are they had also witnessed the times I had pulled up in their driveway to wash the bat poo off my car with their hose. Oops.
Ashley Robinson is Metropolitan Caloundra Surf Club CEO, chairman of Thunder Netball and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.
