So I’ve been living in a youth hostel style place with a communal laundry room. Unsurprisingly I had clothing stolen, a lot of it at once. Nothing with great cash value, unless for weird t-shirt and sweatshirt collectors on e-Bay, just sentimental value. The night markets have provided cheap replacements.
However, I’ve got a likely suspect, a transient English teacher who came here looking for work, but left after getting a better job offer elsewhere. I got to know him a little and he told me he loves it here and wants to come back when his contract is up.
I’m thinking about telling the management at my place, who likes me and knows I’ve had stuff stolen, that this guy probably did it. I have no expectations of “justice” for my laundry, I just want to be mean. I thought about filing a report with the police so this clown might have a hard time getting back in to Taiwan, but figured they would ignore me.
So what do other Forumosans think? Is the petty revenge worth the trouble?
Are the clothes taken distinctive?
If so, Got old photos of yourself in those clothes?
Print 'em up, post 'em:
“If you see these clothes, walking around on another body, the guy wearing them’s a bloody thief. Give him a kick for me.”
[quote=“MaGwaiFan”]
So what do other Forumosans think? Is the petty revenge worth the trouble?[/quote]
Just chalk it up to communal living. You’re not the first person to have something stolen from a hostel. Just be thankful it wasn’t something expensive, like a cellphone or an MP3 player.
Just let it go. If you have no proof you have no way to know for sure. Who hasn’t before been ABSOLUTELY SURE that someone has done something just to find out it was someone else? We all have. If you have no proof, let it go. If you do, just give it to the hostel’s management so he can’t do it to anyone else.
Two main reasons to let it go:
Dwelling on it hurts you much more than him.
If he didn’t do it and you exact your revenge, you have punished an innocent man.
If what I read is correct, this guy is no longer in Taiwan, although he says he wants to return.
I’d totally forget about it. Chances are he won’t even come back if he is that transient, so all of your efforts would be wasted, if you even managed to do anything.
With theft, it’s always important to act ASAP with a hope of catching the guy. If he is no longer in TW, and you suspect he did it, then I am guessing you didn’t do anything about it at the time.
buy a petrol powered chainsaw (electric cords tie you down too much). practice on a few logs first. then HUNT HIM DOWN, even if you have to swim the pacific with the saw held buzzing above your head.
let TTV and TVBS know your plans first, so you have some support from the media, and someone to see you off. Bye!
[quote=“jdsmith”]Without proof, you have no cause to seek revenge.
[/quote]
Indeed.
If you have no real proof (such as catching the chap in yer threads), then you have no justifiable grounds for revenge. Nothing worth going out of one’s wig for anyway.
Let it go…
Stealing clothes from a laundromat is pretty low on the list of a career criminal’s achievements. Chances are it’s just some poor dumb chap who deserves pity more than anything. If it’s just some prick trying to cut a corner on his slippery slide to the scummy end of the pool, then he’ll get his just desserts one day. Someone will deal with that type somewhere on down the line.
Thanks for the input, the counsel of strangers has value. In the absence of proof, like this guy showing up at the front desk here wearing my clothes, I will write this off as experience.
[quote=“Truant”]
With theft, it’s always important to act ASAP with a hope of catching the guy. If he is no longer in TW, and you suspect he did it, then I am guessing you didn’t do anything about it at the time.
Let it go.[/quote]
Yeah, I didn’t notice until a week and a half after this guy left that I was missing stuff.
[quote=“TheGingerMan”]
If you have no real proof (such as catching the chap in yer threads), then you have no justifiable grounds for revenge. Nothing worth going out of one’s wig for anyway [/quote]
All I have is my recollection of him suspiciously checking on my whereabouts by asking if I wanted to hang out every twenty minutes while I was doing laundry. Should have realized something was up, but I really was busy studying.
[quote=“lupillus”]
You can try reporting it to the police, but prepare to be thoroughly ridiculed. [/quote]
Why I shelved this portion of the plan.[/quote]
Though perhaps rainbow smiley might be more appropriate? Or maybe crazy stalker smiley if Forumosa had one handy?
As far as I can tell, only t-shirts and sweatshirts were stolen. I didn’t get the vibe that I was particularly liked at all, let alone in a sexual, “boxer and brief raid” sort of way.
Though perhaps rainbow smiley might be more appropriate? Or maybe crazy stalker smiley if Forumosa had one handy?
As far as I can tell, only t-shirts and sweatshirts were stolen. I didn’t get the vibe that I was particularly liked at all, let alone in a sexual, “boxer and brief raid” sort of way.[/quote]
MaGwaiFan… i like your id. living in taiwan where everyone speaks mandarin or taiwanese, i miss that phrase…
sorry off topic, back to your predicament… just take it as donating clothes to the salvation army and and excuse to buy the latest spring/summer 2007 collection from the local nightmarkets…
