Thursday Thoughts #29

again, a quote from Harry Dresden.

 "Get a good way out from civilisation - say, miles and miles on a lightless lake, and the darkness there is waiting. Twilight means more than time to call the children in from playing outside. Fading light means more than just the end of another day. Night is when unseen beings with no regard for what our people have built and no place in what we have deemed the natural order, look in at our world from outside, and think dark and alien thoughts. And sometimes, just sometimes, they do things." 


Draw those curtains and blinds, lock those doors. 

I watch Criminal Minds (and read murder mystery books) and I know it is just a TV show, but I still yell at potential victims. 

There's been a murder in your town. The perpetrator spent some time, perhaps days or weeks and watched the routine of the victim through his or her windows, then entered the house and hid in a closet/ bathroom/spare room/ nook off the hallway. Wherever. 

Now everyone is scared, "how could this happen?" etc. They gossip about it at the supermarket or church, maybe in the school grounds while waiting for their kids. 
Then they go home and head to the kitchen to start dinner. 

No one locks their door! 
No one sets a motion activated alarm! 
When it gets darker no one draws the blinds or curtains so they can't be seen from the outside!

Everyone has huge picture windows so the entire room or even half the house can easily be seen when the lights are on because it is dark outside. 

The show even has men and women who live alone, come home after dark because they work late or they've been on a date, perhaps a blind date. (with someone who then followed them home?) And they kick off their shoes at the door, start removing clothing on the way to their shower, by the time they get to the bedroom they're near naked. All this while the lights are on and no windows covered by blinds or curtains!  
And they didn't lock the door as they came in. 

Meanwhile I'm sitting in my chair yelling, FFS!! Lock your door! Close those curtains! Check the back door is still locked from when you (hopefully) locked it before leaving the house that morning. Phone someone to let them know you arrived home safely.
Don't wander outside alone and in the dark to your garbage bin which is way down the end of your driveway!

What about you now? 
Do you sit there and yell at your TV when the victims walk inside and head straight for the drinks cabinet before they even think of closing and/or locking the door?
Do you clench your fists and go "aaarrrgh!!!" when they send a ten year old out alone in the dark with the garbage?

I love these TV shows, I really do, and yes my doors are locked. My blinds go down as the sun goes down.