Ahhh, where do I begin....My car was broken into last night. I usually keep nothing in it except my books and various papers dealing with my business and other things.

However about 3 weeks ago, I mentioned to my cousin that I wanted a laptop for my entertainment center. Something I could hook up to the big screen TV and play DVDs and music and what not. He tried to pawn off some second rate laptop that he was trying to get rid of anyway. I really didn't want it, but before I knoew it, and while trying to avoid confrontation because of the weak individual that I am, I ended up buying it for $600.

I get it home and hook it up and sure enough it does not work with my system, which I kinda new in advance that it wouldn't, so I felt like that would have ben a good enough excuse for me to return it to him without causing a confrontation with him. Mind you, I say confrontation but I really mean hurting his feelings.

Anyway, the laptop went back into the trunk of my car where it sat for the 3 weeks since I bought it. I had ample time to return it to him but dragged my feet about doing so. The trunk is also usually where I keep my $5k Camera by the way.

This particular night it wasn't there, and its a good thing too because the insurance I have on the camera covers everything except theft. I can literally walk into a Wolk Camera store and smash it on the floor right in front of a salesman and they'll hand me a brand spanking new one no questions asked. But if its stolen, I am screwed.

Anyway, speaking of insurance my car only has basic insurance so the laptop wasn't covered.

There goes $600 down the drain.

To top things off I call the police and when he shows up I am on the phone with the insurance company and he asks if that is who I am speaking with. I say yes and then he asks to speak with them and so i hand him the phone and he talks with them for 45 seconds or so and then gives me back the phone and says that this is basically a unsolvable crime and that your insuarnce company will handle the details with you. Good bye and drives off. The cop never got out of the car. He didn't even try to dust for prints. God forbid he try and find out who did this. What if the culprit had a previous record, they'd have his prints and be able to match them.

Despite all of this happening, I am in relatively good spirits. I was on the phone with the lady from the insurance company and she was asking me what they took and I told her the laptop and one of my favorite lighters!!! I started joking about how that lighter had been in my family for generations. Even now I am not simmering over it like I would be in the past, .....

..... HOWEEVER..........

I am really REALLY contemplating getting a gun.

To put this is better perspective, I need to back track a little to 1995. One of the reasons I left Miami, Florida to come to Atlanta, Georgia was because one of my best friends was murdered. All of us friends went out to a night club one night and I was riding in my car with some new friends that we all had made and I didn't know that there was a history between them and my best friends. Well a dispute broke out in the club and before i knew it a fight between them broke out and spilled into the parking lot next to my car. The gun I had at the time was in that car. When the night was over the guys i rode with had gotten into my car and shot my best friend dead with my gun.

I never saw a need for a gun since then.... UNTIL NOW!!!

I am not mad. I am not really upset. I am however calculating on what I could have done and what I will do in the future. I have this sense of being violated that is making me uneasy.

That's to bad. Good luck. Hoepfully things will be better. I am sorry to hear about your friend.

Good luck with everything ATLien.

You just gotta think outside the square my friend

Yes its pretty damn harsh and your jackass cousin needs a punch on the face for pawning off his dodgy laptop in the first place.

Theres ups and downs in life. You are currently in the downs. But it will go up again so not to worry

Thanks guys.

With it being the summer and with kids out of school, I tend to think that its some juvenile deliquent that has too much time on their hands and their parent(s) can't seem to control them.

I have a right mind to stake out my car and park it in a highly visible place and leave it unlocked with some cash laying on the front seat somewhere and then shoot some pictures of them taking the money with my EOS20D rather than the Ruger P90 9mm that I have been eyeing.

If its not a juvenile, I'd rather use the Ruger!

Aw, yeah stupid shit like that happens too often, it'll get better . Have you ever thought of getting a car alarm system, instead of the gun, or is that too pricy? That might help though.

Yea an alarm that just made a lot of noise if the door opened would probably be a lot cheaper than the gun that I am looking at.

But I can see them laughing if I took my car in to get an alarm installed. The other side of that coin is that I could save more on car insurance and maybe afford insurance to covers theft.

A car alarm is always a good idea. Especially if you've been robbed before, some people I know have felt better with one. Not much, but enough to start over.

Let me enlighten you. By the time you realize your need for a gun(which should only be used in a life of death situation after you have exhausted all other possibilities - also mind you, a concealed carry permit would be needed), your camera, laptop, cd player or entire car will be gone and you'll wonder why the hell you purchased the gun anyway.

Lets learn a few lessons: 1. do not keep valuables in your trunk for three weeks. 2. Get better insurance, if you have something that damn valuable and it doesnt cover theft? I'm calling bullshit. 3. Life is more valuable than some doped up car theif with his own weapon who is far likely to use it on you than you shooting him.

Do not make a bad choice, and when some one wants to sell you crap product, just say no.

I've gotta agree with adamj on this one. Definately get better insurance. That alarm would probably help the cost of better insurance to go down too. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck.

you know Adamj, I had to laugh when I read your post. It was funny to me, but it was very very true.

I couldn't agree with you more on everything.

Especially the part about JUST SAY NO.

The relationship with the cousin is a complicated one, they have helped me out of a jam on more than one occasion and when opportunities arise to help them I kinda feel obliged to help them out. Not saying buying their crap off of their hands is one of them but .... its just one of those weird situations. Definitely not worth $600 though.

Another great point on the fact that a drug using car theif is more likely to use a weapon on me than I am on him. Not that I would give a shyt about blowing him away but I'd be hesitating thinking about whether I would be going to jail because I am shooting him and he's not actually in my home or in the car. Whether he was posing a threat to my safetey, etc.

I think the car alarm is definitely the way to go. Its the peice of mind that you're purchasing plus having it can lower your insurance rates.

However, I do think I should mention that the gun that was used on my Friend in miami was bought legitimately and was registered. If I were to get another gun, I would go about it the same way. legit and registered. I'm still thinking about it though.

The thing that keeps ringing in my head about guns ever since 1995 is that, Its better to have one and not need it, than to need it and not have one!

Finally just want to thank everyone again for your input. Cousins wife and step mom and friends here in Atlanta seem to be in lecture mode and I am really not trying to hear it right now.

Whoa man... life is full of ups and downs all ya gotta do is learn how to ride them.

Good luck in the future mate.