Macbook stolen

[webjeff]

So today my brand new (bought it Saturday) 13" macbook was stolen at work when I went to the bathroom... I literally pissed away $1700 and am pretty bummed about it. What a lucky bastard to get a brand new laptop in 2 seconds and it took me weeks of working to save my ass to get that. I know I don't post often here, but I always read others posts. I figured I'd rant a little for once as it hurts to lose that kind of money in one swoop. I keep losing money thanks to the economy (some stocks are down 80%) and would like one break once in a while.

I was working on a cool iphone game which now can't be finished and now I see other games coming out in the same category (sports, american football). Ughhhh!!!!!!! Come on.

I keep telling myself it could be worse and others have it much much worse than me, but it still hurts regardless... I know it could be worse and I thank god I have a roof over my head and food to eat. I'd like keep it that way though and my iphone game may have helped.

OK, done ranting... sorry.

Jeff.

[DC_Fan]

I wouldn't leave a $20 item, let alone a $1700 Macbook out of my sight. Do they have video survellaince at your job? If not you're gonna have to chalk it up as an expensive lesson learned. Don't trust anyone!

[GaijinPunch]

Where do you work?

[Hawanja]

Jeez, someone swiped it at work, and no one saw? This happened during work hours? Then it was probably another employee.

Hope you find it, good luck

[Parris]

That's just shit! You must have really nice work colleagues. Some companies actually bother to put some form of security systems in place. I'd perhaps ask head of security (but I am sure you've done all this Jeff) to check over video footage.

I simply don't know what to suggest other than the obvious.

But, I guess work's insurance or your own home insurance doesn't cover the loss of the hard work and effort you were putting into the games title.

[Barc0de]

no Kensington key?:(

[Gamesreview]

Shit, tell the management it was stolen. They are responsible for their staff. They should have some kind of insurrance.

[port187]

If you have some kind of travel insurance or something you could try to get something back from then as if it was stolen during a travel of some sort.
For 1700 I would maybe even unscrew some screws of my windows and report a breakin to have my home insurance cover it.. I know it's fraud but insurance companies are thieves too and having something stolen from you that expensive when you worked hard for it and never stole a thing in your life is more injustice then letting a multi billion insurance company cover a laptop in some gray area way.

[Trenton_net]

Seriously, where do you work? I mean, stealing from your own co-workers? That's so wack.

[Elrian]

Seriously, where do you work? I mean, stealing from your own co-workers? That's so wack.

Well i don't know about you but in my office there are a lot of rivalries so i can totally see that happen!

[3do]

That is shit more so becuase of you having to work your ass off to get it. Surely your work has some form of CCTV inside or outside which would have either captured the laptop being stolen or captured someone with the laptop.

I never leave anything when i go to the bathroom, everything gets unpluigged and taken with me becuase i had a mobile stolen before which i never got back so i tend to just take everything of importance with me when i got to the bathroom, to get crisps, juice or whatever.

[webjeff]

Thanks guys,

The problem is I work in a really small office with about 5 other guys (these guys are really nice). The way our office is setup is I sit close to door (maybe a desk away) and the other guys (all artists) sit in a room. Our doors beep when people walk in/out and normally I don't bring my laptop to work, but that day I did and we work in an industrial zone, so we don't see many people even walk past our building on a day to day basis.

When I went to the bathroom, they heard the door, but a guy just left as well, they thought he was coming back in and didn't check the door (I'm usually out there as well, but they peek there head out sometimes too). It was just luck that this guy had me in the bathroom and no one stepped out.

Just sad. I don't own a home, and my parents (where I live sadly) insurance won't cover it. My boss is on a trip, but that's my last hope. He didn't sound too happy when I told him, because work code was on there too. Luckily (sort of) its a brand new laptop I got on Saturday so I didn't have a lot of time to put my personal stuff like setup emails and such on it.

It's just a lot of money to see go out the door and I can't believe in this age people are taking things like this. I know times are tough, but there tough for everyone, not just them.

Jeff.

[Parris]

That's even worse! I remember working in a bookstore when I was still at high school. An evening job that paid for my Atari ST habit (things really haven't changed so much folks lol) and money, items and personal belongings started to go missing. It was a small place, with I'd say 8 members of staff in total including the day shift, so literally it came down to 3 or 4 people.

It was awful. Everyone was watching everyone else, but it was a good lesson. I've never taken anything of any great value to work, but Jeff it sounds like you had little or no choice if you were lugging work code back and forth!

Your boss might be pissed off, but frankly he should be more concerned about the lack of security in his business rather than pissed off at you (which is the way it sounded).

On industrial estates you have cameras everywhere. Do you know who is responsible for the security in the properties around you?

I'm not sure of the scale of the place you work, but I know I could get video footage from the two main entrances to the industrial park around here if I asked the Police to investigate. You can usually only get onto these places one or two ways. By foot or by vehicle. If the buildings are close enough, you can see people passing. Most industrial sites are pretty quiet other than delivery vans or staff. However, the place where you are could be far larger and much more busy.

You might strike it lucky, spot some shifty swine skulking down the road past another property trying to conceal an item under his jacket, or spot the number plate of a car / van leaving your works property at the same time you went to pee! Truth of the matter is, the thief will not have it lying around. It'll have been fenced immediately. Very sellable goods. Check pawn stores locally, the usual second hand places.

Either way, it's frustrating as all hell. I just hope you have a mate, or a mate of a mate who knows someone in the Police and can persuade them to take it seriously. They usually don't, but given the number of incidents of theft you can almost see why!

Incidentally, we caught the culprit at our work red handed... hand in the till helping herself! Her locker was checked and it was stuffed full of 'items'.

[ASSEMbler]

Put up a paper:

My notebook has engraving and tracking.
It can be found eventually.
You will be put in prison.
There is a camera in the building, the police
are looking at the video.
Please return it no questions asked.

Its worth a try.

[kiff]

This is disgusting! I hate thieves!

I think Assembler has a good point. Stick up a notice and you may just scare/ guilt the thief into bringing it back.

I hope you have some luck with this, it sounds like you deserve it!

[madhatter256]

Put up a paper:

My notebook has engraving and tracking.
It can be found eventually.
You will be put in prison.
There is a camera in the building, the police
are looking at the video.
Please return it no questions asked.

Its worth a try.

Or craigslist.... check there. Lots of stolen crap comes up.

Also, can't the MAC address on the laptop be tracked? You still have the box for it and accessories? I'm sure you can find the MAC network address on that..

I'm pretty sure some idiot crackhead walked in and stole it.

[Trenton_net]

Incidentally, we caught the culprit at our work red handed... hand in the till helping herself! Her locker was checked and it was stuffed full of 'items'.

How did it all go down? What stuff did you find? What did your manager say? what did she say? How did she get sacked? Arrested?

It's so satisfying to see scammers/theifs get caught.

[ServiceGames]

Parris did you all end up on Jerry Springer in a shirtless fist fight!!

Inquiring Minds Want To Know!

[Parris]

How did it all go down? What stuff did you find? What did your manager say? what did she say? How did she get sacked? Arrested?

It's so satisfying to see scammers/theifs get caught.

Manager caught her by staying on after hours having pretending to leave the building then sneaking back in unknown to most of the staff. At the end of the night when cashing up, money was seen being placed in her pocket.

I don't remember what was in the locker, but hardly surprising given that this was 20 years ago! Stock mostly, but a few items belonging to others if I recall correctly.

Police were called, she was arrested and charged. Sacked obviously, but after that I have no idea what happened to her.

Sadly, it was also way before Springer, otherwise I think it might have ended in a tussle as my boss was really wanting to swing for her.

[Hawanja]

Check the local pawn shops, see if the guy tried to unload it. If you do find it there, they might even be able to give you a name and address of the person who sold it.