This thread is about my brother. One thing you need to know about my brother is that he really trusts his friends. He can never understand or believe they would do anything he might not like. That's an euphemism.
Last year, one of my brother friends stole his trainers. From our very own house. While he was visiting. Needless to say, this friend isn't welcome here anymore, but that event hasn't taught my brother anything. About half a year ago, our Windows CD (and the book that went with it) got lost. It was lying on my desk, and then the next day it wasn't. Well, of course it got stolen, but my brother refuses to acknowledge it, and will not accuse any of his friends. during the last month, my brother broke the computer twice (that's a different story, but it has much decreased the level of warm feelings and the "credit" I was willing to give to him).
Ok, I'm slowly getting to the point. The computer is in my room, so when my brother invites friends over, they usually end up there. That's why I don't usually leave anything valuable lying around. I have not considered buying locks to all my furniture, though. And ther drawer right next to the computer is where I keep my car keys, safely hidden from anyone's sight.
See where I'm getting yet?
I don't really use my car anymore, because it breaks a lot, and I'm planning to sell it. So, the only time I drive the car is when we go have dinner at my grandmom's on Sundays.
Two weeks ago, when I got in the car, I noticed the seat and the mirrors were in a different position. Oh, well, I though. I could have done this by accident, without even noticing (the seat is awfully hard to move, though, it being a very old car). I asked my dad if he opened my car during the week, and he said no.
Last week, when I got back home after work, I noticed the car keys lying on my desk, instead of in the drawer. i meant to ask who took them out and why, but I forgot.But then on Sunday, I noticed the car was standing very very close to a car on its right, which has been standing in the same spot for at least half a year now (it's also very old, and is just standing there, Eru knows why, instead of some scrap yard). Ok, I thought, I would never park my car like this, leaving almost no room to actually reverse. I questioned my dad about it, but again, he said he never moved my car. He laughed at me, saying I'm probably just imagining things. Yes. After all, I'm sick, right, dad?
And finally, today my dad was approached by a guy who lives in the neighbourhood. He asked my dad whether the green car was his. "It's my daughter's", my dad replies. And so the guy went on to explain: he saw a kid get into my car, start it, and drive around the car park. He saw him twice, within about week's interval. the second time, he was close enough to actually get to the kid and start questionning him. However, the kid escaped.
My dad came back home. It was obvious the kid was one of my brother's friends (the guy knows what my brother looks like and said it wasn't him). Well, my brother managed to remember which of the friends (the ones we don't know too well, that is) was in my room recently. So we now know who was taking my keys and driving my car. The kid is away on the vacation, but he'll sure get in trouble after he comes back.
Luckily, nothing serious has happened. But I'm afraid of what the kid might have done to himself , or someone else. I'm also very angry with my brother, because, really, I did not think I would need to use locks in my very own room!
Oh, well, at least I'm not the one who let my younger sibling take the car. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Oh, wow.
Dang. Good thing nothing happened!
Posted by msquared (Member # 4484) on :
Your parents should let you put locks on your door with only you and them having the keys. Your brother should not be allowed in your room for any reason at all. If he can't control his friends, they should not be in your house.
msquared
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
That's crazy... Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
That's nuts. I would murder my brother if he spent any time in my room while I was gone without having strict explicit permission. It wouldn't help his case any that if the pile of junk on my floor was moved around at all (which it would have to be for anyone to be able to get in...) I'd notice.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Would you like to borrow my stick?
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
You didn't instill the proper amount of fear in him when he was younger.
If you did nothing but torture him between the ages of four and eleven then he would be panic-stricken at the thought of getting caught even contemplating going into your room.
As a younger sibling, I'm living testimony that this method works.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Nah, Mack, I'll just take one of his wooden swords. But danke.
The thing is, the computer is just as much my brother's as it's mine. And using it meant for my brother to be in my room. Which I would of course have no problem with, if it wasn't for this thing. Right now, he's not allowed to let any friends my parents don't know inside the appartment, and no one at all inside my room.
I hope he will learn his lesson finally. But somehow, I doubt it.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Yeah Ralphie, I didn't torture mine and am paying the consequences.
I don't get any respect!
AJ
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Well, if your parents explain to your brother that, due to his disregard for your parents rules and your privacy (which you learned with the car situation), you will now be locking your room (with the computer in it) when you are not there. Otherwise, maybe they can find another place to put it where he has access to it (even when you aren't there).
I'm sorry you're having problems with your little brother. Not all of them are that bad - mine is (and always has been) great.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Oh, most of the time, he's really great. I wouldn't want a different brother. But he so gets on my nerves sometimes!
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Well...it seems to me that it's not your brother, but it's his friends. I dont think you can expect your brother to confront his friends about it, so you have to confront them urself. At least they'll hear you, if not listen to you. It works. My brother's friends (who are also (kinda) my friends, had been making obscene phonecalls to me while drunk. Now, this is very disturbing to me, because I know all of these guys, and I wouldn't want to be afraid of them, but I think I am now.....or at least a little hesitant (this is really bad to, because one of them was my *brother* in my large list of school family). So I talked to them about it, and I haven't gotten any phone calls yet.
Hopefully it'll stay that way
So Kama, good luck w/ ur brother and his friends. Just put the fear of God (or you, either one works) into them
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
quote:I dont think you can expect your brother to confront his friends about it
I not only expect my brother to confront his friend about it, I also expect him to make sure the people he invites over to our house are trustworthy. I expect him to be responsible.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Oh, and this will not be a conversation between my brother and his friend, only. This will be a conversation between me, my parents, the man who caught the boy red-handed, and the boy's parents. Evie, you don't seem to realise how serious this is. He might have killed someone.
Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :
Yes, your brother should be much more responsible. I think you have it under control and I hope your brother gets the idea. Maybe you could invite a police officer to the conversation too, if you know any who won't too severely punish the friend after finding out.
And who's Eru?
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
I'm not saying that your brother shouldn't be held responsible. I think he definately should. I just think that you need to talk to his friend too, and I'm glad that you are.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
It is a serious matter, and maybe a police officer would be such a bad idea. Make them know that this is serious matter. I just know from experience that convaying messages through your brother doesn't work.
Posted by Kayla (Member # 2403) on :
Um, I think it was a way of saying "my God" without actually saying G*d. For some reason I think I remember something about Jews not saying/typing/reading that particular name. Something like that. Anyway, some Hatrackers seem to make a concerted effort to avoid it, hence Eru.
Am I close? And is this true? If so, I'll try also.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
esl, Eru is God, in Middle Earth. Lord of the Rings. He created the universe. He's also known as Illuvatar, but we mostly use Eru because it's shorter and easier to type.
The Silmarillion has a lot more on Eru, if you're interested.
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
quote:And who's Eru?
I should let Belle answer that
Eru is the creator of the world in Tolkien's "Silmarillion"
[edit:exactly]
[ August 06, 2003, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Kama ]
Posted by asQmh (Member # 4590) on :
I understand about the computer thing, but what I don't understand is that when you saw your keys on the desk instead of in the drawer. . . did you put them back in the same place? Because if I suspected someone was using my keys, I would put my keys somewhere else.
Though, I have a younger brother who sounds somewhat like yours . . . I know it's not all so simple.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
Sibling torture aside, if my brother had done this while we were both still living at home, my *parents* would have killed him. Or rather, would have made him wish he was dead.
OTOH, my room, when I lived at home, was so godawful messy no one in their right mind would want to go in it, and heaven help them if they actually wanted to find something to steal. Whole avalanches of clothes could have buried and smothered them before help could arrive.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Kama, are you not his Sister?
The reason I ask, if a group of unchaperoned boys were in any young ladies room, well I would make sure all my Drawers were locked up, and I don't just mean the furniture.
Do a check and make sure nothing else is missing, especially anything intimate.
ie: ever see "16 Candles"
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
LOL
Oh, no, my teddy's missing!
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
ARGH!!
It seems I spoke too soon about keeping my brother in line!! Though not as serious an infraction as that of your brother, Kama, at least it was actually committed by him!!
He left my PS2 games all over and my dad took them and hid them!!
WITH HATRACK AS MY WITNESS, MY BROTHER WILL NEVER PLAY MY PS2 AGAIN!!!
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
Yup...
I taught my sister a good lesson about stealing my car. She's too traumatized to ever take my car out for a spin, even when she does get a license. Yup, I'm a genius for letting her take it and LETTING her get in trouble.
::rubs hands together::
Posted by slacker (Member # 2559) on :
I'd have killed both of them. Then again, I'm rabidly protective of my computer room and all other property.
If I were you, though, what I'd do is let them take the car out again. Watch it to make sure that it's gone, then report it stolen.
Odds are the cops will catch them, and then you can "decide" to press charges or not. You both win that way (and your brother doesn't have to implicate you).
Other than that, I'd consider calling Guido to talk to the kid who took the car (remember, they might have had their own set of keys made).
Posted by suntranafs (Member # 3318) on :
Need I state the obvious? Move the computer
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
If you were really flashy and wanted to pull it off with a lot of panache, you'd do it with someone else's bare hands. Now that'd be somethin to see! Posted by Laurenz0 (Member # 5336) on :
Hm. I think locking all your drawers is perhaps overkill and really shows a lack of trust. i know thats what you feel (and rightfully so) , but perhaps you should try and make the first steps to regain trust and perhaps build some.
How old is your brother, by the way? Anyway, I think whoever had the idea of sitting down and takling with everybody including your brother is a good idea. Let him know firmly that its not cool and he is responsible for his friends going in your room. Get your parents to talk too.
Your brother can't possibly know who is trustworthy or not. friends shouldn't have to pass a screening. If you like person, you invite them over. You shouldn't need a name, middle name, last name, social insurance number, healthcare number, weight, weight on the moon, number of lasooed elephants to invite someone over. I say again, if you liked someone, you should invite them over.
Also, I wouldn't bring the police into this the boy made a mistake and i think getting the parents involved would be sufficient. i don't think having the police come into would do anything more than giving him more punishment than he deserves.
just my advice, Laurence
[ August 06, 2003, 10:15 PM: Message edited by: Laurenz0 ]
Posted by Duragon C. Mikado (Member # 2815) on :
Two words Kama: Booby Trap
OR, you could tell everyone you're taking off, and hide near your car with oven mitts, a hockey mask and tomato sauce smeared on your bare arms and legs. Then, when the kid is inside the car enough that he can't run away, pick up your waiting machete or kichten ginsu and run at him in the car, screaming.
[ August 07, 2003, 12:21 AM: Message edited by: Duragon C. Mikado ]
Posted by EllenM (Member # 5447) on :
I agree with suntranafs. Move the computer out of your bedroom and into a communal part of the house. And put a lock on your door. You deserve to have some privacy which is being violated by your brother's so called friend.
EllenM
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Uh. There is no communal part of the house. There is only my brother's room and my parents' bedroom. And I rather enjoy having the computer in my room, considering I sometimes stay up very late. My brother is 16, btw.
Posted by suntranafs (Member # 3318) on :
I knew there was some reason not to state the obvious. You live in a mud hut without hallways. No, seriously, that's kind of a problem. I admire the fact that you don't mind having your brother use the computer in your room, and I find it really a bit sad that a near adult 'friend' would abuse common courtesy in such a way.
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