Friday, August 10, 2007

S-A-F-E-T-Y (dance)

Security is a funny thing. It doesn't really exist.

I found this out with my job last year and continually reminded of it in the daily news. Everything is random.

The same people who balk at taking off their shoes and packing no more than 3oz of liquid in a clear container at airports are the same ones who probably have home security systems. I'm one of them. (well, I don't really balk at the airport stuff anymore, though I think the TSA are morons.)

Home security systems I realize are great when you're not home and an alarm is activated. They are not as useful when you are home and the same event occurs.

What do YOU do when that alarm is tripped in the middle of the night?

The few times this has happened, I get out of bed and groggily remember the code (1-1-1-1-1.....kidding!!!...that's for Jon) and punch it in. Then I normally roam the house, unclothed, looking for a defect in the system....or something that tripped it. Normally I blame the cats.

Just as easily, the alarm could have been tripped by a real-life intruder. But if this is the case, by the time I'd realize that, the alarm is off - the security company has not been notified nor have they contacted the authorities. Yet the alarm is so annoying no one wants it blaring for 60 seconds before those two departments are notified.

When you think about it - it is a good business model: make people pay for something they only think they're getting. I guess they pay for peace-of-mind, whether they are getting it or not. It's the perception. And perception is reality.

But last night, after the alarm got turned off, I didn't even look around the house this time and went right back to bed....and slept securely.

2 comments:

Sue said...

I have big dogs. They make me feel safe. I plan to hold on to them as some one is killing me. Good plan huh?

rebecca said...

I don't find life so much random as I do impermanenenenent. But that's just because I'm a Jew-Bu. Impermanenenenenent, and never a good parking spot.