Man's Ladder Leads To Neighborhood Strife

Washington Post ^ | June 20, 2007 | Allison Klein

[3AngelaD]

What a jerk. This happened to me while I was living in the hell hole that is the District of Columbia. I hate skylights. I especially liked this pos's quote, "My marijuana use is religious and medicinal..."

[TheTruthAintPretty]

This sounds like a job for the Seizure laws. He had a grow operation...seize stoner’s townhouse and -then- take the ladder down.

Seizing the ladder itself as evidence won’t work because he’ll just put another one up.

[vbmoneyspender]

According to police statistics, burglaries are common in Logan Circle, with 16 of them in the past 60 days in the vicinity of Rabinowitz's house...

It sounds like Rabinowitz (or someone close to him) is doing something more than growing pot.

[RedsHunter]

Neighbors say they have repeatedly asked him to take down the ladder since he put it up in 2001 and locked it to the back of his house. But Rabinowitz believes it is his right to keep his ladder up, even permanently.

The guy's undoubtedly a bit of a whack job but if he were my neighbor, instead of first going to court, my initial move would be to sign up with an armed response alarm service ... and even put up one of their warning signs by the skylight on my roof.

[3AngelaD]

The guy who used a neighbor’s ladder to break into my house on Capitol Hill did so despite my very expensive security alarm system that included the skylight, with the ADM stickers. He got out with my stuff before the police could got there. This happened to one of my neighbors, too, who was alone in her house during the day when the guy came through the skylight using the same ladder that had been used on mine. She shot him, and no one ever hassled her about having a gun. I just hope and pray it was the same guy who broke into my house, because she shot him, through her bedroom door, in a very sensitive place and he bled all over her new carpet.

[lowbridge]

D.C. police and neighbors believe burglars have used the ladder to climb atop a cluster of gentrifying houses on Vermont Avenue and break in through skylights, leaving through the front door ...

Why not just stake out the ladder, and with video cameras? See who is using it.

[Larry Lucido]

I’m thinking jumper cables and a power source, but then I’m a bit twisted.

[RedsHunter]

The guy who used a neighbor’s ladder to break into my house on Capitol Hill did so despite my very expensive security alarm system that included the skylight, with the ADM stickers. He got out with my stuff before the police could got there. ~snip~

Interesting. Did I mention that my second move would be to drive over to Virgina to buy a shotgun and a Doberman?

Seriously, it's obvious these days that one can't rely on the authorities for protection and a situation like the one you've described really leaves only two choices: a. either move away to a safer area or b. take proactive measures to defend yourself.

[Robwin]

“It sounds like Rabinowitz (or someone close to him) is doing something more than growing pot.”

I had the very same thought when I read the article.

[lowbridge]

I’m thinking jumper cables and a power source, but then I’m a bit twisted.

Really? In what way?

;-)

[3AngelaD]

I moved to Virginia, and I love it. Not only can I own one or more guns, but we have concealed carry here.

[Moonman62]

The day of Dodd's burglary, police used Rabinowitz's ladder to get on Dodd's roof and investigate how the burglar gained entry. While they were up on the roof, they said, they noticed marijuana plants growing, visible through Rabinowitz's skylight.

Somehow I knew this was going to be a story about a Libertarian.

[Moonman62]

I just hope and pray it was the same guy who broke into my house, because she shot him, through her bedroom door, in a very sensitive place and he bled all over her new carpet.

There was a story a couple of years ago about a woman in NC who was getting ready to dispatch an intruder in her home. She had a choice between a shotgun and a revolver. She chose the revolver because she had just remodeled her kitchen.

[3AngelaD]

Perfectly understandable.

[Titan Magroyne]

LOL! Smart woman!

[3AngelaD]

In DC, if you took his ladder down, YOU would go to jail and he would continue to smoke his pot and endanger his neighbors. In case you haven’t got a clear picture yet, the criminals are in control there. The government, police, ect ACT like they are “doing something about it” but nothing gets done. The laws are set up to protect the criminals, not the law abiding. I had to move. .

[Lancey Howard]

16 of them in the past 60 days in the vicinity of Rabinowitz's house...

Yeah, "in the vicinity". Curious that Rabinowitz hasn't been robbed.

[Brucifer]

That is an excellent point!