My Heroin Junky Neighbours

Hi Scott,

The other day I was at my local playground pushing my kids on a swing while two blokes shot up heroin less than five metres from the gate entrance. This sort of behaviour is pretty common in my area (median house price is over $1 million). Actually, it’s pretty common everywhere these days. Did you know Australia has the highest use of meth per capita in the world?

We live in a zombie country where we are becoming desensitised to erratic crazy people. Well, we got a wake-up call last night. At about 7.30pm, I opened the electric gate just a smidge to take the dog to the park across the road. I came back 10 minutes later and found my wife hiding behind the couch. When she saw me she just broke out crying. A meth user had been banging on the front door, then entered through the gate and banged on the kitchen window. Thank god they turned around and left. The babies were asleep in the next room.

Do you have any advice on how the average Aussie can feel more secure in their homes, without breaking the bank? I’ve always been put off by security cameras, which need an electrician. We were very grateful for our landlord’s installing an electric gate last year. We just feel we need more in these crazy times.

Leo

Hey Leo

I have security cameras plastered around my farm.

Still, it doesn’t make me feel any safer … it just allows me to share video footage of foxes ripping the heads off my chickens with my Dad, who likes viewing these things. “Shame”, he says, nodding his head.

Leo, you’re renting, so just move to a safer suburb when your lease is up. Any increase in rent will be easily offset by not fearing for your family’s safety.

Oh, and one more thing.  

The only people that like living around junkies are drug dealers, and I’m sure things really are as bad as you say. Still, your general comments about the state of the nation remind me a bit of the ‘old traveller fable’:

A traveller approached a wise man sitting at the edge of a village and asked him, “What are the people like in this village?”

To which the wise man responded, “What were the people like in the last village you visited?”

The traveller frowned. “Oh, they were selfish, rude, and drug addicts.”

The wise man nodded and said: “You’ll find the same kind of people here.”

In other words, what you look for you’ll see.

Good luck on the search for somewhere safer, and less paranoia-inducing.

Scott.