<p>I don't know why I thought of this, but has anyone ever been scared that their roomate(s) might steal their things while they're away in a class or doing something? Like can't they take your laptop and just leave or something?</p>
<p>I guess they could, but wouldn’t it be pretty obvious who took it?</p>
<p>I’ve had minor things stolen/broken by roommates, but with something like a laptop… Well, unless it’s the last day of class, that roommate will be out several thousand dollars of paying for their room if they just never come back. </p>
<p>Overall, I think that if you’re truly scared your roommate is going to steal something, that’s something to take up with your RA or residence life to switch roommates.</p>
<p>Your roommate is more likely to steal your food or pencils than your laptop. But I agree with AtomicCafe - if you have a reason to be concerned about your roommate stealing expensive personal belongings, it’s time to get a new roommate.</p>
<p>I’d be more worried about my suitemates stealing my stuff than my roommate… if you have connected rooms, that is.</p>
<p>^ Same room (a double).</p>
<p>I’m realy worried too! I’ll probably hide things to the best I can… since I can’t seem to find a good safe to take with me. And I buy cute pencils from korea so I’d have to haul that everywhere with me @.@ great</p>
<p>Is it really a good idea to have a safe, though? I mean, what if your roommate finds out about it? probably wouldn’t make them feel too good that you’re suspicious of them.</p>
<p>I’m not sure D: Cause, it’s not just the roommate… they could invite guests over which opens another chance of getting valuables stolen. Better safe than sorry’?</p>
<p>Unless your roommate has given you reason to expect that they’d steal something, you hiding things will most likely just make you come off as a prick.</p>
<p>I had my roommate (while drunk) accuse me of stealing her wallet because my family was poorer than hers. She did it in front of our friends and no one really accepted her the same way again. Like she was still our friend, just they thought of her as conceded and rarely called her first to do things.</p>
<p>Personally, if my roommate brought a safe into the room, I wouldn’t be offended at all. Especially with first-year students, we’re constantly being warned about having things stolen. I consider it a precaution in case one of us forgets to lock the door or something. </p>
<p>But really, if y’all don’t trust your roommates around your PENCILS, you should really reconsider who you’re living with.</p>
<p>No, something like that wouldn’t offend me. That’s more protection from everyone. (Though can’t a thief just pick up the safe?) With my roommate it was the flat out accusation, like if someone said, “Oh I hide my ipod because you might take it.”</p>
<p>If you mind that much about someone borrowing (or even taking) a pencil, maybe you should look more at yourself than your roommate.</p>
<p>The OP reminds me of a story my aunt told me from being in the army where one of the other women stole her pajamas then tried to wear it in front of her.</p>
<p>Personally, I just don’t like when others use (esp. take) my belongings without permission - though depending on the circumstances, I may or may not say ‘Yes’.</p>
<p>But if someone is willing to steal someone’s pencil, what’s to say that person wouldn’t steal something of greater value: i.e. laptop, etc? X:</p>
<p>I’d like to have mutual trust with my roommate, but in the end, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Maybe we’ll end up being best friends, or people who just get along, etc… but oh well. xD I didn’t choose who to roommate with (*freshman), I’ve been assigned.</p>
<p>There is a gigantic leap between grabbing a pencil off your roommates desk when you don’t have one at the moment and stealing a laptop.
It is in no way the same thing.</p>
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<p>Agreed. And this just made me think of all of those banks that tie down their pens. (They should really leave them untied, though; if someone takes one of the pens, they’ll know who the potential bank robbers are!!)</p>
<p>If you’re really worried and can afford it, get the safe and stop worrying about it. You’ll probably find that you had no reason to worry in the first place. It is doubtful that your future roommate will be a kleptomaniac and steal all your stuff, but if in the tiniest chance he/she is and does then what can you do about it anyway but report him/her and try to get your stuff back? Where will s/he hide her stuff, her side of the room? Seriously though, as her roommate, you have some leverage in dealing with this… If s/he steals your stuff you know where s/he lives, lol.
My advice is to loosen up and stop worrying about something that will very likely not happen unless it actually happens, and in that case, report him/her and switch rooms.</p>
<p>Also agree with the above posters that stealing a pencil does not equate with stealing a laptop… Maybe you should get a pack of cheap pencils to share if you don’t want anyone touching your fancy ones. I urge you to be more open minded.
best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Get a foot locker for stuff you’re afraid might get stolen and lock it up in the footlocker. But likely, you won’t have to worry - most people come to college with notebook computers now, and your roommate will probably have his or her own.</p>
<p>But stuff like pencils, food, shoes, etc.? Me and my freshman year roommate had a really open policy with each other. I didn’t care if she ate my food or borrowed my sweatshirt or used a pencil or even used my computer when I was gone if she needed to.</p>
<p>whoops. “hide her stuff” should be hide <em>your</em> stuff in my post 2 posts earlier.</p>
<ol>
<li>This probably won’t be a problem</li>
<li>Definitely don’t get a safe…it’s way too obvious and it will draw attention that you won’t want (a laptop on a desk draws less attention than a safe). And also, if your roommate or his/her friends see that you have a safe, they might think that you are insecure/worried about getting things stolen, and that might tempt them more…in other words, they get the idea to steal when they see that you keep your stuff in a safe. Weird, I know. Oh, and it’s also not really that hard for them to take your safe. They might not be able to open it (short of using tools and other sharp weapons), but they can easily take the box away. </li>
<li>A cable lock/cord is better for keeping laptops safe. It’s more subtle (could blend in with your laptop’s charger/ethernet/other wires).</li>
<li>Hollow out a book (one that you know your roommate will have no interest in) and put valuables in there</li>
<li>When possible, take your valuables with you (laptop to class, etc.) or keep them out of plain sight (put them in drawers or something)</li>
<li>Some dorms have places to insert locks for closets and desk drawers</li>
<li>If all else fails, hide a camera and when you notice something has been stolen, use the tape as proof</li>
</ol>
<p>From what I have heard, things have a tendency to sprout wings and fly away in the presence of room-mates. It does not matter who the room-mate in question is, rather, it is a valid generalisation. Anyone can present the fa</p>
<p>
Really? Aren’t you people supposed to be really smart here? </p>
<p>They keep the pens on a chain so it’s always there for people to use, not because they’re afraid of people stealing a 5 cent pen. It’s so they don’t get dropped, lost, accidentally taken, etc. That way they know a pen will always be available to the customer when they need to fill out their bank slip. They don’t have to wait to ask a teller for one become someone before them forgot the pen belonged to the bank and took it with them. It’s a convenience thing, not a fear of theft or a trust issue.</p>