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Door Bell Rung at 2 a.m. in Upper La Floresta


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Last night the door bell rang at 2am which of course set the dogs to barking. They are strictly indoor dogs at night so they are quiet unless seriously disturbed.

By the time we could view the front gate camera and light all the yard lights, there was no one there. I have to admit that we do not keep outside lights on all night which some feel are a necessary deterrent. It's possible we rely too much on the dogs although they may have earned their breakfast at this point.

My suspicion is someone rang the bell to see if someone was home and took off when the barking dogs announced their presence and ours. Has anyone else experienced this late night ringing of the front doorbell?

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We've installed a motion activated light in front of our gate. We also have a video/audio intercom and I think that has really cut down on this kind of behavior. The person or persons doing this seem to think twice before ringing the bell as the light comes on and the bell is right by the camera for the intercom. For all they know, it begins recording the instant the light is set off by the motion.

So far, so good!

Valerie :)

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Valerie, where did you get your system? I have just the intercom but would like one like yours.

And the same has happened here in San Juan Cosala - door bell rings in the middle of the night, my dog starts her agressive bark and I turn on all the lights. They are probably checking to see who is home.

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Simpsca, we bought this system at Home Depot in GDL about 3 years ago. They probably have a larger selection now. It is in color, voice & audio with a switch to pop open the lock on the gate door. I think we paid about $2000 pesos for it.

Good luck!

Valerie :)

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At 2am the intentions are probably not good. In my not so humble opinion it is better to let them know someone is home. Most burglars prefer non confrontations. I would rather scare someone off outside my gate than fight them off as they are coming through a door or window.

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We never answer the bell, our friends know it and call us before showing up no matter the time. We also

have an alarm around the house so if someone starts walking in the garden we will know.

If you do not have an alarm it is a good thing to turn on a light or speak through an interphone to let

them know there is someone home. The downside to that is that if they ring to check if you are home they will go in the day you do not answer.

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Guest bennie2

happend to me in floresta @ 4:am. he said he was selling soda. called the frac police but they couldnt find anyone walking around. the house was dark so was the outside, there was a car in the driveway. i dont answer bell either most of the time. someone else went outside to ask who was there. you never know when you may need a coke a cola, & can you blame him for trying?

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Guest bennie2

just 40 yr kids. you know, hanging out @ 4am ringing bells, talking to expats. he spoke english, maybe next time he can give me a spanish lesson & a coke. some folks are night owls. i admire his manners. he could have just jumped over the wall, knocked on the front door. instead he was gracious enough to stand outside the gate.

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Camera systems tied to digital recorders like your TV PVR/DVR are quite affordable and plug and play. Hardest part is running the wires. Play the recording back next morning and you can see who rang your doorbell. Newer systems at Costco have 4 or 8 HD cameras. We have a camera inside gate to see who is at door and one in front so if anybody is hiding they will be seen. I agree with Sumofabit it probably was a drunk or whatever but Cameras don't lie. System erases itself over time as it overwrites old videos. System can be accessed over internet so you can see your cats knocking over something from US/CAN. You can add cameras that will zoom and move remotely. I just use 6 stationary cameras and leave my display on the front door. I would never go back to not having cameras.

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Guest bennie2

most of the time the bell ringers here are checking for empty property. sometimes they want to see who lives there, if its a very old person. the worst experience i had was sat. 8:45 am. long story. someone had the exact same situation happen to them some days or weeks later. it was a home invasion. they pushed the person inside the gate. sundays & generally late saturdays in floresta is bell ringing time. i could look out & see who it was, most times they couldnt see me. as for cameras & all that? personally i dont want to know, or pay to know. for me, everyones guilty untill proven innocent. its the mexican way.

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Another thought. A friend's door bell rang around 11 p.m. and they ignored it. In the morning they found their injured cat by the front door with a blood trail where it dragged itself up the stairs. Turns out, a neighbor's dog had attacked the cat and the cat got away. The neighbor later said he had rung their bell the night before to tell them what happened and that he could not find the cat. When they did not answer he thought they were not home.

Turned out the cat was seriously hurt but with vet care, it survived and is now fine.

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There is a security device from Germany, but represented in the U.S.A. - very expensive. There are two new product launches in the U.S. late 2015, both are "kickstarter" type productions. What is it? When someone rings your intercom, or triggers a security point/camera, it calls your smartphone, anywhere you are in the world, and you can see the visual and transmit talk/video over the intercom (as if you are in the house). The devices are $150 to $250 and there is an annual server plan if you have to have video with recording.

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There is a security device from Germany, but represented in the U.S.A. - very expensive. There are two new product launches in the U.S. late 2015, both are "kickstarter" type productions. What is it? When someone rings your intercom, or triggers a security point/camera, it calls your smartphone, anywhere you are in the world, and you can see the visual and transmit talk/video over the intercom (as if you are in the house). The devices are $150 to $250 and there is an annual server plan if you have to have video with recording.

What is the name? Where do you get it down here?

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Guest bennie2

i could never live w/these kind of contraptions. bars, locks, timers are fine. i can see maybe an alarm. if its this much work to live in ajijic, why bother?

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i could never live w/these kind of contraptions. bars, locks, timers are fine. i can see maybe an alarm. if its this much work to live in ajijic, why bother?

At lest your friends NOB will not be wondering why you are living in a stockade, with razor wire, 10 feet walls, electric wires,bars on the doors and windows..maybe a better option

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Guest bennie2

lakeside: what does that mean? no ones wondering anything. we dont have this kind of conversation. looking into a cellphone screen is the last thing i would do. dont even own one. less is more.

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We were burglarized about 2 months ago, and here's what we did.

Raised the walls to 12 feet. Installed electric wires all around. Installed 8 cameras, including 2 overlooking the street. Installed a security system (we had it already) that requires anyone entering to punch in a 4-digit code of their choosing. Motion sensor lights. A siren that could wake the dead. And no burglar in his/her right mind would try the fence.

Now, that may seem to you like overkill, but we don't intend to be robbed again. (I'm still p-oed about my favorite silver bracelet.)

Mind you, this was in broad daylight--we'd gone to Morelia to take a friend to the airport and then stopped at Costco on the way home. When we arrived about 2:30 we quickly realized that the house had been broken into. I know we interrupted the burglars because our garage door chimes when it's opened, which gave them time to jump the wall in back, and they left behind a lot of good stuff.

If our maid and gardener can master the system, I think anyone can. It's not that hard.

My dos pesos--which are getting cheaper these days.

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

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i could never live w/these kind of contraptions. bars, locks, timers are fine. i can see maybe an alarm. if its this much work to live in ajijic, why bother?

You deal with the local conditions. Here it's burglary, up north it's face to face crime; muggings, car jackings, drive-by shootings, and mass murder. I'll take this environment thank you. It pays to be safe and protect your dwelling. BTW, Mexicans have been doing it since the Revolution! (1910)

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Guest bennie2

1) what kind of neigborhood are you from???? ferguson? southbronx? bed stye? south side chicago? face to face muggings "mass" murder? carjack? drive by? thats the last thing i can relate too. these are your choices? thats sad. i have enough security here to feel comfortable. 2) high walls are fine, so are alarms, if the sound can scare people away. when it gets into cameras, thats where i draw the line. but thats me. 2) if a maid/gardener can master your punchin security code, all your efforts may go in vain. w/that expensive & valubles, i would make my home as tight as it could be. i have a small apt, no one has a key or a way to get in unless i am here. i have strong locks even on the windows. 85% of breakins in ajijic are employee related. give access to one person, its like giving access to 10. it takes a village.

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