Someone else's incompetence cost me a night's sleep

The BBQ Pit
1

I noticed the klaxons wailing when I walked the dog at 11PM last night. Didn’t think much about it, since I couldn’t identify the source of the sounds, and alarms tend to get shut off once someone realizes there’s a problem.

Fast forward to 2:40AM. I haven’t been able to fall asleep, since the alarms are just barely audible, and have got a bit of Vetinari’s clock syndrome going. That is, they wail for a while, between 4 and 15 seconds, then stop between 0.5 and 4 seconds before starting back up. Which means there’s no rhythm to get used to, and so the sound becomes impossible for me to ignore. So I get up, get dressed and go out to locate the source of the wailing. Didn’t take long, and lo! the building has multiple signs displaying the name and number of the alarm company.

“Sweet”, I think, “I brought my phone for this very purpose.”

So I call, and someone answers. I explain the problem, they correctly identify the location and tell me they’ll get someone over there. Excellent, problem solved, I think, though still somewhat puzzled as to why they’d let the wailing continue for nigh on four hours (that I know). Knowing I won’t be able to sleep anyway, I decide to read some more about Moist von Lipwig making money and fooling people. I get lost in the book, still hearing the klaxons. After some 50 pages the klaxons still haven’t stopped, and I’m so tired and pissed off I can’t focus on the book. So I call back.

Turns out the company with the big friendly signs merely does alarm installations, they don’t have actual security people. They’d tried to get in contact with someone that does, and failed. So nobody to curse at.

At 5:30, the alarm finally stops, and I go to bed.

Went over to the source this afternoon to inform them of their shitty setup, and maybe curse at someone. Turned out the reason wasn’t a break-in, but a door, inside the building, that hadn’t been locked properly before they left work the day before. So the alarm would have gone off some 30 seconds after they left.

How the fucking fuck do you have an alarm setup that allows you to activate the system when one of the sensors is active? How the fucking fuck do you have a hysterically loud external klaxon, and not have a deal with a security company that can come check the place out and TURN THE FUCKING SIREN THE FUCK OFF! AAARGH!

Phew, I have vented. Now I shall sleep.

2

It sounds like there was a lot of incompetence there. Why didn’t the alarm company have a number of someone to call for emergency? When we had an alarm installed we had to give them three contact numbers. Also, they didn’t bother to call the police who might have made sure that the alarm got shut off?

3

The OP should have called the cops. Tell 'em the alarm keeps going off…someone must be breaking in!!!

4

I enthusiastically endorse this idea. Either that or start throwing rocks through windows, so at least you can tell yourself that the alarm is going off for a reason. :smiley:

5

Next time set fire to the place.

6

Next time, break in and steal anything that isn’t nailed down. Sounds like you’ll have around 6 hours to clean the place out. Bring a truck.

What exactly is the point of them having an alarm system in the first place?

7

From what I gathered, the alarm company merely monitor the mechanics of the system. All contacts once an alarm goes off should go through the (non-existent) security company, so they’d be the ones with the contact numbers. I think.

In hindsight, I should have called the police, but the thought never occurred to me. I’m not even sure what kind of jurisdiction the cops have in a situation like that. I guess I could report the place for making obnoxious noises when decent people want to sleep. Or just bring some big rocks to kill the fucking klaxon next time. Which might result in some broken windows, who knows.

ETA:

Well, the front doors were still locked, and I’m not very good at the whole breaking in bit. The second part I asked the guy at the noisy place, and he hemmed and hawwed a bit.

There could be quite a bit of money in breaking in too, as they deal in boat engines of the fairly large variety. Though I’d need a serious truck to get anything out. Not that I’m considering any such thing.

8

Go ahead and check into your city’s noise ordinances in case there’s a next time. Fines tend to make people more diligent about checking things.

9

Jesus Christ, Claptree, what’s your problem with indie music?
::d&r::

10

Reminds me of the time a car alarm in our complex’s parking lot shorted out from the extreme cold and began going off at random intervals right outside our bedroom window. We called the complex manager - he couldn’t do anything because it was parked legally. We called the cops - they couldn’t do anything either. So we left a note on the windshield, and just to make sure the owner got it, we spent the next few sleepless hours pouring buckets of water over the windshield, so that it was eventually buried under six inches of ice.

11

This is awesome. Did you have the text facing inwards our outwards?

12

This.

What? It’s the free market in action!

OK, OK, next time it’s these cats, they may be arsed to arrive sooner since someone complained. And even if it’s someone else, the police may decide to get involved more quickly because they get calls.

But I still like EP’s idea.

13

I don’t know about where you are, Claptree, but in TN, a company can be fined BIGTIME for stuff like that. When I worked as manager of a local pizza joint years ago, I was lectured about our silent alarm buttons (we had 2, one under the counter and one in the freezer – really kind of smart since that’s usually where thieves lock employees during a robbery!) – we had had them pushed (accidentally, apparently) twice in the year so far and one more time would result in massive fines. If that shit happens again, call the cops.