Well that's a great welcome to Dubai | ExpatWoman.com
 

Well that's a great welcome to Dubai

774
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:17

We got moved into our new place in Mirador in AR last week and the boys and I (plus the labrador) arrived last night. Today we ran errands for about 3 hours and when we returned someone had taken our potted plants from our garage. We had about 25 plants in the garage in huge pots that we moved from our flat in AD. Some were indoor and some outdoor and there are 4 left. They were huge so they had to have used a truck to move them. I'm so mad and feel really violated. What a fine welcome to the neighborhood.

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 09:17
Sun Devil, the police do not have the workload in our communities like they would back home. As they have made themselves quite visible, is it not part of our civic responsibility to your family and community to involve the police to try to prevent this happening again? I know they may not find the culprit, but the jungle drums will soon beat and the gardeners and maids network will soon spread the word that the police have been. I would be concerned that your DH reluctance to involve the police could label you as possibly a soft target.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 08:05
Well then, I would march up to that gardener and tell him you have called the police and they of course will catch the thief. Now, if he happens to know who stole the pots and plants from your garage and he tells the thieves to return them within (you pick the hours) then the police might not have to do an investigation. I bet those plants will show up. Not a bad idea at all. And as for thinking the police have better things to do than find your plants... let's just say they looked rather excited at the thought of an investigation when they turned up at ours on Friday!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 08:02
Well then, I would march up to that gardener and tell him you have called the police and they of course will catch the thief. Now, if he happens to know who stole the pots and plants from your garage and he tells the thieves to return them within (you pick the hours) then the police might not have to do an investigation. I bet those plants will show up.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 05:44
Emaar security came by the house last night at 8:40 pm to talk to us. They said we should report it to the police but DH says the police have better things to do than find our plants. The supervisor said in all of his years here he's never had stolen plants. LOL Our place doesn't look deserted so I don't think someone thought we were moving out. Yesterday morning before leaving to run our errands the gardener from next door kept watching us and when I'd turn to look at him he'd duck behind a bush, but I know he was watching us. Then we leave for three hours and our plants are gone. Someone knew we were gone. I'm just chalking it up to a lesson learned. I still think it's a great area to live but now I'll be super vigilant. Too bad the dog couldn't have let herself out and had a "talk" with the thieves.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 08 March 2011 - 01:34
Have noticed that the police have a much higher profile at AR than previously. Pop up to Le Marche once a day (either on foot in the cooler weather or in the car when it gets too hot) and have seen police vehicles at least once a day for the last couple of months' or so. And have noticed them patrolling the streets in Saheel daytime and night as well. Personally think this is a good thing - there are certainly far fewer groups of young teenagers roaming the streets at night. Perhaps we're getting something for our housing fee?
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 23:18
They cycle around our compoud and seem to love investigating and taking notes in their books:-)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 22:47
Yes, always around Le Marche and up and down the perimeter road!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 22:39
Please follow it up. The security men are cycling round the place all the time on their bikes and take note of everything so someone is sure to have seen something. People probably don't call the police as they might not think they'd have time to investigate stolen plants. I've noticed a lot more police cars around the ranches lately. Has anyone else?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 21:48
why don't ppl call the police if something is stolen? it is easy and will prevent other thefts, not all, but some
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 21:47
They are more vigilant than ever now. I was at the tennis court (get me eh!!) today and came out to find a security guard writing down my plate number in the car park area. I asked him if everything was ok and he just said, "Fine, good, everything is good". Told him I was resident and my villa number. Not a very exciting story, but there you have it ;)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 21:39
hi sun devil, call the security supervisor, 0509225306 if a gardener drove thru from outside mirador,they will have his number plates.. call me naive but i just cannot see gardeners being this brave to steal in broad daylight, ( was it in the day?) or maybe they thought you were moving out and dumping the plants.. would they be this stupid to do this.. Gardeners leave plants and carpet grass out overnight while planting and i do not think that they would do this to each other.. someone must have seen something? I know things go missing from gardens and garages but this must have been a mistake? I have lived here for 6 years and luckily never had anything taken.. There have been incidents in the Ranches and so the security a very very vigilant and they will know who was in mirador at this time.. Delve deeper... Good luck,,, but i hope this does not spoil how you feel about the ranches or your welcome to Dubai, its great really it is.. debs hh
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 21:18
Gosh, how unbelievably annoying! But unfortunately it happens...and also in Alvorada ;-) We had a nice, pink stroller stolen from the garage in Alvorada, and few weeks after they took some old Crocs that were standing near the front door :\: But as of yet, nothing has been taken from our garage in Mirador :D *touch wood*
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 20:53
Cheeky, thieving gits! Welcome to Mirador anyway SunDevil, we've had one of the kids scooters nicked but didnt report it as my DDs probably left it on the path (we could do things like that in Alvorada!). Also it was Halloween so we put it down to kids messing about and then probably dumping it on the other side of the estate! Other than that we quite like it here, except for the noisey revving and roaring cars!!! Sounds like these thieves really took their time in cherry picking what they wanted! Take care neighbour, we aren't all bad xxx
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 20:30
Just call the police. They will fingerprint all the gardners in the area. Crikey.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 20:29
I would report it to the police as well...
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 20:27
I don't think it was a mistake. Tonight we discovered they took another plant out of the pot and left the pot tha had a crack in it. They picked the plants they wanted. We told the security guard today and gave them the time we were out and then tonight we talked to them again. They said they would give it to their supervisor tomorrow.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:58
that's awful...... go back and speak to the guard as they log in all the vehicles that come in. If you have a time line you should be able to track down which gardening company did that....... the guard should be able to help you. tomorrow I would go down to the central security office it's by Al Mahra and lodge a formal complaint. Get them to speak to all the gardening companies that come into your development. They may well magically appear tomorrow after someone gets a flea in their ear......it could be a simple mistake of picking up from the wrong villa too....... Why do all that when you can just call the police and they will do it for you? Well - call me soft but it could have been a genuine mistake and it won't take long for the security guard to track them down.....they get returned and everyone's happy. Not great to have the police on your first night in the villa..... Well if it was a mistake then they can explain it to the police, but seriously doubt it was a mistake.....
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:56
that's awful...... go back and speak to the guard as they log in all the vehicles that come in. If you have a time line you should be able to track down which gardening company did that....... the guard should be able to help you. tomorrow I would go down to the central security office it's by Al Mahra and lodge a formal complaint. Get them to speak to all the gardening companies that come into your development. They may well magically appear tomorrow after someone gets a flea in their ear......it could be a simple mistake of picking up from the wrong villa too....... Why do all that when you can just call the police and they will do it for you? Well - call me soft but it could have been a genuine mistake and it won't take long for the security guard to track them down.....they get returned and everyone's happy. Not great to have the police on your first night in the villa.....
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:54
We called the police when someone stole a mobile phone and camera from my car on the driveway and again on Friday when I realised jewellery was missing from the house. Both times they came very quickly and were very thorough. On Friday a guy came to take things away for fingerprints, so it may be worth calling them. Your security guys on the gate should have number plates for all cars coming in and out that don't live there, so they'll have something to go on. Sorry this has ruined your first day :(.
2222
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:53
that's awful...... go back and speak to the guard as they log in all the vehicles that come in. If you have a time line you should be able to track down which gardening company did that....... the guard should be able to help you. tomorrow I would go down to the central security office it's by Al Mahra and lodge a formal complaint. Get them to speak to all the gardening companies that come into your development. They may well magically appear tomorrow after someone gets a flea in their ear......it could be a simple mistake of picking up from the wrong villa too....... Why do all that when you can just call the police and they will do it for you?
2958
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:52
that's awful...... go back and speak to the guard as they log in all the vehicles that come in. If you have a time line you should be able to track down which gardening company did that....... the guard should be able to help you. tomorrow I would go down to the central security office it's by Al Mahra and lodge a formal complaint. Get them to speak to all the gardening companies that come into your development. They may well magically appear tomorrow after someone gets a flea in their ear......it could be a simple mistake of picking up from the wrong villa too.......
2222
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:39
call the police, seriously plants are expensive and it's theft.
774
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EW GURU
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:37
We don't have a garage door. We had them lined up on one side of the garage and up against the inside wall. We told the security guard and gave him times that it happened but I'm sure it won't lead to anything. I'm sure they are gone. They took some of our plants that had matching dishes underneath to catch the water and broke one and instead of taking that too, they just left the broken dish. I jokingly told my DH, "Now we have fingerprints, let's call the police." Our chocolate lab arrived late last night around 2:00 am and we left her huge crate out to dry and had a lawn chair as well out in the garage and they didn't take those, so I'm confident this was done by a gardener.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:25
Did you call the police?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:24
not saying its ok, but just wondering did u leave the door open...?
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:24
What a horrid welcome-are there guards or cameras on the gate?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:24
Hmmm..aren't there CTV cameras around the streets in the AR? Or have I been watching too many movies :)
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 07 March 2011 - 18:21
That's terrible. Sadly some people feel that if it's not nailed down and in full view it's there for the taking.
 
 

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