I will not fare well if I have to give evidence in a court or to the police. Not because I would be nervous and a little intimidated by the seriousness attached to these offices, well that as well, but more so because I just don’t take enough notice of things happening around me, which is really not good.

Recently my neighbour’s house was broken into. We  live on the same floor. On the day the burglary took place, which was around noon to early afternoon (yes, robberies and breaks-in do not happen only at night), I had left my unit to take my mum and sister for lunch. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary between walking from my front door to the lift. But would I have?

When I returned home I saw a bunch of people looking busy and walking around the back entrance of my neighbour’s home. Unusual certainly, but I didn’t bat an eyelid and walked right past them into my house. A day earlier my mum who lives on a different floor of the same building had mentioned that she had seen a man in a Telekom Malaysia’s uniform sitting outside her door undertaking some repair works.

Naturally but wrongly, I assumed the men I saw were from Telekom Malaysia and never bothered to take a second look, although I did fleetingly think why were so many men needed to fix a malfunctioned telephone. The ‘light bulb joke’ came to mind and that put paid to even the slightest curiosity that I may have summoned. I was simply uninterested. No worries about curiosity killing me, I had thought at the time.

It was only after my other neighbour texted me to relate what had happened did I realise the men I had seen were the police. I did spring to my feet to do a short sleuth but remained out-of-the-way of the police who were dusting for prints and other stuff.  A few weeks later some detectives involved in the investigation came to speak with the occupants on the floor the robbery had taken place.

I was interviewed and I didn’t have anything useful to add. I was not much help because I didn’t notice anything. This or incidences like these can happen to anyone of us. The thought itself is frightening.

It pays to be vigilant, at least a little. I have stopped sticking my nose in my mobile or reading my novel when I am in the lift and walking to my unit. Yes, I used to sneak in a few paragraphs between floors. I am trying to take note of the residents in my building. Some are owners, some rent and some are visitors. A few of the residents are my friends and but many are not. It is not an easy task as it involves a bit of stealth staring and remembering, which with a sieve for a memory, will not be effective for me.

Would photo IDs of the residents in a condo help? I don’t know. 

We have had our access cards upgraded to make it a little harder to clone. We have CCTV in the guard’s console and lifts to check traffic. We have guards 24×7 on the premises. For extra security, residents have installed their own alarms and iron-grills. What else do we do to stop these unlawful entries?

On my part, I am making an effort to be aware of people and my surroundings, and to be in the moment.