@gray046. Crazy someone picking your lock while your inside just lounging around. Just curious, what kind of complex do you live in and what floor?

A somewhat philosophical view.

Paroles de Stances Au Un Cambrioleur

- Georges Brassens

Prince des monte-en-l'air et de la cambriole,

Toi qui eus le bon goût de choisir ma maison

Cependant que je colportais mes godrioles

En ton honneur j'ai compose cette chanson
Sache que j'apprécie au sa valeur le geste

Qui te fit bien fermer la porte en repartant

De peur que des rôdeurs n'emportassent le reste

Des voleurs comme il faut c'est rare de ce temps,

Tu ne m'as dérobe que le stricte nécessaire,

Délaissant dédaigneux l'exécrable portrait

Que l'on m'avait offert au mon anniversaire

Quel bon critique d'art mon salaud tu ferais!

Autre signe indiquant toute absence de tare,

Respectueux du brave travailleur tu n'as

Pas cru décent de me priver de ma guitare,

Solidarité sainte de l'artisanat.

Pour toutes ces raisons vois-tu, je te pardonne

Sans arriére pensée après mur examen

Ce que tu m'as vole, mon vieux, je te le donne,

Ça pouvait pas tomber en de meilleures mains.

D'ailleurs mi qui te parle, avec mes chansonnettes,

Si je n'avais pas du rencontrer le succès,

J'aurais tout comme toi, pu virer malhonnête,

Je serais devenu ton complice, qui sait?

En vendant ton butin, prends garde au marchandage,

Ne vas pas tout lâcher en solde au receleurs,

Tiens leur la dragée haute en évoquant l'adage

Qui dit que ces gens-la sont pis que les voleurs.

Fort de ce que je n'ai pas sonne les gendarmes,

Ne te crois pas du tout tenu de revenir,

Ta moindre récidive abolirait le charme,

Laisse moi je t'en prie, sur un bon souvenir.

Monte-en-l'air mon ami, que mon bien te profite,

Que Mercure te préserve de la prison,

Et pas trop de remors, d'ailleurs nous sommes quittes,

Après tout ne te dois-je pas une chanson?

Post-Scriptum.

Si le vol est l'art que tu préfères,

Ta seule vocation, ton unique talent,

Prends donc pigeon sur rue, mets-toi dans les affaires,

Et tu auras les flics même comme chalands.

OMG - and I thought this was about security and new locks on doors.

Sorry bout that, off track, but I love the thing.

@AlexKMG Hi Alex, I live in 'Junfa Complex' near Baiyun Rd. Middle class I would describe it with plenty of security twiddling their thumbs by the gate downstairs. I'm right up, high enough not to have a clear view if I was in or out.

Love the French poetry side track. Tres Bien! Bravo!

Had my flat broken into last year during Dragon boat festival. I was not there. This is what I've learned:
The burglar got inside from the balcony. In seismic proof buildings the extra beams are a godsend to them. He could not get out from the front door - not as skilled as your burglars, it seems he was...! Reason why you should never leave the door key laying around, also at night when you sleep. If he is forced to leave from the windows, he won't steal your TV, will he?!?
The security and police were pretty helpless. The former tied a dog at the ground floor to do their job, and some of them, being mental, keep him on a 'diet' and harass him every now and then. Disgusting...
The bars the Chinese love to install at every window are also a godsend to climbing thieves.

Forgot my key on the lock once, locked myself out, and this is what I have learned:
I called the official, licensed locksmith who came and opened it from the peephole. YES! He had a long, curved tool that goes through it (demounted) and could pull down the handle inside in a matter of not even 5 minutes. I bargained the price at 70Y. He'd be somebody to have in Listings on here, I reckon!

This 小米智能安防套装 coupled with a smart camera (also on sale there) could come at hand...
item.mi.com/1161300017.html

And, please, if you leave lights on at night, at least buy LEDs... (the automated and timed plug is also for sale, in fact the full suit is found at list.mi.com/accessories/smartsuit )

All in all, I still consider Kunming and China to be a safe-ish place, with friendly people and darn cheap smart devices... A good idea could be to ask your neighbour for his wifi access to such devices?! I am in fact not sure whether they would keep on functioning after sending you a first warning on your mobile, once the thief has turned off the mains...

A lot of the cheap LEDs are of really low quality. I find the quality of Opple, instead, excellent.

@gray046. Ouch, I thought that wouldn't happen there and high up. Your description sounds just like my place too, dang it. Thanks for the story and reminder about locks. Guess security guards are worthless anywhere on the planet.