<p>I don’t know if this has already been addressed in an earlier thread but I wanted to ask about securing valuables. I’ve looked at some lock boxes for smaller items and unless you pay a fair amount they seem pretty flimsy and easily able to be stolen or broken into. Are there recommendations as to how to handle this? The security people mentioned a registration process for laptops that might address that item but what about other electronics or valuables?</p>
<p>I also had been looking at ways to lock up valuables before I moved in, and to me the most satisfactory idea was to find a large locking trunk and then find a way to attach it to one of the posts of my bed. Unfortunately, after searching for a while, I couldn’t find a trunk that would let me do that… I know I had bookmarked one last summer but it’s gone now. But a big footlocker-type trunk will be helpful because nobody can really get away with walking into your room and hauling out a huge heavy footlocker. </p>
<p>But honestly, I do not know a single person who had belongings stolen from their room. The security guards make sure nobody gets into the building unaccompanied by a guest, and if someone in your building was to steal your stuff they’d have nowhere to put it other than in their own room. Nothing wrong with being prepared, but there’s a good chance theft won’t be a problem.</p>
<p>But I guess my advice would be just a big heavy awkward footlocker, and try to find a way to strap it to the bed. Theft from someone’s room would be an act of convenience, really, and if it’s not easy to get something people are unlikely to try. </p>
<p>Or you could go the fun route: <a href=“http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1204825/top_secret_bottle_stash/[/url]”>http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1204825/top_secret_bottle_stash/</a></p>
<p>The door to your room automatically locks when you close it, so closing your door is the surest way to prevent anything being stolen. There were thefts in my building last year but this was because people got lazy and left their door ajar while they went to do something else. Having a trunk and strapping it to your bed sounds like an awfully paranoid thing to do.</p>
<p>*unaccompanied by a resident, not by a guest, oops.</p>
<p>DS had a lock on his laptop and he had a footlocker so he used it to lock what valuables he had (he didn’t have much) so it was used as storage for stuff he didn’t use. I don’t believe he locked up his ipod and other electronics when he left his room. He may have put it in his desk or dresser but not in the footlocker!</p>
<p>There is also Lojack for laptops. We got this for my son;t laptop last year. That is about all that we did in terms of “locking” things up.</p>
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<p>You can pick this up for free from the Software Office on the second floor of Benedum (and I think maybe any computer lab as well). I also bought a laptop lock my freshman year…it’s still sitting unopened in my room. I never really worried about stuff being taken, I just shut the door behind me and between that and a security guard, I never really worried about my things.</p>