Fear of theft
Working far from home, for Nguyen Thi Kim Cuong and her husband (environmental sanitation workers in Can Tho), a motorbike is their only valuable asset, so the fear of theft is always on their minds.
It is known that Ms. Cuong and her husband rented a house in an alley on Huynh Thuc Khang Street (Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City). With an area of 20 square meters, the room is quite small compared to the living and storage needs of 2 people. Therefore, the couple's only property is forced to be left in the hallway.
Ms. Cuong said: "Even though I lock my car carefully before going to bed, I still worry. If I hear strange noises, I open the door to check. My husband and I earn less than 10 million VND/month. If it is stolen, we don't know how to get money to go to work."
Choosing a motel near the market is the top criterion for Ms. Nguyen Tuong Vy (a worker at a garment company in Can Tho City), but this makes her face the fear of theft, especially when even though there is a security gate, strangers can enter and exit without permission.
“Although there is a gate, it is not locked during the day, so friends from other rooms come and go as they please. Many times I don’t know who all my acquaintances are, I am afraid that thieves will sneak in and steal,” said Ms. Vy.
Tighten security
To proactively protect property, especially in the last months of the year, Ms. Vy proactively discussed with the landlord, held meetings with members renting rooms to tighten security, and unite together to proactively protect property.
"Phones, motorbikes, and money are all valuable assets that workers have saved up for a long time to buy. Therefore, after a meeting, the tenants agreed not to let strangers stay overnight in the room, lock the gate 24/7, and join the Zalo group to promptly notify," said Ms. Vy.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tu - the owner of a boarding house in alley 153, Huynh Thuc Khang street (Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city) - said: The boarding house is also near the Committee and the Commune Police, so it is quite safe. Previously, cameras were also installed to manage and closely monitor people coming in and out to ensure security and order in the boarding house. Most of the workers living in the boarding house know each other and actively manage their own property.
“I also regularly remind workers who rent a room to absolutely close the gate when leaving and returning. In the last months of the year, robberies have become more complicated, so I have issued a regulation that anyone who goes out without locking the door or invites friends to drink after 10pm will be fined from 100,000 to 500,000 VND, or not allowed to rent a room,” said Ms. Tu.
