Safety Tip: Neighborhood Online Communications

"I will be on vacation from [fill in the dates] and am looking for a house and pet sitter."

Aghhhhhh! No, no, no! Do not ever say that or anything even resembling those words online - not on the Mt Tabor Google Group, not on the NextDoor pages, not on anything shared with people you can't see and don't know, and that isn't private and knowable.

Please do not ever, ever, ever send out information on any listserve, or other shared online communication service, about when you will be on vacation, when you will be away from home, or any similar "You Can Break Into My House That Day or Week Because I Won't Be Home" notification.

If you need a house or pet sitter and want to ask on NextDoor or other list, go ahead and ask for recommendations. But please, please, please save any mention of dates, even general ones, for when you talk to someone privately.