I feel an obligation to my fellow residents of the City of Marysville to take the couple of extra minutes out of your day to ensure the security of your vehicles.

I advise you do so because on May 31, between the hours of noon and 1:30 p.m., in broad daylight, less than a block away from the Marysville Police Department on Fifth Street, my car was stolen — taken from the same parking spot I've parked in between the Cortez Room and Rent-A-Center for the past two years in front of my apartment building.

I would also like to make a statement to any other residents of our area who may be responsible for the theft of my vehicle or in the future may think of stealing what doesn't belong to you to first of all stop and realize it's time to take responsibility for yourself and your own actions.

Stop imposing consequences for your current situation on innocent people who have nothing to do with you feeling the need to commit criminal behavior. I know that whatever monetary gain you obtained for my old 1994 Mercury, with liability-only insurance, that drove my children back and forth to school, to their sporting activities, dentist and doctor appointments, grocery shopping, laundromat, etc., was not worth it.

Life is hard enough for our children without the adults of society creating unnecessary impositions and hardships for them to deal with. So to all of you with the sticky-finger syndrome — knock it off. Before you decide to take something that doesn't belong to you, try instead to decide to make a better life choice for yourself, one that will result in a positive direction for you and our community.

Tina L. Bechtel

Marysville