My daughter and I just walked in the door from our first official tour bus tacky lights tour. The second to last stop was my favorite — the Phifers, in Farmington. This time of year, about once a week we make our way out that way and check out the lights at the Phifers.

Anyway, just sat down to check my email and this story came across my Google Alerts. How upsetting that people would think it is OK to steal Christmas lights. Especially, at a house like this in a working class neighborhood where you can tell the lights are plain and simply a labor of love.

It has been a myth in my family for as long as I can remember that the Phifer’s were electricians. How else would they have figured out how to rig so many lights safely? Tonight I got a chance to meet Ms. Phifer. They were handing out candy canes to all the children — bless them. She told me no, she is a manager at the Friendly’s Restaurant on West Broad Street and her husband had an equally unrelated job to Christmas lights. What a nice family and too bad kids these days are so self centered they don’t think of how many people they will affect by doing something so stupid.