A scare that made me think

[Huskerguy]

I was reading the thread about when and where some people carry their firearms.

A couple weeks ago, in the evening, it was still light out, I was sitting in my living room eating a taco while sitting in a chair. I could see someone walking up the front porch and headed for the front door. He stopped and looked down, I thought he was looking for the door bell. About this time I have food all over me and start to get up and head towards the front door. All this time I could see him through the half closed shades on the front windows. Just before I got to the front door he walks right in the door and we are face to face each with a look on our face. He looked at me and asked if this was 1234 street and I said yes it is but I don't think the people you are looking for live here. He was a total different race than I am, I am white. He apologized and turned around and walked out.

We live in a fairly small town of around 50,000 in Kansas. Generally not to worry about and it was a nice evening and the front door (glass) was unlocked. He thought some people were expected him and when he saw the door open he just walked in. The scary part was that if he did have a weapon I would have been defenseless. I had one LCP about 10 feet from me when I was sitting down but I didn't even think to pick it up just to answer the door. Needless to say, we are doing some things differently at our house since then. It is just the bride and I at home now, I am a bit over 60 and she turns 59 next month. You look at things a bit differently when you get older.

In my younger days I was pretty athletic, spent a great deal of time in martial arts and have a black belt but I ain't no spring chicken anymore. It just reminded me how quickly things can happen without giving it much thought.

Do you guys go to the front door without a firearm? Makes me think I should always have one as you never know their intentions.

 

[Hardtarget]

I'm 64...I haven't answered the door in twenty years without a pistol. Things happen too fast . Bad things happen even faster.

Keep your guard up and watch "6".

Mark

 

[ohbythebay]

Better yet

Lock the damn doors.

I live in as safe a neighborhood as you can imagine...but I am from NY originally. Our doors stay locked and the kids have it "drummed in their heads". LOCK THE dang doors...

I don't answer the door with a pistol in hand but I don't open the doors if I don't know who it is ...Jehovah's witness...I start spouting through the door about King Lucifer...they don't come back...LOL

Plus I have two dogs that are sweet as pie...but the one would tear a new one on a stranger coming in...through the door, she sounds 3 times her size...LOL

Sorry for your scare...

 

[beeenbag]

The days of open doors and sleeping with the windows open are over. Shut and lock the doors and windows. Open doors and windows show up as dollar signs in a thief's eyes. Also keep your gun on you, that's why we carry, we don't know what may happen right? Same rules apply at home.

 

[Havok7416]

I live in an even smaller town than the OP and my door is ALWAYS locked. If I'm not expecting a knock at the door, a gun comes along with me and I don't open it if I can't see who it is. I have already had one attempted home invasion and a miscommunication with the police, I don't need more incidences!

 

[bannockburn]

Definitely +100 on keeping the doors and windows locked and the garage doors closed. Having a decent sized (and preferably alert), dog wouldn't hurt either.

 

[45_auto]

If we're home the doors are unlocked and the closest gun is in a locked gun safe in the bedroom. Same conditions that I grew up in back in the 50's and 60's.

Crime rates have been dropping since the 90's and are currently the lowest they've been in over 40 years.

What is everyone so afraid of? Is it because of the internet and 24 hour news channels that HAVE to play up all the bad news possible to try to get viewers?

In my community, all the grandkids and neighborhood kids are in and out, playing and visiting around the neighborhood. I can't imagine being so paranoid that my young child has to knock on the door of their own house, then wait for me to come to the door with a gun before they can get in.

 

[heycods]

Yea 45 auto, but we live in utopia

 

[MedWheeler]

I'm not yet to the point of "all-locked and all-cocked", but I do keep at least a pocket .32 or even .22 on me at home. This is largely simply because I want to be in total and uncompromised control of it while still having it available, and I have a five-year-old at home.

During the day, my inner front door is usually open, and the outer storm door closed. If everyone is at home, it's also locked (and sometimes when someone is not; depends on how far they are.) At night, both doors are closed; if all are home, they're both locked as well.

I still answer unexpected knocks during daylight hours. I cannot remember the last time I had one after dark.

I have had two approaches similar to that described by the OP, at two different addresses. In the first, the subject made it to the door and knocked. I answered with a pistol tucked in my rear waistband. The subject (also of a different race than I) appeared to be alone, and claimed to be seeking someone else. It seemed that he knew he was at the wrong house as soon as he saw my skin color.

In the second incident, my wife and I had just moved a few months earlier into our current home, and I was up around ten at night, with the above-mentioned storm door closed and inner door open. A car with four occupants pulled into the driveway, and I went immediately to the doorway with pistol in hand, held low behind my my thigh. Three of the occupants were male; the fourth was not visible enough to determine. All were of that same race different than mine. The driver exited the vehicle, but stopped while still holding its door as soon as he saw me. He stated they were seeking friends who had supposedly had just moved onto the street. Indeed, the real estate market was busy then, and a household of members of his race had just moved in down the street. I pointed out the house, and they left, stopping their vehicle near it.

Edit: I'll add another incident, this one occurring during mid-day hours. I observed a male subject (same race as I) approaching the walk-up to my door, and moved to the door to make eye contact. As he drew near, I could see he was carrying a clipboard and a yard sign of the type used by alarm companies. However, he was dressed in less-than-neat shorts and a T-shirt, not in the polos and slacks I'm used to seeing them in. As we made eye contact, I signaled him I was not interested by shaking my head and hand, and he responded by telling me he wasn't selling anything. Again, I told him I was not interested, and he said something to the effect of "you don't even want to talk to me?" Once I told him I did not (again), he turned and left, with an apparent distaste for the encounter.
The next day, I read an article in local news that police had made some arrests of two subjects for soliciting without a city permit, and saw images of the two involved. Included with the images were there arrest histories. Lo and behold, the subject who had approached my door was indeed pictured, and apparently had an extensive history that included burglary and theft charges.

 

[Sav .250]

It`s a much different world today. Take nothing for granted. As far as the front door goes........ The "peep" hole is the first line of defense.

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by Huskerguy: Just before I got to the front door he walks right in the door and we are face to face...

It sure would seem obvious that a locked door would have made a difference.

The scary part was that if he did have a weapon I would have been defenseless.

Yep. And he may not have been alone.

Do you guys go to the front door without a firearm? .

Going to the door to meet someone who could pose an immediate danger can be risky; having a firearm might help, or it might not. The preferred approach is to answer from a position that would not put you at risk.

Whether to carry at home is a different decision.

 

[Warp]

Small point: You guys realize violent crime has been declining for awhile, right? As in, there use to be more violent crime (per capita) than there is now.

 

[Yo Mama]

Small point: You guys realize violent crime has been declining for awhile, right? As in, there use to be more violent crime (per capita) than there is now.

So there are now no victims of violent crime? I just don't understand your point. So crime never happens?

What is everyone so afraid of? Is it because of the internet and 24 hour news channels that HAVE to play up all the bad news possible to try to get viewers?

Afraid is different than prepared. Sorry, but there are some sickening and horrible things that happen today that didn't happen in the past.

 

[Warp]

So there are now no victims of violent crime? I just don't understand your point. So crime never happens?

I didn't want to quote/call anybody out, but I was referring to the very common, general belief (thanks to the media) that we are somehow at greater risk today than we use to be...or that crime is higher now than it use to be...when the opposite is true

The days of open doors and sleeping with the windows open are over.

It`s a much different world today. Take nothing for granted.

 

[Scooter22]

Thats a statistic. It doesn't mean anything if your the person the crime is happening to. Couple years ago a guy high on something tried to break in our backdoor at 4AM. He didn't leave until I pointed my 870 at him through the door. There were some synthetic drugs called "bath salts" going around that made people hyper aggressive and strong. Since then I keep a shotgun handy on the first floor. No little kids or teenagers in the house to worry about.

 

[cambeul41]

If I am dressed, I am armed, but one thing the OP said confused me:

I don't think the people you are looking for live here. He was a total different race than I am, I am white.

Why would that make a difference?

 

[chicharrones]

Crime rates have been dropping since the 90's and are currently the lowest they've been in over 40 years.

What is everyone so afraid of? Is it because of the internet and 24 hour news channels that HAVE to play up all the bad news possible to try to get viewers?

Not afraid, but being prepared. Myself and my wife have been victims of crime several times over the last three decades. Robbed at gun point (Waco), attempted car jacking, one motorcycle stolen, cars broken into five times (Harris County).

In my house or in the yard, I always have a set of keys on me and a pistol in the pocket. I've been doing that long enough it is like wearing underwear.

I did have to respond to one incident a couple years ago from my backyard while the wife was having to confront someone at the front door. The person involved was not happy to be "outflanked" from the outside. No gun was drawn but the Sheriff's Department was called.

I can't imagine being so paranoid that my young child has to knock on the door of their own house, then wait for me to come to the door with a gun before they can get in.

My kids have been carrying house keys on them since they were old enough to be outside on their own. Before that, I would go outside with them.

I do envy the conditions you live in, 45 Auto. If my job allowed it, I would pick a place like that if possible. Maybe when I retire.

 

[PabloJ]

That was a non-event certainly nothing to worry about.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I live on a private road with only a few neighbors in an very small town. I am friendly with all of the people on my road and really close with one of them. If I am going to visit him or he is going to visit me, we always text each other ahead of time. My other neighbors aren't social visitors and that is just fine with me. All of us have over 10 acres and the road is maintained by us (it is dirt and literally goes up the side of a mountain).

During the summer and especially during hunting season we get a lot of unwanted visitors. Our road is lined with "private driveway", "no trespassing" and "keep out" signs. It is unbelievable to me that these signs go ignored.

I have a gate at the end of my driveway that is always closed and locked unless we are expecting company. I have security cameras and an alarm system. I also have 3 very large dogs, 2 of them are sweet as could be but the German Shepherd doesn't care for strangers. Plus we keep the doors locked unless we are outside.

Even after all of the security that I have, I still carry while I am at home. We have had too many encounters with unwanted visitors (2 legged and 4 legged) for my taste. Because we live in such a secluded area, if we were to have an intruder, there are no neighbors to hear us scream for help. We don't have a local police dept and the State Police have a pretty long ride to our place.

I know that I sound really paranoid but my wife and I both have careers that don't make us the most well liked among the more seedy elements of our society. Her safety is always going to be my top priority. In this day and age you can never be too careful.

 

[huntsman]

I had one LCP about 10 feet from me when I was sitting down but I didn't even think to pick it up just to answer the door.

unless you were naked why wasn't the LCP on you? If you have to "think" you're already playing catch up.

 

[Mainsail]

I had almost the same thing happen on Christmas day a few years ago- except my door was locked. Someone tried to open the front door and let themselves in, thinking they were at the townhouse next door. I was at the top of the stairs with the .45 when I heard the first try.

Lock the door when you're home unless you have some reason (kids) that it needs to be unlocked.

 

[short barrel]

I had an LCP and sold it because of the poor accuracy, but looking back, it was the perfect gun to have on me all the time. Wish I'd kept it. Opening the door to strangers is really dangerous. I live in the country sort of, the nearest town has no stop lights, but low population means nothing if you get attacked. I recently installed deadbolts in each door, and heavy locking glass storm doors. It's a shame we have reasons to fear these days in our own homes. Be safe always.

 

[Romeo 33 Delta]

LOCK YOUR DOORS (even when you're home!!!).

My wife grew up in a city much larger than the one in which we have lived for the last 40 years and she has ALWAYS made a point of having doors locked, even when we're home. I know of people here who don't lock their doors (even when they're just "going out to the grocery store for a quick shopping trip") In my opinion: UTTERLY STUPID & RECKLESS!

This isn't the 1940s or early '50s any more; hasn't been for decades and will never be like that ever again ... NEVER! Wake up and take charge of your life and safety before it's too late!

 

[GoWolfpack]

That was a non-event certainly nothing to worry about.

A STRANGER WALKED INTO HIS HOUSE UNINVITED.

This is an EVENT.

An unknown stranger walking through my front door uninvited is quite likely to leave on his back. Breathing optional.

We frequently get solicitors for construction companies offering to replace siding, windows and doors and the like. They are politely rebuffed, if not by the "No Soliciting" sign then through the locked storm door. And every time with a pistol in my back pocket and usually my wife around the corner watching (and armed).

I only unlock the storm door if I intend to let the visitor in. I even talk to the police through the screen on the rare occasions they come by. My doors remain locked unless I am outside the house around the yard, and often times even then if I will be outside for long.

I did all this before, but an attempted home invasion at my next door neighbor's house last summer cemented my commitment to never allow an assailant the opportunity to enter my home against my will. My two closest neighbors are disabled and confined to wheelchairs; they would be of no help to me except to call the police if they believe something is wrong at my house.

Like so many other things, it ain't the odds, it's the stakes.

 

[Huskerguy]

I can see that I am not the only one to experience something like this. If you can keep your doors locked AT ALL TIMES you are much better than me. I find myself in and out of the house when I am at home. We do keep the doors locked more often that we once did. Normally if we are around the house we didn't always have the front door locked.

Someone asked why I didn't have the LCP in my pocket. Well, I had just come home from work and where I work (school) carrying is not an option. I feel safe in my home in this town for the most part so this was unusual and was meant to show how quickly an event can happen. Yes, looking back I should/would have done some things differently. I could have locked the front glass doors but then I think the guy could have been through that in about 3 seconds, nothing really changed. Yes, I could have had my LCP in my pocket but if he walks up, breaks the glass and walks straight in I doubt I have time to get it out.

Having a handgun in my lap or on a stand nearby makes the most sense to be totally prepared.