A scare that made me think

[JWH321]

I have to admit, I used to be one of those who never locked the doors. But in the last 10 or 15 years, I seem to have gotten old. I no longer have the confidence that I can kick someone's backside. I stick a small pistol in my belt whenever I go to the door. No one ever sees it, and most of the time, its the local high school band selling "whatever". If its chocolate and edible, I always am glad to see them.

But in the last year, I've had folks with shiny new pick-ups come to the door to tell me they are unemployed and looking for work. They want to know if I need any "odd jobs" done. Most of these starving folks look like the could go a few rounds with Ali, and many are sporting brand new tattoos (at $100+ around here). I am just uncomfortable with that sort of visitor, so I try to improve my chances. I have no idea if I could shoot anyone or not under those circumstances, but I feel better knowing that I at least have options.

On a kinda funny note, a neighbor lady -- older than me (if that's possible) -- keeps a 12 ga. on a wall rack just inside her door. She also has a range target with a bunch of .45 caliber holes in it hanging in a frame just below the gun. She has no idea how to even load the gun, but it sure looks tough when you peek in through the window beside the door. Works for her, I guess.

 

[Warp]

And my question is this, if how can criminals look for unlocked doors except physically checking, which is stupid because then you let the person knwo that your there.

Observe people walk up to the door and simply open it = the door is unlocked.

It's NOT rocket science.

 

[herrwalther]

My doors are always locked unless I am actively using them ie bringing in groceries from the car, making multiple trips. Unlocking the door every time in that case would be exhausting. There are tons of false flag burglaries in this state. Criminals coming to the door pretending to sell something or hand out a false notice to gain entry into a building. Often they are scared away from soft targets by barking dogs, owners being home and/or armed, visible signs of alarms, or solid doors.

On a kinda funny note, a neighbor lady -- older than me (if that's possible) -- keeps a 12 ga. on a wall rack just inside her door. She also has a range target with a bunch of .45 caliber holes in it hanging in a frame just below the gun. She has no idea how to even load the gun, but it sure looks tough when you peek in through the window beside the door. Works for her, I guess.

Not something I would advise or personally do. This is along the same line of putting NRA or Glock stickers in the window to give a would-be burglar a goal to look for inside the house.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I posted this in a thread just under a year ago

I’ve seen this discussed on other forums and it seems to cause a lot of debate when it comes up.

I found this video by Massad Ayoob on youtube in which he explains how he deals with a stranger at his door andMthere’s not much I can add to it except maybe my personal experience.

I am convinced that I stopped an attempted robbery at the front door of my home several years ago by simply not opening the door.

A stranger showed up at my door around 9 pm saying that he wanted to give me a free Denver Post. This was back when I owned a home and I looked through the front window and he had no newspaper in his hands.

He spent 10 minutes trying to get me to open that door; nothing else was going to do. I finally ended the conversation by telling him I was calling the police. I am aware that there are any number of things I could have done better but it was almost 10 years ago and I’ve learned some since then.

I believe it’s prudent not to open the door to a stranger if for no other reason than I don’t want to hear a pitch for meat or a vacuum cleaner or encyclopedias or magazines or an invitation to your church. By not opening the door for anyone I don’t know I automatically am never faced with a situation where I open the door to a criminal.

If it is a criminal I want every advantage I can have. Why put myself in a position where I have to fight them at the door when I can just not open the door and avoid the fight entirely?

A link to the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3zIA6vJkQ

If it's good enough for Masaad Ayoob.....

 

[Trunk Monkey]

In my opinion, if you aren't comfortable opening the door to a stranger without having a gun on you...you shouldn't be opening the damn door to begin with. It's kind of like that rule about carrying where you aren't suppose to go somewhere (because you are armed) that you wouldn't go if you were unarmed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Every time there is a variation of this discussion on this (and other) forum I have to ask myself if you are that concerned about the person on the other side of that door that you open the door with a gun in your hand, why are you opening the damned door at all?

Granted I live in a very small apartment (30' X 23') but if an unknown person knocks on my door I ask who it is before I ever get out of my chair. Unless it's some one I know I tell them I'm not interested and never leave the living room.

 

[Warp]

Not something I would advise or personally do. This is along the same line of putting NRA or Glock stickers in the window to give a would-be burglar a goal to look for inside the house.

I think this whole "hide the fact that you own guns from society" thing is over played.

Personally, the way I see it, if it is suspected or known that you have guns, the most likely result is that an attempted break-in or burglary is less likely when you are home. More likely when you are not. Since personal safety is clearly the top priority, waaaay ahead of keeping things from being stolen...that sounds like a pretty good trade-off to me!

As for the car bumper sticker thing, I've been meaning to start a(nother) thread about that. I'd see it the same way. Increased chance of a break in while you aren't there, decreased chance of somebody trying something or going for an attack or "road rage" when you are present.

 

[Apachedriver]

I've had days when the weather forecast called for a 10% chance of rain throughout most of the local area and yet, I'd look out the window to see a pretty good downpour on our town. Meanwhile a mile in any direction there was no rain at all. On occasion, there's a call for 50-60% chance for us and yet one county over, rain is just coming on down and while skirting us entirely.

I see crime per capita the same way. It might only be a 1% chance all around but for someone somewhere, it just became 100%. If we were cats with nine lives, no worries. But we're not. We prefer to live peacefully, yet aware and prepared, rather than risking the loss of the one life we've got. So we'll continue to use all the tools, tactics, and resources available to keep our home and family safe. We pass the knowledge on so others are ready should a threat ever visit them.

Paranoia is an obsession.
Preparedness is not paranoia; it's just preparedness.
Situational awareness is the key to proper preparedness.

 

[X-Rap]

I see crime stats much like those that have been cooked up regarding inflation, employment, and other numbers used to lull the populace.
I look at both local and national news and the crime I see reported appears to be more than enough for me to remain very vigilant.
Regarding race, I have lived in enough different areas of the country to know that there is generally a prevalent race in a specific area that generates the most bad actors. One can call it profiling, racism, phobia but it is and will always be a deeply bedded human impulse.

 

[PistolPete45]

There have been several break in's around our home some in the day time doors kicked in a few reports of night time wanderers that say I ran out of gas need to use your phone or whatever while the accomplice is on the other side of the house. The sheriff office is 15 miles away We are on our own for at the least 25 minutes . Yea I come to the door armed . Do I live in a bad part of the county ?? No not particularly. I did put up a few motion detectors around the property . My friends say My house is the safest place to be .. Small pistol range in the back .. We have friends over and shoot every now and then ..

 

[Gunslinger One]

Yep...cops will be there in time to put a chalk line around your corpse!

 

[RBid]

One of my uncles was attacked when he answered a knock at the door years ago. He was shoved backward and overwhelmed by a couple guys while two others grabbed some things.

While living in an apartment a few years ago, I heard a knock at the door. It was 1:30pm, on a weekday. I generally answer the door with my body bladed, and my left heel against the inside of the door. I did so this time. When I looked out, a sketchy looking girl was standing there, and she reached out and stepped forward as if to push the door in and enter. Behind her, waiting half way up the stairs down to ground level, were 2 men.

When the door stopped, she paused and started to say something about being a student selling magazines. I shook my head and said, "you all should leave now. I'm about to call the office." I kept my handgun out of sight, in hand, and body braced against the door.

She turned and shook her head to the guys on the stairs, and... they apparently decided that they were done selling magazines for the day. Not sure why. After all, every door to door salesperson knows that the best time to prospect is mid day, when everyone is at work.


Yes. I carry at home.

 

[Green Lantern]

I live in the kind of place most people think of when they say "it can't happen here."

A guy I graduated high school with was shot dead near here, in his own doorway, by a guy who thought he was fooling around with his wife.

I try to keep the door locked most of the time. And a positive for pocket carry, IMO - easy and unobtrusive and you're not (at least I'm not) likely to go and take the gun off when I get in, as I might if it was in a regular holster.

 

[herrwalther]

I think this whole "hide the fact that you own guns from society" thing is over played.

I can see both sides of it. Namely because there are no real criminological studies covering target selection of hard/soft targets in relation to firearm ownership or potential ownership. "Hey did you pick this house because it had Glock stickers in the windows" just doesn't appear on the entrance paperwork for convicted burglaries. Just one of those great mysteries as of right now.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

My doors are never locked until I go to bed most times, except when I get that "feeling". Can't describe it. Sometimes I just get an uneasy ''feeling''.

 

[Manny]

Reading about the Santa Barbra shootings, the scumbag who did them was foiled in his plans to kill sorority girls in their residence because he couldn't get in past the locked door. As bad as the event was, it could've been a whole lot worse save for that locked door that caused the killer to have to alter his agenda.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I live in a pretty low crime area but it wouldn't even occur to me to leave the door unlocked. My door is unlocked for about 30 seconds every day, as I walk in or out. When I go through the doorway I lock the door behind me. The only exceptions would be if I'm doing something in the front yard or grilling on the side of the house. In either even I'm just a few feet from the door.

 

[j1]

No. I do not narmally carry on my person but I do lock my door. You are quite lucky that you did not get hurt. When you become older act more appropriately.

JWH thank you, this is a good helpful post.

 

[Skoghund]

After reading this thread i wonder if you live in the land of the free or the land of the fear.
Nearly all my nieghbours have guns in the house but like me never think about someone walking into their house or the need to protect themselves.
What a strange world you live in in the USA.

 

[FiremanJim]

Strange would be putting it mildly, although even in a country where guns are outlawed, a person can still walk into your home and kill you with a knife or a chunk of wood.

Let's just say it pays to be cautious here and locking your doors isn't a bad idea no matter what part of the earth you live on.

Unfortunately someone entering a home with bad intentions is a way of life here sometimes. Until we got a fence around our yard, people would walk off the street and steal our lawn chairs or help themselves to water from our garden hose during the night.

And forget about leaving the doors unlocked, that died in the 1960's in this neighborhood. I hated it so much here that I moved up into the Texas Hill Country to get away, but had to come right back to take care of my parents now that they're getting older and have increasing medical issues.

And yeah, I do have weapons in our house, but things haven't been that bad were I need to carry one to the door.
But if anyone who comes knocking on our door after 5:00 PM when the gates are locked is definitely no friend of mine if he had to jump the fence to get to my door.
I just wouldn't answer the door and I'd call the police in that event unless he tried to force his way in.

Take my advice Husker, lock your door buddy no matter how much a pain it may be.
Some folks are friendly, some aint.
Locking your door won't bother the people who are friendly, and it'll at least give you a better chance to protect yourself from those who ain't.

 

[luzyfuerza]

Skoghund,

We don't live in the land of the fear. We live in the land of individuals who are free to choose for themselves.

Those individual freedoms almost ensure that individuals will come up with different responses to the same questions of daily life.

I love the diversity of opinion that we enjoy here! For me, the kind of homogeneity that you experience (and seem to relish) would be absolutely suffocating.

 

[Potatohead]

How many of you feel as though you have to OPEN the door in order to answer it?

How many of you have something installed such that the door can be opened a little bit to converse or hand an item through, but not opened far enough for a person to get in/out?

How many have a security door outside of the main door that can be locked and also allows conversation or possibly handing something through without letting a person through?


In my opinion, if you aren't comfortable opening the door to a stranger without having a gun on you...you shouldn't be opening the damn door to begin with. It's kind of like that rule about carrying where you aren't suppose to go somewhere (because you are armed) that you wouldn't go if you were unarmed.

Dont know if that was directed at me or not but-
We do have a locked screen door on the other side, and I keep the door chained also, and then I crack the door to do the talking if it needs to be done. When I was single, I didnt much worry about it. Didnt worry about it all actually, and most times it was unlocked.

Now that I have 3 beautiful little girls that depend on me for their safety,a 13 yr old, a 5 yo, and a 3 yo, you better believe Im packing and Im in charge of the door knock department. I dont sit around worrying about home intrusions, nor has it ever happened, but I do think about the present criminal generations dependance on all of these newer (and older) drugs. Meth and what have you.

Ive known some druggies over the years, some of the crew I grew up with in the neighborhood, and there's a breed of druggy that will do anything for a fix. Those make me pause to think sometimes.

Maybe we should all move to Switzerland.

 

[45_auto]

After reading this thread i wonder if you live in the land of the free or the land of the fear.
Nearly all my nieghbours have guns in the house but like me never think about someone walking into their house or the need to protect themselves.
What a strange world you live in in the USA.

You're reading a biased and generally paranoid gun enthusiast forum. Don't take the responses as typical of the US.

This board has 8,500 active members out of a United States population of 314,000,000. That's less than .003 of 1% of the population. In other words, less than 3 people out of every 100,000 in the US. Not a very typical sample of the population.

It would be the equivalent of basing our opinions on Sweden on a highly biased internet forum with 250 members where they discuss things like this:

Swedish Man Dies From Sex With A Hornets Nest

Read more at http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=616505

 

[Potatohead]

Great point 45. If only the rest of America was like us we'd all be a lot better off!

 

[Skribs]

The way my condo is set up, the living room and kitchen are separated from the bedrooms by the entryway (like a horseshoe, with the crest of the curve being the entryway). Therefore, if someone broke in and I was in the living room, they would be between me and my guns unless I was carrying at home.

Good rule of thumb is to always have a gun in reach whenever legal and viable (i.e. I can't have one when I work on federal property or when I'm at a martial arts class, for different reasons in both cases). If you have a gun in the house, but can't realistically get to it before a home invader can get to you, then that gun is useless.

Comedian Bill Burr did a bit about wanting a gun, and his wife read that you should keep the ammo and the gun stored separate. He then proceeded to take that to the extreme and pretend someone broke into his house with an axe and he's running around yelling at his wife "where's the barrel?" "in the living room" "HE'S IN THE LIVING ROOM!"

 

[AlaskaErik]

I always carry, even at home. As I work in LE I have had lots of contact with the criminal element, some of whom have threatened to kill me. While these claims are mostly made in the heat of the moment, I don't take them lightly. Even though I will be retiring soon and moving to warmer climes, I will probably continue to arm up each morning. This means I will answer the door armed up, and while not expecting anything bad, at least I'll be prepared for it.