I think I did a stupid thing last night

[dwarven1]

That happened to me a few years back, before I started carrying on a regular basis (worked in a non-gun-friendly environment). So yeah, I did call the cops. They were armed, I wasn't.

Give a few options and then let anonymous people on the internet make up my mind for me.

Except that he's met a lot of the respondents on this thread so they're not so anonymous, are they?

 

[Billsail]

You do not say what type of lock you have, but since it was "still locked" I would assume it was not a deadbolt. I would recommend changing to one of those, as they are more reliable.

A few years ago, the news services did an expose' on so-called consumer locksets. They showed how easy it is, with the "right" moves, to "jimmy" a door lock in seconds. Commercial grade locks and deadbolts may slow down a determined intruder.

Bill

 

[namedpipes]

I suspect most of us would have walked through ourselves. I probably would have, on the other hand if it had been a breakin I imagine I'd find a body just inside the door. Our pet ... um, poodle - would have ... scared him to death. Yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[jkelly]

Of course you did a stupid thing.

You’re the MAN of the house and your wife’s safety is your responsibility. You Sexist Pig you should have stayed in the car with your window rolled half down, the doors locked and sent your wife in with a cell phone.

With the window half down if you could give your wife covering fire should she need to break contact with an assailant(s). Being behind the wheel with the motor running you could drive for help if she was set upon inside the house and unable to retreat, you’d know this by hearing multiple gunshots or her screaming.

With a cell phone she could call you in the morning when she’s sure the cost is clear.

Respectfully,
jkelly

 

[BruceW]

It's simple really...

I would have logged onto NES from a wireless connection and started a poll entitled:

"I just got home,my front door is wide open.What do I do!!!???"

Give a few options and then let anonymous people on the internet make up my mind for me.

I would have taken a similar approach. I would have Logged into NES from a wireless connection like you suggested. Then id have created a thread saying "I just got home, my front door is open, I need A Fully Armed NES Response Team to help clear my house"

 

[FalArAk]

I would have taken a similar approach. I would have Logged into NES from a wireless connection like you suggested. Then id have created a thread saying "I just got home, my front door is open, I need A Fully Armed NES Response Team to help clear my house"

But then another thread would emerge asking "Should I be part of the NES response team ? It's kind of cold outside "

 

[fprintf]

Quick story, sometimes we do rather silly things and get lucky. This was before my CCW, but was definitely a precedent to me getting one:

Three years ago my kids are staying overnight at a friend's house, fortunately. 3 a.m. and my wife whispers "someone is in the house", I rolled over and she hits me and says louder "fprintf, someone IS IN THE HOUSE!". That wakes me up, I get up out of bed and start putting lights on and run down the hall and start down the stairs. Just then I hear footsteps and hear the back door swoosh as someone opens it and goes out the back way. I continue running downstairs flipping on lights along the way. By the time I get downstairs the whole house is ablaze in light and there is no one to be found. We call 911 and the cops arrive in 3 minutes, no lights or sirens. It is at the point the officers arrive that I begin to think about what just happened... and then the first responder says "did you look in the basement?" Um, no. So he very carefully goes downstairs but doesn't find anyone... long story short, it is 6:00 a.m. by the time the dog team, detectives dusting for fingerprints etc. have come and gone and not found where this guy went. He didn't get anything. Upon sitting down at the dinner table, my wife says "so, what would you have done if you ran face to face into the burglar?". I did not have a good response other than "holy smokes, I have no idea, we sure did get lucky". I don't plan on being that lucky if there is a next time, so we immediately put a large flashlight and piece of wood by the bed. A few weeks later we had a little yappy dog who warns us whenever someone gets close to the house, and I put deadbolts on all the doors.

About a year later the Petit triple homicide happened a mile and a half from my house which reminded me of this incident. It didn't take much convincing for my wife to let me get my carry permit. In fact, she bought my SIG P226 for me for my birthday.

I guess we all do stupid stuff at times. In an alternate universe we might have had horrible consequences, fortunately we exist in this one and both got lucky.

 

[theGringo]

Quick story, sometimes we do rather silly things and get lucky. This was before my CCW, but was definitely a precedent to me getting one:

Three years ago my kids are staying overnight at a friend's house, fortunately. 3 a.m. and my wife whispers "someone is in the house", I rolled over and she hits me and says louder "fprintf, someone IS IN THE HOUSE!". That wakes me up, I get up out of bed and start putting lights on and run down the hall and start down the stairs. Just then I hear footsteps and hear the back door swoosh as someone opens it and goes out the back way. I continue running downstairs flipping on lights along the way. By the time I get downstairs the whole house is ablaze in light and there is no one to be found.

Reminds me of another funny story. Back in the 80s I was living in a cheap, first floor apartment on Oberlin Street in Worcester. This was during my pre-gun days. The wife (GF at the time) wakes me up in the wee, wee hours to say she heard someone in the apartment. I get up in my skivvies and arm myself with ... a machete. No lie.

Turned out it was nuthin'. But what would that skinny kid have done with a machete if it had been sumpthin'?

 

[Custom Buck]

I would have gone in. Could be a good or bad idea, who knows unless you do it right? Just something I would do. On the other hand, no shame in calling the cops if you feel you should not go inside. Our taxes pay for our cops, so if you need them to check something out no harm no foul, that what they are there for.

 

[Custom Buck]

P.S. what are these ads for that are in some of our (my) message boxes?

 

[yanici]

Quick story, sometimes we do rather silly things and get lucky. This was before my CCW, but was definitely a precedent to me getting one:

Three years ago my kids are staying overnight at a friend's house, fortunately. 3 a.m. and my wife whispers "someone is in the house", I rolled over and she hits me and says louder "fprintf, someone IS IN THE HOUSE!". That wakes me up, I get up out of bed and start putting lights on and run down the hall and start down the stairs. Just then I hear footsteps and hear the back door swoosh as someone opens it and goes out the back way. I continue running downstairs flipping on lights along the way. By the time I get downstairs the whole house is ablaze in light and there is no one to be found.

I did something similar. I woke up for no reason and could smell the fresh, outside, night air. I knew the doors had been shut and locked but got up and went to check. Sure enough, the back door was open. Thinking nothing of it I just shut it and went back to bed. About a week later my 10 year old son mentioned that earlier in the week he had seen someone running out of our yard and down the street in the middle of the night. Apparently he had been awakened too and happened to look outside. I got chills thinking about how stupid I had been. A credit card would have opened my old door lock.

 

[Titan]

The right thing to do is call the cops.

Being human, I think the natural thing to do is assume that the door blew open or someone failed to pull it tight.

Therefore, in an attempt to avoid embarrassment, you don't call the cops, but just go in the house and look around.

The first look inside from the doorway begins to give confidence since, so far, nothing seems disturbed. From there, you proceed, gaining confidence as you go.


The problem arises when it wasn't the wind, and it was a break-in...but we're human.


I suspect that if you got jumped by a burglar, you'd be okay if a shooting ensued because at the point he jumps you, you're no longer defending property, but defending your life.

It would be a good idea, in that instance to have your lawyer explain that you didn't draw your gun until threatened.

 

[RichM]

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned a monitored alarm system!?!

$30/month is cheap protection... you might not keep them out (anyone can plant a sign in the front yard), but at least you get a call if there's a problem, and the police may beat you home!

 

[namedpipes]

. . . it is 6:00 a.m. by the time the dog team, detectives dusting for fingerprints etc. have come and gone and not found where this guy went. . . .

I'm not sure the sort of police response you get there, but in my town, you might get an officer to walk through with you but fingerprints and dogs are for the rich side of town. Are you famous or something?

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

Don't want the cops in my house, don't need the cops in my house. I'll do the search and if things go South, my widow can call the cops. Shame on me for not being better trained/prepared.

 

[icyclefar]

I would have gone in too.

Next time however forget the flipping of the light switches, that just gives away your position.

Grab the night vision goggles from the Zombi repellent kit in the trunk.

Go in softly, darkness in your friend!

 

[SKS Ray]

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned a monitored alarm system!?!

$30/month is cheap protection... you might not keep them out (anyone can plant a sign in the front yard), but at least you get a call if there's a problem, and the police may beat you home!

I was waiting for someone to mention it but read every post hoping someone would be smart enough to suggest having one.

People... EVERY home or apartment should have an alarm system! Its always the family that waits till they're robbed before they get one. Every time mine has been set off accidentally, the phone rings in a few seconds right after the alarm goes off, then if no one answers, the cops are here in under 2 minutes.

These days most systems have remote keys that go off if your house alarm is tripped and alerts you wherever you are like a pager. If your front door lock didn't engage like it was supposed to and the door oppened by accident, you'd know about it before arriving home and being put in the scenario you were in.

While we're on the subject of doors... check your weather seals and make sure the door is closing correctly with just enough pressure to make it snug, not so much that you have to force it to lock.

 

[fprintf]

I'm not sure the sort of police response you get there, but in my town, you might get an officer to walk through with you but fingerprints and dogs are for the rich side of town. Are you famous or something?

Well the dog team came from a neighboring town. I believe there had been a string of breakins and they were trying to pin the robberies on a specific suspect, hence the need for fingerprints. But the prints were really smudged on the house siding and he didn't touch anything in the house. I don't think we are on the rich side of town, but I never really thought about it this way before! I thought it was par for the course, and ordinary thing.

 

[PaulD]

In fact, she bought my SIG P226 for me for my birthday.

You have a keeper there.

 

[theGringo]

You have a keeper there.

Yuh. That P226 will go the distance!

 

[Maj. Boom Boom]

Lets see,

I have had a second floor neighbor steel a washer/dryer from me when they moved out and i was at work - cops could do nothing.

I had an alcoholic co-worker of my wife's, who was also in the family in a sister in laws, husbands, brother type of way who broke in and only stole some Mexican Mayan kahlua bottles from us

I had my brother break in and steal our rent money and jewelry

I 2 times had people try to climb in my window while i was home - they never made it.

I had another man try to start to climb in my window. when i stepped out to confront him he saw the size of me and took off

THEN i decided it was time to get a LTC - only i have a sporting restriction, hope to get that fixed when i go for a renewal which isn't for awhile. However given all the shooting in the city in the last 6 months i doubt I'll get it.

so as i said before, yep i would have done the same thing as stupid as it is.

 

[GSG]

To the OP, Glad everything turned out OK for you and your loved ones (and your stuff ). My first thought on reading this was are you still carrying a P3AT? If that's all I had, I'd be very hesistant to sweep through the house.

I've done the same a few times, so I won't question why you did it. No one knows better than you who belongs in your house.

Quick story, sometimes we do rather silly things and get lucky. This was before my CCW, but was definitely a precedent to me getting one:

Three years ago my kids are staying overnight at a friend's house, fortunately. 3 a.m. and my wife whispers "someone is in the house", I rolled over and she hits me and says louder "fprintf, someone IS IN THE HOUSE!". That wakes me up, I get up out of bed and start putting lights on and run down the hall and start down the stairs. Just then I hear footsteps and hear the back door swoosh as someone opens it and goes out the back way. I continue running downstairs flipping on lights along the way. By the time I get downstairs the whole house is ablaze in light and there is no one to be found. We call 911 and the cops arrive in 3 minutes, no lights or sirens. It is at the point the officers arrive that I begin to think about what just happened... and then the first responder says "did you look in the basement?" Um, no. So he very carefully goes downstairs but doesn't find anyone... long story short, it is 6:00 a.m. by the time the dog team, detectives dusting for fingerprints etc. have come and gone and not found where this guy went. He didn't get anything. Upon sitting down at the dinner table, my wife says "so, what would you have done if you ran face to face into the burglar?". I did not have a good response other than "holy smokes, I have no idea, we sure did get lucky". I don't plan on being that lucky if there is a next time, so we immediately put a large flashlight and piece of wood by the bed. A few weeks later we had a little yappy dog who warns us whenever someone gets close to the house, and I put deadbolts on all the doors.

About a year later the Petit triple homicide happened a mile and a half from my house which reminded me of this incident. It didn't take much convincing for my wife to let me get my carry permit. In fact, she bought my SIG P226 for me for my birthday.

I guess we all do stupid stuff at times. In an alternate universe we might have had horrible consequences, fortunately we exist in this one and both got lucky.

Ugh. I can't imagine.

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned a monitored alarm system!?!

They work, but they're very easily defeated. The serial killer Dennis Rader (aka BTK) worked for ADT for years and years. I think alarms can be beneficial, but it's only going to catch the bottom 20% of criminals.

Faced with the same situation, I would do the same thing. I fully acknowledge that may not be the best idea, one of the best pieces of advice I have heard from LEO's is "if your going to confront a potential problem, your much better off going in knowing that help is already on the way". We pay taxes, if any doubt at all, just call the cops, they will swing by. If you listen to a scanner, they get mundane things like this all the time that turn out to be nothing, they are not gonna get pissed/consider it time wasted.

Great advice. Even if you think that you should clear it, it can't hurt to call the cops too.

 

[centermass181]

Burn it.

 

[namedpipes]

Lets see,

I have had a second floor neighbor steel a washer/dryer from me when they moved out and i was at work - cops could do nothing.

I had an alcoholic co-worker of my wife's, who was also in the family in a sister in laws, husbands, brother type of way who broke in and only stole some Mexican Mayan kahlua bottles from us

I had my brother break in and steal our rent money and jewelry

I 2 times had people try to climb in my window while i was home - they never made it.

I had another man try to start to climb in my window. when i stepped out to confront him he saw the size of me and took off

THEN i decided it was time to get a LTC - only i have a sporting restriction, hope to get that fixed when i go for a renewal which isn't for awhile. However given all the shooting in the city in the last 6 months i doubt I'll get it.

so as i said before, yep i would have done the same thing as stupid as it is.

Dude. Stop having people steal from you! It is an expensive and frustrating hobby. I know!

 

[paracarry]

Sometimes the bolt freezes open in the door knob my does, that reminds me to put some WD-40 on it. Yes you did what any guy would have done, gone in and checked things out, That's why females are smarter than us. Another option flash bang thru the door send her in first, you right behind to cover her.

 

[fprintf]

Sometimes the bolt freezes open in the door knob my does, that reminds me to put some WD-40 on it.

No, you actually have the best oil on hand for that sticking bolt - gun oil! Now I don't want to start a debate about the best oils for sticking locks, because we might get into an argument about grease vs. oil, whether WD40 is suitable vs. an oil specific for the job at hand etc. But if the lock periodically sticks, maybe try CLP or something on it!!!!

 

[Navy Moose]

I would have taken a similar approach. I would have Logged into NES from a wireless connection like you suggested. Then id have created a thread saying "I just got home, my front door is open, I need A Fully Armed NES Response Team to help clear my house"

But then another thread would emerge asking "Should I be part of the NES response team ? It's kind of cold outside "

I love it!

Troy, I'm glad nothing was missing and you're both ok.

 

[Navy Moose]

No, you actually have the best oil on hand for that sticking bolt - gun oil! Now I don't want to start a debate about the best oils for sticking locks, because we might get into an argument about grease vs. oil, whether WD40 is suitable vs. an oil specific for the job at hand etc. But if the lock periodically sticks, maybe try CLP or something on it!!!!

I would use graphite powder, it comes in a squeeze tube and has a narrow opening to fit into the lock.

 

[Jamie]

........ 3 a.m. and my wife whispers "someone is in the house", I rolled over and she hits me and says louder "fprintf, someone IS IN THE HOUSE!".

Your wife actually calls you "fprintf"? I think you've taken the internet personna too far.

I kid. Glad you are OK and the outcome was positive.

 

[MassHack]

Did you have the Locks changed "rekeyed" when you bought the place? Could be on a master key or th previous owner/realtor/neighbor you get the point could have a key. Call your local Locksmith, get the locks checked and changed. If not for security for piece of mind.