am i being paranoid?

[opos]

We are older and live in San Diego near the border....We are normally "down the hall" in our back bedroom area about 7pm watching tv...we do not leave any lights on in the front of the house and no porch light...we have motion sensor lights on the front of the house and at the rear. No one is invited to come knock on our door or ring the doorbell and we simply do not answer under any circumstances....and we are armed while in the house or in the garage. I had an incident a few years ago when I was in my garage mid day and a guy appeared at the garage door...he was pretty screwed up and definitely up to no good. I turned to face him and pulled back my jacket revealing that I was carrying....he said nothing but turned on his heel and made tracks down the block and around the corner...no threat was made by me...no comment at all. Last we ever heard of it.

If I invite someone to my home I know I've done so and I'll be inclined to open the door after looking things over through the peep...People we know (and family in the neighborhood) all know to call us first and not to come by unannounced and especially after dark...they won't get a response unless we expect them at a specific time.

You live as near TJ and the border as we do you live a different life style...I spent years coming and going across the border ...fishing...buying gas....shopping and dining....I also never carried at home during those years...I don't go near the border and I now carry in my home...over cautious? Maybe but I'm content with it..Anyone that is a threat to me or my Wife will be treated as a life threatening confrontation...don't care about the property but nothing get's our life without a response....times change!

[map]

I heard this once and share when I can: better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[Steve1968LS2]

Yea, I hate those solicitors..

I was gone and some came up banging on the door and staying on the porch.. they they left and came back and did it again. Sorta freaked my wife out. She called me and I reminded her of the safe's combo.. now I make her open it every few days to burn the combo into her head.

I would rather be paranoid and alive than oblibious and dead.. The odds of you being attacked in your home are VERY low.. unless you are attacked in your home.. then the odds shoot up to 100% - lol

[DRoberts12345]

Repeat after me. You're welcome Mom


Several years ago My father in law thought it would be funny to bang on my door one night after dark. I answered the door with a 357 mag in my hand pointed to the ground. He laughed at first & asked if I felt stupid. My reply was Nope! do you feel lucky to be alive.

He hasn't done that again sense that night 20 or so years ago.

[ThePeaceMaker707]

Get a fake video camera mounted above the front door and yell thru the door "would you please look up at the camera so I could see your face better on video"?

That will make him leave.

Be safe....Bob

That's a fantastic idea! My girlfriend's dad has one of those phony cameras at the front door.. seems like a good idea on its own, but I think what you suggested would increase its effectiveness by several fold

[ThePeaceMaker707]

btw, here's another viable suggestion if you like to sleep with your gun in close proximity like I do. Some sleep with it on the nightstand but I don't like it being so exposed like that (my girlfriend stumbles out of bed very clumsily to turn off the alarm clock in the morning.. that would make me a little nervous having my locked-n-loaded pistol just chillin there!).

What I did is got a cheapo universal holster, and a belt that tightens down exactly to the right spot (no notches... sort of like a 5.11 operator belt style) and secured the holster to my bedpost, in the gap between the bed and the wall. I keep a 9mm ready to go in there-- all I have to do is follow the bedpost down with my hand, unsnap the holster and i'm ready! Keeps it out of the way but still in close proximity, and I always know exactly where it's at. (maybe i'll post a pic when I get home)

of course I could just reach behind the headboard and grab my Remington 870 with the flashlight mounted on there...

[ThatsJustBadTaste]

I say rock out with your Glock out... Well for you its a 92

[shamu415]

No you are not paranoid! Just prepared!

Living in a large metropolitan city such as SF, home invasions happen fast. There has been break ins and attempts around my block and others in the neighborhood. I also heard of robbers pretending to be PG&E, Comcast, plumbers, and other business reps, that once someone opens a door they push them and hog tie them. On the outside it looks like regular business.

And if other Calguners have a skylight in both the restroom and kitchen, please make sure you place a motion detector by it. My buddy's home, a few years back, was burglarized by having a roofing company van disguise on the outside and they broke in from the roof top through the skylights.

I sleep with my GP100 loaded with Hornady critical defense and extra speed reloaders, and other days my Glock 17 with, Speer gold dots.

[jlbflyboy172]

As we get closer to Christmas, with our bad economy, I think you are going to see a rise in this type of crime. There are a lot of people down on their luck and there will always be those looking for a way to acquire other than good ole hard work.

[JTROKS]

As we get closer to Christmas, with our bad economy, I think you are going to see a rise in this type of crime. There are a lot of people down on their luck and there will always be those looking for a way to acquire other than good ole hard work.

With Christmas around the corner those with criminal minds are getting more desperate. Lock and load.

[njineermike]

I always have a handgun and/or shotgun accessible and ready to go.

A lot of bad things can happen between the time you (might) have a chance to call 911 and LE can respond.

Remember, SCOTUS has ruled the police do not have any obligation to protect you. They only have an obligation to show and and fill out the paperwork authorizing the cleanup of whatever is left of you afterwards.

1 - My gf had her ex husband, who had a restraining order against him and had threatend her with death in front of officers, breaking down the front door of her house, and while she was ON THE PHONE with 911, they weren't going to send anyone until he did something. By then all thery'd need to do is make sure the bodybag cleared the doorway.

2 - My gf's mom died recently. Her neighborhood is less than stellar, and while they were in the home going through items and paperwork, someone attempted to get in the front door, then when she locked it, ran to the back door, while her sister get her .380. Once again, not only did the police take thier sweet time, she had to call a relative on the Riverside county sherrifs office to get somebody to actually show up AFTER shots were fired nearby.


When in doubt, protect yourself, because that's all you can really count on in a pinch.

[parb]

My cousin is a stay at home mom with a 1 year old. 2 weeks ago a young (20 yr old) female knocked on her door at 7:00am. Not knowing who she was my cousin didnt answer the door. The young female got back in her red car and left. My cousin thought nothing of it and went about her day. 15 mins later while making a bottle for the baby in the kitchen, she hears some weird noises coming from her sliding door. My cousin approaches the door,moves the curtains and sees two men with power tools attempting to break in. She screams and the two men take off running to the front of the house where the female with the red car drives up and they get away. Needless this has convinced her to go buy a gun.

Whenever an unknown person unexpectedly knocks on my door I go and grab my Glock 26 put it in my pocket holster and then answer the door. I'd whether be safe then sorry.

So to answer your question, no you are not being paranoid.

We had the exact same experience last year. Someone knocks at the doors and because it was unexpected and my wife was on the phone my wife didn't answer, I was out on a business trip. Half an hour later our dog was going suspicious and starts barking at the rear door from the garden. We got a boxer with a vicious snarl. Our dog has three types of alerts. One is the "something is going on alert" one is "I need to chase a squirrel bark" and then there is the "wtf?! Get away for here or I will take you down alert". This was the first type.

My wife goes to the back door and opens the curtain, on the other side is a scary looking south of the border dude. The dog goes into overdrive with the "I am going to eat you for dinner. The door was a little bit open and my wife asks what he's doing there. He says in Spanish that he doesn't speak English. My wife speaks in Spanish and asks what he is doing there. He says he is the gardener.
This is complete bull**** of course.

My dog goes into full on defense mode and my wife has to use her full force to prevent our dog from taking down this dude, he starts running away from the house. Through our locked 6ft gate to the garden (which later I figured out how he got through and corrected permanently).

Our dog got a nice steak for dinner. The next day my wife begun shooting regularly at the range. We now have a mossberg 500 standing in a quick to get location as well as two .45 pistols (1911) in places well chosen. No kids so less worry about that.

I live in a nice middle class neighborhood and there is no real crime here. But it attracts burglars because of that. I've worked with our local pd to invite them to do drills and training in the neighborhood (it's a hoa with private streets). We also have several detectives living in our neighborhood which I think is a good thing for neighborhood safety in general.

[njineermike]

The next day my wife begun shooting regularly at the range. We now have a mossberg 500 standing in a quick to get location as well as two .45 pistols (1911) in places well chosen.

After my gf's experience a recently at her moms house, we were in Turners looking at handguns, tactical training, and she gets a junior size mossberg .20gauge soon. After trying out all the guns and seeing what fits her hand, we're leaning to the 1911, bbut she's going to be shooting a few rentals to see what she does best with.

[Neptune]

Keep one loaded and ready to go, and having a shotgun handy as your primary is even better. Tell the local Police Dept about your concerns and ask for stepped up patrols in the area, they will typical add more patrols on that beat if they have the manpower available. Get a dog. One with big teeth.



..

[parb]

After my gf's experience a recently at her moms house, we were in Turners looking at handguns, tactical training, and she gets a junior size mossberg .20gauge soon. After trying out all the guns and seeing what fits her hand, we're leaning to the 1911, bbut she's going to be shooting a few rentals to see what she does best with.

I actually think the 1911 isn't the right choice for her. I'm considering the fn five seven instead for her due to weight and recoil. My wife isn't very big and I think that a lighter gun which she can accurately get on target for a couple of rounds is the better choice. The 1911's where always my thing,until this event she never had the inclination to shoot. Now she thinks it's an important skill to obtain.