Suspicious encounter this morning.

[JettaKnight]

Mental note: pick up stack of random business cards before next robbery.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

It sounds like you did a lot of things WRONG Mr !!!

Everybody knows you're supposed to get your double barrel, put it out the window and let off two blasts , NOT confront anyone .

Man , doesn't anyone listen to the VP ?

 

[churchmouse]

Not saying you did wrong but "Never" ignore a knock on your door man. That was the Are you home/awake test...seriously.
Alert/aware. License plate/vehicle make model etc. He was getting ready to relive you of property simple as that and you let him roll out. He is now doing this to someone else.

I guess living in the city makes me look at this differently but never let them leave. Get Leo involved. He may have warrants.

 

[melensdad]

Lol, I have gone outside in my boxers with a gun once for one of those bump in the night type scenarios. But I never left my front porch.

Why bother with the boxers? A totally nekkid man with a gun is even scarier

 

[Andy219]

Not saying you did wrong but "Never" ignore a knock on your door man. That was the Are you home/awake test...seriously.
Alert/aware. License plate/vehicle make model etc. He was getting ready to relive you of property simple as that and you let him roll out. He is now doing this to someone else.

I guess living in the city makes me look at this differently but never let them leave. Get Leo involved. He may have warrants.

Yeah, I have a problem, I never answer my door. I should start, but it's so irritating.

I hope that if he had ill intentions, that being confronted by an armed home owner makes him think twice before he does so again. I mean I have no garage, and my truck was in the driveway. I did just order a sign saying if you're not expected or not invited not to knock or disturb for my front door. Along with some pad locks and chains with no repress passing signs for my gates.

Im not sure if I was going to get more details from his truck or not, when I noticed the gate wide open. I was in that sleepy wake up mode. If I had to do it again, I think I may have just stayed by the door and called to police, and not confront him at all. I have a lot of reflecting to do. And will seriously consider tips and advice I receive here.

 

[Andy219]

Why bother with the boxers? A totally nekkid man with a gun is even scarier

I didnt want want the guy to stay for dinner. Lol

 

[churchmouse]

Yeah, I have a problem, I never answer my door. I should start, but it's so irritating.

I hope that if he had ill intentions, that being confronted by an armed home owner makes him think twice before he does so again. I mean I have no garage, and my truck was in the driveway. I did just order a sign saying if you're not expected or not invited not to knock or disturb for my front door. Along with some pad locks and chains with no repress passing signs for my gates.

Im not sure if I was going to get more details from his truck or not, when I noticed the gate wide open. I was in that sleepy wake up mode. If I had to do it again, I think I may have just stayed by the door and called to police, and not confront him at all. I have a lot of reflecting to do. And will seriously consider tips and advice I receive here.

Having experienced near this same situation more than once I have a set pattern to follow if and when it happens again.
Like I said....him knocking was a test. You did not respond so he felt comfortable looking around.
Could have ended right there at the door.
I understand the groggy thing. That is the test we all need to take. Waking from a near or dead sleep and responding to the bump in the night.

These are troubled times with predators on the roam.

 

[Andy219]

Having experienced near this same situation more than once I have a set pattern to follow if and when it happens again.
Like I said....him knocking was a test. You did not respond so he felt comfortable looking around.
Could have ended right there at the door.
I understand the groggy thing. That is the test we all need to take. Waking from a near or dead sleep and responding to the bump in the night.

These are troubled times with predators on the roam.

+1

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

Knocking is a test those people use to see if you're home or awake. Sounds like what he wanted was in your shed and if you were asleep or not home you wouldn't have known if he broke in.

Do you have a lock on your shed? Did he have any tools on him that you saw?

Whatever the situation, that was shady and he should not have been on the property.

 

[1911ly]

Why bother with the pants? Half naked holding a gun is scarier.

Sorta funny but true story (a little off topic) of mine. A few years ago I heard a few load thuds in the middle of the night. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my gun (1911) and headed out the door. It sounded like someone was trying to break out my bedroom window with a rock. I got out side and around the corner and heard another thud. Turns out it was a bit windy and my walnut tree was dropping walnuts on the house. I should have cut that tree down when it was small. So, there I am standing in my side yard about 3am stark naked. Luckily I don't live in the city.

 

[24Carat]

Why bother with the pants? Half naked holding a gun is scarier.

Half naked? My wife has roused me a couple of times where I have ended up clearing the house and attached garage buck naked. The psychological impact would be extreme to say the least !

 

[RyanGSams]

It was an aquarium sales business card.

So was he trying to sell an aquarium to the shed? We all know shedds love aquariums.

 

[Cameramonkey]

On a related note, after putting up a "no soliciting" sign on the door, knocks were greatly reduced. Once I put up the obvious camera, they stopped completely. Something about having a perfect picture of their mug probably had a bit to do with it. It even stopped the "hiimaninnercityyoutsellingcandytokeepmeoffthestreets." Peddlers.

 

[2A_Tom]

I understand being sleepy, the other night i was in whatever sleep cycle that you are never supposed to wake up from, when a police car gave one Whoop right outside my front door. I nearly hit the ceiling, threw my feet on the floor, grabbed my 1911 (of course) and my lash light and began clearing from the back to the front of the house. I was in the hall peaking through the blinds into the back yard when I heard something in the hallway,turned to look and it was my son (20), and he said that a police car must have hit his siren by mistake. I went to the front of the house all was all right. When I was sure, I realized that I had a splitting headache and along with the adrenaline rush I didn't get to sleep for hours.

 

[hopper68]

Watch for new vehicles in the area, he might be back.

And I'm sure I lived there before and must have left something in the basement. Please restrain your dog and leave the front door unlocked incase I stop by when you are gone. And for goodness sakes put some pants on. I hate walking in on naked guys!!

 

[Bandsaw]

Ok, I know I live in a completely different world from many of you on INGO, but please explain the idea of never answering a knock on your door? If someone is at my door, I intend to find out what his business is. Over the years, one early morning knock was a little boy whose house was on fire. Another time it was a barefooted young woman fleeing an abusive relationship.
A few times it has been someone telling me I have livestock problems. Is a late night knock most likely a criminal event?

 

[1911ly]

Ok, I know I live in a completely different world from many of you on INGO, but please explain the idea of never answering a knock on your door? If someone is at my door, I intend to find out what his business is. Over the years, one early morning knock was a little boy whose house was on fire. Another time it was a barefooted young woman fleeing an abusive relationship.
A few times it has been someone telling me I have livestock problems. Is a late night knock most likely a criminal event?

I answer the door. Seldom open it. If you can't talk to me threw the glass you are SOL. I've had people run out of gas. Cars over heat. A few fender benders at the corner. I really have to feel comfortable to open the door. My pistol is with me everytime I go to the door.

 

[dusty88]

First, thank you for posting your experience. It's a good learning opportunity for some of us. You know I started to think about what I would do and I said this:


I don't always answer my door. Some of that comes from the fact I see people at my job all day, and I don't always welcome an unexpected knock. Secondly, I'm female so answering the door is likely to just prove to someone that I'm not as big and strong as they are. (and I'd rather not have to use my gun, ya know because lawyers)

If I had seen someone uncertain I likely would have also waited for them to go away (and what my dogs would do depends if they were in or out at the time). Once somebody tried the door OR opened a gate OR went to a building I would have called 911 while waiting at ready. Even if they aren't doing anything obviously threatening, they are inappropriately trespassing and this probably isn't their only time.



Then I start to think about times when someone actually has been on our property in unusual circumstances, and I have to admit I did something more confrontational. They weren't knocking at the door, but they were either on our privaate drive going into the woods, or were already in the woods. The guys in the woods are clearly hunters, so I always think of them as a nuisance rather than a danger. In one case, they were running coon dogs and maybe weren't even armed. It has worked out alright: the trespassers apologize, move on, don't come back ,etc but the more situations I hear or read about the more reluctant I am to confront.

The problem is that if we don't confront an outdoor trespasser, he's going to be gone either before the sheriff gets here or take off through the woods and not be caught. So far, confronting them has been successful and the same ones don't come back. Even my 90-yr old neighbor does this and I don't know if he's armed. I've never seen him with a gun. If someone enters the private drive (that we share with him), he's often the first one out there.

anyway, you have me thinking about whether we continue to protect our property and confront, or take a more conservative approach

 

[churchmouse]

Ok, I know I live in a completely different world from many of you on INGO, but please explain the idea of never answering a knock on your door? If someone is at my door, I intend to find out what his business is. Over the years, one early morning knock was a little boy whose house was on fire. Another time it was a barefooted young woman fleeing an abusive relationship.
A few times it has been someone telling me I have livestock problems. Is a late night knock most likely a criminal event?

In my area 75% chance it is.
My Screen doors are heavy steel security doors anchored into the frame of the house. They are dead bolted at night and the front door 24/7
so no way in hell someone is forcing their way in.
My neighbors garage caught fire last spring and he came to the proper door to knock. We have a system. If you know us you announce you are coming by cell. You also know which door to use. Wrong door, you do not know us.
Sounds a bit critical maybe but we are not far off the 38th st. corridor and there is an element in the area apts. and their activity has bled out in the area at times.
The area has quieted a lot in the last 2 years as LEO and an influx of new home owners have came in.
We are still alert to what is going on. You knock (on the wrong door) and you will be met possibly by me in my underwear holding a 1911.

Not very trusting these days.

 

[Cygnus]

Why bother with the boxers? A totally nekkid man with a gun is even scarier

Half naked? My wife has roused me a couple of times where I have ended up clearing the house and attached garage buck naked. The psychological impact would be extreme to say the least !

You have to add black socks to add another level of horror.........