Do NOT open that Door!

[Running Arrow Bill]

It's no surprise that too many people are naive about strangers and their hidden agendas!

Reading the NRA "The Armed Citizen" and news media accounts of people who are victimized by bad guys/girls through their naivete and/or trust issues. This seems to be most prevalent among the 60-80 year old people as well as younger people with trusting behavior.

Several "signs" should be "Condition Red": Someone knocks on your door. You open the door. The BG pushes door open and attacks/shoots you/others. You're in your vehicle. Someone walks up and asks you for help or wants something in a parking lot or other "unsafe" place. You are shot or hijacked.

You are walking to your house or vehicle. Someone comes up and asks you for directions, a cigarette, a light, or a couple of bucks to feed them. You are mugged and/or shot.

You have a gun, but is in a "safe" and/or the ammo is somewhere else. You are attacked or shot before you can get your loaded gun.

Someone breaks into your house. You get your cell phone and call 911, but have a gun nearby. You are attacked or shot.

Finally, you are armed. Someone breaks into your house and threatens you with deadly force. You hesitate for whatever reason and you lose.

WE NEED MORE MEDIA ARTICLES, etc., to communicate that not ALL "good intending" individuals actually have GOOD intentions! Guess it's somewhat ok that the media "praises" victims for defending themselves; however, "paying attention to Condition Red signs and possible errors in judgment should be dealt with. We are long past the "Father Knows Best" mentality of the 1950's.

[Running Arrow Bill]

Addendum:

Present and future victims should be aware that:

An alleged "innocent" encounter by ONE individual may be a DECOY to distract one while those in the shadows can make their advances... This is analogous to the "Pick Pocket" team...one distracts you while the other picks your pocket...

[Abraham]

Where I last lived, I couldn't see from any point in the house who it might be if the front door was knocked upon.

So, I had a small peephole installed in the front door.

If, I didn't know the person knocking, I simply never opened the door.

I am under no obligation to open my door to strangers.

Plus, my sub-division was prime pest country for newspaper subscription pests, magazine, charities, surveys, J.W's, Mormons wanting to convert. There was a flood tide of these pests.

The peephole was the answer for me.

[Cedar Park Dad]

When we open the door our giant blond bear, er fat furball mountain dog, is typically staring whoever right in the face. If its a stranger the inevitable statement is "wooooo!"

[ajwakeboarder]

I always arm myself before going to the door if i'm not expecting someone. And I always check from an adjacent window before opening it.

[rbwhatever1]

I always arm myself before going to the door if i'm not expecting someone. And I always check from an adjacent window before opening it.

Make sure you're not armed with a wii remote...

[Running Arrow Bill]

I always arm myself before going to the door if i'm not expecting someone. And I always check from an adjacent window before opening it.

Agree 100%. One thing in city. Another thing in country! Especially if one lives near a highway or FM road.

[Ruark]

We are long past the "Father Knows Best" mentality of the 1950's.

That sums it up. Sadly. I grew up in Abilene, Texas in the 50s, a west Texas version of Mayberry, USA. It might have been different in some big northern cities, but I remember many people not even having keys to their front doors. If the milkman came by and you'd gone to work, he would go in and put your milk and eggs in the refrigerator. And remember counter checks? In any store or business, there was a little rack of blank checks from local banks on the counter by the register. You'd tear one off and fill it out. Some didn't have a bank name, so if your bank wasn't in the rack, you could write that in, too. And of course, asking for an ID was unheard of.

Imagine doing this stuff now. Don't get me started.... Well, this is not to wax nostalgic, but getting back to the topic, I agree with Bill that we are long past the 50s mentality. Now you not only have a key to your door, you have more than one lock, and don't even OPEN the door when somebody knocks, because you might get robbed or murdered. Last year I visited a friend in a nice, upper middle class suburb near Las Vegas. They had a heavy steel storm door, and simply did NOT answer the front door, ever, unless they were expecting someone. If you went to visit, you would call them on your cell when you pulled up in front of their house. They didn't even have mailboxes at the curb: it was too risky to go outside and check your mail (they used PO boxes) or it would get stolen.

But yeah, it's sad to say... Norman Rockwell's America is history, and we'll never get it back. I'd like to see a smartphone app that would display the view from a simple digital peephole camera. So if somebody came to the door, you could view them no matter where you were in the house. I've always been nervous about putting my eyeball next to a peephole, anyway.

[RogueUSMC]

You can get cameras for under $50 that connect to your router and you goto an IP to view the camera.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/190596017531?lpid=82

[doncb]

We have always had a peep hole in our front door, but we don't answer the door after dark. My MIL just doesn't get it though. She leaves her front door open during the day ("to let the sun in") and answers the door no mater who is there. She's just been lucky so far.

[Jim Beaux]

<snip>

We are long past the "Father Knows Best" mentality of the 1950's.

That sums it up. Sadly. I grew up in Abilene, Texas in the 50s, a west Texas version of Mayberry, USA. It might have been different in some big northern cities, but I remember many people not even having keys to their front doors. If the milkman came by and you'd gone to work, he would go in and put your milk and eggs in the refrigerator. And remember counter checks? In any store or business, there was a little rack of blank checks from local banks on the counter by the register. You'd tear one off and fill it out. Some didn't have a bank name, so if your bank wasn't in the rack, you could write that in, too. And of course, asking for an ID was unheard of.

2-3 years ago I was working out of Westhope, ND, pop. 528. The only cafe in town had only 2 large round tables, so you had no choice but to sit with everyone. I stayed there 4 months and got to know the citizens fairly well - and you can guess it wasnt long that they gave the only Texan in town the business.

The entire state had 1960's values & attitudes, & Westhope even more so. I enjoyed interacting with the people as they were trusting & generous. (Walmarts did not open until 1:00 PM on Sundays)

One morning I was picking on the breakfast crew because they left their cars running with the doors unlocked. One of the guys quickly corrected me and said, "Oh, we always lock our cars during gardening season". I asked why during that time and he replied, "cuz if anyone finds your car unlocked they fill it full of zucchini!"

[Skiprr]

The number one home break-in deterrent is evidence of occupancy. IMHO, in a large urban/suburban setting opening the door if you don't know the individual knocking is never a good idea; but ignoring a knock is also not a good idea. Most home break-ins occur during the daytime, and often the MO is to ring the doorbell or knock on the front door to try to ascertain if anyone is home. If the BG thinks he's free and clear, around the back he goes to attempt entry unseen at a backdoor or rear window.

Since I often work from home, I picked up this wireless video door monitor with intercom system from IQ America about a year ago. Tip: for the exterior unit, you absolutely need to wire it into a 16-volt doorbell supply; don't use batteries. If wired, you can use the interior monitoring unit whenever you want...as in a knock on the door. With batteries, you can only activate the exterior unit when someone rings the doorbell. For about $200, you can sit in your recliner, see who's at the door, capture photos of them, and speak to them. I love being able to use this to remind door-to-door salesmen that our entire neighborhood is legally posted as "no soliciting."

I also have a separate video camera installed above the front door. It's motion-sensing, and I have it set so that a blue LED flashes when the camera is activated. Hard to miss the blinking blue light as you walk up to the door. So even if no one is home to use the intercom, it's clear to the visitor that he's been photographed.

When thinking residential security, there are three levels that need to be considered. First is what the public sees on a drive-by. Second is curb-to-building. Third is inside the house. All three levels are important, and none should be ignored.

Residential alarm systems are a necessity but, frankly, when they go off most are just about as rousing to the neighborhood as the overused car alarm. Then the monitoring company tries to call you at home. Then they try to call you on your cell. Then they try to call the in-case-of-emergency number you had to give them. Then they finally call the police/sheriff.

Experienced burglars know they have a solid 10 minutes or more before the popo arrive. If your home is situated so they can get out quickly without being individually identified, you're a prime target--alarm or no alarm. For example, you may have a detached garage set back from the house, and a narrow driveway to and from flanked by a wood-slat privacy fence. Not an uncommon layout. But if a front-man knocks on the door and has no evidence that you're home or that he's being surveiled, he can signal a compatriot to quickly pull up the driveway. In goes a rear window to your house, and out goes your possessions...in less than five minutes.

Last residential security tip for the season.

Do you have an electronic garage door opener? A lot of us do. Know that little handle on a nylon rope, typically red, hanging down from the activation bar when the door is closed? If you pull it, it disengages the activation bar allowing you to open the door manually in case of a failure of the electronic unit. Problem is, almost all electronic garage doors have this manual disengagement handle; all burglars know this; and almost all garage doors have ample space at the top when closed to slide in a straightened coat-hanger or a sturdier for-purpose hook.

You get the picture. Especially a vulnerability for attached garages through which access into the home is seldom hardened. Nobody's home, so the BG opens the garage, pulls a vehicle inside, closes the garage. Smooth sailing. Think about cutting off that disengagement handle. You can still pull on the rope without a handle, but a BG isn't likely to be able to grab a bare rope from outside the garage door.

Merry Christmas!

[Abraham]

Skiprr,

Great information!

[tomdavis]

Yup Skippr...that is some good stuff. Anybody have tips to add?

[Jumping Frog]

Last residential security tip for the season.

Do you have an electronic garage door opener? A lot of us do. Know that little handle on a nylon rope, typically red, hanging down from the activation bar when the door is closed? If you pull it, it disengages the activation bar allowing you to open the door manually in case of a failure of the electronic unit. Problem is, almost all electronic garage doors have this manual disengagement handle; all burglars know this; and almost all garage doors have ample space at the top when closed to slide in a straightened coat-hanger or a sturdier for-purpose hook.

You get the picture. Especially a vulnerability for attached garages through which access into the home is seldom hardened. Nobody's home, so the BG opens the garage, pulls a vehicle inside, closes the garage. Smooth sailing. Think about cutting off that disengagement handle. You can still pull on the rope without a handle, but a BG isn't likely to be able to grab a bare rope from outside the garage door.

Merry Christmas!

Here is how I handled that issue: