How late is too late to answer a knock at the front door? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Shannon]

long rifles/shotguns are much easier to get, in most states, with only a driver's license as ID

Any of you happen to see Bowling for Columbine

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

At that late at night, would you expose yourself to a stranger?

No. I'd put on my robe before answering the door.

Bruce

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Have them get an outdoor floodlight, with an 'extra' switch in their bedroom. Along with a peephole, they'd have a good idea by the time they got to the door.

I once was woken up just after five in the morning, so I threw on some clothes and half-asleep, just yanked the door open.

Standing there was a extremely pretty lady asking for someone else! (She was one door off) She apologized, and I told her that it was ok, she had just made my day!

Glenn

 

[ThomasC]

quote:

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At that late at night, would you expose yourself to a stranger?
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No. I'd put on my robe before answering the door.

 

[Chris Shelly]

I actually had a knock on my door at 2:00am and it was the police. They kept on knocking and saying they were the police. They had the flashlights out and they had the red and blue lights from the cop car on. Plus the swivel light was lighting up pretty much my whole yard. I was about 100% sure it was the police before I even got out of bed.

As I was getting dressed I could not help wonder what I had done wrong. It turns out I did not do anything wrong. When I answered the door the police asked if I owned a 1984 Mazda pickup truck. I said yes and looked at my driveway and it was missing. Someone had stolen it that night and got into a car chase with the police. The thief had turned into a cemetery and totalled my truck. He hit a chain barrier going across a cemetery entrance.

The police told me to go and take a look at the truck and afterwards stop by the station for paperwork and take my finger prints. They even offered to give me a ride.

I actually really appreciated this service. It was not even my local police department but the next city over.

Because of my efforts and the police efforts they busted the thief the following morning. It was one of the punk neighborhood kids who the next morning had to go to the hospital for serious internal injuries. His parents called the medics because he was really banged up from the crash. He claimed that he had wrecked his dirt bike the night before. They conveniently sent a police car out at the same time as the aid car. His prints matched the same prints in the car. He later admitted he had stolen it anyway.

The real scary part is how he got the key. The S.O.B. actually broke into my house and stolen a spare key. Got a copy made and brought back the spare key. I had never known it was gone.

Freaky stuff...this happened about 15 years ago.

 

[Philip_G]

I'm with ron and others, my friend les baer would be close at hand.
The only time I've had a problem was in an apartment when a drunk neighbor was trying to open my door instead of his own, after awhile he figured it out and got into his own place

 

[Ron-P]

Why? What good would that have done you in these situations? Nothing happened!

But if something did, I'm prepared. Best be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. But, when it comes to my wife and daughter, I'm prepared for the worst.


Peace Out~

 

[Holadem]

Someone bangs on your door late at night, don't open it. I don't see where a gun (a freaking GUN) fits into this.

--
H

 

[AllanN]

Any of you happen to see Bowling for Columbine

Yes! And it did not change my beliefs in gun ownership one bit. It did make me think about some of the morals in our society and how violence is portrayed by the media. I dont want this thread closed so that's all im going to say

Defiantly, without haste spend the small amount of money and time and get a peep-hole installed in your door.

Depending on your personal opinions about gun ownership a shotgun is a very effective tool for self defense. Its easy to operate, very reliable, very accurate in hitting a target at close range, using buckshot does not penetrate walls easily, plus there is the physiological impact on the bad guy when the firearm makes its signature sound when loading the chamber.

Hopefully the only thing that you will ever have shoot at are those pesky skeet.

 

[Joe Szott]

Peter,

As mentioned above, another good idea is to install a floodlight on your front porch. One that is motion activated and very bright would be suggestion. Any criminals or kids messing around don't like being lit up on your front porch light it's noon, probably make them go away without even ringing the door. And anyone who knows you or your family would still be comfortable enough to come up to the door and knock (what do they have to hide?) Combine that with a peephole and I think your problems are solved. No guns needed

Jeff - I'm talking about domestic crime (in the home), which is what Peter is concerned with. If there was a gang shootout happening on his porch, I'm assuming that he isn't opening the door at all. And yes, the greatest number of domestic shootings are to family members in those homes and usually with a gun that they own themselves.

 

[rin]

Someone bangs on your door late at night, don't open it. I don't see where a gun (a freaking GUN) fits into this.

You are absolutely right Hol' ol' buddy, a freaking gun doesn't fit into this at all.

Unless that someone gets inside your house...

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Also, from knowing a lot of cops through my Aikido classes, the most frequent handgun deaths are children shooting themselves accidentally, or someone getting their own gun taken away and killed by it.

Of course domestic crime is committed by family/household members, that is the definition of a domestic crime. It is a far cry from saying that someone shot in a domestic crime is shot by a gun owned by them (actually those statistics use "gun in the household") and saying the majority of "handgun deaths" are due to children being accidentally shot or getting your gun taken away from you. There was no "domestic" quotient in the first quote and that is all I was replying to.

Also, by legal definition, the poster was worried about home invasion, not a "domestic" crime. As I stated above, the definition of a "domestic" crime is one member of a household perpetrating a crime on another member of the household, i.e. "domestic abuse"

 

[Garrett Lundy]

I would like to mention a sign I saw someone put on their front door once:

Feel free to knock and come in. I'd love to have you for dinner.

At first I just thought "Wow! This guy's pathetically lonely". Then I snapped awake at about three in the morning that night with the profound realization of the actual meaning of the message.

 

[JustinCleveland]

Garrett... that's actually pretty funny. I don't meant to laugh at you, but it's seriously funny!

Peepholes are your friends, and floodlights are great.

 

[Julian Reville]

The last time someone banged on my door after midnight, I figured it was the neighborhood bum asking for money again, so I didn't get up. The dogs barked a few times, and then went back to sleep.

The next morning I found out it was a cop, wanting to know if I had heard anything earlier: the across-the-street neighbor (an 80 year old guy) had killed a burglar with a .22 Derringer!

 

[Mark Shannon]

I'm going to word this as best I can without getting the thread closed...

Why do you need a gun? To shoot a (wo)man is (s)he tries to get into your house?

Here's a couple simple solutions:

1) Get a padlock or better protection for your door. Once the wouldbe intruder makes enough noise, they'll most likely give up and leave. Less noise = less trouble.

2) Get a dog. Not a Chiuawa(sp?). That will put the fear into the intruder.

3) Get a security system that will alert the police upon intrusion.

Three simple solutions, all resolved without the use of guns.

 

[Mark Brewer]

Knocking on the door what could happen???
Um...
When we lived in Philadelphia when I was a kid some guy kicked our door in in the middle of the night...My dad ran down the stairs with his gun and the guy saw it and ran right out the door only to be hit by a police car. He had a knife in his had.
Gun beats knife....
________________________________
I had a situation last year where there was some noise outside my daughters bedroom at 1:30 in the morning. Grabbed my 9mm and ran into her room. The first thought that went into my head was a freak is trying to kidnap my little girl. Well I threw open the window and it was 2 teen age girls going from roof to roof (live in a townhouse, with garage out back). Well the Sheriff came an hour later, after the girls already took off.

But if it was an intruder who broke broke in. I would of shot him.....

Now I keep my assault rifle with a laser sight next to the bed, more scary looking.....

I'm with Ron-p on this one.. I'm the primary defense for my family the cops are the back-up..

 

[StephenK]

Mark bk,

I don't want to hijack this thread, but then again, it's original purpose no longer applies, so I don't think Peter will mind. I don't want anyone to think I'm advocating rampant gun ownership. Frankly, there are enough idiots driving, never mind those that own guns. To answer your points:

3) Get a security system that will alert the police upon intrusion.

Unless the police station is next door, this wouldn't do anything to remove an immediate threat. Sure it would probably scare off most burglars, but anyone intending to do violence will get that opportunity long before any help arrives. Also, a good quality shotgun costs $200, I imagine a good alarm system, even one that doesn't connect to the P.D. or Security co, probably costs much more.

If it makes any difference, I am a gun owner (for target shooting, not for protection) who believes in better gun control. Though I am currently at minimal risk for break ins and the like, there are those, especially in urban areas, that are at constant risk. My uncle's house has been burgled 3 times in 20 years, all (thankfully) when the family was out of the house. Once, they destroyed everything, punched holes in floors, walls etc. That time, the intent was clearly to do damage. If someone like that breaks down my family's door, I want something to protect myself with that's better than a bat.

 

[rin]

Mark bk,
FYI, I have (1)a deadbolt on every door, (2)a large dog, (3)a security system and (4)a surprise waiting for any asshole unlucky enough to get past the first three.

If you're anti-gun, don't buy one. I hope like hell the first three do the trick for you.

 

[MarkHastings]

I have to agree with everyone about the fear of having someone at your front door in the middle of the night...not that this is the same situation, but I was going out to my car a few weeks ago and this woman pulls up next to me in a van. She gets out and comes to my door (my window was down) and asked if I could make her head rests go up. I said that it looked like her head rests weren't the kind that move, but she was too insistent. She finally said "well, can't you just come over to my car and try to move them?", I was too creeped out by it and took off.

Even though it was only 6pm and a lot of people were around, you always hear of crazy things happening, and I don't to be one of those 'statistics'. Something just felt 'strange' about this woman, so (to answer the original question) - HELL NO, I would NEVER answer the door in the middle of the night!

Who the hell needs to talk to me at 2am??? If you're having car trouble, call AAA.