Situation avoided the other night

[wolfshead]

So I am home after work. Its around 1930 hours and I am on the couch watching TV having a coffee. My wife has a bad habit of leaving the main door unlocked. She was talking to me about her Christmas shopping list and I was ignoring her until she said "Someone just came in through the front door and went back out again" My dog would have alerted me but he was getting groomed at the pet salon.

I usually open carry at home so I drew my firearm and turned on the emergency lights that light up everything around the outside. I notice this 6'5" Caucasian guy and his female friend standing outside the gate going through a book. I first thought they were Jehovah's witnesses but why would they just walk in??

He then saw I was standing a few yards from him. My firearm was drawn but it was to my side hidden from his view. He apologized that he got the wrong house. I didn't go back in even though the wife was yelling at me not to shoot anyone. I asked him who he was looking for and fortunately he mentioned my neighbor. My neighbor's dog came running to greet him and led him to their house.

I just felt relieved that this didn't have a bad ending.

Just thought I would share.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Phillep Harding]

Oh, yeah. I walked up to a neighbor's door, back when I lived in a condo. By good fortune, I noticed two strangers inside, then noticed that the piano had been replaced with a couch, then "oops", and split.

Not as embarrassing as unlocking "my" gold Chevelle and starting it, then noticing the floorboards were clean. Someone else's car, but my keys worked. I hope they saw me getting into a car that looked exactly like theirs.

[Ram Rod]

IMO...Jehovah's witnesses only do it in the daylight hours. Too bad your dog was at the "pet salon". I carry at home too. One never knows. 1930 is dark here now thanks to DST end. Anyone or anything that come around disturbing your peace around here is fair game IMO. A pistol visible, drawn, or pointed at the subject will get little scrutiny from the local gendarmes for an uninvited guest. Our Girl Scout cookies come from the local Wal Mart on the drive. No door-to-door sales out in these parts. I absolutely love living in the country! The common tourist or the stray Jehovah's witness can be easily disposed of here.

[atctimmy]

Wow! That's a good thing that they weren't BGs. 6ft 5 is a big dude.

[NC Bullseye]

Wow! That's a good thing that they weren't BGs. 6ft 5 is a big dude.

Just think of it as more COM to love.

[retsupt99]

Your wife needs to fix her 'bad habit'...keep all the doors locked!
Glad it was a non-incident.

[OldVet]

Sounds like one of those stamped-out, cookie-cutter, every house looks the same neighborhoods. Lock the door!

[tkruf]

+1 on fixing the wifes bad habit. Glad nothing came of it.

[merlin82plus]

Given the same situation, I would afterwards advise my wife that she should never broadcast the fact that I am armed. Leave that to me. If I need to communicate that to someone, I will decide when it is appropriate.
I guess if I was rendered unconscious then it might be ok.
(note: I can see my wife doing exactly what yours did)

[babyhulk]

Years ago when I was in high school, my buddy had told me that he was gonna move, but didn't tell me WHEN. So, I walk up and knock on the front door of his house (Thankfully NOT just walking in!), and notice 2 Honda's in the driveway and I see moving boxes stacked up in the living room.

Imagine my surprise when the new couple opens the door - my friend and his family had already moved.

I salvaged the situation by merely giving them my name and then welcoming them to the neighborhood.

[Bark'n]

Tell the wife if she doesn't want you shooting people to keep the front door locked! LOL.

I'm glad it was an innocent mistake. I'm also glad you were armed when at home. This should be a good reminder for all of us to remain armed, even inside our own home and also to keep the doors locked.

Thanks for posting a good story.

[BugDude]

I was on a business trip staying in a Holiday Inn in Richmond, VA several years ago and was staying in room 412. A bunch of us wnt out for a group dinner and upon returning piled in the elevator with people on each floor. I accidentally got off on the 3rd floor by mistake. Went to room 312 (thinking it was 412), inserted electronic key, and it unlocked the door and I went in. I turned on the light and looked around and noticed it wasn't my stuff. Confused, I walked back out in the hall and realized it was 312. I went to my room and called one of my co-workers that happened to be in room 512. Our keys unlocked each others' rooms. The hotel had programmed each floors keys the exact same. Scary thought. I gave the manager an ear full (to no avail, I'm sure). I wonder how many hotels do this. I also wonder how many people with bad intentions go around checking to see if these credit card type keys will unlock other doors. I've never thought about hotel rooms quite the same way since.

[Bark'n]

I was on a business trip staying in a Holiday Inn in Richmond, VA several years ago and was staying in room 412. A bunch of us wnt out for a group dinner and upon returning piled in the elevator with people on each floor. I accidentally got off on the 3rd floor by mistake. Went to room 312 (thinking it was 412), inserted electronic key, and it unlocked the door and I went in. I turned on the light and looked around and noticed it wasn't my stuff. Confused, I walked back out in the hall and realized it was 312. I went to my room and called one of my co-workers that happened to be in room 512. Our keys unlocked each others' rooms. The hotel had programmed each floors keys the exact same. Scary thought. I gave the manager an ear full (to no avail, I'm sure). I wonder how many hotels do this. I also wonder how many people with bad intentions go around checking to see if these credit card type keys will unlock other doors. I've never thought about hotel rooms quite the same way since.

Very interesting story, Bug... It really makes you wonder. I always throw the manual door lock when I'm inside, and utilize a wedge type door stop which is also a 110 decibel alarm to guard against unwanted entry when I'm inside. However that does nothing for returning to your room from an outing and not knowing if someone is already on the inside rummaging through your stuff or lying in wait to ambush you.

[BugDude]

Very interesting story, Bug... It really makes you wonder. I always throw the manual door lock when I'm inside, and utilize a wedge type door stop which is also a 110 decibel alarm to guard against unwanted entry when I'm inside. However that does nothing for returning to your room from an outing and not knowing if someone is already on the inside rummaging through your stuff or lying in wait to ambush you.

Yep. That's my concern. You can secure the door from the inside, but not when you leave...I think about this everytime I enter an "empty" hotel room or my wife has to go back to the room for something.

I also keep the credit card style key when I check out and destroy it. They contain personal information in the magnetic strip from your check-in and people can use them for identity theft.

[ccw9mm]

My wife has a bad habit of leaving the main door unlocked.

... she said "Someone just came in through the front door and went back out again"

She needs a sit-down discussion about how ugly it could have been.

One step to consider: installation of those little "ringer" that chirp an alarm whenever an exterior door is opened or closed. Set to "high," they can be pretty hard to miss.