Alarm/warning systems do work

[suntzu]

Hey,
The other might my wife and I were watching TV. Around 9:00 PM One of our sensors went off. Then another. (Our driveway is almost 100 yds long. I have 3 sensors hooked in a series. If they go off in order within 2 minutes then we get a chime in our house. This way we know someone or car is approaching the house and not a deer or bear) We look at our security cameras and a couple is sitting in a car with the dome light on looking at something, piece of paper we assumed. We watched them get out and they were dressed nice. We figured they got the wrong house but I got my Sig and wife got hers just in case. (we don't carry at home but the are accesible and please, no lectures on carrying at home). We figured they were lost. We live off of a rural road with 8 pieces of property along a 5 mile stretch. We have had folks come to ask for directions to a neighbors housse before. Anway, we felt safe but wary as usual. I saw them walking up the stairs so I was going to greet them. Wife had walked one dog and was going to walk the other one soon so she didn't lock the door. These two dim wits walk straight in before I could open the door, no knock or doorbell. They say sorry we are late! Then they were like oh shoot. They had the wrong house. They were one off. If I didn't have my early warning system these idiots could have had a bad night by barging in. Nobody comes out this way that late at night. My antennea said idiots. I told them to be careful next time becasue somebody could actually shoot you by barging in and scaring them.
Anyway, a good alarm system can save the lives of idiots. But that is why I have it. I know when somebody is approaching way before they get to the door.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Hopyard]

A good example of why even in Castle doctrine states a shoot first policy can be a huge mistake.

[oakchas]

Lucky for them...

I drive a polymer car, won't set off your sensors (technology pioneered by Glock), I'm comin' to get you!

I'm sorry, but the whole story would have been better if you leveled a nice 870 at 'em, racked the slide, and see what happens... Good thing your antennae said "idiots."

Or perhaps you've heard about Mr. and Mrs. Smith? They are some very successful thieves... Your house is no longer on their "potential client" list.

I dunno, it's the scenario topic... I'm just exploring avenues to make it a bit more interesting scenario...

Otherwise, glad it worked out okay for all involved...

[suntzu]

That is why I don't carry at home. I use to Red team so it was to my advantage when I designed my own securtiy system. My wife is left a lone when I am on contract and she feels very safe. She said I should start my own business specializing in rural communities. If some BG got to my house without us knowing, I would give him what he wants and my email address so I could hire him if I did start my own company.

But on a serious note, what would happen in a different scenario with these kids (in their young twenties). If that happened in a bad neighborhood with a scared homewoner that has been robbed before, it could have been bad. Talked to my neighbor yesterday about it and he said they told him what happened. He said to them "did you know by the time you got into their house they had at least two guns ready to shoot you. Girl I guessed almost peed her pants.

[oakchas]

They were VERY lucky. My dogs are my early warners... My driveway is (too) short for much sensing to occur, I mean, the sensor goes off, you're 30 feet from the front door.

Dogs can hear the gravel crunch under foot from a walker (it's happened quite a few times) on the road in front of the house... BTW, they seem to know the cadence of the neighbor who walks for exercise frequently (and ignore her)... but when she takes her kids along, they start to growl.

[dragongtr]

Yeah, my doors are always locked no matter what. Had someone walked in they would have been viewing the business end of an XD (finger off the trigger at first) and being forcefully told to exit the door immediately.

Had some drunk try it at my house once, then try to vandalize my cars because they couldn't get in, they were quickly told Leave, Go To Jail, or Go To Hospital, Pick one.....

[suntzu]

They were VERY lucky. My dogs are my early warners... My driveway is (too) short for much sensing to occur, I mean, the sensor goes off, you're 30 feet from the front door.

Dogs can hear the gravel crunch under foot from a walker (it's happened quite a few times) on the road in front of the house... BTW, they seem to know the cadence of the neighbor who walks for exercise frequently (and ignore her)... but when she takes her kids along, they start to growl.

My Old English Sheepdog greeted them with a stuffed animal in his mouth. He is useless. The other pooch is good though, Norwegian Elhound.

[Harryball]

So someone just walked into your home? And you want to go into business setting up this kinda of security....No thanks...lol

[suntzu]

So someone just walked into your home? And you want to go into business setting up this kinda of security....No thanks...lol

Everybody has to be funny. If it was a threat I would verify the lock on the door! But I was going to open it anyway. These two had dimwit written all over them. We don't live in fear and everything worked like it suppose to. But thanks again funny man

[Harryball]

Everybody has to be funny. If it was a threat I would verify the lock on the door! But I was going to open it anyway. These two had dimwit written all over them. We don't live in fear and everything worked like it suppose to. But thanks again funny man

O great security fixer upper man, please help me......LMAO

Seriously, Im glad you and yours are OK. Next time maybe better SA.....

[tactilame]

My Old English Sheepdog greeted them with a stuffed animal in his mouth. He is useless. The other pooch is good though, Norwegian Elhound.

My two dogs are very similar. My husky is completely oblivious to anything going on that doesn't involve food, running, or playing. My English Mastiff on the other hand is nearly as big as I am and very alert to what goes on outside. I can't count the number of times she has scared the living daylights out of the mailman. She's amazing, she refuses to trust any stranger unless she sees that I am friendly with them.

[Elk Hunter]

Sounds like everything worked out well, would love to see the look on their faces. Thanks for applying a little common sense, not everyone in the neighborhood is a BG.

[First Sgt]

Hey,
The other might my wife and I were watching TV. Around 9:00 PM One of our sensors went off. Then another. (Our driveway is almost 100 yds long. I have 3 sensors hooked in series. If they go off in order within 2 minutes then we get a chime in our house. This way we know someone or car is approaching the house and not a deer or bear) We look at our security cameras and a couple is sitting in a car with the dome light on looking at something, piece of paper we assumed. We watched them get out and they were dressed nice. We figured they got the wrong house but I got my Sig and wife got hers just in case. (we don't carry at home but the are accesible and please, no lectures on carrying at home). We figured they were lost. We live off of a rural road with 8 pieces of property along a 5 mile stretch. We have had folks come to ask for directions to a neighbors housse before. Anway, we felt safe but wary as usual. I saw them walking up the stairs so I was going to greet them. Wife had walked one dog and was going to walk the other one soon so she didn't lock the door. These two dim wits walk straight in before I could open the door, no knock or doorbell. They say sorry we are late! Then they were like oh shoot. They had the wrong house. They were one off. If I didn't have my early warning system these idiots could have had a bad night by barging in. Nobody comes out this way that late at night. My antennea said idiots. I told them to be careful next time becasue somebody could actually shoot you by barging in and scaring them.
Anyway, a good alarm system can save the lives of idiots. But that is why I have it. I know when somebody is approaching way before they get to the door.

Since this is a "Carry-Defensive Scenario" section, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask pertaining to your scenario and your actions...You live off a "rural" road with only eight properties in a five mile stretch, you have an early warning, staggered, 3 sensor security alarm system along a 100 foot driveway, yet you feel safe but wary? Is it because of the 3 sensor security alarm system that you feel safe? What happens if someone parks at the road, and hoofs it the 100 yards to your house and approaches from the rear? You said the wife had just walked one dog at 9 p.m. and had returned, left the door unlocked, because she was going to walk your other dog soon thereafter. I don't understand leaving doors unlocked late night/after dark. You watched a "couple", dressed nice (we all know BG's never dress nice, so we let our SA down), get out of their car and start up the stairs to your front door and proceed to walk straight in before you had a chance to open the door on your own. Yet you had the presence of mind to discern that all was well simply because of your observations of dress and demeanor? And then, you say that if you didn't have your early warning system, the well dressed idiots would have had a bad night by barging in, as if your security system "vetted" them prior to their walking into your house and discreetly told you that they were OK folks and not to be alarmed. You even stated that "nobody comes out this way that late at night" yet you nonchanantly just shrugged it off without as much as challenging them, drawing and challenging them, etc. And, to top it all off, in a later post, you stated your wife bragged on your security awareness, how safe she feels, and that you should start your own "rural security" business and then you go on to say you would be sad to think about what would have happened to these folks had they walked into some homeowners house in a "bad" neighborhood and how tragic the outcome might have been. SIR, I respectfully say, with all the smarts that you normally exhibit in your posts on this forum, YOU and your wife let yourselves down tremendously by your blatant assumption that things can NOT happen to you simply because of the neighborhood you live in, your security measures, and your assumptions based on the appearances of the two idiots, that they were non threatening. I submit, that I'm not asking you to be paranoid at every little thing that occurs, but to rethink your own mindset to the point of correcting what I see as serious shortcomings in your professed security thinking and SA. Then again, perhaps I'm the only one that read this deeply between the lines. But, since these scenarios are posted to be used as learning experiences, then these are the things I would have learned had I been in your shoes. BE safe SIR!

[suntzu]

Since this is a "Carry-Defensive Scenario" section, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask pertaining to your scenario and your actions...You live off a "rural" road with only eight properties in a five mile stretch, you have an early warning, staggered, 3 sensor security alarm system along a 100 foot driveway, yet you feel safe but wary? Is it because of the 3 sensor security alarm system that you feel safe? What happens if someone parks at the road, and hoofs it the 100 yards to your house and approaches from the rear? You said the wife had just walked one dog at 9 p.m. and had returned, left the door unlocked, because she was going to walk your other dog soon thereafter. I don't understand leaving doors unlocked late night/after dark. You watched a "couple", dressed nice (we all know BG's never dress nice, so we let our SA down), get out of their car and start up the stairs to your front door and proceed to walk straight in before you had a chance to open the door on your own. Yet you had the presence of mind to discern that all was well simply because of your observations of dress and demeanor? And then, you say that if you didn't have your early warning system, the well dressed idiots would have had a bad night by barging in, as if your security system "vetted" them prior to their walking into your house and discreetly told you that they were OK folks and not to be alarmed. You even stated that "nobody comes out this way that late at night" yet you nonchanantly just shrugged it off without as much as challenging them, drawing and challenging them, etc. And, to top it all off, in a later post, you stated your wife bragged on your security awareness, how safe she feels, and that you should start your own "rural security" business and then you go on to say you would be sad to think about what would have happened to these folks had they walked into some homeowners house in a "bad" neighborhood and how tragic the outcome might have been. SIR, I respectfully say, with all the smarts that you normally exhibit in your posts on this forum, YOU and your wife let yourselves down tremendously by your blatant assumption that things can NOT happen to you simply because of the neighborhood you live in, your security measures, and your assumptions based on the appearances of the two idiots, that they were non threatening. I submit, that I'm not asking you to be paranoid at every little thing that occurs, but to rethink your own mindset to the point of correcting what I see as serious shortcomings in your professed security thinking and SA. Then again, perhaps I'm the only one that read this deeply between the lines. But, since these scenarios are posted to be used as learning experiences, then these are the things I would have learned had I been in your shoes. BE safe SIR!

I posted this because if I missed something it would be nice to know. I do appreciate your input. And as long it is not a personal attack my skin is pretty thickI would first like to say that I posted this because I wanted folks to know to think before they react sometimes. As far as my "home defense and early warning" it is layered and not radio shack crap. If somebody was on foot they would be detected becasue they are break beam sensors and the first 2 are 40 yards apart. BTW: From raod to house about 100yds,not 100 feet. They extend into the tree line about 7 feet on each side assuming the BG if on foot would be skirting the road. In case of power outage my house is powered by a back up generator which kicks in automaticaly. I have PIR sensors set up in other locations outside the house which will turn on not only exterior lights but interior lights on an interval. The assumption if we are a sleep or not home the BG will see inside lights turning on a few seconds at a time like someone is awake doing it. (Bedrooms do not turn on otherwise I would wake up when Mrs Bear and the little ones come buy). All cameras are programmed with motion sensing software to alert me if set for it. There are other tricks I have and none of these are amatuer jury rigged things. Well, now I can't invite anybody here!Also, a buddy of mine from my team red teamed my house and felt it was more than adequate for a BG.
Now for the other night. The system worked like it was suppose to. Gives us time to assess the situation, get armed, and mentally prepared. This makes for calmer decsion making. A bit of history. This happens every other month or so. There are no lights on the road and if you miss a road you can get lost. We are not on a GPS. When we saw them in the car they looked like they were going over a map (dome light was on). They got out and had no mannerisms that they could have been BG's. Dressed for a night out, purse in her right hand. Guy was laughing with her as they got out of the car and nothing stood out to suggest he had a weapon. One hand holding the girls the other outside his pockets. Call me trusting but there was not one indicator of them being BG's. Door unlocked was just one of those things. Wife was going right back out but we were talking about what to do for dinner the next day. Yeah, should be locked. If anything my fualt to not check. But we had the time it needed.
I didn't put that much detail in the original post because that was not the intent. I think you read between the lines a bit but who knows. I learn from people everydayI read your post carefully and appreciate the comments.
Again, if someone got to my house without me knowing they are some real dedicated BG's. But our abode is 3 stories so for them to get to the living quarters would still entail some work on their part. And I have been in real life situations in buildings and know how to react. Wife is very good also.
Thank again for the comments and please, if I do make a mistake on something let me know. I guess since my antenae in this situation said dimwits I felt OK to answer the door and help them out. We are still human beings after all.

[suntzu]

Oops I forgot to add to the above: My SA has kept me alive in situations where I might not have made it. So this might not make sense but if you come out of something unscathed then your SA was probably correct. But what you do is an after action on the event and then what if it to see what could have been done better if the circumstances went south