Hi guys --
I wonder if I could ask your advice on home defense. We were broken into a few weeks ago.
I'm a small, thin middle-aged woman with young children. I've suffered periodically from suicidal depression, so having a gun in the house is not something I'm willing to do. (Please do not suggest therapy, drugs, "get over it", etc. You'll have to take my word for it that after long experience and professional help, I know what I'm talking about here.)
Several people have suggested I get a baseball bat, but I have trouble seeing how this would be all that helpful. It seems to me I'd be easily disarmed, and then the attacker(s) would have a bat. I'm in good shape -- lift and run -- but a 5'10" street kid's going to have me beat on reflexes, strength, bulk, and just plain knowing how to fight. I've also got very small wrists and hands, so consider how easy it is to take something away from your fourth-grader: that's about where I'm at.
I don't, unfortunately, have time, room, or money to care properly for a dog. Also, half my work is at home, telecommute writer, and I can't have a dog distracting me while I work. (They may not distract you; they distract me, so please, again, no defenses of dogs at work.)
I've been attacked before, and I don't freeze -- I make hella noise and get out of the situation. The worst I've walked away with was a broken nose. But I don't know how I'd do that while also protecting my kids.
I've installed a monitored alarm, and police do come quickly here, so if the system works at least there's that. Domestic Violence advocates here have suggested installing a "safe room", which is a possibility -- in fact I'd considered them before because we live in tornado country. But they're wildly expensive, plus you'd have to have the opportunity to get there. The logistics make sense when considering a tornado -- go all the way downstairs. (There are some nice ones that actually get built under the garage.) But we've got a split-level, so actually getting to the safe room would be a trick if the invader were upstairs. There's only one flight of stairs leading to the lower level.
Given the situation, what would you suggest? I know that for purely defensive purposes, a gun is totally the way to go. As explained, though, it's not something that would be wise for me to do.
Thanks for your help -
iowagal
I wonder if I could ask your advice on home defense. We were broken into a few weeks ago.
I'm a small, thin middle-aged woman with young children. I've suffered periodically from suicidal depression, so having a gun in the house is not something I'm willing to do. (Please do not suggest therapy, drugs, "get over it", etc. You'll have to take my word for it that after long experience and professional help, I know what I'm talking about here.)
Several people have suggested I get a baseball bat, but I have trouble seeing how this would be all that helpful. It seems to me I'd be easily disarmed, and then the attacker(s) would have a bat. I'm in good shape -- lift and run -- but a 5'10" street kid's going to have me beat on reflexes, strength, bulk, and just plain knowing how to fight. I've also got very small wrists and hands, so consider how easy it is to take something away from your fourth-grader: that's about where I'm at.
I don't, unfortunately, have time, room, or money to care properly for a dog. Also, half my work is at home, telecommute writer, and I can't have a dog distracting me while I work. (They may not distract you; they distract me, so please, again, no defenses of dogs at work.)
I've been attacked before, and I don't freeze -- I make hella noise and get out of the situation. The worst I've walked away with was a broken nose. But I don't know how I'd do that while also protecting my kids.
I've installed a monitored alarm, and police do come quickly here, so if the system works at least there's that. Domestic Violence advocates here have suggested installing a "safe room", which is a possibility -- in fact I'd considered them before because we live in tornado country. But they're wildly expensive, plus you'd have to have the opportunity to get there. The logistics make sense when considering a tornado -- go all the way downstairs. (There are some nice ones that actually get built under the garage.) But we've got a split-level, so actually getting to the safe room would be a trick if the invader were upstairs. There's only one flight of stairs leading to the lower level.
Given the situation, what would you suggest? I know that for purely defensive purposes, a gun is totally the way to go. As explained, though, it's not something that would be wise for me to do.
Thanks for your help -
iowagal