[nosights]

Mods, feel free to move...I felt this was the most appropriate place for the discussion.

After watching http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/video?id=7118911 I had a few thoughts on coming home with your latest purchase...

I can't help but wonder if the man was targeted due to his recent handgun purchase. This was a daylight robbery in a neighborhood with other homes close by.

After you make large purchases (gun, TV, computer...) do you head straight home? Once there, do you put the often large boxes by the curb so the trash man can pick em up?

It is common knowledge that thieves target those who made recent "big" purchases. They could follow you home, scout for empty boxes in the trash, look in the windows or ???

I am not trying to be radical...but is this not another scenario where we need to be on a raised condition of awareness?

Thought? Comments? Suggestions? I have a few practices of my own, but I would like to hear some others...

 

[Snowman23]

I always head straight home. If it's a TV...usually I can't wait to hook it up anyway. If it's a gun...you can bet I bought ammo for it as well. :comeandgetsome: Usually I will break down the boxes and put them in the dumpster at my office or somewhere else. I don't like the thought of a big TV box sitting on my curb.

 

[Tom G]

There was a man here who was followed home from the range and was robbed in his driveway.

 

[jhh3rd]

Anything hauled in my old Mazda truck got covered with a tarp. Tv boxes or any flashy name brand card board is taken to the recycling center after being flattened.

A new neighbor moved in a couple years ago and left her Sony boxes and her computer boxes on her porch for several days. My wife is an acquaintance and found out the neighbor was burglarized shortly after moving in. Your post is timely with Christmas, and its trash from gifts, coming soon. Good heads up for all of us to remember, jh.

 

[Barbary]

I head directly home and into the house after major purchases. Open them up, cut the box into small pieces with my box cutter and put them in a large trash bag. After that, it's straight to the garbage can.

 

[mamakennedy]

I usually head home, but if I'm out to make a big purchase I bring my car alarm. My dogs...2 @ 80lbs and 1 @ 120lbs.

no one get near the car or me and the kids when we are unloading, cause the dogs follow us back and forth un less I leave the kids in the house. Then 2 dogs in the house and one with me.

As for the cardboard, we use it to start a fire.

I know the dogs and carrying may seem a little extreme, but a kid, not to far from me, just shot a black bear at point blank a few days ago cause the bear would not leave and it was just the kid and his little sister at home.

 

[sniper58]

I always head straight home. If it's a TV...usually I can't wait to hook it up anyway. If it's a gun...you can bet I bought ammo for it as well. :comeandgetsome: Usually I will break down the boxes and put them in the dumpster at my office or somewhere else. I don't like the thought of a big TV box sitting on my curb.

I always use the dumpster at the office. If one isn't available or accessible, I'd suggest finding one - somewhere. There's no need to advertise what you have in your home.

 

[dukalmighty]

My biggest fear is,I shoot with a friend who has several FA class3 guns,I will wait for him when he leaves the range and scan the immediate area,and always tell him to check his 6 on the way home and never go the same way twice,even taking xtra time to make sure he isn't followed,on any range day he has about $40,000.00 in guns in his car not to mention some crooks would love to get hold of a FA gun

 

[wolfshead]

The BGs are always waiting in mall parking lots waiting for their next victim. It is one thing if they rob you outside the mall. But the dangerous ones follow you home and that can have a bad ending.

I used to live in a rather dangerous neighborhood in downtown Renton where I always saw cars waiting for hours, people across the street not doing anything in general. My condo community had a lot of break ins and I finally moved out of there. I now live on Mercer Island, where crime is almost non existent.

In this case, it is sad the victim didn't have his gun on him. It could have saved his life.

 

[RETSUPT99]

It would be difficult to follow me to my home in a sub with few entrances and no sidestreets. My head is on a swivel when at home. OMO
I've even heard of dirtbags catching people off guard at their homes in the morning on the way to a vehicle for work. I scan everywhere prior to leaving the garage.

Stay armed...stay alert...stay safe!

 

[mamakennedy]

The BGs are always waiting in mall parking lots waiting for their next victim. It is one thing if they rob you outside the mall. But the dangerous ones follow you home and that can have a bad ending.

I used to live in a rather dangerous neighborhood in downtown Renton where I always saw cars waiting for hours, people across the street not doing anything in general. My condo community had a lot of break ins and I finally moved out of there. I now live on Mercer Island, where crime is almost non existent.

In this case, it is sad the victim didn't have his gun on him. It could have saved his life.

I lived just south of Renton for a while. I had my place and car broken into several times, and every time I reported it the cops pretty much told me that there was nothing they could do.

I didn't have much so what they took was viewed as worthless to the cops. :aargh4:

 

[tpurdin]

The BGs are always waiting in mall parking lots waiting for their next victim. It is one thing if they rob you outside the mall. But the dangerous ones follow you home and that can have a bad ending.

I used to live in a rather dangerous neighborhood in downtown Renton where I always saw cars waiting for hours, people across the street not doing anything in general. My condo community had a lot of break ins and I finally moved out of there. I now live on Mercer Island, where crime is almost non existent.

In this case, it is sad the victim didn't have his gun on him. It could have saved his life.

Eventhough crime may be "non existent" in your neighborhood dont let your gaurd down. it can happen anywhere

 

[Orange Boy]

It would be pretty hard for one car to follow me home. I used to work for a private investigator and she taught me a lot about that part of the job. With multiple vehicles and radios...yes...just about anybody could be followed successfully.

 

[Stevew]

I always wait until my anti-gun neighbor goes to work on trash day and then put the big screen tv box in front of his house.

 

[bladenbullet]

timely...one of my neighbors recently purchased a 32" lcd tv and leaned the box against her mailbox post for several days wating for the garbage pickup...all i could think was what a great advertisment it was to a potential thief...to add insult to injury she is a training crime scene investigator....

i always turn boxes inside out and fit them in my recycling bin or trash bags to disguise the purchase...i cant think of a better proffession for a thief than garbage collector...

 

[hogdaddy]

My recycle bin is a BURN PILE ;-)

H/D

 

[chiefjason]

The following home and robbing them in the driveway plan has started around here. I'm sure it will be worse with Christmas coming. I recycle all my cardboard, so it gets broken down and put in the garage. Anything else is bagged.

We did some before school shopping this year. We were dealing with cash, which is a bit unusual for us. Also unusual was that when my wife asked how we were going to keep the money safe, I told her I was going to place it in my wallet, right behind my OC pistol. No CCP at the time. It was one of the few times she smiled and said OK.

On a similar note. I complemented my neighbor in college on something they had just bought. She asked how I knew. I pointed to the pile of boxes by the door. Some folks just don't pay ANY attention to that stuff.

 

[diverdown247]

I really wish the media would call these what they are instead of claiming it's another victim of gun violence. These burglars could and likely would have used anything at their disposal to take this man's life, guns just happened to be their method of choice and had one failed you can bet an alternative would have been used.

 

[ckgdrums]

My wife and I have had our house burglarized while we were out one evening. When replacing the 2 lcd tv's that were taken, we got the idea to cut up the cardboard into pieces big enough to use for target backing at the pistol range. We ended up with about 20 good pieces that we store in the garage for use later. The rest of it was so small that it fit nicely in the dumpster.

 

[Dan M.]

I always wait until my anti-gun neighbor goes to work on trash day and then put the big screen tv box in front of his house.

:hand10: