Self protection

[wrongone2messwith]

Police said I could get a gun to protect myself of course, as it takes them a while to get up here. So I did...and trust me...I will happily use it if he tries this stunt again in my home. I want my privacy and security back that badly.

[Chuck]

  he looked nervous, and not quite right. Have NEVER seen him before. I

On the lighter side this is a good description of Boston Bob

[Cigar_and_Scotch]

Wrongone2messwith, if you are fearful and anxious about this situation I would strongly recommend that you get a dog and a shotgun for home defense.  As a matter of fact, I would recommend it to everyone in town, regardless of their situation.  A few years ago I decided that the nearly non-existent sheriff presence in town was not going to be sufficient for me to sleep well at nights.  Especially out of concern for my wife, we got two German shepherds and a Remington 800 shotgun (which I taught my wife to shoot).  If you don't want to go this route, I have heard good things about ADT security, if you have the means to pay for such a service. 

[wrongone2messwith]

Guns best way to go for me because of the police not taking me serious enough I feel. No finger prints taken..no footprints found however next morning I saw some...and I was never given police report number. Was one taken? Don't know he didn't say. So for me I'm being told handle it yourself it takes a while to get up here single woman who doesn't stand a freakin chance against any assaliant. Unacceptable. Sorry. As scared and fearful as I am now whoever comes over is getting injured by gun if I don't know the person(s). Period. 

[wrongone2messwith]

Cigar n scotch...i went with 45 caliber ruger p345....I like the way you think and yes shotgun would be great but I thought well what if he gets it out of my hands if he gets too close? So 45 is what I got. Dog will be next for heck of it. Lol and heck yes I'm fearful. But I'm watching him....and if he wants in he will get in. He won't leave unfortuately for him though.  Not something I want to do..but I will.

[ChattyCathy]

I've got five dogs up for adoption - all in the 40-70 pound range, both male and female.  They are friendly as can be, would bark at noises, and would make great companions.

[ChrisLynnet]

Great idea, Chatty. wrongone2messwith, you already have a gun. Adopt a good-sized dog as a companion who will bark loudly should someone approach your home. You'll feel so much better, I know I do with my loud 70-pounder. (Who would bite a stranger, but that's another story. Most people won't try to come in hearing a big barking dog.)

Good luck!

[jules]

I have two big dogs, two big guns and motion lights at the porch, driveway, and two in back....the porch one is stylish and the others utilitarian, but they take care of the security lighting problem without lighting up the neighborhood all night...with the gun discussion i would like to  encourage training and practice for newer gun owners....I like my Remington 870 shotgun but I practice on a regular basis...the apple valley gun club has programs and programs specifically for women..we all need to be alert and report suspicious activity while looking out for ourselves and our neighbors...

[in my dreams]

Having my neighbor shot by a would-be home invasion robber followed by the other neighbor shooting at his girlfriend in the street the following year (22 feet in front of me), I get the impulse to protect oneself. (Didn't happen in WW--prompted the move though!) I have somewhere in storage my ggrandfather's pistol from when he was a sheriff in Yankton SD in the 1880's, most of my relatives have been in the military and so I have grown up with and around guns. Guns do not freak me out. . . I think edssds has some really good points to consider.
(And Jules.)
And for heaven's sake, if there is a child in the house with a gun, use a lock and wear the key around your neck. If you can train yourself to brush your teeth when you get up and go to bed, you can train yourself to lock and unlock your gun as you keep it in your nightstand, under your pillow, etc.

[TimG]

When was the last time there was a violent crime in Wrightwood (other than a bar fight)?  I'm a big fan of the 2nd Amendment and think guns are important tools that all sovereign citizens should consider owning -- but this isn't exactly the Wild West...this is a string of petty thefts.

[jules]

We had a shootout with police and a man barricaded in his  home about a year ago

[tlc]

If you love your dog please don't count on them for protection.

For those interested in information on home and personal safety please PM me.

[ChattyCathy]

None of my dogs are guard dogs, but they'd make great companions and bark if there's something to bark at. 

[ChrisLynnet]

Exactly. My dog is a great family dog. NOT so great with strangers, but that's his temperament and not something we trained in him. It is a happy side effect that no bad guy would dare come in the house with Mr. Snarly on the other side of the door.

[ChrisLynnet]

Question: if I were to get a gun/shotgun, what would you suggest? I'm a small woman, middle-aged but in good shape. No small children at home. I'd practice but want to get the right thing in the first place. This is strictly for the home, which means that the odds are 99.9999 etc. that I'll never have to use it. But I've been thinking about it for a long time.

[TimG]

We had a shootout with police and a man barricaded in his  home about a year ago

That's a perfect example of one reason not to get a gun...not very effective at self-defense against yourself. When was the last time there was an armed robbery, home invasion, assault with a deadly weapon...? 

I don't mean to be a contrarian, and by all means get a gun if it makes you feel better, but this is the safest place I've ever lived in my entire life. By far.  It's weird to see everyone up in arms (pun intended).  Maybe it's because we're remote, it's easy to get spooked...but that's pretty much why it's safe, right?

[Surfer_Dude]

But if you get a gun for home defense for peete sake get a shotgun that has been properly accessorized.
http://www.mesatactical.com/

Just a small plug for friend.

[ChattyCathy]

Have you met your neighbors?  I'd get to know them so you feel more comfortable in your surroundings.  You might consider joining CERT or one of the volunteer groups in town to make some friends and start getting a feel for the town.  I think you will find that Wrightwood is a very nice place with wonderful people who watch out for each other.

Personally, I would NOT feel safe if I knew I had a nervous neighbor with a gun and an itchy trigger finger. 

I just got an email advising that a good alarm is your car alarm.  Keep your keys next to your bed, and you can hit the panic button which will set off your car alarm.  That would spook anybody away for sure - though might upset your neighbors if you're setting it off all the time.

Truth is, in the daylight hours I'm brave....I find myself dreading the night hours though....I'm 5' 2" 110 pounds. So I cry when dark hits. I hate what he's done and he's a constant concern now, I don't sleep now. Coffee pot always going. Wish I could borrow that critter. Ughh!

[ChattyCathy]

I agree with Tim.  Seems like any crime I remember in the recent years is BECAUSE people had guns.  Remember the guy who shot his wife a few years back - the Klan house or something.  Then the man who had a gun and was depressed, and the police killed him.  And I know of at least one suicide with a gun.

I don't recall anyone defending their property or shooting an intruder.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

[ChrisLynnet]

You all are right, it's extremely unlikely that we will need guns against intruders up here. Both of the above examples were domestic violence made much worse by guns. However, if someone really is sneaking into wrongone's house then she needs to be able to defend herself inside her home.

The only time we actually had guns in the house was during the L.A. riots. We lived close to the action. My husband refused to leave our home and I refused to go without him. Our friend who lived nearby was a gun owner and collector, and unbeknownst to me loaned Alan a shotgun. Alan told me later and thought I'd be mad, but believe me I wasn't! That was a bizarre time. I never forgot seeing National Guardsman stationed around the neighborhood the next day, talk about guns... surreal.