I need some serious advice!

[random3434]

I think you all have good advice....it's just a matter of what I feel I can actually do to make my family safe, and feel safe. I live in a "safe" complex/area, but that doesn't mean anything these days. I am the one who is in charge of the saftey of my daughter, my mother and myself. That's something I don't take lightly. Thanks again, and I'll take any more ideas you may have!

 

[Care4all]

I live in a 2 bedroom condo, with my daughter and myself, soon my mother is moving in so I can take care of her. Anyway...........last night I thought I heard a sound in one of the bedrooms, so I went and looked in the closets, bathroom...nothing there.

Then I got to thinking, what IF someone was in there? What would I have done? I have no weapons, I don't think I could use a gun if I had one. (Though I defend everyone's right to have one for protection)

Anyway, my question is, what is a good "weapon" or "protection device" for me to have in the house, that is NOT a gun? Thanks!

Get a loud whistle, let your condo neighbors know to call 911 if they hear you blowing it....

I don't know if you live in a high rise condo or not....but if you do, and the fire alarm for the floor you are on is near your apartment, MAKE CERTAIN to flip it....set the alarm off!

and if your smoke detectors are tied in to the condo, set them off....

the big ass bat, and taser and dog sound good as well.....

get yourself BEWARE OF DOG signs and put it on your outside doors....even before you get yourself a dog.

Care

Notice how many things you must do and have to replace one gun?

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

 

[FistyTheBadger]

Get a loud whistle, let your condo neighbors know to call 911 if they hear you blowing it....

I don't know if you live in a high rise condo or not....but if you do, and the fire alarm for the floor you are on is near your apartment, MAKE CERTAIN to flip it....set the alarm off!

and if your smoke detectors are tied in to the condo, set them off....

the big ass bat, and taser and dog sound good as well.....

get yourself BEWARE OF DOG signs and put it on your outside doors....even before you get yourself a dog.

Care

Notice how many things you must do and have to replace one gun?

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

How small is this child?

 

[dilloduck]

Get a loud whistle, let your condo neighbors know to call 911 if they hear you blowing it....

I don't know if you live in a high rise condo or not....but if you do, and the fire alarm for the floor you are on is near your apartment, MAKE CERTAIN to flip it....set the alarm off!

and if your smoke detectors are tied in to the condo, set them off....

the big ass bat, and taser and dog sound good as well.....

get yourself BEWARE OF DOG signs and put it on your outside doors....even before you get yourself a dog.

Care

Notice how many things you must do and have to replace one gun?

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

She lives in a populated area where an lock and alarm system would work much better for her than I would for you. If there are no children in your home, why would you worry about a child gaining access to it ? Get yourself a shotgun and learn how to use it and secure it.

 

[Care4all]

Notice how many things you must do and have to replace one gun?

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

How small is this child?

I don't know? We don't have any children, ask echo....i don't think her child is that young, might be a teen....if she is a teen, she and her daughter should take a course on gun safety and using it....together.

up here, when you are 11 years old, you can use a gun, if you go through the State Safety Course they have, specifically for children....

Care

 

[FistyTheBadger]

Notice how many things you must do and have to replace one gun?

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

She lives in a populated area where an lock and alarm system would work much better for her than I would for you. If there are no children in your home, why would you worry about a shild gaining access to it ? Get yourself a shotgun and learn how to use it and secure it.

Can you clear up what this means for me?

 

[Care4all]

Notice how many things you must do and have to replace one gun?

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

She lives in a populated area where an lock and alarm system would work much better for her than I would for you. If there are no children in your home, why would you worry about a shild gaining access to it ? Get yourself a shotgun and learn how to use it and secure it.

oh yeah, an alarm would do me no good, unless the deer and the antelope and moose come to my rescue when they hear it!!!! lol

But in a crowded area, it could be a deterrent.

We do need a shotgun, and a hand gun....where i am at...though maine ranks 49th on crime....

 

[GHook93]

Some would say a gun, but not always the case. For me I keep I mine locked away in the basement in safe in the ceiling and then it has a gun lock, since I am more afraid of my son getting it than protection. Therefore if there was an intruder in my house, it wouldn't help. What I have is mag line and a small aluminum bat (like a tee-ball bad), but then again I am not a tiny guy.

In your case I would say a taser gun and mag light. The taser to temporary knock him down (and if you accidentally get your daughter or mother, then they won't be hurt just very mad at you) and then use the mag light to clock him/her over the head. Also use the mag light to see!

If you train your son how to use guns, and teach them what they are and what it means to have a gun, you will no longer need fear your son getting it.

My son is 3 and it doesn't matter how much you train a child to use a gun he could easily misuse it. Bragging to his friends and it goes off. Or he let's a friend use it and it goes off. He things there is an intruder and he uses the gun on a family member. No sir. I rather have it safely locked away where no one can get them but me.

 

[FistyTheBadger]

Some would say a gun, but not always the case. For me I keep I mine locked away in the basement in safe in the ceiling and then it has a gun lock, since I am more afraid of my son getting it than protection. Therefore if there was an intruder in my house, it wouldn't help. What I have is mag line and a small aluminum bat (like a tee-ball bad), but then again I am not a tiny guy.

In your case I would say a taser gun and mag light. The taser to temporary knock him down (and if you accidentally get your daughter or mother, then they won't be hurt just very mad at you) and then use the mag light to clock him/her over the head. Also use the mag light to see!

If you train your son how to use guns, and teach them what they are and what it means to have a gun, you will no longer need fear your son getting it.

My son is 3 and it doesn't matter how much you train a child to use a gun he could easily misuse it. Bragging to his friends and it goes off. Or he let's a friend use it and it goes off. He things there is an intruder and he uses the gun on a family member. No sir. I rather have it safely locked away where no one can get them but me.

If that child is above the age of 5 and you give him proper training, that concern would become unfounded.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Yes, damnit! I have to get a gun myself! But we do not have any small children around...

i would be hesitant to get a gun and keep it in a place where i could readily access it, because my small child could as well...

Dillo's idea of a good alarm system would be a good deterant...

Care

She lives in a populated area where an lock and alarm system would work much better for her than I would for you. If there are no children in your home, why would you worry about a shild gaining access to it ? Get yourself a shotgun and learn how to use it and secure it.

Can you clear up what this means for me?

Echo lives in Condo, meaning her walls are other peoples walls, any shot is likely to go THROUGH those walls. Echo has a CHILD in the house. Not only does she not know much about firearms but her child knows even less. Even if as you keep insisting she run out and buy a gun she can not store it in the house without fear her child will get it and accidently fire it.

It would take a year or more to train her and her child to even approach a level she might consider safe enough to consider buying a gun. And nothing changes the fact that the walls are neighbors walls as well. BUT ignoring that for a year she has no firearm. IF she can find alternate means during that year there really is no need to buy a gun to begin with.

An alarm system in a complex is a great idea, especially if she gets to know her neighbors so they do not ignore an alarm going off.

 

[GHook93]

(1) Make sure you have time for the dog. They need attention and love.
(2) Be wary about getting a big dog around small children. Small children don't sometime realize to give a dog space and not to harm the dog. A big dog could bite and scar the child for life! So if you get a dog obvious get a puppy, so the dog grows with your child!
(3) Don't train your dog to be aggressive. 9x out of 10 it will back fire and attack someone you don't want them to. Which equates to a nice lawsuit against you!


Get a dog for the right reasons!

 

[FistyTheBadger]

She lives in a populated area where an lock and alarm system would work much better for her than I would for you. If there are no children in your home, why would you worry about a shild gaining access to it ? Get yourself a shotgun and learn how to use it and secure it.

Can you clear up what this means for me?

Echo lives in Condo, meaning her walls are other peoples walls, any shot is likely to go THROUGH those walls. Echo has a CHILD in the house. Not only does she not know much about firearms but her child knows even less. Even if as you keep insisting she run out and buy a gun she can not store it in the house without fear her child will get it and accidently fire it.

It would take a year or more to train her and her child to even approach a level she might consider safe enough to consider buying a gun. And nothing changes the fact that the walls are neighbors walls as well. BUT ignoring that for a year she has no firearm. IF she can find alternate means during that year there really is no need to buy a gun to begin with.

An alarm system in a complex is a great idea, especially if she gets to know her neighbors so they do not ignore an alarm going off.

So because it takes a while, she should wait even longer to get one? How long? Should she wait ten years before she starts going through the process?

 

[PoliticalChic]

Echo, I don't want to try to persuade you personally to get a gun. Here are John Lott's (author of More Guns, Less Crime) words stating guns help women the most.

Question: Violence is often directed at women. Won't more guns put more women at risk?

Lott: Murder rates decline when either more women or more men carry concealed handguns, but a gun represents a much larger change in a woman's ability to defend herself than it does for a man. An additional woman carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for women by about 3 to 4 times more than an additional man carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for men.

Interview with John Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime

 

[Anguille]

Echo lives in Condo, meaning her walls are other peoples walls, any shot is likely to go THROUGH those walls. Echo has a CHILD in the house. Not only does she not know much about firearms but her child knows even less. Even if as you keep insisting she run out and buy a gun she can not store it in the house without fear her child will get it and accidently fire it.

It would take a year or more to train her and her child to even approach a level she might consider safe enough to consider buying a gun. And nothing changes the fact that the walls are neighbors walls as well. BUT ignoring that for a year she has no firearm. IF she can find alternate means during that year there really is no need to buy a gun to begin with.

An alarm system in a complex is a great idea, especially if she gets to know her neighbors so they do not ignore an alarm going off.

You bring up some good points. Bullets can pass through walls, floors and ceilings and proper training in using a gun takes time and commitment.

 

[Anguille]

I'm merely pointing out to her that I find her overbearing, and obnoxious.

Considering who that's coming from ....

 

[FistyTheBadger]

Echo lives in Condo, meaning her walls are other peoples walls, any shot is likely to go THROUGH those walls. Echo has a CHILD in the house. Not only does she not know much about firearms but her child knows even less. Even if as you keep insisting she run out and buy a gun she can not store it in the house without fear her child will get it and accidently fire it.

It would take a year or more to train her and her child to even approach a level she might consider safe enough to consider buying a gun. And nothing changes the fact that the walls are neighbors walls as well. BUT ignoring that for a year she has no firearm. IF she can find alternate means during that year there really is no need to buy a gun to begin with.

An alarm system in a complex is a great idea, especially if she gets to know her neighbors so they do not ignore an alarm going off.

You bring up some good points. Bullets can pass through walls, floors and ceilings and proper training in using a gun takes time and commitment.

That just means that you have to take precautions and you sould have the commitment.

 

[Anguille]

That just means that you have to take precautions and you sould have the commitment.

Guns are not for everyone. If I was to keep a weapon in the house I would choose a taser over a gun. I think that knowing I could kill or maim an intruder would make me hesitate to use the gun in a situation where it could be in my best interest to fire the gun in timely fashion. I also live in near proximity to my neighbors so a stray bullet could likely cause some innocent person some serious harm.

I would have much less of a problem using a a taser.

 

[Duke505]

Baseball bat or maybe a hammer.

That is until they take it away from you and use it on YOU! I prefer the gun option. The thing with a gun though is knowing how to use it. You have to practice with it once a month at least so that you are comfortable with your shot. I have seen pepper spray used on people before and they just wipe it off and return even more pissed off. The best thing is if you feel someone has broken into your house is to try and gather everyone up and lock yourself into one room after you have called the police. You never should go searching the house unless you have family members you are protecting. This is were a firearm comes in handy.

This is just my opinion..

 

[Amanda]

I think that knowing I could kill or maim an intruder would make me hesitate to use the gun in a situation where it could be in my best interest to fire the gun in timely fashion.

I don't understand why you would feel that way. If someone broke into your house at night they obviously didn't drop in for tea. Why would you hesitate?

 

[OohRah Mama]

You don't find your signature just a little over the top, and slightly obnoxious, since practically everyone else on the board has the decency to keep theirs somewhat reasonable, so as not to clutter the crap out of things?

Signatures used to have a limit on size/content.. I don't know if they still do. I'm merely pointing out to her that I find her overbearing, and obnoxious.

Well, I was gonna try and figure out how to shrink them on Photobucket, but since that post was so whiny and putzy, I'll probably leave 'em. (Notice I found fault with your post instead of you personally?) You could have just sent me an IM to point out that it would be easier for people to read if I used smaller photos. You know, the whole adult, catching more flies with honey than vinegar thing...