"This Is a Quiet Neighborhood and Nothing Like This Ever Happens Here"

[salmon creek gary]

You often hear that "quiet neighborhood" bit from shocked neighbors when interviewed by newscasters after some sort of bad incident. It seems like every place must be quiet and nothing ever happens, . . . that is, until it does.

I just discovered my neighborhood is no exception. My wife & I also live in a quiet neighborhood. Twelve years here and nothing has happened. There's even the comfort of having a recently a retired deputy living up the street from our place, and our two nearest neighbors are also firearm owners in a gray man-sort of way. Our own place is tucked away in a patch of woods at the end of a tenth-mile-long gravel lane. Secluded. Wanting to keep it that way, we have a "private drive - no entry" sign near the pavement, and a "no trespassing" sign midway to the house. Quiet. Nothing ever happens here. Until tonight when it did happen here, sort of. Let's just call it an unannounced drill, complete with adrenaline for realism. Here's how it played out:

It was midnight and my wife & I were downstairs watching a TV program when I heard a driveway alert signal from our "early warning" sensor. About 20 seconds later, our "by the house right now" sensor was sounding off. At that point, I was headed up the stairs while pulling at the LCP2 in my sweatpants pocket. No sounds of door kicking or breaking glass yet, and believe me I was listening really, really hard. The DeSantis SuperFly holster released my LCP2 as intended, but the flimsy sweatpants pocket snagged it. I got a mild wedgie from pulling at it, but never mind that now. The ShotLock combo worked like a charm, and with a loaded Maverick 88 in-hand I was already feeling somewhat better. A slight opening beside the window blind let me see that the motion-sensing breezeway lights were on, apparently triggered by the vehicle I could now see reversing in front of the garage. Thankfully, PIR motion alarms focused on the front & side windows and doors remained silent. I heard "by the house" sound off again as the vehicle left the yard, and "early warning" signaled that it kept heading back toward pavement.

I have no firm idea of what that was all about, but midnight and ignoring prominent warning signs make me strongly suspect a prowl. As for the good and the bad take-away from this drill:

Foremost, prior mental rehearsal of actions to take in such circumstances let me get moving without even pondering WTF.
Next, realization that the cost of those two Mighty Mule magnetic driveway alert kits was money well-spent.
Lots of credit to the motion-sensing breezeway lights that probably prompted a quick departure, whatever their plans may have been.
All the fooling around to set up those cheapo Harbor Freight PIR motion alarms was also not wasted; their silence was both significant and reassuring.
No SuperFly-in-sweatpants anymore; there are better ways to keep a gun handy while watching TV.
Feeling around for the little dome light in front of my ShotLock wasted seconds. An always-on LED night light would be better.
The opening beside the window blind served OK tonight, but I think video cameras are in our future.
My wife & I have pre-planned "what to do", but further discussion and actually rehearsing the plan could be beneficial.
Install a telephone in the downstairs bathroom, because that's where she immediately went - urgently - in spite of our pre-planning.

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[Stomper]

So…. your wife decided she needed to use the restroom during a possible event?

 

[User 1234]

I recommend the Wyze brand cameras. They sell both plug-in and battery-powered models. Both types communicate with the base station via wifi so you can hide them in the yard without running cable.

 

[Yarome]

You seem quiet safety conscious, which is a good thing.
With just the two of you it might not be as critical, but one thing we always did as a family (5 kids in the home) was have designated "safe" locations in each room of the home. Not just "safe" from intruders, but also so everyone would know where in the home each person would be in the event a firearm discharge became necessary. "Safe" meaning... also safe from friendly fire.
We also designated rooms by number so that calling one of the kids names, they might respond "1, 1" (without broadcasting to an intruder exactly where they were located)... and to me, meaning... he is in his room in the back of his walk in closet corner.
That also allowed us to direct the kids where to go by simply calling their name with the designated room and location to go to... again... without broadcasting that information to an intruder.
As they got older and in possession of their own firearms... some of those locations turned into covered lanes. IE., My son may not be at "1,1", but at "1, ready"... meaning he was in his room behind the jam with his firearm and covering the hallway and corner leading to the front door. He could call his sisters name to ensure she was at "2,1"... in her safe spot in her room and out of the line of fire he was covering... since their doors faced each other at opposite ends of the hallway.

It might seem a little over the top, but the more people in the home the more beneficial it is to be able to communication quickly and clearly. Of course, we've always been one of "those families". With stranger passwords and alert words. IE., If any of the kids ever address me as "Papa"... no matter what their demeanor or what they say after... that's the alert that they are in a bad situation or under duress.

In the case where you wife didn't go where your preplanning had dictated she go, some type of system like that might be helpful to be able to quickly ask and confirm exactly where she is.... without directing would be bad actors to her location... and ensuring you don't send one flying in her direction thinking she's actually where she was "supposed" to go.

Just an idea that may or may not be right for everyone...

 

[Siglvr]

Could have been a young couple simply looking for a quiet spot to park, but it's good to be ready.

I live in a "

"SheeT Like That Happens Here all the time neighborhood"

kind of place. Yesterday it was some young mexican fella running around with a gun doing armed robbing and shooting up the place in the wee hours of the morning. The police sent out a "shelter in place" to the locals phones. My brother, who lives a 1/2 mile away, was awake and on the phone to the cops describing his movements while watching him from his window.

"OK, heading west to the blackberry bushes, he's now bubblegum deep in them...OK, now chest deep...that's got to hurt those things are old growth blackberries, and looks like he's dropping his gun". Dude was shortly arrested and likely out 15 min after booking due to a soft on crime DA....I started pocket carrying a kimber pepper blaster 2. If I had a carry firearm there would be dead street cochroaches left from random self-defense encounters....

 

[ilikegunspdx]

You often hear that "quiet neighborhood" bit from shocked neighbors when interviewed by newscasters after some sort of bad incident. It seems like every place must be quiet and nothing ever happens, . . . that is, until it does.

I just discovered my neighborhood is no exception. My wife & I also live in a quiet neighborhood. Twelve years here and nothing has happened. There's even the comfort of having a recently a retired deputy living up the street from our place, and our two nearest neighbors are also firearm owners in a gray man-sort of way. Our own place is tucked away in a patch of woods at the end of a tenth-mile-long gravel lane. Secluded. Wanting to keep it that way, we have a "private drive - no entry" sign near the pavement, and a "no trespassing" sign midway to the house. Quiet. Nothing ever happens here. Until tonight when it did happen here, sort of. Let's just call it an unannounced drill, complete with adrenaline for realism. Here's how it played out:

It was midnight and my wife & I were downstairs watching a TV program when I heard a driveway alert signal from our "early warning" sensor. About 20 seconds later, our "by the house right now" sensor was sounding off. At that point, I was headed up the stairs while pulling at the LCP2 in my sweatpants pocket. No sounds of door kicking or breaking glass yet, and believe me I was listening really, really hard. The DeSantis SuperFly holster released my LCP2 as intended, but the flimsy sweatpants pocket snagged it. I got a mild wedgie from pulling at it, but never mind that now. The ShotLock combo worked like a charm, and with a loaded Maverick 88 in-hand I was already feeling somewhat better. A slight opening beside the window blind let me see that the motion-sensing breezeway lights were on, apparently triggered by the vehicle I could now see reversing in front of the garage. Thankfully, PIR motion alarms focused on the front & side windows and doors remained silent. I heard "by the house" sound off again as the vehicle left the yard, and "early warning" signaled that it kept heading back toward pavement.

I have no firm idea of what that was all about, but midnight and ignoring prominent warning signs make me strongly suspect a prowl. As for the good and the bad take-away from this drill:

Foremost, prior mental rehearsal of actions to take in such circumstances let me get moving without even pondering WTF.
Next, realization that the cost of those two Mighty Mule magnetic driveway alert kits was money well-spent.
Lots of credit to the motion-sensing breezeway lights that probably prompted a quick departure, whatever their plans may have been.
All the fooling around to set up those cheapo Harbor Freight PIR motion alarms was also not wasted; their silence was both significant and reassuring.
No SuperFly-in-sweatpants anymore; there are better ways to keep a gun handy while watching TV.
Feeling around for the little dome light in front of my ShotLock wasted seconds. An always-on LED night light would be better.
The opening beside the window blind served OK tonight, but I think video cameras are in our future.
My wife & I have pre-planned "what to do", but further discussion and actually rehearsing the plan could be beneficial.
Install a telephone in the downstairs bathroom, because that's where she immediately went - urgently - in spite of our pre-planning.

Are you sure this wasn't a deer or something?

 

[Yarome]

Are you sure this wasn't a deer or something?

I know a lot of places allow illegals to get DL's now, but deer can too? You would think their hooves might make it difficult to grip the steering wheel, but what do I know(?)

 

[Alexx1401]

You often hear that "quiet neighborhood" bit from shocked neighbors when interviewed by newscasters after some sort of bad incident. It seems like every place must be quiet and nothing ever happens, . . . that is, until it does.

Most people go their entire life and never "need" a gun. This is why so many, even many gun owners use that line. Don't "need a gun at work, in the car, .................and such. The reason always given is nothing has happened. Yet. Most will go their entire life and never regret the choice to not have a gun when they need it. A few find out the hard way that they should have been prepared.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I know a lot of places allow illegals to get DL's now, but deer can too? You would think their hooves might make it difficult to grip the steering wheel, but what do I know(?)

Do they only activate with cars? I don't know anything about them cuz we use cameras that alert your phone and let you see what's going on on your phone.

 

[Jay Walk]

Be sure and connect those home cameras to the World Wide Web.

 

[Alexx1401]

Do they only activate with cars? I don't know anything about them cuz we use cameras that alert your phone and let you see what's going on on your phone.

OP said he could see the lights of the vehicle leaving. Suspect the alarm would go off for animals too of that size. I have a motion detector system at the house on all 4 sides of the home. Will only pick up movent from something generating heat. So vehicle or animal not wind blowing tree's and such.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

OP said he could see the lights of the vehicle leaving. Suspect the alarm would go off for animals too of that size. I have a motion detector system at the house on all 4 sides of the home. Will only pick up movent from something generating heat. So vehicle or animal not wind blowing tree's and such.

Ah I see. I didn't read its closely cuz it was so long. Thx!

 

[monkeybutler]

All I got was something about fishing around in your sweatpants, and a wedgie.

 

[Yarome]

Do they only activate with cars? I don't know anything about them cuz we use cameras that alert your phone and let you see what's going on on your phone.

I doubt it. If a person in your yard can trip them, I'm sure a deer would too... just in the OP he said a car pulled into his drive that started the alarm sequence and subsided as he watched the car back out of his drive again.

I just assumed it probably wasn't a deer behind the wheel.

Mighta coulda just been someone at a wrong address and realized it once they approached the front door(??)

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I doubt it. If a person in your yard can trip them, I'm sure a deer would too... just in the OP he said a car pulled into his drive that started the alarm sequence and subsided as he watched the car back out of his drive again.

I just assumed it probably wasn't a deer behind the wheel.

Mighta coulda just been someone at a wrong address and realized it once they approached the front door(??)

Makes sense. So much stuff delivered nowadays, meals, groceries etc. We get them all the time here but more urban than OP's area.

 

[bcp]

Buy a gate.

Bruce

 

[Alexx1401]

I doubt it. If a person in your yard can trip them, I'm sure a deer would too... just in the OP he said a car pulled into his drive that started the alarm sequence and subsided as he watched the car back out of his drive again.

I just assumed it probably wasn't a deer behind the wheel.

Mighta coulda just been someone at a wrong address and realized it once they approached the front door(??)

These sensors depend on which one you buy. The one I have around all 4 sides of the home will pick up anything generating heat, even rabbits. I also have motion detection camera's that will send a signal. Those are adjustable. They can be set for small things, larger things like a dog, or someone the size of a person. They sadly do not need a heat source. So they will trip if the wind blows something large enough around in the field of view.

 

[Member 34319]

So it was still a quiet neighborhood and nothing happened?

 

[Yarome]

So it was still a quiet neighborhood and nothing happened?

You picked up on that too, did ya?

Still, a good practical exercise and obviously learned some lessons from it. That's never a bad thing.

 

[Alexx1401]

You picked up on that too, did ya?

Still, a good practical exercise and obviously learned some lessons from it. That's never a bad thing.

Shortly after I met Wife we lived in a home in a VERY quiet place. 20 + years later it had gotten a little less so. When we moved in you did not need a gate on your back yard unless you had critters you wanted kept in. Kids left bikes and such in front, nothing was bothered. New Wife was now and then harping about the money I was spending on guns. I worked nights. One night early hour's she wakes up to the sound of some guy beating on the front door screaming something she could not make out. She called dial a prayer and of course first thing they asked her is are you armed? When she said yes we got record fast service. Police still found nothing. Sounded to me like "maybe" some drunk was lost and at the wrong door? Who knows but it scared crap out of Wife. Said it sounded like he was trying to break the door down. He is only alive because he did not. That was the last time I heard her gripe about the cost of the guns I was buying too.