Break in

[Bethers]

Amazon sells simplisafe and the reviews look good:

http://www.amazon.com/Simplisafe2-Wirel ... B001PBYQHG

And the review on youtube looks good, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcA-v6RDuow

[JanetA]

Charlotte,

I know this sounds radical but as for ME,, I would sell out and get the heck outta there. You could get a fortune for that kind of house in Cali and move to a smaller town out of that state! The taxes are too high,, and etc etc etc. I could go on forever about the most beautiful LOOKING state in our country ,, but you couldn't PAY me to live there. Just saying! call a realtor and list it and get in your camper and get out of there for awhile and get some good rest.

Keep us posted and GOd be with you! Also,, don't sign any contract...

Just my thoughts. I know you will do what you want just give it some thought.

best regards,

Janet

[mtngal]

Just catching up here Char, and so sorry to read about this awful experience! It's two am here in Cali, hope you are getting some sleep. Good luck with alarm system!

[retiredhappy]

I, too, need my windows open at night. Simple, cheap solution: Open your window the two or three or four inches you want then put a long screw through the window to keep it from being opened any further. Put a screw on each side. The bad guys go to the upper story windows because most of the time they are open and not secured. Motion sensor lights are a must and not that expensive. Put the screw into ALL the windows. I had two positions for my screws: all the way closed and open about four inches for air. Yes, its kind of a pain to remove the screw when you want to open or close the window but its a great cheap way to secure your windows. Or if sliders you can use something the size of a broomstick to lay in the track. Just be sure the window is not open enough for someone to reach in and remove the stick. The other way is to drill a hole big enough that you can with your fingers just insert a big nail. Be sure to drill the hole at the top of the window where someone could not reach in and remove the screw. If your windows are metal and are sliders you can still use this method. You just need a drill that will drill through metal. Your doors need a really heavy-duty deadbolt; one that cannot be kicked in easily. My concern with the inexpensive alarms that you attach to the window and the frame that set off an alarm when the window is moved is that they are where the bad guys could just rip it off the window to silence it.

As for a gun, handgun or shotgun, you MUST be willing to shoot someone. You give a warning to not move and if they take one step, you MUST shoot. If you hesitate and let them get near you, they can take the weapon away from you. If you don't think you could "shoot someone" then please don't get a gun. Using a gun to "scare" them is dangerous and you're more likely to get hurt with your own weapon. The other problem with a weapon is what if you don't hear anyone break in? If I lived in an unsafe area my gun would be ON the nightstand, NOT in the drawer. YOu need to be able to access it instantly.

[Excel]

Karen...Your comment is so right on...thank you. I bought an alarm system last night & it should get here Friday. It's self install & I watched the video & it looks really easy. If not, my Grandson will be here Sat. & will help me. Have to say, I am so exhausted with no real sleep for 3 days now. My mind is swimming & I just feel all used up. My son came over last night & brought his shot gun... gave me a quick lesson then went on to make me feel like a complete idiot.... Told me the wood bars I put in all my windows were pretty stupid & a burglar would jimmy the window enough to make them useless... Told me having a gun that I wasn't familiar with (shot gun) was stupid & a complete mistake. I am familiar with a revolver & know how to use one, but not a shot gun. I tried to explain my thoughts & why I went with buying a shot gun, but he criticized me for that too.... I do intend to sign up for a course on using it but that didn't seem to ease his opinions. He's a good husband & a good father, but not an easy to get along with or compassionate person/son...
He pointed out that access through doors is also pretty easy as they can be kicked in & the lock will splinter the door jamb & entry is then a sure thing. By the time he left I was a wreck & didn't get much sleep worrying about all the things he pointed out.
Can't make any more decisions... I am so tired... The fact that there were 2 or more people (which Scott pointed out) trying to break in really scared me. Not being familiar with this sort of thing, I didn't know... guess the procedure is to have a 'look-out outside & then another getting inside who once in, will let the others (2 or more) in. If I was scared before, now I am paralyzed.

I am not one to live in an RV of any kind. My RV is fine for trips & camping & visiting, but the full time traveling is simply not something I want to do. I like having a house that's mine where I can garden & putter around in. When I was married, my husband built a home in the mountains here..... it was a beautiful very large home on 3 acres.... I loved it & loved living in the mountains...
At this time if my daughter was still with me, I would definitely sell this house (market is good for my area right now) & move back to that area. However, living alone up there would not be a wise thing for me to do. Have no family other than my kids & Grandkids so can't just move somewhere close to relatives. I've lived in CA since 1959 & wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Coming from Chicago, I am so grateful that I moved here. Love this state with all it's troubles... can't imagine leaving it..
Anyhow, I know I'm rambling but am so needing to get my thoughts unscrambled..... so posting this is my therapy.... so glad I have this outlet... Please have patience..
Well at least I'll be able to take a shower now. Usually do that before I go to bed, but afraid to do that now.... so it's day time & I can lock everything up & get that shower.... Thanks for listening... stay safe & blessings to all.

[SoCalGalcas]

Post any time you want!!! I did not carry a gun when full-timing. It is very, very true that you must fire immediately when confronted.
Many years ago, while home alone, my son came home completely unexpectedly. He did not have a key to the house, so went around to the front and back doors ratteling them. I thought it was someone attempting to break in the house....I began shaking so bad if I had gun, heaven knows who I would have shot!!! Probably the next door neighbor!!! lyn

[JoanE]

Contracts on alarm systems are negotiable. I had a one year contract for a three year contract price. Just get it in writing.

having said that, we are not as threatened as the alarm ads would have us think. Hard to believe right after your experience but it's true. There are steps we should take to be safe and healthy but then we have to accept what comes. Otherwise we would be paralyzed with fear and never leave our beds.

Guns are intended to kill not frighten. If you want to kill someone, get a gun. If you want to scare someone, get a fierce acting dog.

[rvgal]

I'd check out www.simplisafe.com. It's a wireless system & not hard to install. As for a gun, don't get a shotgun. They have a lot of "kick". A good handgun, along with good instructional classes would be a better idea.

[BayouLady]

That is very scary, glad your physically ok, mentally might take getting some protection in place. Motion lights are great along with the alarm, but dogs are the best, companionship and don't turn off due to power outage. Another option is having cameras installed, wish the insurance company gave a discount for them like they do the alarms.

[mitch5252]

...Another option is having cameras installed, wish the insurance company gave a discount for them like they do the alarms.

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From a personal safety point of view, I prefer my monitored security system over my video surveillance system. (I have a neighbor that calls the house "The Fortress")

On video systems, the motion is sensed by changes in light, while the motion sensors of a security system are activated by temperature changes. The video system is far too sensitive, even when set to "LOW". If you have a camera with infrared lights for night vision, bugs are attracted to those lights. Their little bodies crawling across the camera lens set off the alarm, as do the webs they build during the day. Once or twice a year, I have to get out a ladder and spray my cameras with Home Defense to keep them off.

The camera alert is also set off by rapid changes in the cloud/sun formation, or the shadow cast by a flag waving in the wind. Very annoying. I mostly leave the video alerts off. You can set the area of a camera's view as "do not alert", but even that is not foolproof. Below, the blue areas are the only areas that sense motion. It alerts me to motion coming up the driveway, and the other set (3 blue squares) alerts to someone walking up the front sidewalk.



If a bad guy doesn't notice your cameras, he's going to break in anyway. You'll end up with a grainy and mostly unrecognizable video of him that you can watch as he robs you blind. I, for one, didn't want to spend the huge $$$ required for a high-end video surveillance system...

And that is the personal opinion of a person with two separate "security" systems.

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[BayouLady]

But if they do notice them, they will go to the next house.

I three systems, monitored alarm, cameras and dogs

[mitch5252]

But if they do notice them, they will go to the next house.

I three systems, monitored alarm, cameras and dogs

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You don't have false alarms with your cameras, like shadows setting it off, or seemingly nothing in the middle of the night?
If so, I'd sure like to know the name of your system...
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[retiredhappy]

Janet, selling and moving doesn't sound like a great solution to me. Just living in a small town does NOT make you safer, we have bad guys here in Kerrville, too.

I agree that a shotgun probably isn't the best solution even tho it makes you feel better. You MUST be willing to shoot BEFORE a bad guy can get close enough to you to take your weapon away. If you're familiar with a handgun, by all means use that. You can always get the soft nose bullets so you don't have to hit a critical spot. They do a lot of damage and will stop someone pretty quick.

[Redetotry]

Ok, note to all, if you are going to visit Mitch be sure not to drop in unannounced!!!

I had a dream last night that this 'boy' from high school all of a sudden was in bed with me I hardly knew him, although everyone knew who he was because he was a 'hood' and was one of the best dancers in high school. I told him, my Daddy is going to be home soon you had better leave. Finally I told him I needed to go to the bathroom and I called 911 on my cell phone Only in your dreams can you switch time so easily when I came out I reached into my nightstand to get my gun trying to remember what kind it was to try and scare him by letting him know it was big, but could only remember it had hollow point (?) bullets. Then I woke up. Where in the world do these crazy dreams come from!! Maybe this thread has been on my mind more than I realize.
I am not very careful about locking the doors during the day and know I should be. When DH is out and comes home, the dogs bark at him just like they would if a stranger was coming in.

Even though I realized immediately it was a dream it took me awhile to calm my racing nerves so I can't even imagine how frightening your experience must have been.

[mitch5252]

Ok, note to all, if you are going to visit Mitch be sure not to drop in unannounced!!!

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Ain't that the truth - but only at night.
I actually told that to my friends and family when we first moved here.

The alarm went off in the middle of the night once when George was still alive. Even though I was awakened from a deep sleep, I had the wherewithal to reach over and feel for his body before I got my gun out. He was not in bed and had accidentally set off the alarm. But that might not necessarily be true in every case, so yeah, don't show up in the middle of the night without a phone call!
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