A couple nights ago, about 9:30 PM, there’s a ring at the front door.
It’s a young woman, holding her head, vocalizing about “being hurt” and “being in pain”. From what we could see through the peep-hole, there was a small child with her.
Oldest answered the door.
Actually, Sasha (our 100 lb Kuvasz) answered the door first.
BARKBARKBARKBARKBARKBARKBARK (in a most unwelcoming tone).
After we got her calmed down.
“Who is it?”
“I need help. I’m hurting.”
“Sorry, we cannot help you.”
I was fast asleep. Wife woke me up and quickly briefed me. By the time I got to the door, she was gone.
Wife mentioned seeing a car just up the road, that drove off shortly thereafter.
Yeah… it looks like someone targeted our house for burglary. Don’t know why, doesn’t really matter why.
But it’s a typical attempt.
Use a woman. Because no one would suspect a woman of being a criminal. And in this case, having a small child with them (which is particularly despicable).
Have a ruse. Something to gain sympathy. Something to cause you to open your heart and your front door. When you open the door, if they don’t rush in, at least they will survey all they can to determine if it’s a good target.
This is why it’s critical you ANSWER your door. It’s important to let them know someone is home. That’s why they are knocking – to determine if someone is home or not.
BUT this does NOT mean you have to OPEN your door. In fact, do NOT open your door (this doesn’t mean open the main door and leave the storm door locked — open NO door, so they cannot see inside and you keep as many barriers between you and them). You can speak just fine THROUGH your door. If you have one of those new video/audio doorbells, use that and speak through that. If you don’t, just project your voice and speak THROUGH the door. There is NO need to open it: answer it, but don’t open it.
You don’t need to have a conversation.
“Who is it?”
Even if you determine it’s someone to bother with, be certain of that before you open your door. If you have doubt, take precautions. Delivery people don’t need to come in. Were you expecting a pizza? Does this person have a pizza? Did they come from the place you ordered from? If you’re still in doubt, call the pizza place first and ask them who the driver is and if the person at your door matches.
Yeah, some might call you paranoid, but it’s your personal safety here. Do what you need to satisfy yourself.
If the person says “I need help” you can give a simple response:
“I will help you by calling the police to come help you.”
I reckon if someone is truly in need, they might be annoyed but will accept the help (tho of course today just about everyone has a mobile phone and could call the police themselves if they needed it). If they aren’t in need, I reckon they’ll decline and be on their way.
If needed, call the police anyways.
Don’t threaten that you have a gun. Don’t say anything about shooting. Keep things calm and polite (but firm) – don’t escalate until it’s evident it’s time to escalate. It might just be some annoying person wanting you to sign a petition (and that doesn’t understand that “No Soliciting” doesn’t just mean selling wares), and such escalation could cause you more problems.
Just be polite and firm. Answer – but don’t open – the door. Work to determine if it’s a conversation to have, and if not, break it off firmly, including an offer to call the police if needed.
Stuff From Hsoi 
I can’t imagine what it must be like, to live in the US, where there is this seemingly constant fear;
I’ve lived in Australia for nigh on 70 years now, and I’ve never had any qualms about answering the door, day or night. I’ve lived in small country towns, and large cities, ( Sydney Melbourne Perth & Brisbane) and I
ve never ever hesitated there’s a knock on the door or the bell rings , I get up and answer and now in my 84 th year I can’t see the need to change.
Australia; truly “The Lucky Country”
Yep, where your freedoms are shrinking at an ever faster rate, even compared to ours.
How would you know? Have you visited lately?
Beari, (or is it “beri-beri” ? 😉
I worked on a sheep station in NSW, before you graced the country with your August personage.
I still correspond with people living there.
Peter H. was so afraid of anti-firearm environment that he was major agitated when I told him I’de like to send him a firing-pin for his lever-action Marlin that he used to shoot feral hogs & dingoes.
(Peter is dead now from wounds received in Malaysia, PTSD, and being afraid of what the gov’t. in “OZ” has morphed into.)
Keep your rosé-tinted goggles on since you are close to the end of your string…Perhaps you will die of old-age and not by having your infidel neck severed by one of your “emmigrant, new Australians” or some other violent criminal bludgeoning your geriatric, wanker arse to death.
Regards,
Davo
On a sheep station before 1951, how amazing; and you’re still going?
By the bye
I’ve worked in the iron ore towns in WA out in the Great Sandy Desert. Also in Nhulunbuy /Gove NT, and sheep country down the South of Perth the Narrrogin area. I suppose you are familiar with those too?
I also served the the Australian Army I suppose you were one of the Rats of Tobruk, and it;s immigrant you foul mouth bludger!
Fellers, this “beri-beri” clot is NOT a “dinkum Aussie…
I worked on a sheep station in NSW in the late 60’s alongside men I deeply respected who were veterans of N.Africa & New Guinea.
Australian “English” is rich in colorful invective, and not only does this bird not ring true in the use of it, in his attitudes and use of “Stralian”, the streak of bitchiness and coy pretense of being a veteran of N.Africa WW2 leads me to believe 99:1 odds that this is an old internet troll named Michael Smith, aka “Major Smith”, aka persona of Amer-Ind veteran living in AK, etc. His brother was a bodyguard in S.Africa for Nelson Mandela and carried a .50 cal Desert Eagle…
He has a rich internet fantasy life and actually used to be a park curator in Surrey(?), if he wasn’t un-hired for stealing the sack of peanuts kept for feeding the park squirrels.
“Real” Australians of his supposed age & background would not be sarcastic or “bitchy”…
They can verbally flay the hide of your bones inventively and humorously.
Also, every Aussie I met then and have corressponded with since would not attack the U.S. or intimate that we were a pack of cowards who lived in fear.
One of “the Rats of Tobruk” my aching wrinkled arse! 🙂
Next thing he will be claiming to have served with Ian Idriess in Palestine in the Australian mounted infantry in WW1, or next to trooper Billy Sing sniping at the Turks !
He is a pervaricating little Pommie(English) poofter(someone “light in his loafers”), and should just sod off & wank himself to sleep.
Don’t let him bait you, “don’t feed the trolls”, & don’t for an instant believe that a real Australian would talk or act like he does.
Davo
I arrived in Australia in April 1951 probably before you were born, which I imagine was an illigitimate birth to some whore in St Kilda or t the “Cross’; obviously you don’t know your father, possibly because it was a pig wallowing in the much around the sheep station where you were a goffer for the shearers. And your mother was no doubt into entering all sorts of animals.
No I was not in Palestine but the Regiment I served in at Puckapunyal was; the 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse, part of the Australia 1st Armoured Div.
I suppose you were one of Australias diggers serving in Papua NG fighting the Japs.
Whatever you are, it’s obvious you’re a foul mouth, brainless bore, and Australia is well rid of you.
By the bye I’m a staunch supporter and card carrying member of the ALP and a firm believer in Australia being a Republic, which is what I voted for at the last referendum.
Still I was never a goffer on a sheep station, something I missed out on. I suppose even that was hard yakka for you, and required all of your limited skills.
by the bye I never rose above the rank of Trooper, 3/718724 Trooper Smith B. E: Sir! a gunner in tanks.
I hope your followers, if any, don’t think ALL Australians are foul mouth slobs, like you, as you crawl up their American anuses.
How long since you left this country? And if it’s so great why did you leave? Or are you stuck in Long Bay?
So how many guns do you own? Oh that’s right y’all have had your rights to own guns taken away. If you even have tear gas YOU can be arrested. If you have a bullet proof vest you can be arrested. Madame your rights to defend yourself are GONE. Enjoy living with that. You are a good example of a prime target to hit.
Not fear , just being safe… Glock only holds so many rounds….
Thankfully they are not readily available here in Australia
Glocks may not be readily available in Australia, but submachineguns cobbled together in small workshops seem to be available to all the bikey gangs who want them. They aren’t accurate, but they will still kill you, and they fire at a rather rapid pace.
I worked on a (fari-size for NSW @ 49,000 acres…Small by Western Austrailia or Northern Queensland standards) , sheep station (Boonaldoon, Moree NSW) , 50-some years ago, and the anti-firearm liberal attitude’s writing was on the wall even then.
Keith Innes, the station manager was a tanker in N.Africa, and despite his age, was a fine rider who hunted feral hogs horseback with a Colt .22 revolver, shooting them in the back of the head as he rode them down.
Mr.Innes knew of coming increases in regulation and foresaw eventual confiscation of handguns, so he sold his Colt to someone who hopefully tucked it away with a couple bricks of ammo somewhere dry & safe.
To my surprise, the Australian Communist Party made radio broadcasts, but were not taken seriously by the Aussies I was around…
They had a “She’ll be right, mate!” attitude, that kept many of them from looking very far into the future, or the commies would never have been tolerated (IMCO)
Davo
Dear LBOB
Am also pleased that you do not live in the U.S. Is there any particular animus yo have with us Americans that you have to post your condescending comment on this blog? Your speculative/uninformed assumption regarding U.S. citizens “living in constant fear” fails to recognize that fear and not taking an unnecessary risk ain’t the same thing. Additionally, you “come off’ as someone who supports politicians who promise they can/will deliver a government that will provide its subjects with the dreamed of “risk free” environment.
No I’m rather fond of Americans and I’ve enjoyed my holidays there; but it’s certainly not the utopia that many Americans like to portray it as, As for politicians I have little time for them I’ve met just a few who I’d call honest men.
There now, I agree with the points in your reply. A bit off the subject of this blog but– regarding politicians at the national level and regardless of party affiliation– a fair number of them exhibit what I call a “criminal character”– they are deceivers, equivocators, purveyors of dezinformatsiya. That trait is an unfortunate enduring thread of continuity not unique to any specific country.
Wishing you good health
take care
I can’t stand this “I’m glad I don’t live in the US BS” You’re not safe, you’ve just been lucky or you don’t have anything anyone wants.
Quick Home Invasion Statistics
In 2017 there were 225,900 recorded burglaries in Australia, or one every 3 minutes
20.3% of Australian homes have been burgled at some point
It takes 75% of burglars less than 5 minutes to enter a property
Pingback: Weekend Knowledge Dump- June 15, 2018 | Active Response Training
LordBeari – being cautious and/or smart in your interactions with others doesn’t equal “living in fear.” We wear a seat belt and own a fire extinguisher because it’s smart and safe – not because we live in fear.
for your information the lordbeari pseudonym was arrived at in response to an Englishman I met at a gaming room on the Internet many years ago and may be read here should you be at all interested.
a post from 2012
https://lordbeariofbow.com/2012/05/11/the-origins-of-lordbeariofbow/
I can’t speak about Australia but lived most of my life in UK and Criminals do play tricks like that over there. So even countries with severe gun control are not safe. As a precaution I managed to create my own home made Pepper Spray (I even tried it on myself – never again). Now I live in Texas where I can now walk down the street “open carrying” a 45 auto on my right hip, sleep with a 9mm under my pillow while my wife keeps her revolver in her bedside drawer, in the walk in closet is my IIWI Tavor loaded with a 60 round snail drum. If there is ever an unexpected ring on the front door then I approach the door with pistol in hand (in condition 1).
Good advice . I’m a retired small town police detective. In gypsy gangs the women often do the actual burgs while the men drive the getaway car. Those women have no qualms about fighting a homeowner or the police either
Pingback: KR Training June 2018 newsletter – Notes from KR
Pingback: Your Hump Day Reading List for September 19, 2018 - www.GrantCunningham.com www.GrantCunningham.com