Shoes By The Bed

[Boris]

A looooong time ago when I was young I got some great training from a retired police offier friend of the family. He is not a super ninja like the guys in them glossy rags or demand you shoot his way or get out of the class. I learned alot from him and I am so glad he taught me real life tactics that WILL save my life if I ever use them.

One thing he taught me waaaaay back in the day was to keep a pair of shoes by the bed at night. A pair you can put on fast. If and thats a huge if you do need to leave the bedroom there will be broken glass on the floor of your house. It would not be fun to have to walk through it to get to a pair of shoes. If someone is still in your house when you thought it would be safe to come out and you have to traverse across glass, well your feet are not going to be happy.

He taught me to keep a pair of shoes near the bed to avoid stepping on glass (or other sharp things) if things were still serious when I got to the area of interest.

Point of my post. keep a pair of easy to slip on shoes by the bed. It might not be the latest piece of tactical gear, it might not be the newest ninja move a trainer thought of and pushes on everyone. Just some very usefull advice that just might be helpfull some day to ya..........

[Willie]

Good point. I am going to look for a pair of slip on shoes now. thanks

[Prizefighter]

Might not be quite as quick or comfy as slippers, but I noticed my side-zip boots next to my bed. Once you get the laces done the way you want, you never have to touch them again. Feet in, zippers zipped, and gone.



Of course, there are "safety" shoes that slip on, with steel toes even.

[The Duke]

Good Advice!!!

[jstgsn]

That's good advice. I have a bit more that may give you time to get the boots on, find your weapon, grab a flashlight, have a cup of coffee, get a good shooting position, and welcome the intruder. (I've posted it before, if you guys get tired of seeing it, let me know.)

I’ll start with firearms. Whatever firearm you choose, it won’t help you if an intruder can get into your home without you knowing it. Being able to force a door or window because it isn’t secured properly will result in someone standing by your bed while you sleep.
I’ll start with the outside. If your home is just off the street, make sure you don’t have shrubs etc blocking the street view of you windows or door. Often criminals will use those shrubs to hide while they work on breaking in, or lay in wait for you to come up to the door. Make sure your house number is highly visible from the street so emergency responders can easily find your home. If you have a back alley, number the house there too.
Place motion activated lights around the home. They have decorative fixtures with motion detector capability as well as spot lights for the back of the home. Yes a deer or raccoon will trip the lights, but so what, they only stay on for as long as you set them to stay on, and then go off until tripped again.
We have a long driveway, so I went to Harbor Freight and bought two $20 motion sensors. They are battery operated and the detector is mounted to a post by the driveway, and one by the back of the house. One sounding device sits in the living room, the other by the back door. When someone enters the driveway, the alarm gives a ding dong sound. If they get near the house, the other sounds. Again deer and raccoons will set it off, but I don’t mind watching them too.
For the doors, have a locksmith key all the doors alike. Then unscrew the strike plate screws and make sure they are long enough to go into the 2X4 in the wall, not just the pine door frame. If there is glass surrounding the door, have double cylinder dead bolts installed, but keep an extra key hidden near the door in addition to your regular keys. Solid doors should have a 180  peep hole so you can see who is knocking before unlocking. With the screws going into the wall itself, not just the frame, if they kick the door in, you’ll hear them.
Windows need to have an additional locking system other than the butterfly lock. You should be able to secure the windows when they are closed and/or when they are partially open.
The inside should have lights on timers. There should be a good gun safe for guns and jewelry.
One other thing is to mark your property with your driver’s license . The state initials and the numbers will allow officials to find your name, age, address and so forth. If you can find stickers that indicate “Operation Identification” for your windows they help.
If you trust your neighbors, work with them. Be suspicious of traveling salesmen and so forth, and don’t hesitate to report suspicious activity.
When you call the police, remember, they don’t know what is going on until you tell them and they need the information in order. Your name, your location, phone number, why you are calling, what you think is going to happen. If it is happening right now, tell them “IN PROGRESS”. Be patient and stay on the phone until they tell you to hang up.
There is no one answer to crime, but using a combined package or system perspective where all the units work together can make the bad guys go somewhere easier.
Last but not least; I have an alarm system installed that not only monitors doors and motion, but a smoke detector. When we are not home, or the wife is home alone, it is comforting.
Now back to weapon of choice. I’m in my 60s, retired police, and an avid hunter. My choice of weapon for home defense is a youth model pump action 20 gauge loaded with five rounds of 4 buck. It cost $227 at Wal-Mart. It has a devastating effect within 30 yards, handles easily in a hallway, EVERYONE recognizes the sound of a shotgun chambering a round, and you don’t have to aim, just point and shoot.
I also have flashlights everywhere in the house.
Nothing against .22s, but we shot a guy six times with .38 lead bullets and he ran 12 blocks.
Remember the rules of gun fights.
Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
Only hits count. A close miss is still a miss.
If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly, and you have been there way too long.
Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movements are preferred.)
If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and all your friends with long guns.
In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics.
If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
Use a gun that works EVERY TIME.
Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
Always cheat = always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
Have two plans. The original plan, and then a back-up plan, because the original plan never works.
Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
Don't drop your guard.
Always tactically reload and threat scan 360 degrees.
Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).
Decide to be AGGRESSIVE enough, QUICKLY enough.
The faster you finish the fight, the less shot up you will get.

[gunguy25]

Great Advance I keep a pair of shoes by my bed also.

[carver]

I wear flip flops, or crocks, arond the house, and in the yard, they are always handy.

Back in '82 I was working at AT&T in Shreveport, LA. There was a young man that worked there with me who got robbed one night. They stole just about whatever they wanted from him that night, including his guns. One of those guns stolen was in the night stand by his bed, and was taken while he slept. I asked him what his plans were to prevent such a thing from happening to him again, and his reply: "I'm gonna buy me another gun, and shoot them next time they break in". Think about that for a moment!

jstgsn has a lot of good things in his post, but I am going to simplify part of his post.

NEVER LET THE BAD GUY GET INTO YOUR SPACE! NEVER!

I don't care if your space is your home, or just your bed room. I don't care if you are in your car, or coming out of Wal Mart! No mater where you are, protect your space!

[herohog]

I have a pair of moccasins slippers, shorts and underwear next to the bed set so that I can simply stick my feet in the shoes and pull up the shorts/underwear and be gone in a second! I keep a T-shirt there too but it takes longer to get on right...

[Old Grump]

Old feller in Florida went out with just a sh0tgun, no shoes, underwear or even a smile. Seemed to work for him and made young punk the laughing stock of his cellmates. "You got caught by a naked old Geezer? HA!."

I'm not that tough and being diabetic, foot injuries is always a concern of mine. My flashlight revolver and shoes, (loafers) are just an auto movement but shoes never mentioned because we are usually talking about what gun.

[n4aof]

Originally Posted by Boris

One thing he taught me waaaaay back in the day was to keep a pair of shoes by the bed at night. A pair you can put on fast.

You made an excellent point about shoes -- one that used to be taught more often than it is today.

An even more important point in your post (also even more forgotten today) is:

Originally Posted by Boris

If and thats a huge if you do need to leave the bedroom

If you really think someone has broken into your home, you should stay put in the bedroom, NOT go wandering around looking for trouble. The ensconced defender strategy is far safer both tactically and legally. Instead of playing urban cowboy, just gather everyone in one bedroom, lock the door, get behind some cover, and point your 12ga at the door -- then wait for the BG to break the door (never shoot through the intact closed door).

[CampingJosh]

Originally Posted by n4aof

If you really think someone has broken into your home, you should stay put in the bedroom, NOT go wandering around looking for trouble. The ensconced defender strategy is far safer both tactically and legally. Instead of playing urban cowboy, just gather everyone in one bedroom, lock the door, get behind some cover, and point your 12ga at the door -- then wait for the BG to break the door (never shoot through the intact closed door).

Where this is possible, setting up a defensive position is ideal. In my house, there are three accesses to our bedroom (including the door directly to the outside). My wife and I have discussed it. If someone breaks in, I cover the door most likely to be used (straight down the hallway from the front door), and she covers the other interior entrance (from the kitchen through the laundry room then through the bathroom).

But if you have children in another bedroom, you likely can't just stay in your own room and home the intruder comes to your room first.

[n4aof]

Originally Posted by CampingJosh

My wife and I have discussed it.

Every home and every family is a different situation -- You and I agree on the two main points:

1. A deliberate defense is better than 'movement to contact'

and

2. Everyone in the family needs to know exactly what the plan is.

[Boris]

Originally Posted by n4aof

Every home and every family is a different situation -- You and I agree on the two main points:

1. A deliberate defense is better than 'movement to contact'

and

2. Everyone in the family needs to know exactly what the plan is.

1. Read my second paragraph.

2. They helped develop the plan. A lot easier for them to remember it that way.

[jeffadaklin]

Originally Posted by jstgsn

That's good advice. I have a bit more that may give you time to get the boots on, find your weapon, grab a flashlight, have a cup of coffee, get a good shooting position, and welcome the intruder. (I've posted it before, if you guys get tired of seeing it, let me know.)

I’ll start with firearms. Whatever firearm you choose, it won’t help you if an intruder can get into your home without you knowing it. Being able to force a door door. Make sure your house number is highly visible from the street so emergency responders then go off until tripped again.
We have a long driveway, so I went to Harbor Freight and bought two $20 motion sensors. They are and raccoons will set it off, but I don’t mind watching them too.
For the doors, have a locksmith key all the doors alike. Then unscrew the strike plate locking system other than the butterfly lock. You should be able to secure the windows when they are closed and/or when they are partially open.
The inside should have lights on timers. There should be a good gun safe for guns and jewelry.
One other thing is to mark your property with your driver’s license . The state initials and the numbers will allow officials to find your name, age, address and so forth. If you can find stickers that indicate “Operation Identification” for your windows they help.
If younow, tell them “IN PROGRESS”. Be patient and stay on the phone until they tell you to hang up.
There is no one answer to crime, but using a combined package or system perspective where all the units work together can make the bad guys go .
Now back to weapon of choice. I’m in my 60s, retired police, and an avid hunter. My choice of weapon for home defense is a youth model pump action 20 gauge loaded with five rounds of 4 buck. It cost $227 at Wal-Mart. It has a devastating effect within 30 yards, handles easily in a hallway, EVERYONE recognizes the sound of a shotgun chambering a round, and you don’t have to aim, just point and shoot.
I also have flashlights everywhere in the house.
, QUICKLY enough.
The faster you finish the fight, the less shot up you will get.

My wife won a Mossberg Youth 500 pump 20-ga, it's pink camo but I figure the BG won't care. Shoots like a charm, but I load it with 3 rounds of #4 and 3 rounds of 7 1/2. Guess I've read too much about over-penetration with slugs or buckshot.