'Home Invasion' drills - good idea or paranoia?

[Hiro Protagonist]

I prefer the Rorschach approach, too.

YouTube- Watchmen clip: Escape

[Larus marinus]

It's probably not a good idea to get too paranoid about it and start doing stuff like keeping a loaded gun next to your bed - you read about tragic accidents that have occurred because someone has done that and a kid has gotten hold of it, or someone has picked it up and shot someone else/put the gun to their own head in a fit of pique during a domestic...

[Drake LaMancha]

I keep my judge loaded in the locked gun safe about 5 foot from the bed. Not totally restricted access but enough that I have to be coherent enough to push 4 digit code before I am locked and loaded and I have taught my kids to go ahead and wake me up if it's late or at night when I say hello they answer me.

[Lily]

Good work Drake.

Larus - I agree 100%

jnp - you're correct about environment being a key factor but good to know you've still thought about things.

I know which areas are a really bad idea to live in but the areas undergoing gentrification are a grey area. Lots of young families, professionals, older folk but we do have a small pocket of vagrants who commitattempt a number of petty thefts (junkies) in day time B&E's (the story of my water heater, remember?).

Sometimes I wonder if all the security measures used to keep intruders out would hinder me escaping in a pinch if needed.

[battlefields]

There was one stage where I would do home invasion drills regularly. You could make quite a bit of money in the wealthy suburbs.

[Mtripp]

It's probably not a good idea to get too paranoid about it and start doing stuff like keeping a loaded gun next to your bed - you read about tragic accidents that have occurred because someone has done that and a kid has gotten hold of it, or someone has picked it up and shot someone else/put the gun to their own head in a fit of pique during a domestic...

Might I suggest:

Amazon.com: More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun-Control Laws (9780226493640): John R. Lott Jr.: Books

If one wants the real stats on keeping a loaded gun in the home...

[pontoon]

Too bad that keeping a loaded weapon in your home is a crime in Australia.

[tgace]

The best way to avoid home invasions is to not deal drugs, not have criminals come over to your home to buy, sell or consume drugs, don't grow pot or manufacture meth and be careful about who you allow in your home; such as workmen, contractors and sales people.

[Larus marinus]

Too bad that keeping a loaded weapon in your home is a crime in Australia.

Likewise the UK. If it were legal for civilians to own handguns, I would certainly posses at least one.

I wouldn't keep it next to my pillow or on the floor next to my bed with a round chambered or otherwise leave it lying around - but it would definitely be somewhere where I could get ahold of it quickly (a-la Drake), if the need arose.

[maofas]

Mostly we talk about what we'll do when the feds bust down the door and the city streets (because it's 2032) are patrolled by roving bands of Black Water guards enforcing a curfew on the citizenry.