OT: Break-in update

The system I have today will be different in a week or so.

Yup! Especially the one pictured at

While this isn't the "original" URL, I figgered that this "confirmation" page would be the best "reference".

Even if this "Puddy Tat" only yawned at them the intruders would leave stinky brown trails marking their exit route(s)

Tom, I've been by your place (on my way to/from the Cleveland Clinic) and can imagine the cop's nonchalance on a situation with no body parts strewn about. Must be frustrating for you, also for them in a way. Might be nice to get a feel for just how aggressive you could make your countermeasures and still have the police report describe them as 'reasonable'.

Once you know that, I'm sure that we collectively could develop approaches with the required level of enthusiasm.

Intruders probably wouldn't be wise to go in saying: "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." without bringing food -- a lot of food. Screw that up and kitty may arrange his own food supply.

Wait. What's the downside here?

Might be a good idea to post one of those "CAUTION: Attack cat on premises" signs, though.

I really don't know the situation here, but here are my suggestions based on some experiences of mine and friends.

Had a friend who got ripped off several times. He installed two big dobies. One more breakin with a lot of blood on the floor. But nothing stolen. And to this date, no more robberies.

I installed a number of security systems with a big light and horn. This was for confined spaces. If anybody got inside, the lights and horn were the electronic version of a stun grenade. They were bright enough and loud enough to drive the bad guys away. Probably wouldn't work with a big, open space though.

And I helped to install a couple security cameras hooked up to a VCR. We caught some bad guys on tape. Not much happened to them. But it worked. Because anything that ever happened at that place again, these guys were good for it. If they didn't have an alibi, they were going to jail. This put them in the unique position of warning other crooks not to hit this place again.

Obviously different times and places.

YMMV and other such disclaimers

Get a bigger cat? Check one out from the zoo perhaps. Or maybe there's an exotic feline rescue center near there. "Can I take one home for the weekend before adopting? I want to see if my Siamese' get along with him"

Only one installment, but I read the book and am now in the middle of Collapse.

South asian avian bird/swine/goat/ect.. flu means might be a defining event..... if we are not adequatly prepared.

Regarding security There is an insurance auto yard (large) nearby. The perimeter is fenced with a electric fence. They have had zero problems with tresspass .

I use a simular system, bet there are some bright electrical members here that could make a real *hot* fence charger--- oh the creative thoughts are endless. zzzzap electririfed razor wire @15kv..

In my old 67 Chevelle, I installed car horns just inside the doors, hooked to a simple N.O. doorswitch. Thief jimmys the door open, greeted by the horns a couple inches from his ears.

"Lumpy" wrote

Lee Michaels wrote

Talking cars now??

I knew a guy who got his stereo boosted a number of times. And this was in his driveway with a big dog and shotgun inside the house. He was upset and decided to take some serious measures.

He hooked up three tear gas modules. Also a couple loud horns. This was hooked up to a simple relay. Thief cuts wires, tear gas goes off with the horns blaring. And the thief would have to be under the dash when it happened. And the tear gas modules were under the dash too. It did not explode in his face, but very close to it. He would get a big whiff immediately. The horns were mounted under the dash too.

A few nights later, he heard the horns go off along with some screams. His wife called 911 and his dog and shotgun went out to keep the thief company until the police got there. He went on to capture four thieves in all.

I am curious, was he sued by any of these thieves? What happened? Were the thieves properly convicted?

This was a while ago. Law suits were not as common as today. But no one was hurt. The tear gas is not that strong. He let them have some water to wash it out.

But I know of several installations that still use the big horn and lights. And if I were to install a vault anywhere, I would put them in. My understanding is that they can only cause harm it you were to force yoursell to stay in that environment. Which is hard to do. The natural response is to run away.

After all, you are repelling the thieves. You are not setting up bear traps or booby traps for them. No guns or anything like that.

And yes, all the guys he caught did do some jail time. Not much, but they did do some time.

Me too. With what the left wingers have done to whittle down our rights I'd fear for his getting hit with a "man trap" charge.

Though I'm old enough to remember when all of dad's safes (he was a jeweler) had class tear gas containers inside them which shattered if the safe were opened "incorrectly".

Jeff

I've read Jared Diamond's "Guns Germs and Steel" and the first chapter of his "Collapse" (From someone else's book. I'm waiting to borrow it and read the rest.)

But, I picked up a copy of Diamond's "Why Sex is Fun" (Originally published in 1997) from Amazon, and it is facinating. We humans' mating, family and sexual practices differ greatly from those of the rest of the animal world, and the author tries to theorize the reasons why we evolved the way we did with respect to those things.

One of Diamond's statements which was sort of depressing for me to read was that in the USA, there are more children being raised by single parents than by coparents (i.e. two individuals, not necessarily married.)

I haven't been able to confirm that statement, but as I keep hearing that half of all marriages now end in divorce within 7 years, what he says may well be true.

Jeff (OT because of "Steel" :-))

Reminds me of a story.... I grew up near a very small town. They had a lawnmower/chainsaw repair shop in town. Nice guy and his wife ran the store, and lived in an apartment above the actual shop, but had a HUGE german police dog (all black for some reason) called Inky. The dog just laid around the shop all day, and most of the night. People would pet him, etc., and step over him if he was in the way. One night, a guy cut the glass pane in the front door of the shop to break in by reaching in to undo the lock on the inside of the door. Bang... Inky grabbed his forearm with a vengence. As long as the guy didn't try to pull his arm out of the window, the dog wouldn't clamp down as hard. Pull back and tension got pretty tough. The next morning, the owner and then the police found the guy on his knees on the front porch of the place, Inky still attached to his forearm.... Dog got a few extra treats for that one. Ken.

Can you actually get a bottle of that crap somewhere? Not that I would actually put one to any use....maybe.

Gallagher electric fence. Very common in similar situations in NZ. Anyone who touches it feels as if they have been kicked in the shoulder by a horse and an alarm is triggered. Interference with the wiring also causes an alarm. Surely something similar is available in the US?

At this juncture..I should mention that Wasp Spray has a range of about 20 feet, causes nearly instantanious pulmonary edema and a host of other serious complications. And that push button top is easily pushed down by any number of levers and whatnot.

A gift that keeps on giving.

Gunner

Liberals - Cosmopolitan critics, men who are the friends of every country save their own. Benjamin Disraeli