[B]Discussion:[/B] Car in back yard-What would you do?

[Younggun]

This thread will be similar to another current thread on the forum, except that this one will have no polls and the conversation is expected to flow freely. We all have different environmental factors which can effect the decisions we make, those need to be considered if we are to learn and see ways to improve our decision making skills.

Same scenario: You are in your home late at night with your wife and two children. A car pulls in to the back yard with it's headlights shining on your back door. You can't identify the driver due to the lights and can make out very few details about the car. No one immediately exits the vehicle. What do you do?


Feel free to adjust certain details in order to apply this to your own life, let other members know this when posting your response so we can see how these changes effected your decision. Give the reasons for the choices you make as well. Feel free to comment on the choices others make, but try to keep them respectful. I will continue the timeline as the thread progresses. If I left anything out feel free to ask, I might have missed something.

Now lets learn something (and try to forget that we have already heard the second part of the scenario

 

[Younggun]

For me, a car in the back yard doesn't really apply. They would have to cross about a mile of trees, pasture, and a creek to get there, as well as plow through several fences. Front drive is much more reasonable in my case.

It's fairly common for people to use our driveway to turn around when lost so it's no out of the ordinary to see a strange car parked at the gate. For this reason I don't tend to hit any really high alert status. I will watch out the window to see if they pass within a reasonable time. Assuming the car stays I will step out on the porch alone with my pistol in it's holster. My wife will be in the house but watching. I won't leave the area of the front door and if anyone I don't recognize exits the vehicle I will open the conversation with them from a distance and keep that distance open.

If they have pulled up in to the yard to the point I don't feel there will be a reasonable buffer between myself and them when I step out, I will remain inside the house until the person can be identified.

Feel free to critique my response, but post yours as well.

 

[Savage20]

My driveway is gated so in my scenario they would be pulled off the main road and parked at my gate, headlights shining on the front porch. What do I do? Absolutely nothing because I never knew the car was there. I am either sound asleep or watching Netflix and chillin.

Sometimes I notice a car parked at the gate and so far it has been unremarkable. Usually someone just pulling over to turn around or to do something on their phone, or whatever reason. I sit at my window and watch them until they leave. If they take an especially long time, I go about my business and come back a few minutes later and check to see if they're still there. I'm not worried about them getting anywhere close to the house because my dog would let me know.

 

[Hoji]

Cry HAVOC, and loose the dogs.

 

[Brains]

I target them from outer space with my Illudium Pu-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

 

[Younggun]

Cry HAVOC, and loose the dogs.

My basset hound would be pretty comical in this situation, and is probably already out there to greet them.

I target them from outer space with my Illudium Pu-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

Most of us don't have the financial standing to afford this level of defensive measures.

Also, they have not given justification at this point to use force. We want to stay alive, and out of jail.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

If someone comes in my backyard, they'll have to go through a fence to do it. Now, before I lived here, a car DID swerve out of control on the road behind my house, blast through my backyard at an angle, and park in my neighbors house. So my first instinct would be to grab my gun and go check to see if it looks like an accident while Jess is calling 911.

If someone pulls in my front yard and shines thier headlights on my front door...I honestly wouldn't know. I'd have to hear something outside before I see it. In that case, I kill all lights, let my eyes adjust, and then go looking around - paying attention to staying in shadows. Once I realize the threat, I'm on the phone with 911 and falling back to protect my family.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Send out my armed drone to check it out...

 

[Rebel]

Pull a Carl Frederickson.

 

[karlac]

This thread will be similar to another current thread on the forum, except that this one will have no polls and the conversation is expected to flow freely. We all have different environmental factors which can effect the decisions we make, those need to be considered if we are to learn and see ways to improve our decision making skills.

Same scenario: You are in your home late at night with your wife and two children. A car pulls in to the back yard with it's headlights shining on your back door. You can't identify the driver due to the lights and can make out very few details about the car. No one immediately exits the vehicle. What do you do?


Feel free to adjust certain details in order to apply this to your own life, let other members know this when posting your response so we can see how these changes effected your decision. Give the reasons for the choices you make as well. Feel free to comment on the choices others make, but try to keep them respectful. I will continue the timeline as the thread progresses. If I left anything out feel free to ask, I might have missed something.

Now lets learn something (and try to forget that we have already heard the second part of the scenario

Allowing for varying enviromental factors in a discussion makes sense.

Hypothetical situations can indeed generate jutifications for an action that otherwise might not be apparent, a circumstance I experience on TGT quite often ... there's some saavy folks here, so I'll bite just to pick up ideas.

My reaction is necessarily a judgement call based on a realistic assement of physical capability due to age. While prepared to apply immediate deadly force, prudence dictates we retreat to a defensible position and let someone else handle it if at all possible.

Based on that, we have discussed designated "kill zones" based on entry points to the home, and the best weapon to use for each. A 270 degree stairwell provides a built-in kill zone that insures the average home invader's chances of gaining the family quarters will not be in his favor.

Basically, unless you're trying to burn me out, you're going to have to come and take it.

 

[grasshopperglock]

What happens if the car pulling into the yard is an old rusty 1941 Chevy COE, box truck?

 

[Younggun]

All very true.

For me, taking such defensive measures right off the bat would lead to a lot of sitting around for nothing.

In all honesty, in my original response I didn't really take night time in to consideration, that may effect my decision to step outside by the door.

 

[Younggun]

What happens if the car pulling into the yard is a rusty old 1941 Chevy COE, box truck?

Not sure. It's one of the things that can effect out actions and part of the reason I think a discussion is better than a poll.

However, I think even at night I could identify a box truck behind the headlights. Especially if the clearance lights are working. It's common for UPS/Fedex to deliver out here after dark on the winter, but not after 8pm.

 

[karlac]

In all honesty, in my original response I didn't really take night time in to consideration, that may effect my decision to step outside by the door.

I mentioned light conditions in the poll thread.
Not only does darkness require a different threat assessment, in Texas it carries enormous legal ramifications.

 

[Younggun]

If someone comes in my backyard, they'll have to go through a fence to do it. Now, before I lived here, a car DID swerve out of control on the road behind my house, blast through my backyard at an angle, and park in my neighbors house. So my first instinct would be to grab my gun and go check to see if it looks like an accident while Jess is calling 911.

If someone pulls in my front yard and shines thier headlights on my front door...I honestly wouldn't know. I'd have to hear something outside before I see it. In that case, I kill all lights, let my eyes adjust, and then go looking around - paying attention to staying in shadows. Once I realize the threat, I'm on the phone with 911 and falling back to protect my family.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

Out of curiosity, why would you go looking around? Is your house built in a way you couldn't see the yard from the windows?

Just trying to understand your situation.

 

[TexasBrandon]

My backyard is completely inaccessible as there is a 50 foot drop to Salado Creek and any means at accessing my backyard without being on foot would be difficult, even the poop truck that cleans my septic tanks has to roll a hose all the way back there, so that only leaves the front yard. Being that I am the last house in a cul-de-sac, It isn't uncommon for people to not read signs saying "No outlet" down the road and end up having to turn around. If someone pulled into my driveway, I would watch and if they didn't leave within a few minutes I would probably use my front door which is off to the side and get their attention. Stuff like that doesn't really happen here in Salado, especially where I am. I think going Defcon 1 isn't advisable until A. you already know the situation is escalating and B. you have called the cops and are trying to contain the situation until they arrive.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Out of curiosity, why would you go looking around? Is your house built in a way you couldn't see the yard from the windows?

Just trying to understand your situation.

There's a lot of blind spots. If things look clear from the windows, then I like to go outside and double check by finding a dark spot and sitting while I observe. Eventually, when I get out of renting, I'd prefer to install floodlights and cameras around the property.

Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Drone is still the best option.

 

[Rebel]

Send out Clarke and his tranny brigade.

 

[Younggun]

Are you referring to military grade (predator/reaper), or consumer grade?

I the interest of reasonably easy to obtain, I'll assume consumer grade.

These take a little bit to get in the air. In order to maintain a steady eye on them you would need one with GPS position hold which takes a little bit to connect. You will also have to wait for a stable video feed to connect.

So, a few minutes later you are ready to lift off. Gotta be outside for that, exposed. But you came up with a good way to do that.

You may or may not have a stable video feed after returning indoors, but let's say you do.

Now you have the narrow FOV from the camera on the drone, but can watch little else as piloting it takes a bit of concentration. So you have severely limited what you can monitor. But your wife has your back, that problem is solved.

Now, you are staring at a back screen. Shit, drone cameras don't work very well in the dark. Solution, IR light attached to camera. But it has limited range, need one with more power. But that's a battery hog, flight time is down to 5 minutes powering the drone+electronics to fly+camera+gimbal+IR light.

So, to increase flight time you increase battery size, but now this drone is heavy as hell. You're drone now has increased in size to account for the extra equipment and battery weight. But probably still doable for just $5-$6k.