When you get done with the first list, go down and read the funny part - where I give you awesome tips that you might not have even thought about. Yeah, it's not a joke, but you never know when it could save a life.
THINGS A HOME INVADER OR THIEF WON'T TELL YOU
1.Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com
8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake... I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
[Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.]
MY LIST OF PROTECTION FOR YOU AND YOUR HOME
Wasp Spray -
stings worse than Pepper Spray and shoots further (up to 30 feet away). Plus you generally don't have to worry about it accidentally spraying you.It temporarily blinds an attacker and they must receive medical attention to get an antidote, or be very smart about first aid. Having a can of wasp spray is inconspicuous. No one takes a second glance at it. Having a can in your car could be dangerous because it is under pressure, and hot days in the car can make it go off. Carry it in a bag with you for self-protection. Put a can by your door or your bed for home protection. Keep it away from your kids, of course.
Broom sticks -
Everyone has a broom around the house where the broom part (the bristles at the bottom) does a terrible job. Unscrew that part and save the broom handle/stick. You are probably thinking: Yeah I am going to add another bottom to the broom. Don't, unless you have to. I mean, if your house is a mess, yes please go get another broom bottom. However, if you have another broom you will want to save your broom handle for another reason - broom sticks/handles make great self-defense weapons.
The idea in self defense is to keep an attacker away from you. Plus, someone who does a home invasion doesn't pay attention to a broom handle. If someone is trying to hurt you, you can use the handle to push them away. You can swing it. You can bash them about the head with it. You can poke them in the eye with it. You can also smack them in the ear with it. Don't forget you can hit them in the gut and knock the wind out of them, or you can slam it down on their foot, which really hurts.
First off, if you poke their eye(s), they aren't going to be able to see you run away through their watering eyes.
Next, if you smack their ear(s), it can rupture their eardrum, which is very painful, distracting, and can cause their ability to hear clearly. You know that ringing sound in your ear? Well imaging it magnified.
Even keeping a broom handle in your car is not going to be something a police officer is going to really question. It simply looks like you're going to get a new bottom, or that the hood of your car won't stay up so you use it for that. I am not telling you to deceive police, but you don't have to blurt out 'yes officer, I keep a broom handle in my trunk so that I can smack attackers'.
Bath towels -
Using a bath towel can be fantastic. I know you are thinking that it sounds stupid. The thing is this: if you have a bath towel in your hand you can throw it in an attackers face to distract them and run. If they have a weapon, you can wrap the towel around their hand and keep a weapon from being used against you. Remember to really tighten your grip on that towel if you opt for that. Snap the attacker with the towel in the face. Anyone snapped by a towel knows it hurts/stings. Try having one snapped in your face.
Toilet plunger handles -
do you have an old plunger that doesn't work right anymore? Unscrew the rubber piece and save the handle. You can use it similar to using a broom handle. What's even better? Place the plunger handle in the side sliding area of a window (where it can't be easily seen) above the bottom sash so that if you try to open the window, the handle stops you. If the color of the handle is too noticeable, then paint it to match your window framing. Then if someone tries to get into the window from the outside, they can't raise the sash, and they can't get access to the handle because it is INSIDE your house.
I will post more ideas another time...for now think about your personal safety. Nearly anything can be used to protect yourself.
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