Quarter 'til twelve last night.....

[gregintenn]

Some genius pulls up in my driveway, headlights shining in my bedroom window, in a loud diesel pickup, revving the engine. I get up, put on my pants, stick a pistol in my pocket, and go out to introduce myself to this genius. About halfway there, he must have decided he needed to be somewhere else in a hurry.

 

Now I was in the mood to have a frank conversation with this guy, but I guess this was the best outcome that could have happened.

 

I figure it was some kids with a few too many beers, but what are parents teaching their children these days? This would have gotten your windshield perforated at a lot of peoples' homes.

 

I'm about to give up on humankind. :shake:

[Wingshooter]

You think they lost and turning around or up to no good?

[gregintenn]

You think they lost and turning around or up to no good?

Took him at least 5 minutes to turn around if that was the case. I figure it was just some dumba$$ teenage boys if I had to guess.

 

I'm just afraid that some people around wouldn't have handled it as well. I'd hate to see a kid shot over something innocent, but a lot of folks are on edge over recent events.

[runco]

Your lucky the headlights shine in your room.  My driveway is about 1/4 mile long, up a semi mountain, with tight turnaround.  I finally broke down and purchased two of those driveway alert systems.  They work great.  The reason for two, I have one at the entrance, and then one 1/2 way up.  This way if both alarms are triggered, then its legit.  Already been awoken to many of a deer or something triggering just one, but not two.  I have a spot light and shortgun and AR waiting for the two alarms in the middle in the night.  At least they will see that what I have. 

[peejman]

Glad it ended quietly.

[bersaguy]

To answer your question about what are parents teaching their children these days? They are not teaching them much of anything of any benefit that would improve their up bringing.................jmho

[gregintenn]

It was just kids. What I figured, but you never know anymore.

[Pete123]

Greg,  I would definitely have been irritated.  I'm thinking kids.  Too bad that it isn't legal to send a non lethally aimed bullet through the window to say hello.

[Wingshooter]

Your lucky the headlights shine in your room. My driveway is about 1/4 mile long, up a semi mountain, with tight turnaround. I finally broke down and purchased two of those driveway alert systems. They work great. The reason for two, I have one at the entrance, and then one 1/2 way up. This way if both alarms are triggered, then its legit. Already been awoken to many of a deer or something triggering just one, but not two. I have a spot light and shortgun and AR waiting for the two alarms in the middle in the night. At least they will see that what I have.

I want to do something similar with our driveway when we build on our land. Did you hard wire the alarms? Doesn't seem like wireless would work that far.

Some alarms behind a gate and a fence filled with angry attack llamas is what I want at the new place :) Edited November 22, 2015 by Wingshooter

[runco]

These are wireless and AA battery driven.   Lots of good customer reviews, and I have to agree.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-CWA2000-Wireless-Motion-System/dp/B002ISVJL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448155308&sr=8-1&keywords=driveway+alarm

[RED333]

We had a few detectors over the years, animals would set them off at all hours, just enough to make me mad as h377!!!

Learned dog are better at letting us know what was up.

[Spiffy]

We had a loud loud truck come up in here about 1:30 one night and turn around, hey it happens. Then he sat there on the end of the drive way with his lights right on the house. Time to see what the hell was going on. I go outside with my rifle and my hand held light. Get halfway to him and light up the drivers door to get a look at the idiot. He backs up and high beams me and sees my rifle in my other hand and tears out down the road like a nascar driver.  Turned out to be the new boyfreind of the neighbor back in the woods. I told him that was a real good way to end up dead if someone was a shoot 1st, shoot some more and then try to ask a question or 2 kinda person.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Shooting anyone for revving their engine in your driveway will get you tossed in prison.

[CommsNBombs]

I hate when that happens.

I think worse case, that night you think its some kids is when Jerome and Avacado come in and hog tie you and give you - to quote A Clockwork Orange - "The ole in and out in and out"

At least you were prepared. Im tempted to put in a Form 4 for a damn M18...

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[Jeb48]

I have a long drive also and have a Mighty Mule wireless proximity alert alarm on it. It takes a fairly large chunk of metal passing the sensor buried beside the drive to trigger the alarm. I had it about 40 feet in from the end of the drive and it was triggered a couple of times in the middle of the night but the car never came all the way up the drive. I assumed it was kids looking for a place to make out or some one that was lost and thought my drive was a continuation of the dead end road we live on. Because of the middle of the night alarms from people only going a little way up and I was pushing the range through the woods so missed some alarms (drive has a 90 degree bend so even though it is about 800 feet long the end of the drive is only about 400 feet away through the woods) I moved the alarm to only about 200 feet from the house. It works great for cars and trucks, even very small cars, but it will not alert for walk in traffic. 

[glowdotGlock]

It was probably just some drunk kid thinking he was at the right house to pick up his booty call. I would be alarmed too but I have a 5 million candle power spotlight that would work good to shine at the driver from the bedroom window. Maybe they would get the hint. I wouldn't go out armed to confront them.

[MrsMonkeyMan2500]

This reminds of the old lady from Michigan in our driveway. Holy Moses, glad it ended ok!

[Mike.357]

If I was going out to confront a unknown vehicle I'd definitely be armed.  Why wouldn't you be?  Armed is not the same as shooting.

 

I don't want a drunk driver in my driveway.  That SOB is likely to hit a tree trying to get away.

 

I am not a huge fan of the kid's dog but she is a good early alert.

[runco]

I have a long drive also and have a Mighty Mule wireless proximity alert alarm on it. It takes a fairly large chunk of metal passing the sensor buried beside the drive to trigger the alarm. I had it about 40 feet in from the end of the drive and it was triggered a couple of times in the middle of the night but the car never came all the way up the drive. I assumed it was kids looking for a place to make out or some one that was lost and thought my drive was a continuation of the dead end road we live on. Because of the middle of the night alarms from people only going a little way up and I was pushing the range through the woods so missed some alarms (drive has a 90 degree bend so even though it is about 800 feet long the end of the drive is only about 400 feet away through the woods) I moved the alarm to only about 200 feet from the house. It works great for cars and trucks, even very small cars, but it will not alert for walk in traffic. 

I might have to check that out.  I know anxiety builds when I am a sleep and my current alarm goes off. 

Edited November 22, 2015 by runco

[none]

How about a gate at the end of the drive? Combined with a chain and lock. Ours is posted as well. If after all that and someone shows up beyond the gate then its Houston we have a problem.

[Spiffy]

Because of what has happened to me I ALWAYS have several  guns anytime I leave my property. I NEVER meet them at their vehicle and let them get out and get somewhere between my house and their vehicle before talking to them. This puts me at a distinct advantage as they are out in the open and I am still inside my house with gun in hand. 

 

My biggest fear ever is that I come home to find someone in my house. That is the biggest reason I carried an AK before this ISIS crap and if inside my house I will assume that they are now armed as well as I am and that they have killed my dogs, who are part of my family. And no one will harm anyone in my family without paying dearly for it.

 

To give myself a little notice I used those motion sensing ones from Harbor Freight for a while. Then I started using a game camera. Now I have a camera that is hooked into one of our computers that watches all the time. I use motion sensing software that is adjustable for sensitivity and alerts on motion AND sound. That way if the dogs bark it will begin recording. You can set it up to allow instant access to the camera from anywhere you have internet access. I like the software I am using now but it does not send you a notification unless you set up remote viewing. There are several great programs you can use to monitor. Another piece of software I have used also does the motion sensing but it will send texts, send emails, play sounds or other programs. I actually had it set up so that when it was activated it would tell the intruder over a speaker that the cops have been called, I already know what they look like and that they better leave immediately if they do not want to get caught.

 

But even if I had the best security system in the world it would not replace my dogs.

 

The neighbors have a system like that. It works surprising well for how wooded it is up here. I've been thinking about putting some camera's on the end of the house watching over the road.

[jgradyc]

These are wireless and AA battery driven.   Lots of good customer reviews, and I have to agree.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chamberlain-CWA2000-Wireless-Motion-System/dp/B002ISVJL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448155308&sr=8-1&keywords=driveway+alarm

A 1/4 mile range is impressive.  It works on humans as well as cars, right?  I have this system in the link below, but it sometimes gives false alarms due to cats or dogs getting close to the sensor. It claims a range of 800 feet. Maybe. My sensor is 400 feet from the house, but it has to be line of sight for it to work. The second one on our steps works fine through walls. Also, my neighbor's car sometimes doesn't trigger it. I'm guessing it's because the engine hasn't gotten hot enough to trigger the sensor in the short drive from the house next door.

http://www.amazon.com/HA-434RTL-Wireless-Driveway-Business-Security/dp/B003CWK4JK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1448809923&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=household+alert

 

I'm thinking about adding your system to mine... any downside to it? 

Edited November 29, 2015 by jgradyc

[DaveTN]

This would have gotten your windshield perforated at a lot of peoples' homes.

People who would open fire on someone in their driveway would be in prison. Walking out to a vehicle in your driveway at night; you are either not in fear or you are suicidal. If they were there to hurt you; you would have zero chance of survival, leaving the rest of your family to deal with them.
 

Too bad that it isn't legal to send a non lethally aimed bullet through the window to say hello.

It's no wonder the laws on the use of deadly force keep getting harder to justify using it when you need to.
 

I'm about to give up on humankind. :shake:

I heard that!

[runco]

A 1/4 mile range is impressive.  It works on humans as well as cars, right?  I have this system in the link below, but it sometimes gives false alarms due to cats or dogs getting close to the sensor. It claims a range of 800 feet. Maybe. My sensor is 400 feet from the house, but it has to be line of sight for it to work. The second one on our steps works fine through walls. Also, my neighbor's car sometimes doesn't trigger it. I'm guessing it's because the engine hasn't gotten hot enough to trigger the sensor in the short drive from the house next door.

http://www.amazon.com/HA-434RTL-Wireless-Driveway-Business-Security/dp/B003CWK4JK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1448809923&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=household+alert

 

I'm thinking about adding your system to mine... any downside to it? 

So far there are two downsides, 1.) I live in the woods and critters do to, so some false alarms, but I anticipated that so the reason I have two sensors.  Mine may not be mounted high enough to avoid the critters.  2.) Battery replacement is not easy, you must use a screwdriver and remove from the mount.  So far I have not had to replace the batteries, but when I do, it will be a pain.