Keep your guns out of your CARS!!!!

[Guest RISC777]

(re: Center Of Mass safe)

Yeah, same.

Admit that I haven't really USED it yet.

Hopefully good enough for temporary stash during brief absence.

As you mention, good cutter of some sort and it's gone, though.

I should really find a way to bolt it somewhere, but in a small toy pickup very limited as to where. Maybe vertically behind seat, need to look into that.

As to increased ripoffs, hey, of COURSE it will increase in "good" areas - that's where the goods are. If I were looking to thieve, I ain't gonna do it in the projects!

- OS

Why not put the safe in the engine compartment? No one stores valuables there, right?

Only way it would be gone is if they took the vehicle, and then it doesn't matter how you secure the safe into / onto / in the vehicle.

[Curiousgb]

Went to Sportsman warehouse on Sat to get some powder. No powder, place looked like a wasteland, but that is another story. Anyway we go over to one of the eateries next door. This is 1230ish in the afternoon, place is packed. As we are walking up a couple is looking at the broken window of their car. Someone had done a smash and grab just a few minutes before. The crooks around here are brazen to say the least. We went home. I am not going to go anywhere that I may have to leave my weapon in a car.

[strickj]

Why not put the safe in the engine compartment? No one stores valuables there, right?

Long as it doesn't interfere with my dinner!

[ame]

[/ame]

[Oh Shoot]

Why not put the safe in the engine compartment? No one stores valuables there, right?...

I've actually thought of that, but then that means removing piece to stow out in open, and retrieving in open too.

- OS

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Why not put the safe in the engine compartment? No one stores valuables there, right?

Only way it would be gone is if they took the vehicle, and then it doesn't matter how you secure the safe into / onto / in the vehicle.

Main reason would be visibility of use and drawing attention to yourself. If it's a gun, you really don't want to be disarming in public and sticking it in there. That's all you need, is for some yuppie soccer mom to claim you're brandishing a weapon in public.

Aside from that, the impracticality of having to get out of the car, pop the hood, stow whatever gear you have, etc. Would definitely get old after awhile, especially in inclement weather.

Added to that, the fact that popping a hood is much easier than breaking into the cabin of a car. And most people wouldn't notice (or see it as suspicious) if someone has the hood up and digging around... versus someone acting weird and trying to "slim jim" a door or whatever. They'd probably think the perp was just working on the vehicle.

I could think of a dozen reasons why the engine compartment is a poor alternative.

[Punisher84]

Boomhower, I like Bkelm's better. It didn't make me puke lol

[Guest canynracer]

Or you could have been murdered. Best to leave chasing cars to the police.

True...best to leave the prevention of robbery/murder/carjackings to the police too...

so WHY do you carry again?

As Punisher stated..DB knows what he is doing...

I would have done the same thing 300000000 times in a row...

read the story again..this was at the end of his street...someone like that on my street, you can BET they are gonna know I see them, and their victim does NOT live on my street.

[Guest db99wj]

Yep, they were at the end of my street, 3 houses down from my house, the house that my wife and 4 kids live in. Folks, we laugh about zombies and what if they attack. Well these to me are a type of zombie and they are attempting to attack, and I am going to protect my family and home from them.

[Guest voigts]

I pocket carry my P3AT, and I have no plans on leaving it in my car if we eat someplace like Chili's that serves alcoholic drinks regardless of the law. As long as it stays in my pocket, no one knows I have it. And the law says nothing about it being illegal to have my gun in the parking lot going to/from the car.

[Guest Ggun]

Db knows what he's doing. If we all just sit back and let the police try and do everything crime will never go away. Fight back and help the cops out. The good street cops appreciate it. Only the administrators hate a citizen with free will and a gun.

Fear is more of a killer than anything.

The OP says "She was acting like she was lost or waiting on someone, she did not belong in the N'hood".

That doesn't give the OP the right to lay his high beams on her, much less CHASE her on the public highways. That is a good way to kill innocent bystanders in an automobile chase. $.02

[Guest bkelm18]

The OP says "She was acting like she was lost or waiting on someone, she did not belong in the N'hood".

That doesn't give the OP the right to lay his high beams on her, much less CHASE her on the public highways. That is a good way to kill innocent bystanders in an automobile chase. $.02

Flashing high beams isn't illegal last time I checked and you probably missed the part where he said they never reached the speed limit and he only followed long enough to get the plates.

Edited December 16, 2008 by bkelm18

[Fadex]

If she had a reason to be there she should have rolled her window down and spoke to him instead of avoiding eye contact when he pulled up beside here. I would say her behavior was suspicious at the least.

Lets face it...the Police can't be everywhere all the time, that's the reason neighborhood watch exists. Who knows better than the residents of a neighborhood if a strange person or vehicles has been lurking? No one. The residents are there day in and day out. I have done the same thing in the past and will do it again in the future. If the BG knows he's being watched there's more of a chance he will move on somewhere else.

[Guest benchpresspower]

I just installed a gun safe in my Jeep. we thought we were going to Boston and there was no way I was going to go up there without a firearm..but I didn't want to be in a position to leave it in the jeep unsecured. It would also serve for the wifes' wallet if she didn't want to take her purse.

they're a great investment if you ask me!

I've never thought about that, so I assume just a basic handgun safe would work?

[Guest Liberty Seeker]

Flashing high beams isn't illegal last time I checked and you probably missed the part where he said they never reached the speed limit and he only followed long enough to get the plates.

+1000

I will do whatever it takes to make my neigborhood safe, within the confines of the law. It sounds to me like this situation was handled the best it could by the people involved. Hindsight is 20/20, and things possibly could or could not have been handled differently or better, but the fact remains that this is a judgement situation and has to be made quickly, just as in battle. No one was hurt, no one was charged with a crime for trying to help, sounds like a win, win to me.

Just my .02 (2k in Obama bucks!)

[Guest Provence]

I know many of us put our guns in our console, or glove box when we go to places where the state says we aren't responsible enough to carry, IE, restaurant that serves, but DONT put them in your car unless you have a safe. Especially if you are at a Christmas Party, especially here in Memphis, but I suspect that other cities as well. . .

I commonly keep a handgun in my truck, but I need to rethink that.

It's not monetary loss that concerns me, since I would not store an expensive gun in a vehicle.

I just don't want to be providing guns to criminals.

[Guest db99wj]

The OP says "She was acting like she was lost or waiting on someone, she did not belong in the N'hood".

That doesn't give the OP the right to lay his high beams on her, much less CHASE her on the public highways. That is a good way to kill innocent bystanders in an automobile chase. $.02

I should have use a better word then chase, I should have said I followed her. Chase gives the impression, even though as mentioned we never got above speed limit, that we were speeding through down the street, which is not the case. High beams, just for a moment. No laws were broken, by me. She was on the wrong side of the road multiple times, once going backwards when I pulled beside her to ask if she needed assistance. I turned around in driveways.

Flashing high beams isn't illegal last time I checked and you probably missed the part where he said they never reached the speed limit and he only followed long enough to get the plates.

Exactly.

If she had a reason to be there she should have rolled her window down and spoke to him instead of avoiding eye contact when he pulled up beside here. I would say her behavior was suspicious at the least.

Lets face it...the Police can't be everywhere all the time, that's the reason neighborhood watch exists. Who knows better than the residents of a neighborhood if a strange person or vehicles has been lurking? No one. The residents are there day in and day out. I have done the same thing in the past and will do it again in the future. If the BG knows he's being watched there's more of a chance he will move on somewhere else.

Well said.

[Guest 270win]

Leaving a gun in a car or anything of value is a great way for it to be stolen anywhere in Memphis city limits. I wouldn't even have an after market CD player in a car b/c that attracts the thugs to your car. No point in dressing up your car with nice wheels because again, you may find your car on blocks. Visible CD's=busted window. Keep everything out of sight, including your jacket, when in Memphis. These people are desparate for anything that they didn't work for to steal off honest folks like me....and the police will do nothing but write a report for your insurance company...sad but true that a thief will probably not be caught breaking into cars.

[Curiousgb]

Anyone use a car safe? If so which brand?

[~Emily~]

If she had a reason to be there she should have rolled her window down and spoke to him instead of avoiding eye contact when he pulled up beside here. I would say her behavior was suspicious at the least.

But she may have been afraid he was going rob, rape, kill her. Maybe she was lost but is also very aware of the danger of talking to strangers. And the highbeams and following may have terrified her.

In this time we live in I would also be leary of rolling down my window and talking to strangers regardless of where I was or what color he was.

[Guest db99wj]

But she may have been afraid he was going rob, rape, kill her. Maybe she was lost but is also very aware of the danger of talking to strangers. And the highbeams and following may have terrified her.

In this time we live in I would also be Leary of rolling down my window and talking to strangers regardless of where I was or what color he was.

Then she shouldn't have been sitting on the wrong side of the street for more than 5 minutes. She saw me walk out of my house and get into my car, she knew I was a resident of that N'hood. I never got out and yelled her, I didn't lay on the horn, I did put on my brights so I could get a better look at her and a better description of the car, license plate number. I knew it was a volvo but wasn't sure the model number. I needed to verify the license plate number. When I rolled down my window to attempt to talk to her, I was waving and smiling, at that point, I was only slightly suspicious, thought maybe they were lost, or were having car problems. When she wouldn't look and put the car in reverse and, I got more suspicious. She didn't want me to see her face, she didn't want to leave the area for some reason, if she thought I was going to rob, rape or kill her, she would have driven away from the beginning, but she didn't, she pulled over, like she was waiting for someone.

If she was innocent, then so what, good for her, there would be no problems. But she was acting strange, I was the best witness, I gathered the information, and called the police to report a suspicious behavior report. Without ever breaking any laws. I was and will continue to be vigilant when protecting my N'hood. If it is a mistake, no harm no foul, I would rather inconvenience someone, or if they get scared that I am getting their information than find out that, that person, after I drove on by and didn't do anything, rob rapped or killed one of my neighbors. I don't and won't apologize for that.

If you or anyone come onto my street, and you don't just drive down it, or go to someone's house, and are sitting there, you will find me writing down information. Depends on the situation, I might approach you and ask if you need some help.

As I have said, I make no apoligies, hindsight is 20/20 and I have taken the opposing coments and thought about them at length, my decision on what I would do differently is that I would have jumped out of my car and drawn....oh, wait I WOULD NOT DO THAT JUST KIDDING!!!!, I would do everything the same. Again I don't and won't apoligize for that.

I called the non emergency line, is their a report taken for that that I can call and get an update about?

[Guest db99wj]

To the LEO's or even trainers, What are your ideas, thoughts, and opinions on this? Is there anything I should have done differently? Could I have done things better?

Some have said I know what I was doing, and I appreciate that, but we always can improve. So what else could I have done or done differently?

[Punisher84]

To the LEO's or even trainers, What are your ideas, thoughts, and opinions on this? Is there anything I should have done differently? Could I have done things better?

Some have said I know what I was doing, and I appreciate that, but we always can improve. So what else could I have done or done differently?

You didn't do anything wrong. This is what neighborhood watches do all the time. Suspicious activity needs to be checked on. How do you think those of us that do police work or private security make arrests? It's because we look for things that are out of place or just don't seem right.

If I had my choice of neighbor I'd pick the people in this thread that have agreed with you over the people who have questioned your actions. If you had chased her and fired at her car I would have disowned you, but you didn't. You did everything correctly and in a city like Memphis, keeping an eye on these scum as a private citizen is the only way the crime is ever going to slow down. The police can't do it all.

[tnfan]

I agree with your actions. As said above, this is exactly what neighborhood watches do every day. We had a very similar situation in our neighborhood a few weeks ago. Couple of guys possibly casing the area. Neighbor questioned them and the visitors promptly left. Warning was issued to the residents to be on the watch.

[Guest Ggun]

I should have use a better word then chase, I should have said I followed her. Chase gives the impression, even though as mentioned we never got above speed limit, that we were speeding through down the street, which is not the case. High beams, just for a moment. No laws were broken, by me. She was on the wrong side of the road multiple times, once going backwards when I pulled beside her to ask if she needed assistance. I turned around in driveways.

I thought you said you pulled a uturn.

[Guest db99wj]

I thought you said you pulled a uturn.

By using a drive way. It is a residential street, couldn't turn the whole way, so I used the drive way. Guess it was a 3 point turn, you know, make the first turn, so that I go in at an angle to the drive way, put in reverse so that I can back up so that I don't drive in someones grass, then put in drive to move forward.

Also, there are no "No uturn" signs on this street.

Any more questions?

Edited December 17, 2008 by db99wj
Added sarcasm.