Westminster Tissue Creeper

[hollohas]

One thing I see from the responses. Outside lights are not on. Why is that? Pennies per day for outside lighting vs. intruders within your perimeter. I don't understand, with everyone here owning at least 2 guns, why the he'll you're frugal when it comes to first line defense.

This is my thought too. I have always thought it was crazy that darn near all my neighbours have dark houses. My lights are on, front and back, from dusk till dawn.

It sure sounds to me like your place just got cased. I would report the suspicious person and description of the car.

And Ginsue has a great point about making sure the back is secure. My gate to the backyard is locked at all times. The only way anyone is getting back there is climbing over the fence. And with the lights on, climbing over the fence is going to get some attention.

Also, I will always have a locking storm door that opens out on the front. Three reasons. #1 - If I answer the door to talk to someone outside, it's with the storm door locked...Keeps us separated slightly. #2- If someone wants to aggressively enter my home by kicking in the front door, they first have to break the glass on the storm door, un-lock it, open it and then kick the main door...delay a determined home invader. Breaking glass will alert me and my dog. And last, if I'm dumb and open the door to talk with anyone I shouldn't have and they try to enter while I'm at the door, my porch is small and raised which forces everyone to step back when the door opens. You simply can't step around the opening storm door because there is a wall on one side. You must step back. Getting bad guys to step back is good.

Dog is always allowed to be by my side barking at anyone on the porch until I command her otherwise. I want everyone to know there is a dog here.

Gun is always present when at the door.

Rocks (noisy) and thorny bushes (ouch) planted outside under the windows.

Door from garage to house is also always locked. Wireless garage door opener capability is disabled at night. I've heard some badguys have the ability to hack openers...don't know if that's true but I'm not going to risk it.

[StagLefty]

I have motion lights on the driveway and porch so that gives me a heads up when someone approaches the house. I never open the door if it's a stranger.

[colorider]

This exact situation was on 9news.com last Tuesday.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/37...ster-residents

[funkymonkey1111]

My wife doesn't like us keeping the front porch light on as a matter of practice, she says if you do, then you don't turn it on, it would signal to a potential thief you aren't home. I tell her they'd have to be watching our house over many days to notice that behavior… anyways, I installed a "motion detector" type light so it comes on if someone comes to the door.

.

how about a simple dawn/dusk sensor, then you don't have to worry about turning the light on at all.

[funkymonkey1111]

This exact situation was on 9news.com last Tuesday.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/37...ster-residents

who would buy tissues from a door to door salesman? frankly, why would you buy anything from a door to door salesman?

[hatidua]

I don't know if UPS needs to hire more drivers or what the issue is, but our UPS deliveries are almost always after 7pm and several times after 8pm so I tend to turn on the porch light and open the door.....I've not encountered any tissue sales people yet though.

[Professor Frink]

Back when I was young and lived in California, this sort of thing happened at my folks house. Group of three went door to door until they found an empty house (my parents). One broke a side window and let the others in through the front door. Ransacked the place. What was odd was that they took junk. Passed over firearms and good jewelry for cheap electronics and costume jewelry. They also had a 1911, we knew this as when my folks arrived home they found a loaded magazine that they dropped in the living room.

This was many years ago and neighbors called the police when three guys that looked out of place were walking back to the bus-stop. Guys got arrested and my parents got all their costume jewelry and cheap electronics back. Sadly this sort of thing is on the rise in my folks neighborhood.

Unless they are girl scouts or Jehovas, I assume they are up to no good.

[Snowman78]

I don't know if UPS needs to hire more drivers or what the issue is, but our UPS deliveries are almost always after 7pm and several times after 8pm so I tend to turn on the porch light and open the door.....I've not encountered any tissue sales people yet though.

Same with my hood, sometimes as late as 9pm. The Mail Man also sometimes comes after 7pm.

[kawiracer14]

UPS is never at my place before dark. Those guys work their asses off.

Fortunately at my Condo there is a front door before you get to my door... and my door bell doesn't work so I never get any solicitors.

Having a dog that doesn't like strangers helps a lot too. Even if she won't harm a fly, she sounds like she'll eat your face off.

At my old place I had a kid come to the door that was supposedly selling subs to the Post. I let the dog bark and growl at him the whole time he stood at the door as I repeatedly told him I had the internet and wasn't interested.

[ChunkyMonkey]

-1 for not packing in the house!

In my neighborhood, folks ring our doorbell all the time. Girl scouts, highschool fundraising, damn roof canvassers, frozen steak salesmen, wrong address chinese delivery and hot arapahoe high school cheerleaders begging money for their competition trip. This is despite the no solicitation sign on the wall. The only ones that couldnt find my home is UPS and FEDEX drivers.