sleeping with a weapon (1 Viewer)

[teddybard]

I think this posts needs a bit of common sense bringing to it especially for any one new to motorhoming, or first timers going abroad or even for ones with nervous partners.

Will people please post if they have had first hand experience of ever being in a situation of needing a weapon.

I suspect it is a very very rare event and I also bet it is where common sense has been left at home.

Guilty of Digression M'lud.

Seriously I only ever carry vehicle tools
which cant be classified as weapons.
Park where there are others
If in doubt move on
Be careful.
But
If there arises a serious situation
give in gracefully

remember now you can hand over a credit/debit card
[HI]and if you put in the pin number (BACKWARDS)[/HI]
it alerts the card company that the card is being used
under duress or falsely and you may lose one
max payment (£3oo) in my case, but at least the family
will be safe and you can move on.

 

[Jaws]

Bit of a bugger that.. My pin number is 2112 oh:

 

[teddybard]

Bit of a bugger that.. My pin number is 2112 oh:

Ah well: Works for normal people

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[JJ]

Bit of a bugger that.. My pin number is 2112 oh:

Damn and blast it John...

You are too quick for me.

Was just posting a similar comment except my pin is 1221.

JJ:Cool:

 

[old-mo]

"Sorry"................ no such thing..... at the moment... =

Link Removed

 

[scally]

When I joined this forum, I considered whether I would sleep with a weapon ... then decided ... nah!

sensible gel cos you never know when it will go off

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[teddybard]

Guilty of Digression M'lud.

Seriously I only ever carry vehicle tools
which cant be classified as weapons.
Park where there are others
If in doubt move on
Be careful.
But
If there arises a serious situation
give in gracefully

[HI]remember now you can hand over a credit/debit card
[HI]and if you put in the pin number (BACKWARDS)[/HI]
it alerts the card company that the card is being used
under duress or falsely and you may lose one
max payment (£3oo) in my case, but at least the family
will be safe and you can move on.

[/HI]

OPEN APOLOGY TO ALL.

THAT WHICH WAS HIGHLIGHTED
IS TOTALLY WRONG.
Having checked out with bank I'm sorry

Roger

 

[movan]

Bit of a bugger that.. My pin number is 2112 oh:

Thanks Mo. :thumb:

 

[Jim]

This is an interesting question and one that comes up more on USA Motorhome forums than it does here, but then the talk is guns rather than torches.

First thing that struck me when I saw this post, was that it was written by someone I know to be confined to a wheelchair. Someone who I know enjoys wild camping. It got me thinking what a brave bugger he is.

I've spent a while this morning thinking about that particular situation, and I feel a weapon such as a knife or bat in the hands of someone in a wheelchair would be totally ineffective and may be well used against them. In the US, I might recommend a disabled camper to carry a weapon (gun) for peace of mind, as long as they trained regularly with it, but even then I doubt it. So Smudger, my answer is don't do it, if you start thinking that it might be a good idea, then ask yourself why and take steps to get yourself where those thought don't arise.

For any weapon (other than a gun) to be effective for any of us, it must be used immediately and with lots of aggression at the very outset of a situation. For 99.9% of us that is not going to happen. Confronted with a situation at night, we'll get a big adrenal dump and for a little while we'll be next to useless.

The thing is, we don't need weapons when we have wheels. In fact I defy the vast majority of us to park up where we think we might be woken and need a weapon and get a good nights sleep, it won't happen. If the danger is real you'll stay pretty much awake or you'll remove yourself from the danger. So the thread title " Sleeping with a weapon " may well be practiced by some cool dudes used to it, but for the rest of us, the question is academic, because if you really think you might need it, you won't be sleeping.

Being sensible where we park, securing the motorhome when we sleep, NEVER being a NOSEY PARKER, ie, parking up, nose in or in an area that makes it hard to drive just away. These things bring the chances of something happening to virtually zero. And in the event that you are just plain unlucky, in robbery situations, (not rape) compliance is almost always the very best option, chances are you'll just lose stuff that's insured.

So should you carry a weapon. have them secreted around the motorhome, just in case, on the odd chance, in the unlikely event of some shit happening NO. Don't even think about it, rather think about not being in a position of needing it. Prevention is so much better than the cure. When it is so easy to reduce your chances of being a victim of crime to virtually nil, (advert follows) to find out how by reading the book in my sig, get it on your Kindle or from Link Removed ) you'll realise that worrying about weapons is hardly worth it.

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[maz]

Put a very large dog bowl outside your hab door and hang a studded dog collar above it. Saves on Chum!

But fools no-one who has been watching your van. Get the real thing - not only a deterrent to ne'er-do-wells but a loyal companion too. Worth any amount of Chum!

 

[old-mo]

[/HI]

OPEN APOLOGY TO ALL.

THAT WHICH WAS HIGHLIGHTED
IS TOTALLY WRONG.
Having checked out with bank I'm sorry

Roger

I dont think an appology is nessesary....

All done in good faith, and it may have been true...:thumb:

I got sent an email a couple of years ago and thought....

Oooh thats clever and a good idea.... oh: I believed it then as well...:Sad:

 

[Campercaillie]

This is an interesting question and one that comes up more on USA Motorhome forums than it does here, but then the talk is guns rather than torches.

First thing that struck me when I saw this post, was that it was written by someone I know to be confined to a wheelchair. Someone who I know enjoys wild camping. It got me thinking what a brave bugger he is.

I've spent a while this morning thinking about that particular situation, and I feel a weapon such as a knife or bat in the hands of someone in a wheelchair would be totally ineffective and may be well used against them. In the US, I might recommend a disabled camper to carry a weapon (gun) for peace of mind, as long as they trained regularly with it, but even then I doubt it. So Smudger, my answer is don't do it, if you start thinking that it might be a good idea, then ask yourself why and take steps to get yourself where those thought don't arise.

For any weapon (other than a gun) to be effective for any of us, it must be used immediately and with lots of aggression at the very outset of a situation. For 99.9% of us that is not going to happen. Confronted with a situation at night, we'll get a big adrenal dump and for a little while we'll be next to useless.

The thing is, we don't need weapons when we have wheels. In fact I defy the vast majority of us to park up where we think we might be woken and need a weapon and get a good nights sleep, it won't happen. If the danger is real you'll stay pretty much awake or you'll remove yourself from the danger. So the thread title " Sleeping with a weapon " may well be practiced by some cool dudes used to it, but for the rest of us, the question is academic, because if you really think you might need it, you won't be sleeping.

Being sensible where we park, securing the motorhome when we sleep, NEVER being a NOSEY PARKER, ie, parking up, nose in or in an area that makes it hard to drive just away. These things bring the chances of something happening to virtually zero. And in the event that you are just plain unlucky, in robbery situations, (not rape) compliance is almost always the very best option, chances are you'll just lose stuff that's insured.

So should you carry a weapon. have them secreted around the motorhome, just in case, on the odd chance, in the unlikely event of some shit happening NO. Don't even think about it, rather think about not being in a position of needing it. Prevention is so much better than the cure. When it is so easy to reduce your chances of being a victim of crime to virtually nil, (advert follows) to find out how by reading the book in my sig, get it on your Kindle or from Link Removed ) you'll realise that worrying about weapons is hardly worth it.

In full agreement - almost - with your post. But when it comes to compliance, as you say, in the highly unlikely event of being faced with a robber for example, it is not for you or I to say whether someone should comply or confront. This is pre-programmed within your individual make-up. We do of course hear of those who lose their lives whilst offering resistance, but we also hear of elderly people successfully warding off their attackers. We're all different, and individuals will react differently if faced with a knife-wielding yob mugging an old lady. There will be those who exercise "common sense" and walk on, but thank God there will always be those who will risk everything to do what is right. It's in your make-up. I would never "sleep with a weapon," but if any person were to intrude into my van, (being a keen photographer) my monopod is never far away and they may well be traced by the word 'Manfrotto' imprinted across his skull!

But, before this subject arose, I've never given it the slightest thought, and as you suggest, nobody really should consider it seriously.

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[Jim]

In full agreement - almost - with your post. But when it comes to compliance, as you say, in the highly unlikely event of being faced with a robber for example,[HI] it is not for you or I to say whether someone should comply or confront.[/HI] This is pre-programmed within your individual make-up. We do of course hear of those who lose their lives whilst offering resistance, but we also hear of elderly people successfully warding off their attackers. We're all different, and individuals will react differently if faced with a knife-wielding yob mugging an old lady. There will be those who exercise "common sense" and walk on, but thank God there will always be those who will risk everything to do what is right. It's in your make-up. I would never "sleep with a weapon," but if any person were to intrude into my van, (being a keen photographer) my monopod is never far away and they may well be traced by the word 'Manfrotto' imprinted across his skull!

But, before this subject arose, I've never given it the slightest thought, and as you suggest, nobody really should consider it seriously.

I disagree... it is for me or you to say. My advice; should you find yourself being robbed with violence is to be compliant, very often this will lead to the best outcome.

What people will actually do is another matter; but the advice is sound.

 

[Campercaillie]

I disagree... it is for me or you to say. My advice; should you find yourself being robbed with violence is to be compliant, very often this will lead to the best outcome.

What people will actually do is another matter; but the advice is sound.

What I am trying to say is that it is within one's own nature to do whatever he or she feels is right. You cannot advise people what to do when they're making those automatic split-second decisions. Well you can, but it won't make the slightest difference. For example: Whenever we hear of a person drowning trying to save their dog there would be plenty advising along the lines of "It's only a dog .... etc" Hindsight may well show it to be sound advice, but I bet there's a fair few who would risk their life and still jump in regardless, and no amount of advice will change that.

 

[Jim]

What I am trying to say is that it is within one's own nature to do whatever he or she feels is right. You cannot advise people what to do when they're making those automatic split-second decisions. Well you can, but it won't make the slightest difference. For example: Whenever we hear of a person drowning trying to save their dog there would be plenty advising along the lines of "It's only a dog .... etc" Hindsight may well show it to be sound advice, but I bet there's a fair few who would risk their life and still jump in regardless, and no amount of advice will change that.

And if just one heeds the advice, then it was worth giving

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[beachcaster]

Some of the really small but powerful cree lights have an intermittent flashing mode.......these are so bright that they will temporarily blind anyone ...its impossible to look into them. If you shine this in someones eyes they will be incapacitated.

Add to the fact my new nightcore EA4 is about 4 inches long by about an inch and a half wide.and can throw light for well over 120yds....its a useful tool.

http://budgetlightforum.com/node/16742

It has several light output settings.......and is great value.I got mine direct from china for about £38 and runs on 4 rechargeable AA s but at 860 lumens output its amazing.



So a legal weapon and you need a torch anyway. People using non cree LED torches these days are really missing out.

barry

 

[haganap]

Will people please post if they have had first hand experience of ever being in a situation of needing a weapon.

Yes I can..

it was on a funster's meet a few years a go at Stratford. We were parked by the fence adjacent to the racecourse fence. It was in the time when we didn't really get too many vans. I think from memory there was about 35 vans. Those days though, there were far more RVs than them that turn up nowadays.
Being as I was quite tired I agreed to go out with Nikki and meet at the funster tent, it was quite a small tent in those days. Nikki began drinking with Mrs CLS and Mrs Lynn Ashby at about 8pm a late start in those days.

After talking motorhomes, Aframes, Gas Attacks and RV v Euroboxes for about 2-3 hours, I decided to leave the tent and head back to the van. I tucked myself in and had my customary hot chocolate and then got in to bed. At about 10 past 1, I heard a shuffle of feet and then a very "hot" lady get in to bed.. My weapon was deployed to good effect and it went off just as it should, is all Im prepared to say due to any outstanding pending police enquiries.

Well, you did ask

 

[jhorsf]

Was that the last time it worked Paul

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[Larby]

Isn't this talk of what weapons or whatever people would use academic?
Firstly you are more likely to be broken into in your home whist you sleep.
Other rooms etc.
My guess is the odds of having an intruder actually enter your MH who knows you are within and in the same area is remote. So you are asleep and are awakened by a young man who is awake, upright and determined. (Same of the ladies may find this acceptable!) You are at a disadvantage while you come to and realise what's going on, horizontal and surprised. I would guess you are not likely to have a chance to wield any weapon. Lots of shouting may frighten him off but if he's determined and also has a weapon, as some have said, give in and hope he goes away with the spoils.
I visited France for the 1st time in my MH last year. I was told about gassing and intruders. Sorry but I won't let that kind of talk stop me although I will become more wary.

Having said all the above, I strayed back one night and didn't make a noise, as I opened the habitation door I heard 45lb of muscle, bone and fur move.
I was confronted by him in the picture. Glad he knew me so an intruder would have to be brave or stupid to continue with an unwelcome entry, so I sleep quite well thanks.

Actually he is soft and is waiting for another stick but who knows at 3am?

 

[Hayleylulu]

Combing from good old Salford I can say yes but carnt tell you wot it was as it could be in the hands off some one ells now put I may still have one or two Bulitts some where

 

[Hayleylulu]

doo any of you sleep with a weapon by the bed when sleeping in your van.

Well I no smudger would not here any one get in is van but the fumes from the empty bottle s off sprits by is bed would knock them out

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[Hayleylulu]

All I can say is if am in it and get old off them something is going missing from there body

 

[Chris]

A few years back my son was staying with his grandmother in a static caravan.

During the night they were broken into and money and my sons PSP was stolen.

They slept through it.

And it was in Wales:Sad:

 

[Phill D]

A few years back my son was staying with his grandmother in a static caravan.

During the night they were broken into and money and my sons PSP was stolen.

They slept through it.

And it was in Wales:Sad:

musta been raiders from on a cross border insertionoh:

proof you dont have to be off the beaten track to be at risk....

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[jhorsf]

A few years back my son was staying with his grandmother in a static caravan.

During the night they were broken into and money and my sons PSP was stolen.

They slept through it.

And it was in Wales:Sad:

Grandmother only told him that as she was sick of that annoying games music

 

[bmb1uk]

we have a simple home alarm connected to a rocker switch by the bed, and makes an awful row in the midle of the night :thumb:

 

[oldun]

No. I've never felt the need for onw on good family sites in the UK or abroad.

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[Jaws]

'Gassing' is now in the OED.. they made room for the entry by removing the word gullible :Blush: