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When a stranger calls

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by dixiehack, Feb 3, 2011.

  1. Shoeless Joe

    Shoeless Joe Active Member

    I wasn't talking about sawing it off all the way with a hacksaw on your front porch. Notice I said "as short as the law permits" which is usually 18 inches in the U.S.
    You can buy shorter factory barrels for newer guns, but unlikely to find one for an old double barrel.
     

  2. Wrong.
    Given the siutation between the husband and wife and it was a verbal confrontation the police most certainly should have filed a report. This is not even a question.
    Our paper's police reports include all sorts of innocuous shitand thy situation that was described would certianly qualify.
    The cop should have filed and incident report. Period.

    It's obviouis this guy is unhinged. And harming his family - and yours in the process - certainly appears to be a possibilty.
    As much as I appplaud your willingness to help, you have a family to protect. I agree with Carebear's advice. If you do stick and continue babyssitting I think a gun is a neccesity.
    I'd go with a shotgun. They are safer and easier to use than a pistol, have an effectiver range of 40 yards and can cover a wider area.
    They can also be easily purchased at a flea market.
     
  3. Shoeless Joe

    Shoeless Joe Active Member

    and truthfully, unless you figure the guy might be carrying, there are plenty of options other than a pistol or shotgun. The key being what the other guy might have ... nothing worse than bringing a knife to a gun fight.

    Go down to Lowe's and get you an 1 1/2 end wrench. It's perfectly legal to own and carry. It's a tool, unlike, say, a stick that you've wrapped tape around for a handle. Another good one is to take a pad lock and tie a bandanna to the shackle. Again, perfectly legal.
     
  4. Bob Cook

    Bob Cook Active Member

    It might help for you and the guy's wife to go to the prosecutor's office directly to turn over more evidence on what this guy is doing, especially with the persecuted-like-Jesus stuff. Honestly, a restraining order is only a piece of paper (as a prosecutor friend told me), but you might ask what would be cause for arrest or involuntary commitment. Bring up the name of Jared Lee Loughner. Seriously. Also, and I know this is easy for me to say, I'm not sure it would sit well on your conscience to tell your wife's friend to find other childcare. She needs friends more than ever right now.
     
  5. nmmetsfan

    nmmetsfan Active Member

    It might be fair and there's no doubt you can rationalize it, but telling the woman to find other means for babysitting doesn't sound to me like the right thing to do. If she has no other options, how does she finish school? This is ultimately making it someone else's problem. I wouldn't be comfortable with that. Friendship to me means not dropping your friend on their ass at the first sign of rough waters.
     
  6. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Just curious, and I haven't read much beyond the first post. But one question; it doesn't protect you the way you want, but:

    1) If he can only see the kids with supervision, if he shows up your house when they are there is he knowingly in violation of a court order?

    Then you'd be able to have the police over and they could do more than walk away without a report, right?
     
  7. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    Legal definitions differ, but menacing is more than pulling up on a public road or street and being a verbal aggravator.

    I've checked with an attorney friend about this after a situation. Menacing typically involves displaying a weapon (gun, knife, etc.) or acting in a way to make someone fear physical injury or death. This would be more than "a crazy guy was ranting."

    Shoeless is right about the .38, too. Get a hammerless model (no snags in pockets if you carry concealed). Smaller, effective and with single-action there's nothing to think about except pulling the trigger.
     
  8. Care Bear

    Care Bear Guest

    I think telling the friend to find another babysitter is awful, but given the severity of what happened, I would rather deny someone child care service than put my family in any semblance of danger. I realize this action can be viewed as extreme, but a bona fide nut job showing up on a doorstep ranting about persecution and Jesus Christ is more extreme. They can continue to support this woman in other ways, but if this guy showed up and threatened Dixie's wife or kids, would he want THAT on his conscience? This psycho's own family won't even deal with the situation (which is a bad, bad sign). Why should Dixie?
     
  9. nmmetsfan

    nmmetsfan Active Member

    The guy does sound like a psycho, but I wasn't clear from the initial post if he actually made any threats or if he was just looking for a potential way in. It sounds like Dixie handled the situation in the exact right way, standing firm, not allowing the psycho even an inch to try and weasel his way in. If the guy knows Dixie means business, I'd be surprised if it even becomes an issue again.

    If Dixie were to cut off the babysitting, that might be exactly what this controlling prick is looking for: another way to isolate his wife and make her life difficult. It's a potential no-win situation for Dixie, but it's times like those you fall back on your character and hold strong to your convictions. Yes, the guy might go off the deep end, but who's to say he won't do that anyway?
     
  10. Care Bear

    Care Bear Guest

    I respectfully completely disagree with your second paragraph for many reasons, but I'm with you on Dixie handling the situation exactly as he should have.

    I hope you slept last night, Dixie, and things look a little better to you this morning.
     
  11. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    This person has serious, serious mental issues, and is a control freak to boot. [/CaptainObvious]

    Call the police again the moment you see him. With ANY luck, you'll get someone a little more responsible in your neighborhood who might have enough sense to realize an ounce of prevention now could save tons of headache later.

    As much as I do not care for guns and that level of weaponry (I carry an aluminum bat and a multi-D-cell Mag-Lite in lieu in the hatchback of my machine), make your own decision and become as educated and practiced as finances and conscience allow if you decide a weapon is the best resort.

    All the best ... and keep taking care of yourself and the others.
     
  12. Brooklyn Bridge

    Brooklyn Bridge Well-Known Member

    I would contact a lawyer as well. If there is a restraining order and he shows up at your house, would he not be within distance of said order? Being in the street is not the same as your front porch, but as someone who had a family member go through some harassment at one point, it is important to get the police to file paperwork--even a simple complaint--as soon as possible.
     
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