100% bike related!: Speaking of self-protection, backyard intruders and video games

[mg2ride]

This is a timely and true story

When I got up early for work this morning my oldest son comes downstairs to talk to me. He said late last night (1:30) while he was playing shoot um up video games he thought he heard one of our back gates open. He looked out his upstairs window and thought maybe he had seen someone/something. His bedroom light was on and no outside light was on so he really did not have a good view anything. About 30 minutes later as he was getting ready for bed and had his light out, he thought he heard the gate open again. This time he very clearly saw someone and the light from their phone walk into our back yard up towards our detached garage. I keep my tools and all my bikes in the garage and generally feel so safe I never even close the large garage door. The guy casually walked up to the garage didn't seem to be scoping it out and then casually left.

My son freely admits that his initial reaction was to be completely frozen with fear. He said by the time he got a hold of himself he looked out front and saw nobody or any cars. By that time he decided not to wake me or my wife but to just lay back down with his window propped open and see if the guy came back. He said he was awake few at least a few hours and is quite sure no one returned.

Upon inspection this morning, nothing was missing or even messed with.

While we can have another long involved thread about my son's (who is a full grown man at 22 by the way) reaction, I'm more interested in what my response to this should be.

If it were to happen again I see my options as:

Call 911
I'm of the opinion that you should not involve law enforcement unless there is a real fear for life or health. If it turns out to be a stupid, bored kid that we know I don't want police involved and truth be told, I could give a rat's ass about my bikes or tools.

Lather up my pit mix with "Go get um" talk and open the back door.

Just turn my back flood lights on and watch them flee (hope they flee)

Confront them myself

[buldogge]

If you had seen him messing with your garage door you could have shot and killed him...see St.Louis/Baden "incident", just last week...replace garage door with car door...perp/victim was 13yo.

Beautiful and ugly world we live in...

-Mark in St. Louis

[biker72]

In the situation you described the police where I live encourage you to call 911.

The house next door to me was temporarily empty and had been broken into a number of times. Only damage was a broken window but still damage. The police stopped by and told me to call them if I see anything suspicious next door.

A week later I could see a light on and someone moving around in the house. Immediately called the police. They were one the scene in less than 5 minutes and arrested a homeless guy.

[deechee]

I'd turn on the lights and make some noise to let them know I'm aware. If they don't leave, I'd call the cops - not that I expect them to show up. Get it on record. Definitely wouldn't confront anyone at 1am unless I really know them. I've lived in relatively safe neighborhoods, but you never know what someone is going to do while high.

[rugbysecondrow]

I have let the dogs out in the situation before (wife hears something in the backyard, wakes me up). It was a racoon one night, fox the other. I am not going out into an unknown situation for no reason. I don't want to seek out trouble or put myself in harm for no reason. I am a firm believer in situation awareness

If I thought it was a person, I would lock the doors, call 911, get to a safe place in the house.

[MattTuck]

Maybe I am wrong, but isn't 911 only for emergencies?

The times that I have called, their first question is always, "Are there any injuries?" -- which makes me think that reporting to 911 should be a pretty high bar, especially reserved for injuries, etc.

I guess if 911 is just a central line to your local police department's dispatcher, then it is a moot point. In the times I've called via cell phone, it usually goes to (I think) the state police office where they dispatch cops and/or ambulances, I presume by calling the local agencies.

On the issue of your specific case, 1) your son may be suffering from post - game hallucinations.

According to a new study, some gamers may be prone to experiencing 殿ltered visual perceptions of reality, similar to hallucinations, after playing for hours at a time, reports CBS Atlanta.

Researchers from the Nottingham Trent University International Gaming Research Unit in the United Kingdom analyzed date collected from 483 gamers.

The data was gathered through online forums so it does not include the gamer痴 psychological profile.

Some gamers said they reported 電istorted versions of real-world surroundings, according to GameSpot.

Researchers wanted to explain Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP), which is how playing games can affect a person痴 sense of sight, sound, and touch after they are done playing.

的n some playing experiences, video game images appeared without awareness and control of the gamers and, in some cases, the images were uncomfortable, especially when gamers could not sleep or concentrate on something else, researchers said in their study. 典hese experiences also resulted in irrational thoughts such as gamers questioning their own mental health, getting embarrassed, or performing impulsive behaviors in social context.

鉄ome gamers may be more susceptible than other to experience GTP, Mark Griffiths, psychology professor and lead author of the study stated.

2. Lock your doors and be vigilant, just in case it is real.

[mg2ride]

Originally Posted by deechee

I'd turn on the lights and make some noise to let them know I'm aware. If they don't leave, I'd call the cops - not that I expect them to show up. Get it on record. Definitely wouldn't confront anyone at 1am unless I really know them. I've lived in relatively safe neighborhoods, but you never know what someone is going to do while high.

This along with unleashing the hound once I know they are out the gate is my leading option.

In addition I maybe locking/barricading the gates. I'm tempted to first install some kind of "tell tale" that will give me indication of when and how often it is occurring.

Even though my backyard is easily accessible without going thru the gates, If it is repeated or if they are willing to hop the fence it will change my entire perspective. With that said, if they come again I can considered it repeated and maybe I will just default to calling 911 if I don't recognize them.

My hesitance with calling the cops comes from having a 19 y/o and a 22 y/o that both have had their friends at our house over the last 10 years. While I would consider it very strange for one of them to be in my back yard at 2:00 AM, I would not want to involve the police as a default.

[shovelhd]

.....

[MattTuck]

PS. If Lord Capulet had called the cops for people loitering outside his house, that whole tragedy could have been avoided.

[AngryScientist]

yes to flood lights and dog.

I would personally call the police today and report the incident. I live in a relatively quiet, calm town, and I would ask the police if they could step up patrolling on my street given the incident. based on my prior interactions with the police in my town, i expect they would actually do this too.

how about installing a motion sensor flood light on the garage, goes on when someone is moving in the area? they have gotten a lot better than in the old days when every squirrel would set them off too.

i guess it will go without saying that you'll be locking the garage tonight.

[mg2ride]

My son also reminded me that what I posted in the other thread about not owning a gun is not true. Somewhere in the attic is a Ruger 10-22 that he was given by his grandfather when he turned 16. We have only used it while at their hunting property and I forgot all about it.

I may very well at least go into the attic and locate it and see if I do have ammo. If it is there I should at least know I have access to it.

[azrider]

[gdw]

Turn on the lights to let him know you're there and call 911. The police will then be aware that there is someone prowling in your area and might catch him. Since the responding officer should contact you it will also give you an idea of what their response time will be if needed in the future. If their response time is too slow for your liking and the guy shows up again, turn on the lights to give him a heads up and let the dog have some fun. Yell out "chopper sic balls!" as you open the door and see how fast they can run.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by mg2ride

Call 911
I'm of the opinion that you should not involve law enforcement unless there is a real fear for life or health.

respectfully, i disagree with this. the local police, in my opinion should have their "finger on the pulse" of the town. know what's going on, know where trouble comes from, and know where the problem areas are, might be, etc. it would be better if the police could prevent crime rather than react to it as it's happening. just a thought.

[William]

Call them. Then there is a record if something goes down again at a later date.

Beyond that:
Motion detectors...check.
Dog....check
Lock garage....check
lock gate...check


.







William