Home Alone

Today I spent the day on the couch sick.  I’m finally feeling better and don’t know why I was sick. 

During the day in an urban neighborhood it seems so peaceful.  Nothing really happening, not a lot of noise, and everyone else at work.  When things are quiet and there is no one around everyone feels safer.  Even in combat, when it was just me and my combat buddy, the world was quiet, it felt peaceful and safe.  Most of the gun battles I was in started when it was the quietest.   The same trend has been happening in urban neighborhoods. 

Home invasion robberies (the most dangerous and the thing I’m most scared of) happen during the day.  More and more home burglaries are happening during the day.  There is no one around to help.  Drive through your neighborhood during the day.  It’s really easy to see who is home and who is away. 

What can you do? 

If you are at home; don’t answer the door, keep it locked, keep your phone with you so you can call for help if you need to, make friends with your neighbors that are home and check in with them, have people over for lunch, rotate your schedule, buy and alarm and use it when you are home, and put a big pair of boots on the front porch.

If you are away during the day; make friends with your neighbors so that you watch out for each other, lock all your doors, rotate your schedule, put alarm stickers and signs in the yard, leave lights on inside and/or radio/TV on so it looks like someone is home, lock everything up, use motion lights, and don’t leave your porch light on all day (use a timer).

I don’t answer the door when I’m at home alone and not expecting someone.  I also use the peephole all the time.  If I don’t know you, I won’t open the door.  It’s okay to be rude to someone that might be a danger to you and your family.

Stay Safe,

Ben