15 minutes ago I was sitting on the can and heard something upstairs.  I hear a bump against the side of the house (I live in the basement) then somthing inside the house went thump; something else, or the same thing, then rolled a short way across the floor.  I quickly finish my business and  ask my roomate if he was upstairs.  His reply was no.  All the roomates that used to be upstairs have already checked out and no longer have any keys.  So if we are both down stairs, who the hell is upstairs?  

What do you do in this situation?  Something is clearly not right but you do not know what it is.  Do you call the police or do you check it out yourself?

My roomate and I decided to check it out.  He does not like guns but he wanted one for this.  I gave him a bat to keep everyone safe.  I cleared the rooms and he made sure no one could double back.  Scared the $h!t out of both of us.

Just wondering what you all would do.  Call the police or check it out yourself?

that's why i keep stuff around. grab a pipe, bat, gun whatever you can find. chaeck it out. if i heard voices i might call the cops. then call em back 2 mins later andsay you shot everyone so they'll get there faster.

I'd check it out with something alittle bigger than a ball bat.  Where in KS do you live?

I caught a burglar in the house once.. his ass wa screaming cause I broke his arm from holding him down on the floor while the cops took 1 1/2 hours to get there..

Its was a sat night..

I actauly got tiref of the guy trying to get up so twisted his arm very hard on purpose ... he behaved after that till the cops arrived..


I was very tired after that..

D@mn!  Now you have me hearing stuff, be back in a minute

Hope you don't have a Eugene Tooms X-file creepin around up there. It would suck if you woke up tomorrow an found your roommate minus his liver. J/K

I'm ok(I hate the dark, and noises in the dark, and those chills you get when trying to locate said noises in the dark), just a skunk competing with my dog for the food in his dish

Well, at least you managed to wipe your ass before you planned your search...

Doesn't Mall Ninja Rule #56 say something about always keeping a weapon w/in reach of the shitter?

I'd check it out myself with my gun in hand. You never know if that thing that goes bump in the night could be the boogie monster or the creature from the Black Lagoon.

I had my HK USP because I know I wouldn't shoot someone on accident.  I wouldn't trust my roomate with a gun when he is spooked.

LgAnimalVet-  If you are a vet student we probably live in the same town.  drop me an e-mail [email protected]

While clearing rooms is considered dangerous and the pros recommend setting up a safe room, I am not just gonna sit around waiting and wondering if the noise was something or nothing. Armed and very carefully, I am going to check out the noises. I figure I know the layout of my home in the dark better than any intruder could, so I am going to use this to my tactical advantage while moving. I know where every piece of furniture is, every spot where the floor squeeks, etc, so I figure I still have the advantage over an intruder who will need to have a light (which I will spot in my totally dark home) or hear him from his bumping into stuff in the dark.

But usually the noises are from something that just falls, a friend or family member who you think is away or has just got out of bed for a snack, a cat or dog, etc. So be cautious but not trigger happy when checking out noises. You don't want to shoot a loved one by mistake.

In an experience I once had, I thought sure I was about to confront a bad guy face to face! I was sitting in my recliner late at night(about 75% asleep)when I heard a loud, metallic clang on my carport! I jumped up and grabbed my duty rig which I had pre-arranged with holster, mags and Scorpion light just for such occasions. After stuffing my Sig into the holster and strapping everything on, I grabbed my 870 and went out the back door expecting to sneak up on someone who was trying to steal parts from my car and who had dropped their wrench or screwdriver (which is what I thought had made the sound). As I scanned around the corner looking for bad guys, I found no shadows or silhouttes. I heard no noises. The area around my cars and house appeared secure.

I finally turned on my light and discovered what the "thug with a wrench" had been....a large outdoor thermometer with a metal mounting bracket had fallen from the wall! It had probably been struck by a flying bat or owl that came through one side of the carport and went out the other. When it fell the sound of the bracket hitting the concrete was a very weird and different type of noise to hear at night like that. I assumed the worse but it turned out to be nothing. But had it been something, I sure as hell was prepared when I went out! LOL. I would have felt pretty dumb reporting to the police that I heard people trying to steal my car when in fact it was just a falling thermometer.

Tell the Boss to stay put, grab my P-99 with PD loads, my big cop flashlight/club and begin to clear the house and basement....VERY carefully.

I use my ears as much as my eyes...and don't turn on a light unless I have to...including the flashlight.  

Actually happened a few weeks ago.  Something the kids left balancing down in the basement must have finally fallen over.  Scared us both.

Having said that...if I KNEW that the perp[s] were already upstairs and close at hand, then I would NOT leave the room unless I felt the kids were at risk.  In that case, I have an alternate way out of our bedroom and I'd most likely take that and try to get the drop on the baddies.  Otherwise, back up into the corner of the bedroom, dial 911 and yell like crazy that you're going to shoot the bastards if they come through the bedroom door.

Many years ago, an acquaintance of mine heard the buglar as he entered the house.  He was waiting for the perp when he came through the bedroom door.  As the perp entered, my friend stuck the end of his 1911 in the back of the perp's head and ensured him that if he did not cooperate fully, his brains would be spattered all over the floor.  When the cops arrived, they had a hell of a time convincing the bad guy that the homeowner would not pop a cap on his sorry ass now and that it was all right to get up and be taken to jail.  Guy wet his britches.  The homeowner finally told the scumbag to get up.

[peep]

It was probably KATO KALIN .LOL

I bet you keep a close eye on your a/c & heating vents don't you?  [shock]

Shoot first, ask questions later.

Always the voice of reason and moderation here at AR-15.com.