User Panel
Posted: 8/14/2007 7:20:56 PM EDT
Now I'm used to the meter reader walking in the back yard once a month.
But today there was some long hair, scruffy looking loser type climbing over my back yard fence. So I did what any normal person would do. I let my dog outside and while he was trying to figure out what to do with a German Sheppard I came around the other side of the house armed and told him to "show me some hands" and ordered him on the ground. In short order two other guys come running up to the fence shouting that they are survey workers. Unlike the hippie on the ground (t shirt and jeans) these two are wearing orange vests and have equipment. I tell the guy on the ground "don't move" (so that the dog won't go after him), holster my weapon and put the dog inside. I go to make sure everything is ok and the long haired fuck starts yelling at me. I tell him to shut the fuck up before he really has problems. I then recommend that in the future he knock on the door and get permission to climb over my fence and enter my property. The other two guys were decent enough and were trying to calm things down, one even apologized for the problem. I told them that if I had known who they were, nothing would have happened. I then pointed out the difference between their appearance and the guy in my yard. I pointed out he wasn't wearning anything to ID him as a county worker, no orange vest, no hardhat, not even an ID tag. I mentioned that for all I knew he was there to steal shit. Things mostly calmed down and I headed for the door, scruffy guy made some comment and I told him if he had acted like a normal person and knocked on the door to tell me he was entering my yard none of this would have happened. I can't believe the mentality of people who think they can do whatever the fuck they want on private property. |
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Woot!! First in on the AUG drawdown story!!
Let the shitstorm begin! ETA What gun did you use? Cmon man we need a white tile pic to visualise the story! |
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I would hope to have the nerve to handle it exactly as you did.
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SIG P226 |
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In Texas, I believe that surveyors can cross fence lines at will. Smart ones are very careful with this right.
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Caught the kid behind me trying to cut through my yard. Lets just say he was made to turn around and go back the way he came..
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Why do these things only happen to people with low post counts?
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I regularly have to go unannounced and unexpectedly into people's yards. I have legal right to be there, but most people don't realize that, because they're not aware of why I'm there.
Most either aren't at home, or stare out the window while I walk through their yard. I make it a point to look like I'm working, not stealing. About 1 person in 100-200 will get angry about it. Of the ones who are at home: 35% will stare through the window at me, but never bother me. 5% will call the neighbor and ask the neighbor to go ask me what I'm doing. 10% will come out, ask why I'm there, and go back inside. 5% will engage me in conversation. Half of these will offer me food or drink. 5% will send their kids out to see why I'm there. 40% will never notice my presence. |
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I am the mad dog of my neighborhood.
I intercept folks in my neighbors' yard. The out of uniform, fence climbing meterman has been forced to produce ID at gunpoint. The neighbors knock on my door when scared. Folks don't seem to feel that the shortest route is crossing fences much lately. |
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It's always the people with the low post count with these situations..........
ETA: beat again ! |
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Move to a rural area and you won't have that problem.
(given the last 22yr's of experience...) |
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Coffee.... meet keyboard! |
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So why are you there? |
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If someone is in my yard or field, I simply unleash the dogs. They don't particularly care for people that cross the fence.
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I'm surprised there wasn't a knock on your door later from the boy's in blue following up on the report of a raving lunatic pointing a gun at some poor innocent civilian. My only suggestion might have been to contact the PD and clue them in to the situation before the long haired friend of Jesus decided too....
I suspect his story might be vastly different. |
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I'm in the public works dept. in a medium size city. We have to cross fences sometimes, but we wear recognizable work uniforms and park the city truck out front. We also try to contact the homeowner.
If I saw someone that looked like that coming over my fence I would do what you did. Good job! Jim |
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What is it that you do? |
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I usually empty a magazine into them before I ask any questions.
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Sounds like a good job to me. No ID, no right to enter your property, especially over a fence.
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45k posts, and at least 39k of them are pictures of different guns on a white tile floor. |
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I live in the country so if someone unknown is wandering in my yard he's pretty much fair game to "question".
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Outstanding. You handled that perfectly!
If you don't know who they are..... |
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Crossing fences without even trying to get permission seems like a quick way to get ventilated to me. At least have the common courtesy to ask the homeowner, whether or not it is the law that you have to. I'd of done the same thing, dog and all.
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Yes, they can. Surveyors(in Texas) have the "right of tresspass", but the one I worked for briefly did try to call first, especially on a residence. ETA: We usually had not identifying clothing or badge. |
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I have been known to be armed in my truck chasing down some strange headlights in a field. My yard is next to the holie of holies. Consider it a moat. Within the moat you are within range of the boiling oil, and slings and arrows.
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When I read the title I was going to mention this. Plenty of concerned home owners wondering what I'm doing in their back yard. Though I'm usually in and out before they notice. Haven't been drawn down on yet. |
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Our meter reader has a company polo shirt, a badge ID and is smart enough to whistle for dogs before opening the gate of my fence. The only interaction he gets from me is a nod if I happen to be on my clean bench out back. |
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Yep |
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It always helps to be polite.. and armed...
Last month I had 3 strangers wander into the yard... Stuffed my 38 snubbie in my pocket and waltzed out to politely ask them what was going on.. It was the city sewer guys... and they politely told me what was going on... |
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I have a bright, shiny new nickel that says he wont pull that shit again!
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Ass should have had a vest on. Too bad your dog didn't get a taste!
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I had to kick 2 women out of my back yard a couple weeks ago. They acted like I was the one doing something wrong. Lame people.
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Wouldn't you be carrying some kind of surveying instruments, even if you had no uniforms? The surveyers around here don't wear uniforms- private companies, but they are recognizable for what they are and don't climb backyard fences very often. The do cross bobwire fences regularly, but not residential. Jim |
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I'm not trying to start anything and completely agree with your actions but I just wonder if that would qualify as brandishing??
Just curious. There have been bums stealing empty bottles from my backyard and I always wondered what would happen if I confronted them with a firearm. |
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I'd say you did fine. Glad it was just a nimrod with no sense. Some people just need to be on a leash when they are out in public. I had a cable guy waltz on the property once. It was obvious what he was from his truck and outfit, but I just told him this was the last time without permission and to log it in his records. I was feeling generous that day and he was pleasant, so I did let him climb the pole. It didn't have cable service so I don't know why he wanted in my backyard.
Another time I had a large male Dobe. He alerted one day (inside dog) and I let him out like you did. I looked out and saw two guys working on a tree at the opposite end of the yard. Since I ID'd them I left the pistol inside and went out. One of the guys had been over the day before to give me a quote to trim the tree, but I never gave the go-ahead. He just showed up. My dobe had them cornered but didn't attack, since I was out the door right behind him. I didn't have to tell them to stand still. It was a little tense because my dog was really pissed. Took the dog inside and told the tree guys to get off the property. A year before that I was gone, but the girlfriend at the time was there and told be some guy from the city actually climbed a six foot fence to get into the yard. My Dobe left the ground and knocked him down and stood on his chest until the gf came and got him. I never did find out why the guy was there. Wish I had a vid of that one. I used to rough-house with my dog that way. I'd run, he'd leave the ground and knock me down with his front paws and play attack when I was on the ground. Lots of fun for both of us. |
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Doing work for the electric/gas/whatever utilities. Utilities almost always have a right-of-way or right-to-trespass clause of some sort (I'm not a lawyer...). Most people who I talk to have no problem at all with my being there. The ones who call their neighbors are the hard ones to figure out. Some old lady will hobble out in the yard and say 'the man next door wanted me to ask you what you were doing in his yard earlier....' |
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My parents' Rottweiller tree'd the telephone guy one time up the telephone pole. He calls before climbing that pole now.
I've intercepted a few folks going through my yard a few times. |
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I think it's called an easement. The utilities- gas, electric, cable, whatever, have a legal right to enter your yard to access their equipment on the poles. Even if you don't have cable they may have a junction box on a pole in your yard that they have to service. I have satellite, but a cable guy had to come into my yard last summer to access the box on the pole at the back of my backyard. I trimmed a few small limbs for him and gave him a bottle of water. It must suck to work weekends in summer. I told him to just close the gate behind him if I am not home and he had to come back. I didn't need to give him permission since I know he had a right to access, but they are usually nice about it. Jim |
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I hate this SA draw down story at a 6 our of 10.
10 being the time he had the cops running around for the bank robber and he grabbed the suppressed MP5 and secured the shed. |
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I live in a Condo, and you would not belevie how often I get people trying to enter my back yard (fenced AND locked, no meters or other utility boxes in it) I even had one guy give me crap because i locked the gate, and no-one else did.
it is My property, adn I do the same as you did, except with my old Wincehster shotgun because a pistol woudl get me shot by the Popo. Had the Condo guys try to get into my house a month back, that was dealt with, with a handgun, mainly because I own, not rent, so just walking in is bad business (wife needs to learn to keep a door locked) I wish I had a Big dog to help keep people out |
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Need more info... what were they doing there? |
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Last time I had a stranger in my yard - I didn't just draw down on him. I shot him. It was a gopher. |
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Good thing it wasn't a stray cat. This thread would go 40 pages. |
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I've seen that before. WTF is that? When did back yards become public parks? That shit used to happen to me when I lived in Ft. Lauderdale. And they'd get upset when to told them to get the fuck out. |
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I just moved in and have yet to have my backyard fenced in (subdivision, semi-rural surroundings). Several times people who aren't my neighbors have been walking around my house doing things. I throw my badge on my belt, glock on my hip and go ask them why they feel like going to jail today? the best part is i always have a huge funny grin on my face so they get very confused, then act like it's a joke and continue what they were doing. I then have told them, no no, not a joke, lets see some ID. they usually comply then.
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What would you have done if he didnt comply with your demands and went about his work? |
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