Prince

Back in the tiny European country that I'm from, the crime rate was typically so low that keeping the front door unlocked was common. But as I moved to the States, I've come to realize that a lot of the crazy shit that's on TV actually DOES happen here. Even just the local news channel (News 8 Austin) has a lot of headlines about murders, rapes, kidnaps, etc.

I'm not used to this, and often find myself wondering how safe my wife and I are in this kind of crappy neighbourhood. We don't have a gun in the house, and to be honest neither of us wants one around. I've tried to think of things that I could do to enhance security in our home...but at the same time I don't want to let the worries consume me to the degree that I start getting paranoid. Since we're as poor as skunks I thought I'd maybe invest in some X10 solutions and go from there. I know the odds of something happening are perhaps small, but when it comes to security I just don't want to take any chances. Too many people get shot for the sake of $20.

Do you feel safe at your own home? In your neighbourhood? Have you ever been in a situation where your security or that of someone near you was undermined, and if so how did you handle it? I'm really interested in any experiences and thoughts you may have on the subject.

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feelgood

Ah Canada's almost safe nuf for me. We usually keep the front door unlock but seeing that we live in the country and there's barely any crime rate out here, why not? But in the city, that's an entirely different story...

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omega2K4

No, I'm not worried. I've got several guns, and I don't miss. We're on the top of a 9 story building, with only one door, and that shit has tons of locks on it.

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hobo

I feel safe in Canada. I live in a suburb and although there is a bit of crime, it is mostly minor and nonviolent. Our city has a population of 100 000 so that may also be a factor in the low crime and feeling of security. In Toronto however, I do worry about being pickpocketed and mugged because it is a much larger city and lately there have been a lot of murders (relative to previous years). I think there were like 56 in 2003 in Toronto.

On campus I feel secure because well, its just a buncha young adults going to school. There is a bit of security and I figure that if I'm not drunk, nothing bad will happen to me there.

In general, I feel safe. Owning a gun would not make me feel more safe, it'd just make me more nervous and worry about it hurting someone by accident. Don't buy a gun.

H12

I feel pretty safe where I live, though I do lock my doors.

*knocks on wood*

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Destrox

Only time our door is locked is when we sleep.

Anyways, I live in a old farming town slowly turning industrialized.

Around 8000 ppl, and you pretty much know everyone or somone who knows the people you dont know.

Yes I feel safe. I wouldnt even lock the door at night if it wasnt for somone elses fears.

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cchris

My place is like Fort Knox when it comes to security and I live in a fairly safe suburb but I have been over conscious just lately about the increase in crime,not only here in Oz but all over.
I think that the more one reads newspapers then the more one fears.(Started buying the paper daily two weeks ago).
It's strange how that has happened as I never really worried too much about it.

I also would have no hesitation whatsoever to defend against a break in to the fullest extent.

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MSD

I live in a safe area. I wouldn't feel comforatble having a gun to defend this particular house, because even with buckshot, I wouldn't want anyhting going through a window and hitting anyone in neighborhood, especially small children, who would be a lot more seriously affected, even by small projectiles. If I move, and there is legitimate concern for safety, and the geography is such that I would have to be concerned about hitting a neighbor, I would have no problem with owning a gun for home defense.

Right now, since I don't ever like to be unarmed, I keep a samurai sword with the sheath unfastened next to my bed, which I could draw and use in less than a second. I now how to use it to incapacitate, stun, disarm, or if absolutely necessary, kill an attacker, so I feel safe in my hilltop, suburban community where the worst crimes committed involve wet toilet paper and trees, or occasionally an egged car.

InTeGrA77

I feel pretty safe where I live, which is waay out in the middle of nowhere. But ever since the whole Elizabeth Smart ordeal, and how she was taken out of her own bed, I haven't felt as safe as I used to. During the summer it gets soo hot that I have to sleep with my window open all night long.

But I suppose that if someone did get into the house, the 2 dogs outside would sound the alarm, and give me just enough time to walk outside of my room to the gun cabinet...

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lurkette

We live in a fairly safe neighborhood - there have been a couple of break-ins, so we have an alarm system, but on the other hand I've accidentally left my car unlocked a few times with valuables in it and nothing's ever been taken. The best defense against crime is knowing the people in your neighborhood and watching each other's backs. We have at least met every family on our street (not counting the apartments down the block) and are good friends with the people who own the 5 houses closest to ours. I know I could count on any of them in a crisis.

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Prince

I don't know anyone in this neighbourhood. Not even the ppl in the same building (it's a 4plex, I think is what it is called). Tried to make contact with the chicks next door, they seem rather reluctant to get to know us, though.

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Midnight_Son

I lock my doors and carry a gun.....'coarse...I'm a redneck too. lol

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splck

Old Rupert the wonder dog looks out for me.
I don't worry at all at home. I never lock my car or truck and rarely lock my house.

I feel sorry for people that don't feel secure where they live... it must suck to worry all the time.

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rogue49

I learned my habits from being in more "questionable" areas before.

New Haven, CT (high crime rate near slums)
San Diego (near drug gang, and our "southern neighbors" passing through our yard in their "freedom-quest")

Now in Fairfax County, in the nice 'burb area,
I still have the same habits that protected me beforehand.
People sometimes raise an eyebrow, because they haven't experienced what I have,
but it's better to be safe than sorry.

sailor

We live in a pretty nice neighborhood, and are good friends with everyone on the street, but we still have an alarm system that is set whenever the house is empty. We also lock all of the doors when we leave and at night. There are a several guns in the house as well, but they arent there for security.

At school, I lock my door. Thats all I can do though. I feel pretty safe, but I wouldnt mind a safe in the room to lock things in--it wouldnt be hard to break the window over a break or something and steal all of my stuff.

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Stiltzkin

Lots of people here are lucky to live in a safe place. Just go about 20 miles due south of where I live and you're in Mexico, in a city that is pretty much a hardcore "party city" because the legal drinking age is 18. I went down there once to see a doctor because doctors up here in the states are so damn expensive, and within 20 minutes my license plates were gone. Had to get new ones... and I was lucky as hell that they didn't steal anything else. No one I know in this city keeps their doors unlocked... except for my best friend's family. For some reason everyone likes them... actually they're really likeable people. As for me... door locked, always, no matter what. Safety concerns? Eh... well security isn't a major problem here, but there are always things to swing around neaby is such be the case. A couple of baseball bats, and some wodden katanas that my dad made himself out of oakwood Aren't I just the weirdest person in the world? I even give myself chills! :: shivers::

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Fire

I live near the ghetto (or what passes for one in a midwest university town) and when i first bought my house there were nearby gunshots every two to three days, now though, five years later, its rare, only once in the whole summer- also, its been more than a year since anyone ran through my yard followed by the boys in blue- there are still break ins, but since I greeted the guy attempting to jimmy my window with a broadsword, and as I sell sharp stuff for a living (and regularly parade it to the truck on the way to shows), and as I practice at least once a quarter with a Flamberge in my front yard, we have had no problems whatsoever- Here if you've got a gun you are normal- if its a sword you are crazy and no one wants any of that.......

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jwells777

Although I feel quite safe in my current neighborhood, I never cease to be amazed at the fact that when I grew up in a small town, we _never_ locked our cars, doors, anything really...Now I can't even fathom that. It just doesn't seem like a good idea at all. How times change...

amonkie

I live on campus, and as an RA, sometimes I'm worried about safety because I might have residents at my door at all hours for whatever reason. However, I have the campus police on speed dial,, and know most of the people, so any strangers can be avoided if I'm alone.

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Wingnut

In Johannesburg in South Africa, crime is also high. So in order to have a safe environment for your family it is advisable to have a security system linked to an armed response company. Walls around your entire property and burglar bars on the windows. Also remote controlled gates are useful for avoiding hijackings. I suppose you get used to living like that and keeping an eye out for lurkers in the street.

You only really notice how security conciensce you have become when you go on holiday to a remote part of the country where the crime rate is very low.

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