Uselful Tool

[redskies]

Before we lived here - which is in the wilds, as you say - we lived in Leicester. The front door was unlocked, but we had a dog I'd trained to bark if someone he didn't know touched the handle or letterbox. And although he was a collie cross, he sounded like a couple of rotties when he got going!

Here, it's safe to heave the kids out to play - youngest was four when we moved to this house, and has always played in the street with the other kids. They also go to and from school alone on the bus or walking (over a mile) on single track roads. The parental worries have gone from stranger danger (virtually none; except in tourist season, we know everyone, they know us) to worrying about them falling off a cliff edge into the sea or managing to find themselves a riptide or current; round here they are, quite literally, lethal in some places.

This is our location. We're off the mainland, we can (and do, regularly) manage fine without the supermarket supplies. Plenty of local folks to trade stuff with if we need to. I keep us in fresh eggs trading soap through the summer. Short of a meteor strike or a massive oil spill, I can't imagine anything we couldn't survive; there's ample water, everywhere - across the road from us are two wee lochs that would supply our village for about a year without any rainfall. Plenty of food and game too, and the facility to grow fresh food. We can't do wheat here, but barley is ok. We'd manage. No need for us to bug out; we're already here

[12mp82]

I remember the good old days of unlocked doors and a packed lunch handed to me before going up the fields to play football, build dens or long day walks to the river, every other house had the same locks on the doors, just front to back swapped , but no-one ever used them inappropriately. But then greed came along and people wanting things they couldn't afford, doors became locked, window locks got fitted.

But saying that I live in the 'burbs, and have been known to leave doors unlocked over night, never had a problem I don't think it is as bad as they want us to think it is

[tanstaafl]

I think that what ever you use the "don't say anything" is a high priority. The other is "appropriate force

I was in a situation a few years ago when an irate passenger (I am a bus driver) went for me, which was a bit silly as I am a 20 stone lifter and ex bouncer, anyway I just took him by the throat and banged him against the side of my bus until he calmed down , anyhow the police came and interviewed me and asked the question, "did I think I used appropriate force", I answered that yes , even tho I had used a lot of force , I did not have time to gauge the amount to use, and given that I was a big strong lad, I could not see what else I could do, they were perfectly happy with that answer.

[madmedic]

Redskies sounds great place you have. Used to live outer hebridies and st kilda. Love them both. Don't think crime is as bad as they make you believe in most places. Although when I lived a fairly dodgy bit of Glasgow (springburn for those who know it) I was broken into 2 times in 3 months the second time I caught the guy and with that and the cops knowing me (as a paramedic) the word got round that my house was not worth the trouble. After that I was strangely left alone.

[redskies]

Redskies sounds great place you have. Used to live outer hebridies and st kilda. Love them both. Don't think crime is as bad as they make you believe in most places. Although when I lived a fairly dodgy bit of Glasgow (springburn for those who know it) I was broken into 2 times in 3 months the second time I caught the guy and with that and the cops knowing me (as a paramedic) the word got round that my house was not worth the trouble. After that I was strangely left alone.

Unfortunately, in the two months before we moved, there were about a dozen abduction attempts in the city - and one of my own daughters was in one. One of the other daughters was threatened and chased by the local feral chav kids, because she and her boyfriend were wearing leather jackets. We'd already decided we were moving, but that kinda speeded things up a bit!

I realise that crime isn't as bad as certain red tops say, but until child molestors et al have it tattooed on their foreheads, it's impossible to know who they are. And having worked in a cat A prison, I can promise that the section 43's are, frequently, guys you wouldn't look twice at if you passed them on the street. I prefer living where we know everyone, and they know us.

[12mp82]

There was a program on a few years back with Dr Robert Winstone, he was telling about the risks we live in, especially about children (Sorry to hear you became one of the statistics redskies) when he was very young, he travelled across London using public transport to visit a friend, I think he was about 10 yrs old at the time.

Now come forward to the 1990's and we see less and less children being allowed out to do such things because of fear parents have.

Back then (Early Winstone) there were about a dozen child abduction and murders a year if that to be honest, come forward to the 1990s and there are about the same number of child abduction and murders a year.

But we hear an awful lot more about it due to the media.

So it is supposedly safer today than it was back in the 40's and 50's, even though the population has pretty much doubled the fear factor due to the media has gone through the roof.

http://oro.open.ac.uk/35379/2/Questions ... ission.pdf

Home Office statistics indicate that eleven children
were murdered between 1950 and 1965. These same statistics reveal that
222 children were abducted between 1950 and 1965

I am still looking for statistics for home invasion where occupiers are present and needed to protect themselves.

Unfortunately it is often the case that places like UK Preppers go from likely and probable needs to be preppared to activities that are less likely and often misguided, but then again

[redskies]

The attempts before we left ranged from the abduction attempt on my then 10yr old and her friend, where he picked her friend up and tried to get a 'funny smelling' cloth over her nose and mouth to an eighteen year old lass they tried to stuff in a car. In both cases, the would be victims fought off their attackers. My lass did exactly what I'd taught her to; she kicked him in the shins with her DM's, then screamed her head off!

As I said, it's a pity we don't tattoo the relevant information or some sort of symbol on their foreheads. I see these problems as being symptoms of the way our society is currently degrading. We no longer have the sense of community that we used to, and, due to the highly mobile population, we no longer know exactly who is living in our communities. I do know that it's not as dangerous as is made out - did you ever come across the free range kids blog? - but, as I said, it's difficult, as a parent, to know who to trust. Where we lived in Leicester, there was a park at one end of the road, and a meadow at the other. The park was full of older teens getting drunk, smoking and taking drugs, the meadow was full of doggers. Both would, otherwise, have been great places for my kids to go and play, but as things stood, we had to supervise, which I didn't like. I'm far more comfortable with the idea of letting them out the door and getting on with some work.

Here, the only place they're not allowed to go without an adult is to the shore or up onto the moors. That's not because I don't trust them but because the sea is so dangerous, and the moors can be too. The rest of the time, they roam about, talk to the people they come across, build dens, play in the park and have a great time, all the while learning.

[madmedic]

Appropriate force can be lethal force if required

[redskies]

Appropriate force can be lethal force if required

If I'd found the bugger (and I did go looking, had a really good description), there wouldn't have been enough left to arrest! Made me so mad that she couldn't even walk home from school in peace. That's why I used to walk 40 miles a week; school and nursery runs.

[tanstaafl]

Appropriate force can be lethal force if required

On the subject of home invasions, dont even think about it, hit the burgler/Rapist etc as hard as you can, with whatever you can, and when he goes down make sure he stays down.

Extreme ,, Yes

Over the Top,,,,, Yes

BUT, I would rather explain my actions to a jury than let him get past me to my loved ones

YOU are the only thing between the bad guys and your loved ones , you gotta do what you gotta do