Things you learn living in a shady neighborhood

[BigBill]

When I lived in the city I ccw carried 24/7+365 days a year. In the small town I still ccw carried. In the rural area my handgun is still with me. Fight crime shoot back.


First I moved out of a big city about 45 minutes to the north so my kids would have a better quality life and a top rated school to go to. It was a small town. But being it had affordable housing costs the let's say more people moved in who didn't respect who was there first. I moved 20 minutes to the north. I'm within a bunch of gun loving northern rednecks.
I hear shots being fired all the time. These old timers on there small farms shoot. They aren't playing.

I don't care who I have for a neighbor just respect my property. I just blend in with the old timers.

I wore my camo sweats to the corner deli one morning the state workers were there having coffee. I heard the word hick as I walked by.

I'm a kid from Jersey 20minutes from the city. Who moved north to the country. Change the way I dress and I'm blended in. I'm country.

 

[Warren Sear]

...
Having spent 10 years as a professional guitar player I can tell you that you won't just pick one up for the first time and play anything that sounds good. It takes practice, practice, and MORE practice...

OK, Ok... I got one. Let's lighten up this discussion a little...

Q: What is the difference between a professional musician and a large pizza?


A: A large pizza can feed a family of four! (rimshot)

Wait! Wait! They get better!

PS I am a guitar player myself!

 

[Kanewpadle]

Smoke, go to the hardware store and buy one of these. It will give you a few extra seconds if not more.

 

[Smoke]

Smoke, go to the hardware store and buy one of these. It will give you a few extra seconds if not more.

We have one.

We used to have two but when we left our house we left one on the door coming in from our garage. When the bank repo' the house we offered to meet them and give them the keys. In fact our realtor was at the house when the repo guy showed up and offered him the keys and he refused them.

Long story short he broke a window in the garage and had to kick the door off the hinges to get in. (He then stole the bar)

 

[S&W SS Revolvers]

If this thread becomes a pissing contest about my net worth I'm going to ask the mods to lock it.

How about we look at the practical applications of living in a high threat environment .

Personally I could care less about the net worth of a man or his family. It is the content of his/their character that impresses me most. Doing what you have to do and being respectable is priceless to me. My guess is just about everyone here has had their challenges and respect you for yours.

I too have had to come home to a place I'd rather not...but did. Assuming you are in the Denver Metro Area...we are as well. Only as long as necessary. I used to love CO...we both did. There are many beautiful,practical and commonsense places here...with that said...5-7 years we are outta' this crazy mayhem. God bless WY,SD or MT. (Guess where we are going w/our S&W's and sanity?)

Best wishes my friend and thank you very much for the insight.

 

[GerSan69]

I too have had to come home to a place I'd rather not...but did. Assuming you are in the Denver Metro Area...we are as well. Only as long as necessary. I used to love CO...we both did. There are many beautiful,practical and commonsense places here...with that said...5-7 years we are outta' this crazy mayhem. God bless WY,SD or MT. (Guess where we are going w/our S&W's and sanity?)

Former Coloradan here. I retired and got the hell out last year, and I'm so glad we did. I can highly recommend Arizona. We found a nice place an hour from Phoenix. Love it. The heat is overrated...a few weeks in the 100s is more than offset by months of no snow. And it's very gun-friendly. Very.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I live in a relatively low crime/nice neighborhood where the old 75,000 homes are now worth three times that and the old 150,000 dollar homes are worth three times THAT, etc. New construction reaches a half million and some even higher. I look around and I'm stunned at these prices - and one reason I am stunned (other than being the poor kid on the block in the smallest/cheapest house) is because not two or three block away in two directions there are apartment complexes that make most of Colorado Springs look super calm and quiet and safe (I know Colorado Springs), even with the details that Smoke described. But real estate is real estate and when you live close to center city with a short commute there is pressure on your neighborhood and prices are rising but somewhat deceptive.

What's my point?

The value of the homes is irrelevant. If they're not doing drug deals on my street they're doing them 5 minutes away. If they're bored they're walking in our alleys or simply casing the block. I practice situational awareness EVERY day, everywhere I go, even on my quiet street. Doors are locked, cars are locked, I look around all the time - there are tons of places for someone to hide. Smoke simply has the bad guys out in the open but if you're not alert everywhere you go, everywhere you are, especially at home, someday you'll be a victim.

As the police Sergeant said on Hill Street Blues, "Let's be careful out there".

 

[Inksmyth]

I live in the house I grew up in. I am pushing retirement age. This area has gone from country to suburban to city to section 8 ghetto across the street. Home invasions happen in the area on a regular basis. Meth heads, drunks and thugs are the new scenery when I walk the dog. I was woken recently at 3:00 AM by the swat team breaking down the door across the street. Car jackings and drive by shootings have become a fact of life here. My wife is afraid to go outside to garden, she is handicapped and an easy mark. I'm getting way to old to go toe to toe with a bad guy. He would have to wait for me to stretch and stand upright. This is why I have started to carry. To feel safe in my own neighborhood. Something is wrong here.

 

[Smoke]

Situational Awareness

Situational awareness has got me out of far more trouble in this neighborhood than my gun ever will.

I posted a thread a year or two ago about something that happened while I was out walking my dog. A guy was crossing the street a little way up the road from me and turned completely out of his way and started coming straight at me.

All I did was turn to face him square on and put my hand in my pocket and he turned 90 degrees away from me. And walked away without either one of us saying a word.

There's a girl that lives in our complex that is the embodiment of situational awareness. I don't even think she tries it's just who she is.

Every time I see her she gives an impression of awareness, like she is aware of everyone around her. I never see her just walking, she is always going to somewhere even when she's not. She's carries her self with her spine straight and like I said you just have to look at her and you know she knows you're there.

My wife usually doesn't pay much attention to stuff like this but she's the one who pointed it out to me. The very first time my wife saw she said to me "that woman doesn't want anyone messing with her." (Just not in quite so family friendly verbiage).

My point is that just with her body language this woman makes it crystal clear that she is not a mark

 

[fredg19]

Part of that has to be canvassing any area you might be moving to. Sometimes we get caught because the area looks nice in the day only to go downhill quick at night.

Saw this and had to respond... ABSOLUTELY do this! Preferably on a hot summer Friday or Saturday night especially around the first of the month when the "monthly checks" are delivered.

Do this for a few weeks and you will get a quick idea of the neighborhood.

 

[wbraswell]

Good luck, Smoke. There are good people in all neighborhoods, and they deserve everything that someone who lives in a fancy, high tax neighborhood deserves, as far as law enforcement and public services. Just because you pay more tax, doesn't make you more of an American, and it sure doesn't make you more of a human being.

 

[Sayoc01]

Ya'll,notice the lowlifes ,the section 8's ,the muggers etc.& just think.....courts ,media lawyers & do gooders....who profess those people have their rights!!There are ALWAYS excuses for their problems! Then their is hollywood....just saw where an actress was commenting how great Thomas Oleary was for LSD! Wish we could just clean house!!
Jim

 

[walter o]

I am upset at the way some of you replied to the thread . I happen to be 78 and live next a commuter collage .The area has been turning for about 8 years , didn't realize it until the vacant houses started showing up,then the boarded up houses . I live on a fixed income and the home is paid for ,my next move will be to a nursing home or to a wood box. It must be nice to be upward mobile and able to move to a new neighbor hood I can't ,DON"T tell me I can.In a few years all the hoods that you move to will change also. Society IS turning to ****, isn't that why we all want the second amendment not to be screwed with .
Enough gloom & doom

rant over - watch your back