I said i would start sharing my car stories and now that I have a little time.... I think I will.
For a very brief period in high school (I believed I had just turned 16 or 17) I had a white 1967 Buick Skylark convertible (purchased for the princely sum of $800). It was slow as hell, rusty, had a crusty 330 V8 with a 2 barrel carb and had the worst transmission of the worst. A Buick two speed Jetaway trans. With over 200,000 miles on the clock, it was more than used - it was abused. The only thing that made it cool for all the kids far and wide was the fact that it was a ragtop with a V8 engine. At highway speeds the trans and rear end was as noisy as an aircraft carrier - but it was mine.
One night a friend had a party at his place and when it was over we were all walking back to our cars. To my surprise I found 2 kids sitting in my car fishing under the dash for something. I hear them mumbling about the possibility of a hidden stereo system (NO, all I had was a feeble factory AM radio). I told my friends to hang back while I approached them. I ask them if it's their car. One of them gives me a surprised look and tells me, yeah it's his car without batting an eye. Alright, my mistake I say and proceed to pretend walking away. They go back to their business of fiddling with the dash.
In the meantime, I've taken this time to come about to the driver's side of my car. My friends (about 3 of them) were giggling in the distance and that ruined it for me. The two kids turn around and see my three guys in the distance and panic. They both try to bolt. I mention try, because only one of the two kids manage to get away.
The kid on the driver's side jumped out of the car and was about to turn to run. Impulsively, I kicked the car door shut, slamming and pinning it on his right hand. If you've ever had a car door slam on your hand, you know how much it hurts - but the door of my '67 Skylark had no weatherstripping protection on the side and weighed 3 times as much as a modern car door. I still remember the sound of metal crushing bone to this day. That sound was followed by the agonizing scream of the would-be thief.
My three buddies had chased after the other guy so it was just me and him. He's screaming obscenities at me while I grab my cellphone and dial 911. I was on hold for about 5-10 minutes and in the meantime the homeowners on the block are coming out to find out what the commotion is all about (it was about 3:00 AM at the time). At this time I announce that this kid tried to break into my car and I'm holding him until the cops arrive. Only 4 people show up and two of them are applauding my efforts by clapping. One of them walks away and the other is telling me that I cannot use excess force to hold him. The kid screams at me that he's going to "cut my nuts off with his knife". Great! Now the possibility exists that he has a knife on him so I have every reason to keep him pinned. I even have witnesses!
I ignore him and talk to the officer on the phone. I tell her that I have a crook for her to pick up and ask her if he wants to talk to him. The kid proceeds to say that he is going to kill "every one of us for making him go through this including the pigs". Now I have witnesses that he is uttering death threats. I explain the situation and she informs me there will be a unit there within 1/2 an hour. In the meantime, he continues screaming for another 5-10 minutes than goes silent. I presume he passed out from the pain. The cops arrive, demand that I back away from my vehicle and come over to theirs. They move in and open up the car door. One looks him over while the other radios for an ambulance. Another few minutes later an ambulance appears and they throw him in the back.
I had to give a lengthy statement and spend a lot of time at the local police station answering a WHOLE lot of questions ad nausem. It was rough because for a while I was treated like a criminal until they questioned all the witnesses. My parents had to come down and they were NOT impressed at the time (my father still chuckles about the incident to this day). The cops let me go because 1) I was a minor and 2) the thief really DID have a knife on him and I did what I had to in order to protect myself.
Ah, to be young and impulsive again.....
I am clapping my hands and cheering!
Great story!
How lucky you were to catch the bastard in the act.
I hate it, though, that the cops hassled you. And that part about the whiny neighbor and "excessive force"? What a dweezle. I wonder how he'd feel if someone were trying to steal his car.
I despise people who steal. But I loathe people who object to confronting/dealing with thieves even more.
Jeasy peasy...
Originally Posted by Eric
It is the same over here. Use the slightest bit of force, even just catch one of the theiving scum that infest this country these days and hold him till the police arrive and you could be in trouble. These filth know all their rights and none of their responsibilities - I am convinced that the police will often go for the easy option and chase the victim rather than the criminal who might give them some bother. I would like to see a society where the rights of the law-abiding citizen are paramount and the criminal loses his/her rights the moment he commits a crime.
My preference would have been to stretch him across the car and shut his other hand in the other door - then kick him in the nuts whilst thinking up something really bad to do in order to focus his mind on the error of his ways. There are certain aspects of Sharia Law that seem quite appealing, maybe Dr. Rowan Williams isn't completely wrong. Given the chance, I would have no hesitation in chopping off the hand of anyone caught burgling my house.
Ken.
Die dulci fruimini!
Ken.
Wolds Bikers, Lincolnshire, England.
I agree.
It is the same over here. Use the slightest bit of force, even just catch one of the theiving scum that infest this country these days and hold him till the police arrive and you could be in trouble. These filth know all their rights and none of their responsibilities - I am convinced that the police will often go for the easy option and chase the victim rather than the criminal who might give them some bother. I would like to see a society where the rights of the law-abiding citizen are paramount and the criminal loses his/her rights the moment he commits a crime.
My preference would have been to stretch him across the car and shut his other hand in the other door - then kick him in the nuts whilst thinking up something really bad to do in order to focus his mind on the error of his ways. There are certain aspects of Sharia Law that seem quite appealing, maybe Dr. Rowan Williams isn't completely wrong. Given the chance, I would have no hesitation in chopping off the hand of anyone caught burgling my house.
Ken.
Especially as regards any crime involving violence (or its threat). To me, that is crossing a line that, once crossed, should involve (and invite) the most serious of consequences. If a weapon is involved, mandatory 20 years in the clink. No parole. Period. On top of whatever additional sanction may be imposed for the crime itself.
That would put an end to gun/knife crime, etc. almost overnight.
Screw these maggots. Why do we waste time/sympathy on predators?
Because the 'Bleeding Heart Liberals' believe that if you love them enough and give them a big hug they will forsake their life of crime and thuggery - AS IF!
Ken.
Die dulci fruimini!
Ken.
Wolds Bikers, Lincolnshire, England.
I don't believe that stiff punishment is much of a deterrence, that would imply that there are thought processes going on.I agree.
It is the same over here. Use the slightest bit of force, even just catch one of the theiving scum that infest this country these days and hold him till the police arrive and you could be in trouble. These filth know all their rights and none of their responsibilities - I am convinced that the police will often go for the easy option and chase the victim rather than the criminal who might give them some bother. I would like to see a society where the rights of the law-abiding citizen are paramount and the criminal loses his/her rights the moment he commits a crime.
My preference would have been to stretch him across the car and shut his other hand in the other door - then kick him in the nuts whilst thinking up something really bad to do in order to focus his mind on the error of his ways. There are certain aspects of Sharia Law that seem quite appealing, maybe Dr. Rowan Williams isn't completely wrong. Given the chance, I would have no hesitation in chopping off the hand of anyone caught burgling my house.
Ken.
Especially as regards any crime involving violence (or its threat). To me, that is crossing a line that, once crossed, should involve (and invite) the most serious of consequences. If a weapon is involved, mandatory 20 years in the clink. No parole. Period. On top of whatever additional sanction may be imposed for the crime itself.
That would put an end to gun/knife crime, etc. almost overnight.
Screw these maggots. Why do we waste time/sympathy on predators?
I do believe in stiff and swift punishment, I just don't think it will deter crime. Bad seeds need to be identified and locked away from society. And if what they've done is bad enough, killed.
"I don't believe that stiff punishment is much of a deterrence, that would imply that there are thought processes going on."
Except in one key respect - it deters that individual from committing a further crime because he is in the clink. Twenty years-plus is a nice long time be out of circulation.
" Bad seeds need to be identified and locked away from society. And if what they've done is bad enough, killed."
Amen. Or at the very least, lifetime incarceration with zero chance of ever being released. Allowing such a person to prey on people after they've shown they are predators is inexcusable.
You'd be surprised at how many people calling the police go to jail because they are doing something illegal. Like the guy who thought he was ripped off by a drug dealer and asked the police to check it for him. Yes, they arrest the dealer, but they also arrest the complaintant for possesion.
Indiana is fairly lenient where self defense is concerned but you better make SURE the subject is armed. Last July they dropped the retreat clause from home invasion defense. Now, if an armed intruder enters your home, it's open season. He had better be armed though, if he isn't, you have some very serious questions to answer.
The one time I was threatened with a knife, I asked him if it was chocolate as it would be easier to eat. That's when my guard dog rustled his chain and I racked one into the chamber of my 12 guage. Ol' Max was a great guard dog at my salvage yard and was originally an Army dog but too aggressive for the Army. You could sic him but he wouldn't be called back. He mellowed out after I got him but was always ready to go after burglars. He paid for himself the first week I had him.
I did have one vehicle taken but it technically wasn't stolen. The guy had permission to use it but not to take it out of town. That's where the nice vague charge of conversion comes into play. It's exerting unauthorised control over the property of another.
I did have some nice wheels in high school that people tried to steal three times. They were on a 1968 dodge Coronet. I had popped two lug studs out of the brake drum on both sides and moved them to the other. Two LH studs on the right and two RH studs on the left. A dab of paint to tell which is which and no matter how much they crank the wrench, they aren't coming off.
Honk if you love Jesus.
Text if you want to meet him.
Great story. I too had an interesting situation in High School.
My buddy Earl had a Jeep. It was an old one, 4-cylinder, with the steel cab, but a "real" Jeep (before all the derivatives) and had 4-wheel drive, a real transfer case, and 4-on-the-floor. We were in the process of painting it red, so it was part red and part primer. Metalflake paint, the hand rubbed finished parts looked teriffic.
One morning I was pulling into the school parking lot with my little brother in the car in my Dad's '57 white Imperial and saw Earl driving out of the lot in his Jeep. Since it was almost time for the first class to start, I wondered where he was going! Then a couple hours later i saw him in the halls between classes and asked him where he had been going just before school started. He said "Huh? I been here in school all day."
"Uh-oh, " I said. "You better check your Jeep." Sure enough, it was gone, gone, gone. After school I was called to the Principal's office and chewed out for not reporting what I saw to the school. Nuts. I was told to take my brother and go down to the local police department to tell my story.
My brother and I were put in separate rooms and given mug-shot books to look at. Individually we both picked out the same guy from the pictures - actually, he looked a LOT like Earl - which was why we hadn't noticed anything untoward at first. The cops followed up, caught the kid, recovered the Jeep. The kid had maps and a route laid out to the high country in Colorado, a bedroll and a stash of food for his little trip. But the only trip he took was to the lockup for grand theft auto. <VBG>.
A man's greatest mistake is to think he is working for somebody else.
"You'd be surprised at how many people calling the police go to jail because they are doing something illegal. Like the guy who thought he was ripped off by a drug dealer and asked the police to check it for him. Yes, they arrest the dealer, but they also arrest the complaintant for possesion."
That's too funny!
" Indiana is fairly lenient where self defense is concerned but you better make SURE the subject is armed. Last July they dropped the retreat clause from home invasion defense. Now, if an armed intruder enters your home, it's open season. He had better be armed though, if he isn't, you have some very serious questions to answer. "
I have a real problem with such laws that seem to bend over backward to the benefit of scumbag criminals. Why on earth should a person inhis own home have to "retreat" in the face of an intruder? And who cares if the scumbag is (or isn't) armed? Why should it be the obligation of the homeowner (in his own damn home!) to ascertain whether an intruder is armed before he may defend himself? Or herself? Imagine how scared shitless the average person would be in such a situation - especially if it's a woman alone. "F" that. As far as I am concerned, morally speaking, when a maggot enters your house to commit a crime, it's open season. The homeowner has every right to self defense, including use of lethal force. "F" what the law says. I'd rather deal with a jury than take my chances with some thug up to god knows what. (Jury nullification is a grand thing; even when an a-hole prosecutor decides to go after an honest citizen who was simply defending himself, the jury will often refuse to convict.)
"The one time I was threatened with a knife, I asked him if it was chocolate as it would be easier to eat. That's when my guard dog rustled his chain and I racked one into the chamber of my 12 guage. Ol' Max was a great guard dog at my salvage yard and was originally an Army dog but too aggressive for the Army. You could sic him but he wouldn't be called back. He mellowed out after I got him but was always ready to go after burglars. He paid for himself the first week I had him."
Excellent!
We have a big dog - but he's useless for anythingbut tail-wagging and drooling (Black Lab). Looks impressive, though.
I did have one vehicle taken but it technically wasn't stolen. The guy had permission to use it but not to take it out of town. That's where the nice vague charge of conversion comes into play. It's exerting unauthorised control over the property of another.
"I did have some nice wheels in high school that people tried to steal three times. They were on a 1968 dodge Coronet. I had popped two lug studs out of the brake drum on both sides and moved them to the other. Two LH studs on the right and two RH studs on the left. A dab of paint to tell which is which and no matter how much they crank the wrench, they aren't coming off."
That is very clever; have to file that one away for future reference! ;D
You can't just open up on someone in your house. What if your son invited a friend in who looked pretty scuzzy? He was there by invitation but you didn't know it and blew him away. Are you justified? No. Common sense must take precedence. The "must retreat" clause was winked at anyway.
I teach all my female relatives to defend themselves. My nephew I didn't need to teach. He took Tai Kwan Do for several years. I made the mistake of asking him to break a bear hug I had him in. He did. It took a bit for my eyes to unroll from my head. I thought he was going to walk through it, but he didn't. He was really sorry and worried he would get in trouble. I told him that an adult relative told him to do something so he did what he was told. Dropped me like a sack of potatos. Yeesh!
I strongly believe in someone going about their lawful business defending themselves. If a little old lady blew a burglar away with a shotgun in her own house and a prosecutor did press charges, I'd like to be on that jury. Granny would walk. Personally, I'd try to use less than lethal force but I'm in good shape and weight 225 pounds at 6 foot tall.
Honk if you love Jesus.
Text if you want to meet him.
" You can't just open up on someone in your house. What if your son invited a friend in who looked pretty scuzzy? He was there by invitation but you didn't know it and blew him away. Are you justified? No. Common sense must take precedence. The "must retreat" clause was winked at anyway. "
We don't have kids; no one - other than someone who we didn't invite - would be in our house other than us. We live in a very rural area. On 7.3 acres, with 100-plus acres of land all around us. If my wife is home alone and some guy comes into the house, he will be staring down a Mossberg 12 gauge.
" I strongly believe in someone going about their lawful business defending themselves. If a little old lady blew a burglar away with a shotgun in her own house and a prosecutor did press charges, I'd like to be on that jury. Granny would walk. Personally, I'd try to use less than lethal force but I'm in good shape and weight 225 pounds at 6 foot tall. "
Yes.
As far as "less than lethal" - I dunno about that. Even if you are a very good shot, if it comes down to shooting, I'd want to end it real quick. And not give the criminal any chance of getting off a shot himself. Or continuing to come at me. I've advised my wife that if she ever has to point a gun at someone to be mentally prepared to use it - and if she must shoot, to pump as many rounds into center mass as she is able to.
My father taught me early that it is NOT a gun but a weapon. If the situation warrants the use of lethal force, then so be it. I've been known to remove the pistol that a drunk was waving around to show off. that's how so many people get wounded or killed. Dad's been gone for several years but I wouldn't be surprised if he came back to get me if I was careless with a weapon.
My lady friend wanted to get a small pistol. I asked her if she could sight down the barrel and shoot a man. When she said no, I told her she didn't need to own a weapon. I gave her a 6 cell flashlight like I used to carry as a police officer. Made out of aircraft grade aluminum, it will lay someone out in a hurry if she needs to.
Honk if you love Jesus.
Text if you want to meet him.
Good stuff!
My father taught me early that it is NOT a gun but a weapon. If the situation warrants the use of lethal force, then so be it. I've been known to remove the pistol that a drunk was waving around to show off. that's how so many people get wounded or killed. Dad's been gone for several years but I wouldn't be surprised if he came back to get me if I was careless with a weapon.
My lady friend wanted to get a small pistol. I asked her if she could sight down the barrel and shoot a man. When she said no, I told her she didn't need to own a weapon. I gave her a 6 cell flashlight like I used to carry as a police officer. Made out of aircraft grade aluminum, it will lay someone out in a hurry if she needs to.
I think that the sound of a shell being jacked into the chamber of a 12 gauge is a helluva deterrent all by itself....
My sheels were "special". The first was a combination of rock salt and bacon rind. The second was a deer slug in case the rock salt didn't get their attention. I had a fellow watch the yard during the hours we were closed in return for a place warm to sleep, food and a few bucks. He had been a Ranger at Normandy and some of the sotries he could tell would raise your hackles. I thought he was just telling tales but one of dad's friends knew him and said he was actually making it easier to hear. He's the one to clue me into bacon rinds. Rock salt gets there first but the bacon rind is right behind and it comes out of the barrel sizzling. I never had to fire one but I imagine it would really wake you up.
Honk if you love Jesus.
Text if you want to meet him.
"My sheels were "special". The first was a combination of rock salt and bacon rind."
Duly filed for future reference! ;D
" The second was a deer slug in case the rock salt didn't get their attention. I had a fellow watch the yard during the hours we were closed in return for a place warm to sleep, food and a few bucks. He had been a Ranger at Normandy and some of the sotries he could tell would raise your hackles. I thought he was just telling tales but one of dad's friends knew him and said he was actually making it easier to hear. He's the one to clue me into bacon rinds. Rock salt gets there first but the bacon rind is right behind and it comes out of the barrel sizzling. I never had to fire one but I imagine it would really wake you up.
Yeah. Those guys lived through Interesting Times. My generation (Gen X) has had it pretty easy; too young for Vietnam, nothing much happening in the '80s and '90s.... but we may get some excitement soon - though we're mostly too old for the draft at this point!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote