Got an unusual text from my sister — the Mean One — the other night.
Mean Sister (8:54 PM):
Are you in town?
Me (8:54 PM):
Yes
Mean Sister (8:55 PM):
Can you come to my house with your gun. I just got back in town, and my front door is open.
Me (8:55 PM):
On the way
Mean Sister (8:55 PM):
Thank you.
That’s not a very common request from her … or from anybody, actually. At least, it’s not a request I get very often.
I threw some clothes on, grabbed the gun, got my sister on the phone, and rushed that way.
A room to room search determined no one was there … or had been there. The front door was locked, but wide open. The conclusion was that she had pulled the locked door to but didn’t properly close it, and that it has blown open.
She admitted that she never checks the door when she leaves because she “always keeps the door locked.” I tried not to be too much of a jackass, but I did suggest that she change her habits. And, just in case you have … well, sloppy, to be honest … habits regarding securing your residence, rethink things.
Always check your doors when you leave. Go to every door, and make sure they’re locked. Check your windows regularly. If you ever open them, check them before you leave or before you call it a night.
When you leave out a door and you pull it to, turn the knob to ensure it’s locked. Push on the door to ensure it’s latched. And, if you have a deadbolt, use it. Sure, it’s a pain to do every time you leave. And it takes anywhere from 2 – 6 seconds. Take that extra time. Please.
The problem isn’t that my sister didn’t do these things and get me out. It’s that she wasn’t being safe. I’m hoping she changes her habits. I want her to be safe.
You be safe too, okay?
OK.
I’m glad everything worked out as it did. But in another world, an eentsy-teensy part of me would have wanted to respond:
y r u not armed?
Excellent point. I wonder why I didn’t ask her that. I will do that today.
i have to resist being OCD and checking and rechecking doors to make sure they’re locked.
So how many blasts did you fire?
Little DAP, some paint, it’ll be good as new.
She called you? Were the Police too busy that day? 🙂
I also reached out to a friend who works with the Sheriff’s Office. My sister lives outside the city, so technically, the local city police jurisdiction. Didn’t take me long to get there since she’s only a mile away, and the stand-down/all-clear came quickly enough that nobody was taken away from patrolling high-crime areas.
While we’re discussing security:
http://www.abloyusa.com/protec2.html
This lock basically can’t be picked. It took a locksmith 15 minutes to pick, and he had the key to look at to help. It uses disks instead of tumblers.
And this:
http://www.gibraltdoor.com
A high security door, with multiple deadbolt shafts.
I don’t know if the Abloy lock can be installed in the Gibraltdoor.
Thank you for the suggestions. I’ll look into those.