Inovative anti-theft ideas?

[Z-Michigan]

I'm not a constitutional scholar but I don't recall anywhere in the constitution where any rights were withheld from citizens and only sanctioned for our hireling protection squad. We hire them to do a job for us. In this age of specialization it is entirely reasonable to have law enforcement specialists as well as doctors and firefighters but that doesn't remove any rights or responsibilities from the citizens to act in a prudent manner according to their abilities as the situation requires and or allows.

There's a good reason you don't remember that - it's not in there! In fact, as you know the Constitution says quite the opposite. But 200+ years of politicians and wimpy city dwellers (I feel I can speak, I lived in the most urban part of Chicago for 3 years) has turned this around in many people's minds.

At the same time, I can't really condone what the MN farmer did. He sounds pretty loopy asking the 911 operator if he should "blow away" the thieves. I think it's worth noting that even a police officer can't use or threaten deadly force to apprehend a thief anywhere in the US (which I don't think the media note very much). I'm not, however, saying that you need to be a total pacifist - I think it would have been ok if he had confronted the people (without pointing a gun, and preferably without a gun in sight) and then, if attacked, defended himself appropriately. Gotta be careful here because if they had legitimate business and he showed up with a gun visible, he would be creating a bad situation.

 

[patrick_g]

Z-Michigan, Like I said, the farmer was a little aggressive. Yo don't start showing or pointing guns until or unless the situation requires it of a prudent citizen.

A college buddy of mine went home to visit his parents during the Detroit riots of '67 where he witnessed a rioter tossing cinder blocks off an overpass at passing traffic. A car next to him too a block in the windshield and bloodied the head of the driver who did a panic stop in traffic. My friend went to the trunk for his car and retrieved a present he had prepared for his father, a scoped 6 shot revolver in a high powered .22 cal (Bee, Zipper, Hornet, or some such, I don't recall) and proceeded to try to stop the guy still throwing blocks down on the grid locked cars stacked up by the guy who got hit in the head and stopped sliding to a stop sideways.

He got off a couple shots which he thinks only hit the bridge or fence and the bad guy sprinted away. NO ONE in the group of drivers or passengers complained or turned him in. No one took his lisc number. He was cheered briefly, an ambulance arrived for the injured driver and everyone retreated to their steel cocoons and drove off.

I have great respect for the individual (my friend) who related this incident and have no reason to suspect the report was intentionally distorted. It is unfortunate that he had to break so many laws to do the right thing.

I also have great respect for the pistol and the Redfield scope he put on it. We took it out and tuned up the scope with live ammo before he was to take it to his dad. What a flame thrower. He fired it once from a sitting position using an athletic bag between his knees as a steady rest. The muzzle blast blew holes in the bag and burned his legs through a new pair of jeans.

He continues to be a responsible citizen, married with children, a highly ranked professional chemist with a national corporation.

NOTE: I don't condone spring guns or dead falls as they do not discriminate. I do condone armed citizens doing whatever is required to protect life AND property.

Pat

 

[Soundguy]

How come, every time that I try to open a PDF file my computer locks up???

ron

Your method is self defeating.. it's like locking your truck but leaving the keys hanging there.

What's to stop the thief from just starting your tractor and removing the front baricade just as you would?????

We've already determined that most tractors will be fairly easy to hotwire with a little preperation.

soundguy

 

[Glowplug]

If you have a large enough tractor, you can suround it with higway conrete barriers. Box it in. Then when you want to work, chain the one in front up the the FEL and move it out of the way.

What keeps the thieves from lifting it the same way once they hotwire the tractor?

 

[kwolfe]

What keeps the thieves from lifting it the same way once they hotwire the tractor?

OK, I typed before I thought. At least it might slow them down a little. how about trained killer bees who spit pepper spray. Alright, I habve no idea. You guys are right. Any intelligent determined theif will probably get your stuff unless you are willing to spend a lot of money. Good insurance is you best bet.

 

[nosliw]

best advice i can give is to keep the tractor close-by, and keep the property occupied.

your biggest threat is tweakers. meth-heads who won't be able to steal your tractor, but know how to pop the hood, and start removing parts / destroying parts. they won't mess with you if they know you are around, though.

have good neighboors.

 

[Glowplug]

best advice i can give is to keep the tractor close-by, and keep the property occupied. . . .they won't mess with you if they know you are around. . . .have good neighboors.

That's very true. That's probably the best deterrant at my place. Due to our professions my wife and I are working most of the time. Fortunately my inlaws stay with us. My father-in-law does an excellent job of keeping an eye on things. But, after reading this thread, I don't know what to do when we go on vacation. I can see me worried the whole vacation about my tractor so that I can't enjoy myself. I COULD put in a networked camera with an IP address and then at least I could check on my baby over the internet. But I don't know what I would do if I logged on and saw the tractor gone!!!!!!

 

[Kendall69]

Here’s one just happened last week. A dog attacked an old man and was biting him, so the old man pulled a gun and shot the dog - you guessed it, the old man is in trouble.

Same city, a guy car jacked a car, until the driver, an off duty officer pulled a gun driver obviously was fine. How many other people have been car jacked and been killed, oh that’s right we aren’t allowed to carry guns.

We can use our cell phone though, and if the lines bust, or no service - I’m sorry.

 

[nosliw]

But I don't know what I would do if I logged on and saw the tractor gone!!!!!!

"HONEY! Pack the bags, this vacation is OVER!"

you know, just get the thing on some good insurance, and if it's gets stolen/wrecked then oh well. material things are easily replaced and this world is so screwed up you have to expect something to go wrong every once in a while.

 

[RobJ]

best advice i can give is to keep the tractor close-by, and keep the property occupied.

I agree, I thought everyone here slept with their tractors!!