Beware Bad Advice -Home Safety

“Not all of the advice you read on the internet is good.” ~Captain Obvious 😁

Captain Obvious is right. There is some bad advice on the internet. So be aware. And yes, as always, I realize the irony of using the internet to warn you about advice on the internet. Let’s get started:

“If you come face to face with an intruder and you’re not prepared, lie down and do not look at them. Pretend to have a heart attack or breathing problem.”

First, you should never willingly lie down. Stay on your feet whenever possible.

Lying down puts you in a very vulnerable position. The intruder can easily overpower you. And he probably isn’t going to care of you are having a heart attack or breathing problem.

The majority of intruders, thugs, predators… whatever you want to call them… do not care about you. They are in it for what they can get. You are simply an object in their way.

And if you aren’t prepared, why not? Get prepared now before anything like this happens. Learn self defense. Make a plan of action for what you will do if your home is invaded. And practice your plan. Several times.

“If awakened at night by an intruder, lie still, try not to panic, and at first opportunity call the police.”

I don’t know if this person is trying to say that if you lie still, the intruder might not realize you’re there… but it’s bad advice any way you put it.

Get away if you can. If you can’t, get ready to fight for your life.

If you have a weapon, use it. Otherwise, strike, stomp, crush, break, whatever it takes to defeat the intruder.

“Only open your door a few inches when you don’t know the person on the other side.”

This is horrible advice. NEVER open your door to strangers. NEVER! Not even a few inches. The instant you open the door, bad guys will be able to force their way in.

Keep your door closed AND locked until you find out who they are, check their credentials and know for sure that it’s safe.

“Open the door a crack if you have a security door or chain lock.”

This isn’t any better advice than the previous one. Most (if not all) safety chains cannot stop someone from kicking the door open.

Talk to them through the door or through a doorbell/security camera speaker if you have one.

There’s no reason to open your door, even a crack and even if you have a security chain. A closed, lock door is definitely safer.

“Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside… or someone trying to get in your house, press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.”

What if the burglar isn’t scared away? Does anyone care about car alarms anymore?

I mean… I guess your neighbor could eventually get ticked and call the cops. But that isn’t really going to help you at that moment.

And what if the battery on your key fob is low and doesn’t alert your car’s alarm?

Either way, you could waste valuable time fumbling for the key fob instead of grabbing a weapon, getting to safety and calling 911.

Make a plan now for what you and your family should do in case of a break in. And practice your plan. Be prepared.

Related Post: Decrease the Risk of your Home being Burgled

Be aware of bad advice. Most of the time, common sense will tell you that the advice is bad. But if you aren’t sure, do some research. Check out some actual Self Defense and/or firearm sites. Don’t rely on Q&A sites or “self defense” articles on random sites.

~Shereen

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