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Halloween OC

T

Trigger Dr

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Last night, as the kids came to my door, most with an adult, they would comment about my "Costume" and ask what it was. I was just OC. Some of the parents asked why I would do such a thing. My stock answer made them think a bit and got a positive answer from them as they left.

My answer..."You can see we are in a semi secluded area. It's Halloween night, and people expect knocks on the door and a visitor wearing a costume. Think about this for a second...isn't that a perfect opportunity for a home invasion?"

The usual answer was "you're right, I wouldn't have thought about it" Not a single negative comment after my answer.
 
T

Trigger Dr

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Commodore76 wrote:
I might have taken a different spin on the same story. "I'm dressed up as a good guy! My every day costume!"
Click to expand...
I did say something to that effect, just did not write it down.
 
F

FunkTrooper

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I open carried on Halloween while out at night and no one thought my gun was real but they did think it "looked" real. I don't think I've ever worried about a home invasion though I suppose it's possible.
 
HankT

HankT

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Trigger Dr wrote:
Last night, as the kids came to my door, most with an adult, they would comment about my "Costume" and ask what it was. I was just OC. Some of the parents asked why I would do such a thing. My stock answer made them think a bit and got a positive answer from them as they left.

My answer..."You can see we are in a semi secluded area. It's Halloween night, and people expect knocks on the door and a visitor wearing a costume. Think about this for a second...isn't that a perfect opportunity for a home invasion?"

The usual answer was "you're right, I wouldn't have thought about it" Not a single negative comment after my answer.
Click to expand...


I see the logic.

You may be right, that the normality of walking around with a costume/mask might enhance the chances of some home invaders who are champing at the bit to get out there and do their thing...or they may perceive it as such.

But woudn't that mean that there'd be a significantly higher amount of home invasions on Halloween? I took a quick look at googles output for "halloween home invasions" and didn't see much that would support your idea.

Actually, there are probably some other activities on Halloween that would tend to diminishthe desirability of the holiday to home invasion-types. More foot traffic, (meaning more witnesses) is probably one.

Whether Halloween is "a perfect opportunity for a home invasion" is a good start on a research question.

But, overall, I tend to doubt it.

Still, carrying a gun has its benefits and logic, even without the Halloween rationale...
 
D

David.Car

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Spokane, Washington, USA
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HankT wrote:
Trigger Dr wrote:
Last night, as the kids came to my door, most with an adult, they would comment about my "Costume" and ask what it was. I was just OC. Some of the parents asked why I would do such a thing. My stock answer made them think a bit and got a positive answer from them as they left.

My answer..."You can see we are in a semi secluded area. It's Halloween night, and people expect knocks on the door and a visitor wearing a costume. Think about this for a second...isn't that a perfect opportunity for a home invasion?"

The usual answer was "you're right, I wouldn't have thought about it" Not a single negative comment after my answer.
Click to expand...


I see the logic.

You may be right, that the normality of walking around with a costume/mask might enhance the chances of some home invaders who are champing at the bit to get out there and do their thing...or they may perceive it as such.

But woudn't that mean that there'd be a significantly higher amount of home invasions on Halloween? I took a quick look at googles output for "halloween home invasions" and didn't see much that would support your idea.

Actually, there are probably some other activities on Halloween that would tend to diminishthe desirability of the holiday to home invasion-types. More foot traffic, (meaning more witnesses) is probably one.

Whether Halloween is "a perfect opportunity for a home invasion" is a good start on a research question.

But, overall, I tend to doubt it.

Still, carrying a gun has its benefits and logic, even without the Halloween rationale...
Click to expand...

It doesn't necessarily have to increase the crime rate to still become a risk.

Example: Normal strong armed invasion. If my door gets a knock at night, I am ALWAYS wary unless I am expecting someone. It means I am always on alert in that case which makes me better prepared to react.

Halloween. You are expecting lots of knocks at the door late at night. You are probably less aware of/or expecting anything to happen. That makes it the best time to target you as a victim. And if the person you open the door to is wearing a mask of some sort, you are not surprised, and it doesn't put you on alert.

Things happen when you least expect them too, so try to be prepared for anything all the time.
 
Ajetpilot

Ajetpilot

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Slightly OT, but it might also be a great night for prison/jail escapes. The checker at a local grocery store was wearing an orange jumpsuit with "DOC" on the front and "Department of Corrections" in large letters across the back. :shock:
 
N

n16ht5

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if it's at night I only open the door with my AK in hand. I'm not kidding. scares off the salesmen and mormons in a hurry.
 
OrangeIsTrouble

OrangeIsTrouble

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n16ht5

Is that legal??
So I can walk up to the door with a rifle/handgun in my hands and not on a sling or holster?

Oh, and I OCed with my ASP in south Seattle ;).

Nobody noticed because it blended in with my dark deathly robes.
 
D

David.Car

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Spokane, Washington, USA
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Poosharker wrote:
n16ht5

Is that legal??
So I can walk up to the door with a rifle/handgun in my hands and not on a sling or holster?

Oh, and I OCed with my ASP in south Seattle ;).

Nobody noticed because it blended in with my dark deathly robes.
Click to expand...
It is your damn house aint it? Besides, there is nothing illegal about the fact you happened to be cleaning your AR-15 when someone knocks at the door... You just kept it in your hands because you didn't want to get gun oil/lube on your table by setting it down in the middle :p
 
J

joeroket

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Everett, Washington, USA
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David.Car wrote:
Poosharker wrote:
n16ht5

Is that legal??
So I can walk up to the door with a rifle/handgun in my hands and not on a sling or holster?

Oh, and I OCed with my ASP in south Seattle ;).

Nobody noticed because it blended in with my dark deathly robes.
Click to expand...
It is your damn house aint it? Besides, there is nothing illegal about the fact you happened to be cleaning your AR-15 when someone knocks at the door... You just kept it in your hands because you didn't want to get gun oil/lube on your table by setting it down in the middle :p
Click to expand...
It could be determined as an intent to intimidate, which would be a violation of .270. Just because you are in your own home does not mean you can do what you wish with a firearm.
 
OlGutshotWilly

OlGutshotWilly

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Jun 30, 2008
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Snohomish, WA, ,
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David.Car wrote:
HankT wrote:
Trigger Dr wrote:
Last night, as the kids came to my door, most with an adult, they would comment about my "Costume" and ask what it was. I was just OC. Some of the parents asked why I would do such a thing. My stock answer made them think a bit and got a positive answer from them as they left.

My answer..."You can see we are in a semi secluded area. It's Halloween night, and people expect knocks on the door and a visitor wearing a costume. Think about this for a second...isn't that a perfect opportunity for a home invasion?"

The usual answer was "you're right, I wouldn't have thought about it" Not a single negative comment after my answer.

 
Click to expand...


I see the logic.

You may be right, that the normality of walking around with a costume/mask might enhance the chances of some home invaders who are champing at the bit to get out there and do their thing...or they may perceive it as such.

But woudn't that mean that there'd be a significantly higher amount of home invasions on Halloween?  I took a quick look at googles output for "halloween home invasions" and didn't see much that would support your idea.

Actually, there are probably some other activities on Halloween that would tend to diminish the desirability of the holiday to home invasion-types. More foot traffic, (meaning more witnesses) is probably one.

Whether Halloween is "a perfect opportunity for a home invasion" is a good start on a research question.

But, overall, I tend to doubt it.

Still, carrying a gun has its benefits and logic, even without the Halloween rationale...
Click to expand...

It doesn't necessarily have to increase the crime rate to still become a risk.

Example: Normal strong armed invasion. If my door gets a knock at night, I am ALWAYS wary unless I am expecting someone. It means I am always on alert in that case which makes me better prepared to react.

Halloween. You are expecting lots of knocks at the door late at night. You are probably less aware of/or expecting anything to happen. That makes it the best time to target you as a victim. And if the person you open the door to is wearing a mask of some sort, you are not surprised, and it doesn't put you on alert.

Things happen when you least expect them too, so try to be prepared for anything all the time.
Click to expand...

Here is a copy of the Neighborhood watch email I received the morning after Halloween.

Hi folks,

I don’t have a lot of details but last night (evening hours while trick or treat was still going on) a family in Gold Creek 2A at the intersection of Snohomish Cascade Drive and 154th Street returned home to find their house being burglarized. It sounds like a door was broken to access the garage but I don’t believe they made it into the rest of the house. Not sure if the canine unit led deputies over here but there were a number of police near my place on 158th Street between 8pm and 9pm. The burglars may have had a car waiting somewhere or perhaps they just tried to blend in with the trick or treat kids.
Click to expand...

That may not be a home invasion, but I call it pretty ballsey doing it with a lot of people about and the family coming home from trick or treating while it was going on. We also had the mother of one of our cub scouts come home to find two burglars in her house recently. I was armed and walking my 7 year old to the houses just a block and a half away. So yes Hank, I think it does happen.

I answer the door with my .45 in a holster all the time. If you come to my door in the middle of the night I will answer the door naked and with my gun in hand. You want to call that intimidation........go right ahead.

Cheers,
Bill
 
D

David.Car

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joeroket wrote:
It could be determined as an intent to intimidate, which would be a violation of .270. Just because you are in your own home does not mean you can do what you wish with a firearm.
Click to expand...
I think you are missingthe bestpart of270. Allow me to highlightit for you.

3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to or affect the following:

(a) Any act committed by a person while in his or her place of abode or fixed place of business;

Your welcome ;)
 
J

joeroket

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David.Car wrote:
joeroket wrote:
It could be determined as an intent to intimidate, which would be a violation of .270. Just because you are in your own home does not mean you can do what you wish with a firearm.
Click to expand...
I think you are missing the best part of 270. Allow me to highlight it for you.

3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to or affect the following:

     (a) Any act committed by a person while in his or her place of abode or fixed place of business;

Your welcome ;)
Click to expand...

I did not say it was intent to intimidate I said it could be construed as it. The person you would be intimidating is not in your abode. Just because you are inside does not mean you did not violate the statute. There are many ways to interpret the statute and I just choose an interpretation that is less likely to land me in trouble.
 
D

David.Car

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Spokane, Washington, USA
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joeroket wrote:
David.Car wrote:
joeroket wrote:
It could be determined as an intent to intimidate, which would be a violation of .270. Just because you are in your own home does not mean you can do what you wish with a firearm.
Click to expand...
I think you are missingthe bestpart of270. Allow me to highlightit for you.

3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to or affect the following:

(a) Any act committed by a person while in his or her place of abode or fixed place of business;

Your welcome ;)
Click to expand...

I did not say it was intent to intimidate I said it could be construed as it. The person you would be intimidating is not in your abode. Just because you are inside does not mean you did not violate the statute. There are many ways to interpret the statute and I just choose an interpretation that is less likely to land me in trouble.
Click to expand...
Read the RCW as it is written. Any act commited by a person (YOU) while in your place of abode. That means you, in your house. So 270 does NOT apply to you, in your home. At all. Right there, that subsection is about as straight forward as any RCW will get. You are not subject to unlawful display of a weapon while YOU are in YOUR abode... I don't think it gets much easier then that.
 
J

joeroket

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David.Car wrote:
joeroket wrote:
David.Car wrote:
joeroket wrote:
It could be determined as an intent to intimidate, which would be a violation of .270. Just because you are in your own home does not mean you can do what you wish with a firearm.
Click to expand...
I think you are missing the best part of 270. Allow me to highlight it for you.

3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to or affect the following:

     (a) Any act committed by a person while in his or her place of abode or fixed place of business;

Your welcome ;)
Click to expand...

I did not say it was intent to intimidate I said it could be construed as it. The person you would be intimidating is not in your abode. Just because you are inside does not mean you did not violate the statute. There are many ways to interpret the statute and I just choose an interpretation that is less likely to land me in trouble.
Click to expand...
Read the RCW as it is written. Any act commited by a person (YOU) while in your place of abode. That means you, in your house. So 270 does NOT apply to you, in your home. At all. Right there, that subsection is about as straight forward as any RCW will get. You are not subject to unlawful display of a weapon while YOU are in YOUR abode... I don't think it gets much easier then that.
Click to expand...

I will agree to disagree with you on this one. All laws are open to interpretation by the courts.
 
0

0V3RC10CK3D

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Aug 22, 2009
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joeroket wrote:
David.Car wrote:
joeroket wrote:
David.Car wrote:
joeroket wrote:
It could be determined as an intent to intimidate, which would be a violation of .270. Just because you are in your own home does not mean you can do what you wish with a firearm.
Click to expand...
I think you are missingthe bestpart of270. Allow me to highlightit for you.

3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to or affect the following:

(a) Any act committed by a person while in his or her place of abode or fixed place of business;

Your welcome ;)
Click to expand...

I did not say it was intent to intimidate I said it could be construed as it. The person you would be intimidating is not in your abode. Just because you are inside does not mean you did not violate the statute. There are many ways to interpret the statute and I just choose an interpretation that is less likely to land me in trouble.
Click to expand...
Read the RCW as it is written. Any act commited by a person (YOU) while in your place of abode. That means you, in your house. So 270 does NOT apply to you, in your home. At all. Right there, that subsection is about as straight forward as any RCW will get. You are not subject to unlawful display of a weapon while YOU are in YOUR abode... I don't think it gets much easier then that.
Click to expand...

I will agree to disagree with you on this one. All laws are open to interpretation by the courts.
Click to expand...
If you ask some people; they think the constitution and bill of rights are open to interpretation. ...wouldn't surprise me what some people think.
 
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