Protecting Your Garage

[GordonC]

Right guys, Just looking to see what your thoughts and views are on this and to vent some steam lol. So the guy in the house over the back from mine had his garage broken into last night and had 2 off road bikes stole. He didnt know till he woke up this mornin so safe to say the culprits probably wont get caught. So I told the mrs about it and said if she hears anything during the night to wake me straight away. Now if it ever did happen then I would be straight out with a bat to sort them out but she went off on one saying that she wouldnt let me as whatever is in the garage isnt worth risking your life for ect. I've worked hard to buy all my tool and everything else in there and it really gets me going at the thought of just letting them get away with just taking all the things I've worked hard for. Lets face it the chances of the police catching them by the time they get here is slim and none.

Sorry for the big story but I had to vent it somewhere lol. So whats your thoughts on it ? Would you go out to them or stand at the window watching them/waiting for police ?

 

[brightspark]

Right guys, Just looking to see what your thoughts and views are on this and to vent some steam lol. So the guy in the house over the back from mine had his garage broken into last night and had 2 off road bikes stole. He didnt know till he woke up this mornin so safe to say the culprits probably wont get caught. So I told the mrs about it and said if she hears anything during the night to wake me straight away. Now if it ever did happen then I would be straight out with a bat to sort them out but she went off on one saying that she wouldnt let me as whatever is in the garage isnt worth risking your life for ect. I've worked hard to buy all my tool and everything else in there and it really gets me going at the thought of just letting them get away with just taking all the things I've worked hard for. Lets face it the chances of the police catching them by the time they get here is slim and none.

Sorry for the big story but I had to vent it somewhere lol. So whats your thoughts on it ? Would you go out to them or stand at the window watching them/waiting for police ?

put it this way if they had gear in there hands and i went out which i would i have a 14lb hammer shaft and a nice decent chain. if they didnt put them down id lace them with it . if they didnt have anything id theaten em and let them get away . a chain outweighs someone with a knife but a gun is a diffrent matter .that realy isnt worth it .if there nicking your car and there in it and its running dont jump in front of it u will get run over . metal can be replaced .skin and bones cant

 

[cumbriasteve]

Difficult to 'think' what you would do, we all react to the situation that exists at the time, I think my outrage would win over my common sense and I would have a go.

Then I would probably reflect and think how stupid I had been.

I think location makes a big difference, up here it's likely to be local scally's who would flee at the first bit of noise, in the heavier crime and drug related areas there are the harder criminals who don't scare so easily and are prepared to face up to you.

 

[brightspark]

Difficult to 'think' what you would do, we all react to the situation that exists at the time, I think my outrage would win over my common sense and I would have a go.

Then I would probably reflect and think how stupid I had been.

I think location makes a big difference, up here it's likely to be local scally's who would flee at the first bit of noise, in the heavier crime and drug related areas there are the harder criminals who don't scare so easily and are prepared to face up to you.

i have . been robbed a few times and had a hiding and broken nose wheels stolen ect . now i just go beserk if i think im gonna be hit and let rip dont hesitate otherwise if u try to reason with them they know your a soft touch and get the edge on u

 

[Keith 66]

First make it hard for them to get in, most garage doors are notoriously weak with but one latch at the top in the middle. Good shoot bolts at each corner gives it a chance. Good strong side door with heavy hinges & high security hasp staple & padlock. But If someone comes calling with a cordless angle grinder they are going to get in unless the noise is a problem. 12 gauge alarm guns are cheap as chips & highly effective. If a low life sets one of these of in the dead of night he aint going to be waiting around, rather he will be looking for a change of underwear.
A string of treble fish hooks in selected places are said to be effective, allegedly of course.

 

[the snooper]

the best first approach by far is an alarm box they can see and make sure its not a dummy most garages don't have one so they will soon move on to a lesser risk unless of course they know what's in there and specifically you have what they want

 

[Wedg1e]

As for the having a go... many years ago my then girlfriend lived in an area of Middlesbrough not known for having a high number of millionaires. Car crime was rife; if I was visiting I got so sick of having to replace windows in my Renault 25 that I left the doors unlocked and just ran outside whenever the alarm was triggered, whcih it was almost nightly, sometimes more than once. Always heard the patter of tiny trainers, never caught anyone. Until one night...
The g/f had my old Skoda Rapid. Had it been an Estelle then I could have put windows in it forevermore, but the Rapid doors are different and all the local scrappies had run out of quarterlights.
So one night she and I were on the phone and she heard the Rapid's alarm go off, ran outside and found a guy of about our age (late 20s) in a lumberjack shirt leaning against a wall. He told her that some kids had run off.
Back on the phone to me she was in a bit of a state so I gave it an hour until she'd gone to bed, left my young'un asleep in the house and drove over to 'Boro. I parked the Renault behind the Rapid, climbed in the back and waited. About midnight a lumberjack shirt-clad figure furtively approached the Rapid, knocked-in the already broken quarterlight that the g/f had replaced (it was by now a piece of Perspex) and tried to open the door. I jumped out and something of a scuffle ensued, during which he pulled the biggest f-off knife I'd ever seen.
I'd like to say I disarmed him, broke both his legs and shoved the knife where the sun doesn't shine but that wouldn't be true: he backed off whilst waving the knife, heard a siren nearby (I think it was actually an ambulance) and legged it.
Police were called, they drove around the estate and grabbed anyone they could for an impromtu ID parade. None of them was over 20, despite me saying they needed someone nearer 30.
I assume the scumbag is still in Middlesbrough somewhere.
My main point was suposed to be that although in my lounge I could talk myself into a murderous rage, when faced with the exact piece of **** I always wanted to tear apart, the decent bloke in me wouldn't let rip.

 

[the snooper]

the decent bloke in me wouldn't let rip.

and that's why there is a load of scum walking and breathing, they also know the above to be a common flaw with most people

 

[ronan]

Plenty of pir lights , cheapo cctv cameras, an alarm system (they are cheap now) lashings of old axle grease on top of walls (you'll never laugh so much when the first brave scumbag decides to climb over the wall), any windows fitted with grilles or heavy steel bars, reinforced doors , three bolts - top, middle and bottom. All tools engraved with your name etc, and big f**k off nasty dog. If they get through that lot i don't know what else you can legally do. Mind you a south african ex-copper was telling me about a flame thrower system ...........

 

[F.J.]

Maybe a shutter door over the side door fitted with bullet locks. A box section barrier on the up and over door with flanges fitting through the door and hefty padlocks locking it in place from the inside?

Or a rabid dog and just before locking it in the garage clamp a set of grips over its knackers!!

I have a golf club, a hammer and a light weight wooden handle under my bed. Although the hammer is a bit too personal as you have to get closer to the scum bag breaking in, I make sure im not having to fumble in the dark for just one means of protection. I like the idea of a bike chain being fitted to the wooden handle. Imagine how that would feel as it wraps around their head and face at full speed!

 

[Keith 66]

My favorite paint is vandalene, its thick tarry & oily & gets absolutely everywhere. Never dries, you see smeary handprints on walls & can almost hear the scrotes saying "ffs" Lovely stuff.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Trouble with a bike chain wrapped round a length of wood is it's a bit hard to explain what alternative use it has apart from a weapon if it goes t1ts up and the police get involved.
On the other hand golf clubs/baseball bat/cricket bat and/or ball all could reasonably be close to hand if the need arose.

 

[MattF]

Trouble with a bike chain wrapped round a length of wood is it's a bit hard to explain what alternative use it has apart from a weapon...

Large filter wrench?

 

[GordonC]

The area I live in is generally ok its quite a small quiet community and if any noise was made during the night the neihbours would check or call police but the people doing the break ins are coming from a worse area a couple of miles away. I've already tried to make it hard for them to get in without making noise but theres only really so much I can do as its a full wooden garage. I think once the summer comes I'll reinforce it with really thick ply or something to make it even harder

 

[Wallace]

Vietcong Punji traps.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I picked up a cordless baby monitor at a car boot sale for a couple of quid and fitted the 'baby' part of it in my old workshop as that had line of sight to our bedroom. Just have to remember to turn it off when you are in the workshop with a mate discussing how fit the wife's friend is!!!

 

[brightspark]

I picked up a cordless baby monitor at a car boot sale for a couple of quid and fitted the 'baby' part of it in my old workshop as that had line of sight to our bedroom. Just have to remember to turn it off when you are in the workshop with a mate discussing how fit the wife's friend is!!!

pmsl i got caught out once working in someones bedroom with one.me and m8 were on about giving her one and she was downstairs with 3 lady friends having coffe and listening in . they never said owt mind and didnt take me up on the offer

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I like the idea of an electric cattle fence shock generator attached to metal door handle / lock hasp etc.

At D&K bikes, Newcastle we were talking to one of the staff about security and I said there was an article in the paper about a bike being taken from a locked garage. He said "hold on" and came back with another chap - the one who have suffered the theft. Turned out he had gone on holiday so parked his bikes (Harley and another I didn't note what type) in the garage and chained them to the floor. Garage was locked and wife's car parked firm against the garage door. Thieves simply removed the rear panels of his concrete garage and even took down fence between neighbours so they could wheel the bikes down their drive. Neither bike was ever recovered.

My security is two big Staffy cross dogs that sleep on the bed with me. They are both rescue animals and very protective of the house and garden. They wake up at the slightest noise that I can't even hear. All I'd have to do is open the door for them to "investigate".

Paul H

 

[bash'it]

Flame thrower idea sounds good, o well you can but dream

 

[johnakay]

belt them 1st and then ask questions later.