Random Thought Thread

Blues said:
No, I purchased a Lock'er Down model several years ago online and installed it myself...(in something like five minutes total).

Very pleased with it thus far. Heavy duty, excellent construction. I know prices have gone up in the interim, but it's a good investment, imho.
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Reason for prying was I was interested in one for my Taco but wanted real world trusted user feedback first. Thank you Sir :)
 
What it looks like:

F215.jpg



M216
 
Casinostocks said:
Reason for prying was I was interested in one for my Taco but wanted real world trusted user feedback first. Thank you Sir :)
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Hardly prying, Mat. I'm always happy to share whatever info I have.

I did my research prior to purchase and have never regretted it. I have the simplex style, not electronic version of the safe.
 
Thank you all for your responses and suggestions. Absolutely first thing I did this morning after going through the thread was go to the console safe that Blues Blues posted - looks like it might be a good investment for the near future.

I didn't go into the details of what I lost, because I wanted the post to focus on my perceived vulnerability of the vehicle. Thankfully, no, they didn't get a CPK, although I carry one in the driver's side console pocket whenever I drive the truck. Amazingly, they didn't get it, or my laptop and accessories, or even a throw-down wallet that I keep money for small purchases - gallon of milk, etc., that had about $80 in it. Thankfully the creeper, in addition to being a low-down scumbag, was stupid.

In the nature of "man meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it," when I parked I looked at the gadget bag, which normally rides in the right front passenger seat for easy access (my access, that is), and thought, "that will be an attractive theft item." I went to the passenger side door, moved it to the floorboard, and covered it with the sunshade, making sure it wouldn't be visible from outside. Off I went.

When I returned from dinner, the first thing I did was attempt to put the gadget bag back on the seat. I opened the door, pulled back the sunshade, which was still pretty much how I'd left it, and the bag wasn't there. I started having a serious senior moment, completely nonplussed, questioning everything I had done; did the bag fall out when I shut the door (it's a big bag, a Galco Sport Bag, bigger than a briefcase in some dimensions), did I put it somewhere else, etc. To add to my confusion, my laptop bag, the aforementioned throw down wallet, and some other things probably more valuable to a creeper than what they got were on the floorboard prior to the incident, and were all still there. I must have walked around the truck a dozen times, looking for the point of access. All glass was intact and unbroken, and I couldn't see any forcible entry evidence. I finally looked at the door lock itself and saw that it had been punched. Relief and anger simultaneously - at least I wasn't losing my marbles.

Anyway, I speculate that some creeper had been in the bushes nearby, watched my actions, and figured if it was valuable enough to hide it was valuable enough to steal. And, to others' points above, it could have had a much worse ending if they hadn't waited to steal it, and instead tried to take it from me physically.

The only knife I lost was Spyderco Civilian that was deep in the bag, "just in case". I've had it since they first came out, and I'm having trouble valuing it for the police report, which I get to write myself, since the local constabulary is too busy to mess with such minor stuff. If anyone could help me with a value I'd appreciate a PM - they're still on the website, but my recollection is this had Ti scales, and the current have G10. I'll edit this paragraph out if it violates BF policy.

Anyway, sorry for the long posts, and if you got this far, thanks for going along for the ride. I'll go back under my rock now and lick my wounds....
 
I have a Lock'er Down long gun safe that mounts behind the rear seat in my Tacoma. I plan to get the center console safe soon for handgun and papers. The rear safe works great but isn't convenient for those occasions I just need to run into a gun free zone. I have a lock box under the front seat now, but it's not as secure.

I've been kicking around the thought of relegating my Tacoma to 2nd vehicle to use for recreation mostly and putting a shell on it and put a Truck Vault in the bed with slide out drawers for long guns. Has more room than the one I have mounted behind the seat now.
 
JohnBarleycorn said:
The only knife I lost was Spyderco Civilian that was deep in the bag, "just in case". I've had it since they first came out, and I'm having trouble valuing it for the police report, which I get to write myself, since the local constabulary is too busy to mess with such minor stuff. If anyone could help me with a value I'd appreciate a PM - they're still on the website, but my recollection is this had Ti scales, and the current have G10. I'll edit this paragraph out if it violates BF policy.
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If I may (should be legit for Gold members?): AFAIK, the Civilian only came in G10, Tuffram or Aluminum, mostly serrated, some plain edge. There are some custom Civilian Ti scales out there. Hard to say about replacement value, without knowing the exact version, could be anywhere from $200 to $500 or so.

Some pic from FB that I found:

i-zRJpRKD-X2.jpg


Roland.
 
Blues said:
I've kept my garage door opener and all official documents relating to the vehicle in the console safe for years. No sense making it easier for them. I also check my six when driving home from shopping or the bank or whatever to ensure that someone is not going to try to gain entry while the garage door is open.

Of course if they try, I plan to ruin their day in short order.

(That kind of mischief is virtually unheard of around here, but the odds are still greater than zero.)
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Here's an entertaining story about being tail conscious;

Many years ago, at a different job, I was driving home one evening after work, when I noticed an older model green SUV a little behind me. It was Fall/Winter, and already dark.

As I continued driving home, I kept an eye on it. I turned left, it turned left, I turned right, it turned right. I watched it follow me through at least 7 turns (which usually means it's not a coincidence).

By that point, I was close to where I was living at the time, but chose to drive past the last turn to my house, to see what the other SUV would do. They made the turn down my street.

So I drove over to the next street, then came down my street from the other end, and I see the SUV parked by the side of the road about 3 houses from mine. As I slowly drive up the road, I can see that their engine is still running, I can just see 2 silhouettes in the dark, but all their vehicle lights are off, and now, alarm bells are going off in my head.

I slowly cruise by, trying to see who's in the vehicle, but it's too dark. I again, choose not to pull into my driveway, and instead, go down to the end of the street and around the corner, turn around, and again, cruise past this SUV, trying to get a look at the occupants, this time, a little closer, as the vehicle is now on my driver's side as I pass it. Still too dark to see.

Turn around again at the end of the street, trying to get a look at the occupants. This time, the SUV's lights come on, and the vehicle pulls a U-turn to come after me. I floor it, take a few quick turns and lose them down one of the streets.

As I make my way back to my street, I turn off my vehicle's lights, and this time, grab the 6 D-cell Maglite I keep shoved in the gap beside the passenger seat. The SUV is back in the same spot on the side of the road, 3 houses down, lights off, engine idling (could see the exhaust fog).

I cruise past again and this time, flick the Maglite on... to see the startled faces of a gal from work, and her BF who worked for the Fire Department.

Talked to her the next day at work and discovered that it was her parent's house. Her BF had picked her up after work, and they were sitting in his SUV chatting (canoodling?) with the lights off, when they noticed my vehicle cruise past for the 3rd time, which was why HE pulled out after me, to see what that was all about 😅

"Huh. Didn't know YOU lived right there, a few houses down".
 
JohnBarleycorn said:
Roland, thank you very much. The scales were all metal, so it must have been Aluminum, since I didn't get any aftermarket scales. The blade was definitely serrated. I appreciate your response and information. More info I can put in my (self-prepared) police report.
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Sidenote;

Glad to hear you didn't lose any CPKs.

On a lighter note: Police/insurance report. One CPK fixed blade knife, valued at $1,800. "What?!". "Well... that's what one of them sold for, recently, so I figured that's a fair replacement/market value". 😅
 
I'll see you and I'll raise you, Max.

I was working a narcotics investigation out in the Everglades with an informant that we had busted on another drug case and whose cooperation was keeping him out of prison.

Anyway, one Friday afternoon after we had finished up our business with him and some other bad guys that were planning a shipment from South America, I decided to tail one of the targets to see where he was going. Since I was by myself, I had to keep it loose and if I lost him, so be it.

Anyway, he starts east on the Tamiami Trail heading back to Miami. So far, so good. Then, when he gets into the city, he starts taking the same route that I'd take home. Convenient.

Turns off on the Rickenbacker Causeway headed for Key Biscayne. (Which is where I lived.) Now, I'm starting to get a little concerned. Was I burned, did they know I was on the case and where I lived?

He passes Crandon Park and gets into the village of Key Biscayne. Continues down Crandon Blvd and turns on my block. WTF? Now I'm wondering if he's going to my home to kill us, or wondering if my wife is having an affair. (I didn't seriously consider the affair angle, and it's not like you can count on a snitch not to burn you for any of a number of reasons.)

He passes where I live and pulls into an underground garage at the end of the street.

He lived in the last building on the block...I lived in the first. What were the odds?

Long story short, he ended up getting convicted for a multi-kilo trafficking offense and eventually died in federal prison.

When I lived on Key Biscayne, I seized money and drugs from an apartment directly across the street for me...and probably worked three more ops on the island resulting in arrests and seizures. Fun times.

I always wondered when I'd come face to face with traffickers that recognized me from the job...which was not the best feeling.
 
Blues said:
I'll see you and I'll raise you, Max.

I was working a narcotics investigation out in the Everglades with an informant that we had busted on another drug case and whose cooperation was keeping him out of prison.

Anyway, one Friday afternoon after we had finished up our business with him and some other bad guys that were planning a shipment from South America, I decided to tail one of the targets to see where he was going. Since I was by myself, I had to keep it loose and if I lost him, so be it.

Anyway, he starts east on the Tamiami Trail heading back to Miami. So far, so good. Then, when he gets into the city, he starts taking the same route that I'd take home. Convenient.

Turns off on the Rickenbacker Causeway headed for Key Biscayne. (Which is where I lived.) Now, I'm starting to get a little concerned. Was I burned, did they know I was on the case and where I lived?

He passes Crandon Park and gets into the village of Key Biscayne. Continues down Crandon Blvd and turns on my block. WTF? Now I'm wondering if he's going to my home to kill us, or wondering if my wife is having an affair. (I didn't seriously consider the affair angle, and it's not like you can count on a snitch not to burn you for any of a number of reasons.)

He passes where I live and pulls into an underground garage at the end of the street.

He lived in the last building on the block...I lived in the first. What were the odds?

Long story short, he ended up getting convicted for a multi-kilo trafficking offense and eventually died in federal prison.

When I lived on Key Biscayne, I seized money and drugs from an apartment directly across the street for me...and probably worked three more ops on the island resulting in arrests and seizures. Fun times.

I always wondered when I'd come face to face with traffickers that recognized me from the job...which was not the best feeling.
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A valid concern, especially in your line of work (especially the one across the street, where they might've seen you).

In my case, possibly a little paranoia from too many books/TV shows/movies etc. 😅

When I first moved to MI from L.A. decades ago, I had a few friends quip, "That's funny that you always lock your car doors the moment you exit the vehicle. You're not in L.A. anymore. No one bothers with that, here". Now, they ALL lock their vehicles, too.
 
bluemax_1 said:
Here's an entertaining story about being tail conscious;

Many years ago, at a different job, I was driving home one evening after work, when I noticed an older model green SUV a little behind me. It was Fall/Winter, and already dark.

As I continued driving home, I kept an eye on it. I turned left, it turned left, I turned right, it turned right. I watched it follow me through at least 7 turns (which usually means it's not a coincidence).

By that point, I was close to where I was living at the time, but chose to drive past the last turn to my house, to see what the other SUV would do. They made the turn down my street.

So I drove over to the next street, then came down my street from the other end, and I see the SUV parked by the side of the road about 3 houses from mine. As I slowly drive up the road, I can see that their engine is still running, I can just see 2 silhouettes in the dark, but all their vehicle lights are off, and now, alarm bells are going off in my head.

I slowly cruise by, trying to see who's in the vehicle, but it's too dark. I again, choose not to pull into my driveway, and instead, go down to the end of the street and around the corner, turn around, and again, cruise past this SUV, trying to get a look at the occupants, this time, a little closer, as the vehicle is now on my driver's side as I pass it. Still too dark to see.

Turn around again at the end of the street, trying to get a look at the occupants. This time, the SUV's lights come on, and the vehicle pulls a U-turn to come after me. I floor it, take a few quick turns and lose them down one of the streets.

As I make my way back to my street, I turn off my vehicle's lights, and this time, grab the 6 D-cell Maglite I keep shoved in the gap beside the passenger seat. The SUV is back in the same spot on the side of the road, 3 houses down, lights off, engine idling (could see the exhaust fog).

I cruise past again and this time, flick the Maglite on... to see the startled faces of a gal from work, and her BF who worked for the Fire Department.

Talked to her the next day at work and discovered that it was her parent's house. Her BF had picked her up after work, and they were sitting in his SUV chatting (canoodling?) with the lights off, when they noticed my vehicle cruise past for the 3rd time, which was why HE pulled out after me, to see what that was all about 😅

"Huh. Didn't know YOU lived right there, a few houses down".
Click to expand...
Similar but different.
One night leaving a bar, I notice the car behind me had made the last three turns with me. A couple turns later they are still behind me. As I make the turn off of the main road into my neighborhood they follow. Normally I would make the first right (then a left) and come up to my house from the bottom of the block. They had their turn signal on to make that turn so I continued straight up the road. They turned off their signal and followed me.
As I approached the top of the block where I would make a right turn they already had their signal on to do the same. Buzzed up and “not playing anymore” I made the turn and they followed. Another right turn onto my street, which they were already signaling before I made the turn, and they made the turn as well. Into my driveway, jumped out of the car and didn’t look back - just went straight in the front door.
Walked hurriedly past my brother and his girlfriend back to my room to grab my aluminum tee ball bat from childhood. My brother and his girlfriend are asking what’s going on as I come back into the front room. I tell them, “somebody followed me home” as I head towards the front door.
Right about then the front door swings open and there is some girl about to walk in to my house. She notices I have a bat in one hand and stops. I said, “Can I help you?”. She responded, “I’m Melissa…” and then turned around, walked quickly to her car and drove off.
I still have no idea who she was but clearly she knew where I lived. And it’s true I used to drink a bit back then, but I don’t forget faces.
During Covid I recognized one of my brothers childhood friends who I haven’t seen in over 30 years with his mask on. He was dumbfounded. I don’t forget faces.
This Melissa was a good looking girl. I wouldn’t have forgotten her if I’d met her before. Of course, I spoiled the moment, I think, standing there with a bat in my hand.
 
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