#47 Teresa

Allowing for the vagaries of geolocation, "your property" appears to be a house with a small amount of yard in Kensington...

Nowhere near.

I notice you don't mention what this intruder was doing. How big was he? How old? Was he doing anything more threatening than trespassing inside the wall around your yard?

I'm not inclined to converse with intruders other that telling them what to do, and what not to dare do. The bag of 'tools' he had with him is indicative enough of his intent.

That would be the Kensington Station, up at the intersection of Derby and Queen?

Fire your research guy.

What did you do with the fellow, by the way -- just keep him around until the police showed up to claim him?

Indeed. Although I carry a firearm, I dread the day I ever have to use it for 'the other purpose'. I truly am peace-loving, non-violent, law-abiding, garden variety middle class family man, dogs and all. I am compassionate and I am civil. Not for fear of legal repercussions - but rather because it didn't even cross my mind - did I not put any hurt upon the man. If that's what you're asking.

You responded by pulling a gun on the guy, then getting your neighbor to come over and help you tie him up. It sounds to me like you had the situation well in hand.

The purpose of being 'prepared' (as in Boy Scouts) is so that when the most unexpected thing happens at the most inopportune time - as was the case here - one doesn't panic and do a stupid thing, or be overcome by paralyzing fear and become incapacitated, but that one rather level-headedly acts in such a way that the tables are turned in one's favour. One did the latter. Hence.

And since Johannesburg does have a relatively high crime rate, it's possible the police were busy.

Interesting that you should mention this. Ironic, actually.

I have a meeting set up with the station commissioner for later this week regarding this matter. This will be my last post in this discussion as it is *completely* off-topic now. Apologies.

Teresa, I'm going to bet that you're not from South Africa (without tracing your IP), simply judging by your perspective.

#12 Kieran O'Neill

"Accept the fact that the police no longer provide your middle class white neighbourhood with the same, unfairly disproportionate level of protection which they did under Apartheid."

Two nights ago, I arrested an intruder on my property. Fortunately for me I was armed...as I always am (for when stuff like this happens), and I was able to subdue him by threat of force alone.

I shouted to my wife to call the police. A visitor to my home also phoned the national emergency number (10111). Both of them spent more than 10 minutes just trying to get the persons who answered to GET THE STREETNAME RIGHT. Their huge station is 1.38 km from my house.

Meanwhile my neighbour shows up, and we bind the suspect. Niegbour's wife phones the police station (1,380 meters away). After an unsuccessful attempt at getting help, she got into her car and DROVE THERE. On arrival, she had to first "fill in a form" before a vehicle would be dispatched to my house 1.38 km away.

The following day I phoned them to ask them what's up. They had no recollection, no record, no knowledge of the incident.

Kieran, what do I do? I have two young daughters in my house. I live in my "middle class white neighbourhood" because I have nowhere else to go. I am a middle class white.

lthgh, n th crrnt cntxt, t my b pltclly ncrrct t (stll) clssfy th NC s trrrst rgnztn, pls ls cnsdr th fllwng...

ndr NC rl, S lks lk ths:
53 mrdrs ch nd vry dy
150 rps ch nd vry dy
750 vlnt sslts vry dy
350 vlnt hs rbbrs vry dy
40 cr hjckngs vry dy
Rmpnt, nrstrctd crrptn n vry lvl f gvrnmnt
ncmprhnsbl lvls f ncmptnc thrght ll strctrs, brght n by nptsm nd ffrmtv ctn
Crmblng nfrstrctr (lc., fl, hlth, d, lw, wtr, rds, tc), rpd dcy f stndrds
Th pr r gttng prr (s mch fr "fr th ppl")

Wrld, pls hr r pls! Th NC gvrnmnt, prt frm shwng sgns f fst bcmng jst nthr "typcl frcn gvrnmnt", s cmplct n lw-lvl wr gnst th "wht sttlrs". Thy r trnng blnd y t th shckng lvls f crm nd crrptn n S.

"t sccssflly md th chng frm rmd strggl t pc" my rs! Wht "pc" s thr f nghbrs, frnds, cllgs r trtrd, rpd nd mrdrd n drvs? lt f bld s flwng n Sth frc...f y cn stmch t, g ggl sm f th hrrr strs f wht ppl hd t ndr n thr wn hms bfr bng slghtrd lk nmls! Jst ths wk ln, frm jst n nws src, rd f 3 ctgnrns wh wr rpd by brglrs. Chldrn bng rpd n frnt f thr prnts. Fthrs bng xctd n frnt f thr chldrn (wh r frcd t wtch). Thn, s prtng sht, ths spwn f th dvl wll tll th srvvrs "W r gng t d ths t ll y whts!"

Th nly rsn th NC s n lngr trrrst rgnztn s bcs, thrgh trrr, thy chvd thr gl f rplcng ths cntry's gvrnmnt. 'n NT syng th ld gv. ws 'gd', bt t lst thy wr bttr thn ths bnch f mrdrs mrns.