Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
Welcome to another edition of The Weekly Drop, where each week I’ll respond to your feedback and answer your most-pressing questions.
Want to be a part of the discussion? Send me your questions at spy@lfb.org.
Actually, I’ve got some questions for you.
Have you ever been the victim of a mugging? A carjacking? A home invasion? What did you do? What do you wish you had done differently? What would you do with the knowledge you have now if the same thing happened to you today?
Now let’s get to this week’s Q & A.
I’m no expert by any stretch on home security systems. However, I’ve had one for many years. It has saved my life at least once (fire). The most important factor to consider is how the system calls the monitoring service. If the bad guy knows you have a system, he’ll simply cut your line and watch for activity. You need a system that calls out like a cellphone: maybe 4G?
— Chas P.
For someone who’s not an expert, Chas, you’ve hit the nail right on the head. In the past, many professional burglars would, indeed, cut the phone line to a home before breaking in, to prevent the alarm system from alerting the monitoring company. After all, it’s hard to place a call when the phone line is dead.
Due to the increase in these crimes and the fact that many people are getting rid of landlines, security companies have had to make changes. So nowadays, all major security systems offer a cellular backup.
If your alarm goes off and the system cannot communicate with the monitoring company via the landline, it will activate the cellular backup. Just like a cellphone, your alarm system can communicate wirelessly with the monitoring company via a cellphone tower just like it was placing a call.
Having a cellular backup is oftentimes an added feature of alarm systems. I definitely recommend contacting your home security provider and asking them if your system includes cellular backup. If not, ask for the details to add it to your plan.
My No. 1 safety concern is working away from home and having things go to s**t and not be able to get home. Any suggestions?
— Steve E.
Obviously, we never know when things will go bad, which is why it’s important to have a plan no matter where you are.
If you are far, far away from home, I recommend carrying a list of important phone numbers. This list should include airlines, car rental companies and taxi companies.
Even when traveling, I would carry some sort of emergency kit with the basics — such as a few protein bars and water.
If you have a car, always make sure to keep at least half a tank of gas in it. Stay up to date on regular maintenance and don’t put off major repairs if you can help it. And of course, keep a paper map in your car. If you have to avoid a problem area, you might be forced to take an unfamiliar route to get home
Finally, always have cash on hand. Even during emergency situations, cash can be used to get people to help you, and, hopefully, get you back to your family.
What rating do you recommend for bulletproof vests?
— Ron C.
I recommend buying a Level IIIA, which will stop up to a .44 Magnum. This is the soft body armor that police wear. It’s also the armor I carry in my laptop bag, so essentially, I have a bulletproof bag.
My No. 1 concern is the safety and well-being of my grandchildren. How can I get them to take prepping seriously?
— Jim W.
Depending on their age, there are a few different ways you can try to get them involved in prepping. If they are younger kids, you should make prepping into a game. You could make it a fun activity — like making paracord bracelets or candles for your bug-out bag.
You could also take them camping. Give them a taste of life in the great outdoors and make it exciting to be outside while you teach them how to be prepared.
If your grandchildren are older and have a lot going on in their lives, it’s definitely harder to get them into prepping. The No. 1 thing you can do is try to educate them on the dangers we face. Talk to them like adults and explain the vital importance of being ready to deal with any emergency at any time.
Thank you for your service. I have learned a great deal already. One of my personal concerns is remaining safe when traveling by car. Road rage is one obvious issue. However, I’ve heard about incidents where people have been pulled from their vehicle in urban areas and beaten, simply because they “look” the wrong way. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
— Brian C.
The No. 1 thing to remember while driving is always keep your doors locked and your windows rolled up. Most new cars automatically lock the doors when the vehicle is in motion, but I always double-check.
The second thing I recommend — as I mentioned above — is keep a paper map in your car. If you are driving in an unfamiliar area, you’ll want to be able to quickly identify an escape route. You don’t want to end up stuck on a dead-end street in the wrong part of town.
Also, if you are driving in a dangerous area and you see someone broken down on the side of the road, be extra cautious. If you don’t feel safe stopping to help, you could call the police and ask them to check on the person. Criminals sometimes use a fake disabled car to get a good Samaritan to stop so they can rob them.
Finally, carry a gun where you legally can. In my opinion, if some psycho attacks me in my car, the best way to save my life is with a firearm.
I have a very serious question for you. You teach people how to defend themselves. And that is all well and good for those who are healthy or who are elderly but can still walk and defend themselves. Not once have I ever seen anything that helps a disabled or bedridden person or person who is paralyzed from the waist down defend themselves. How about the blind? They can hear but can’t see. Surely, there must be a way for people like me, or people who are blind, disabled and/or bedridden, to protect themselves.
— Mary T.
Well, Mary, there are many different ways someone can protect him or herself from danger. If a person is at a physical disadvantage, they should use their other abilities.
Everyone can fight back in some way. If someone tries to grab you or take you with them, you could kick, scream, bite, hit them with a cane, poke them in the eyes — basically, do anything you possibly can to make them let you go. Or you might consider carrying a gun or a knife on you to stop an attacker.
The most important thing everyone should do is maintain good situational awareness. This means knowing your surroundings and avoiding dangerous areas. But if a criminal tries to take your belongings, I would give them whatever they want — whether you are disabled or not.
Now I’d like to share some of the Season’s Greetings I’ve started to receive from my readers:
Thank you for all of the information and the things I’ve purchased. You have a beautiful family. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May God bless and keep you.
— Jeffrey L.
Thank you, Jeffrey, Merry Christmas as well to you and yours.
I just wanted to say thank you for all the information you share with us. I will be giving all of my family members a copy of your book for Christmas.
— Julie S.
Thank you for looking out for your family and sharing my book with them. I hope you have a Happy Holiday, Julie.
Until next time…
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
