How can you leave a loaded gun lying around with young children in the house?
– Sam K
Answer: I would never leave a gun in my home unsecured. Every firearm I own is locked up in a rapid access safe or in a long gun safe. Since I believe it’s important to have multiple guns throughout your home, I have several rapid access safes around my home, so I can quickly access a gun no matter what room I’m in.
Is there any kind of device that one can carry into a restaurant that will block calls/cause static, etc. when the idiots next to you are on their phones?
– Dave C
Answer: There are devices for sale online that can block cell phone signals, however, I would never buy or use one because the next thing you know the FBI could be knocking at your door.
Blocking cell phone signals is a violation of federal law and I assure you that if you get caught using these types of devices it will be more of a headache than the idiot talking on his cell phone next to you.
One of the main reasons this is illegal to do is because if someone needed to call 911 and you blocked the signal, it could clearly have deadly consequences.
Bottom line, as annoying as the guy on the phone is, I would leave him alone and move away from him.
One thing that I think is useful is a child gate over a flight of stairs. We installed solid metal gates with child locks to prevent our little ones from falling. Now that they are older and not likely to fall, I decided to keep the gate at the top of the steps.
All our bedrooms are upstairs, and I find that most adults struggle to open the gate if they are unfamiliar with it… If an intruder comes at night, the gate may deter him, generate noise, buy us some extra time, or, in a worst-case scenario, give me an advantage so I might knock him down the stairs with a bat or something. What do you think?
– Benjamin K
Answer: I think this is a great idea. Those gates are a pain in the butt to open and also to get over. We use them for our kids and I’ve tripped over them more times than I’d like to admit, trying to climb over them to get up the stairs.
What is your recommendation for a good water test kit for testing stored water for contamination?
– Art A
Answer: There are a lot of options when it comes to water testing kits such as the one from First Alert that sells for $15 on Amazon. This is a do-it-yourself kit so you can test the water and read the results in your home.
Also, make sure you always have an emergency water filter on hand, in case you need to filter your stored water. (I use the SurvFilter.)
I have a Generac generator that takes over in an emergency, it cost big bucks. Now the problem. NOISE. It can be heard around the block. In an emergency, I don’t want people coming over because they know I have a generator and they can hear it. What can I do to quiet it?
– Chris C
Answer: When thinking about buying a generator the amount of noise it puts out should be one of your main concerns. However, if you already have a generator set up and it’s too loud there are a few options.
First, make sure the generator has a quiet muffler installed on it. Next, consider building a sound dampening enclosure around the generator. Obviously, this can be expensive but it might be one of the most effective ways to reduce the noise.
Make sure your generator is sitting on a rubber type pad, which will reduce vibrations and noise. Lastly, simply use common sense when using the generator. If looters are roaming your streets looking for someone with power, it’s probably not a good idea to fire up the generator at that moment.
I keep getting scammy phone calls – sometimes up to 10 a day! How do I make it stop? Do I have to change my number?
– Audrey H
Answer: I would contact your cell phone or landline service provider and ask them if they have any way to block scam phone calls. Most cell phone carriers can provide some type of blocker but they may charge you a small fee to have this service.
Also, if the calls are coming from the same number you could block that number from your phone. You shouldn’t have to change your number if you call your service provider and have them walk you through how to block calls.
