Most recent renters have been the worst. Ex con with a girlfriend 20 years younger than him, she just had his baby so they now have the state and welfare money to live on. They did not pay rent for 6 months, but always had lots of cigarettes, booze and beer. Loud parties, four barking dogs and lots of friends with loud cars and trucks who just had to peel out and leave rubber whenever leaving.
He fancies himself a mechanic and always working on friend's cars and trucks.... sometimes all night long under worklights in the front yard.
I subscribed to PublicData.com and began running license checks and owner background checks on all the folks who showed up across the street. Lots of convictions, felons, and lots with extensive arrest records for drug use. I kept a list of license plates and printouts, all went to our local Police Chief who ran his own checks and confirmed that there was a lot of drug convictions among the group. One plate out of Abilene was identified as that of a suspected big time drug supplier.
Our local community has very few enforceable ordinances for many of the things the renters could have been cited for in other communities..... like the junk cars, knee high weeds, changing oil in a car and dumping it in the front yard, etc.
After my wife was almost attacked by one of their dogs running loose, I did have a talk with our Police Chief about that and he was in agreement that if it happened again, there would be no problem with me discharging a weapon inside the city limits.
The renter must have seen the light when I came out of the house with a very black, tactical looking 12 gauge shotgun after I heard my wife screaming at the dog to get away. The dog retreated just as she got back up on our porch and I made it outside. After that the dogs were secured in a chicken wire pen in the front yard, but that did nothing to prevent the 24 hour a day barking.I finally decided to take matters into my own hands. I chose an afternoon when the renter, his girlfriend, and several friends were all drinking out in the front yard with more than enough loud music playing for the entire neighborhood to hear. I backed my truck out of my garage, and within plain sight of all of them, I began to clean all the windows on my truck, being sure to walk around it several times with my right side in plain, open view. Why ? Because I was wearing my Glock 23 in an OWB pancake open and exposed. I even chose a tan holster with a black belt, just so the holster and gun would stand out against my white t-shirt. Also had double mag pouch clipped on to the belt. In no time at all, they noticed and things got very quiet...... and I mean very quiet. All the friends left quietly, and the folks who live there went inside.
Police Chief spoke with me the next day, laughing his head off. He said the dude looked him up and told him about the crazy old guy across the street wearing a gun the day before. Police Chief explained to him that I had a legal right to carry and that open carry on one's private property was perfectly legal. He also threw this in..... he told the renter that he was surprised that they did not know I used to be the Police Chief here.
We left for Lubbock last Sunday evening because I had to be at a hospital there at 0530 Monday morning for spinal/disk surgery. When we returned on Thursday, the renters from Hell were gone and the house now sits empty. I saw the Police Chief yesterday and asked him about it, he replied that he knew they moved, something about not wanting to live across the street from an ex-cop. Guess they wanted to keep all their activities from certain folks........
So yes, I exposed my weapon on purpose. Shame on me, I guess, but the smile is still on my face !
