# Gun owners: answering that 5AM knock at the door **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435 "2015-01-09T20:50:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/21 "2015-01-10T15:14:06Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > The problem is establishing two-way trust, isn’t it? Based on my understanding of the scenario, which I admit comes entirely from TV and/or movies, the police would be standing to the sides of the door when they thumped, specifically to avoid being blasted through it. I assume they would also avoid standing in front of a window. How do they prove they are really police while at the same time not making themselves targets? I would suspect that very few people who weren’t cops would go through the trouble of acquiring the uniforms, badges, patrol car, and look of scumbag entitlement of cops just to rob your place at 5am. Surprisingly, there is a rational set of procedures one can safely perform whenever someone knocks on their door. These work even if you own a gun and it’s 5am. Or you could go a different route and invite them into a dark house, skulk about in the shadows and blast death metal from some unseen stereo. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/22 "2015-01-10T15:28:20Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Surprisingly, there is a rational set of procedures one can safely perform whenever someone knocks on their door. These work even if you own a gun and it’s 5am. Calling 911 is essentially the same procedure you use to verify potential phishing emails – never follow the link offered in the email from your “bank”/open the door for the “police” – unless you initiated the conversation by going to your bank’s website directly to verify the claims of the email/called 911 to verify the claims of the people at the door. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/23 "2015-01-10T15:48:15Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Wouldn’t your gun would be more useful than the door braces? Oh, I sold all that stuff years ago. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/24 "2015-01-10T16:11:07Z")
I don’t think I would call 911 unless something seemed sketchy. I guess I’m just not willing to tie up an emergency line for some nurse that broke down at 5am on her way home from work or something. Luckily with almost everyone having a cell phone the likelihood of someone needing your phone or help is very low. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/25 "2015-01-10T16:31:17Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I would suspect that very few people who weren’t cops would go through the trouble of acquiring the uniforms, badges, patrol car, and **look of scumbag entitlement of cops** just to rob your place at 5am. Bolding mine. I’m sorry that your experiences with police have been so negative. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/26 "2015-01-11T05:03:40Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I don’t think I would call 911 unless something seemed sketchy. I guess I’m just not willing to tie up an emergency line for some nurse that broke down at 5am on her way home from work or something. Luckily with almost everyone having a cell phone the likelihood of someone needing your phone or help is very low. If I lived more rural but ------- in the inner city and not having relatives close who don’t have keys of their own and sense enough to call first. And with my neighbors and all. I’m at least going to dial 91 and put on the porch light before I so much as touch the curtains or doornob. I keep a phone with a long cord just inside the livingroom for that reason - odd things coming on/from my porch at odd times. (Mostly drunks – but just in case). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/27 "2015-01-11T18:34:58Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I expect that burglars and others who mean me harm don’t knock. Burglars might knock, but they don’t mean you harm (specifically) as they expect you not to be home. That’s the definition of burglary vs. robbery/HI. Hypothetically, I wouldn’t brandish in the first place. If I had to use a firearm, they wouldn’t know it first. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435/28 "2015-01-11T18:56:58Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I expect that burglars and others who mean me harm don’t knock. > > I have a window next to my front door. So I flick on the light and look to see who is pounding. If it is the police, I put the gun on the table in the front room, put the dog (who barks enthusiastically whenever anyone knocks, but politely runs to the top of the stairs and waits nicely if the door bell is rung) into his cage, and open the door. If it is anyone else I don’t recognize, I don’t point the gun at anyone but I don’t put it down either. And I hold the dog by his collar until the stranger explains his existence. > > Regards, > Shodan Explains his existence or his presence? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-answering-that-5am-knock-at-the-door/709435.md?page=1)