Tuesday, March 3, 2009

thinking like a cop?

It's that time I guess? Lately, whenever we go somewhere, HF is looking over his shoulder, parking strategically, spotting trouble left and right. . .

HF has always been very protective of me and our family and aware of our surroundings. While he makes me feel safe and secure, I've often wondered if he is just a tad paranoid or he really is beginning to have that sixth sense that cops get about people and their surroundings. Still, no matter what, I think he has and always will be a little over the top about a lot of things, despite his growing cop sense. Here's an example.

We live in a 3-story townhouse. The main floor consists of a living room, bathroom, and kitchen. Upstairs is 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, and the basement as 2 bedrooms, a laundry room, and storage space. Our kids are too scared to be in the basement by themselves so everyone sleeps upstairs. That's been fine, but I mentioned to HF that I would like he and I to move our bedroom to the basement and what did he think the pros and cons were of that setup.

HF then told me that if someone were to shoot a gun into our home, it would be more likely to hit someone in the basement than someone in a room that was way above ground.

Crickets.

Trying not to laugh, I said I was thinking cons as in, there are more spiders down there, it's freezing in the winter, the possibility of mice, etc. NOT MURDER.

While the statistics of shooting and hitting someone in a basement rather than an upper floor may be more true than not, who thinks that way?! I'm the one with the anxiety issues, but even I think that the chances of that happening are pretty much slim to none.

On second thought, he probably told me that so that he would get out of moving a bunch of stuff up and down 3 flights of stairs.

10 comments:

It's me said...

Again, I'm not sure if it's a cop thing or a personality thing.

Our entire family has always been "hyperaware" as they like to call it. I just figure that if I have a plan for what I'm going to do when the shooting starts, I'm better off than if I DIDN'T have a plan.

Of course, as your scenario goes, I think it would be a bad idea to have a "1st level floor" (meaning, where entry would happen) between you and the kids. I always figure they'd have to go through me first to get to my babies. :)

Anonymous said...

I think you guys should have your bedroom in the basement so you could have loud sex.

crickets.

Was that abrasive, Meadowlark? Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's from a conversation from the comments of my blog and ... never mind.

I think he is just trying to get out of moving, personally. At least, if it were my husband, that would be his deal. So far, what you describe doesn't sound over the top. My husband does some of that too. I'm just keeping an eye on it so it doesn't get too out of control - as I am sure you will. : -)

It's me said...

No copswife, that's just plain funny.

Abrasive would be along the lines of pointing out that once he's been there for a while (anywhere from say 4-12 years, depending on him) he'll stop with the hyperaware rookie cop thing.

Which, Mrs. Fuzz, I don't mean. I was just illustrating abrasive.

See what I mean copswife...

It's me said...

Oh, and here's a good story for you: http://www.officer.com/web/online/Operations-and-Tactics/The-Will-To-Win-Paradox/3$45483

Statistically, it's not the rookie fresh out of the academy who is killed. The rookie is too scared to cut corners or underestimate anyone. The academy scenarios are fresh in the rookie's mind and he recognizes that he is not yet skilled enough to take any aspect of police work for granted. Essentially, the rookie's hyper vigilance helps keep him out of trouble.

Just thinking out loud. I'll sto now :)

Slamdunk said...

I agree with you and the rest of your humorous posters--that it was a ploy to get out of moving all your stuff downstairs.

Unfortunately, we don't have a basement--just a crawlspace and even that looks kind of appealing as a place to hide sometimes...

Berserk said...

"....that if someone were to shoot a gun into our home, the chances of them hitting someone with a bullet would be more likely to happen in the basement than if you were way above ground...."

That makes no sense. I guess I don't really know the layout of your house, but I'm hard pressed to come up with an arrangement that would conform to such an odd statement.

mrs. fuzz said...

The window well to our basement faces the parking lot/street and is also next to/below our front door. It makes sense to him apparently, but I did a reenactment of someone firing into our basement through a window to show him how silly and weird his statement was. I guess if someone was stalking him and knew that he slept in that bedroom in the basement and they set themselves up in front of our home laying down on the ground and had night or heat vision, then I guess conceivably they could shoot him. But someone randomly shooting at our house like in a driveby or just standing there, it would still be pretty difficult to shoot someone in the basement bedroom. I think the reenactment made him see how silly it was. but anyways.

Me said...

Found your site recently. Keep writing, we enjoy it!

5150Wife said...

You did a REENACTMENT for him?!
bwahahahaha That's funny!


The upside of sleeping in the basement: #1 It's generally quieter down there which is nice for daytime sleeping when he works hoots. #2 It's cooler down there too so during the summertime when it's blazing hot upstairs during the day, he's nice and cool down in the basement. #3 Window wells let in less light than normal sized windows.(Can ya' tell? My JD has opted for the basement bedroom many a time)

Anonymous said...

This post made me audibly laugh, because my husband is exactly the same way!