Catching them in the Act

[Chris]

I'm a big believe in our constitution.

I have a John McCain sign in our yard, I've been a supporter of his for 8 years, had the sign up since January.

It has been stolen three times, including the last two days. Pisses me off. People need to learn that freedom of speech is not just for people who agree with you. It may be a cheap item to steal or destroy, but doing what amounts to a violent act to onstruct someone else's constitutional rights is one of the worst things a true freedom loving american can do.

These people are so lucky I haven't seen them do it, yesterday I moved the sign so it is more visible in the windows, if I ever look out and catch someone, they are going to end up in tears.

But its on now, anyone have any ideas for booby traps?

I read somewhere where a lady wired hers to an electric fence, booya, that'd work, but I don't have en electric fence.

I thought about discretely attaching razors or needles to the sign so if it is abruptly grabbed it'll hurt. I also read where someone put a thin layer of vasoline all over it.

Right now, I'm setting up video surveillance. The election is still months away, this stuff is only going to get worse.

[canid]

trip wire and a $12 canister of pepper spray. i bought my mother this stuff with OC, CS gas and the UV dye for later identifying the attacker.

i'd stay clear of razors and needles. i'd probably kill a person for something like that, if for example my teen where out vandalizing things. kid gets a kick in the *** for not respecting personal propperty, booby trapper gets a bullet for not respecting life and safety. unfair system, undesired result.

give some thought to the pepper spray/cs. i promise the'd never come back.

[crashdive123]

Chris - I recommend steering clear of any "booby trap" that will injure the vandal that may trigger it. There was a story in the news a while back where I guy was tired of his car being vandalized/stolen so he rigged it to shock the vandal. He posted signs, but the idiot still tried to do damage. The owner was charged (involuntary manslaughter I think).

There are probably a host of ideas that will come up, after all we are.......creative. I like the idea of pepper spray with dye. Anything you do should be designed to create maximum discomfort without causing bodily injury.

[canid]

i always figured of CS and OC aerosols are safe enough for the police to use for pain compliance on 14 year old hippie girls, it ought to be safe enough to prove intent to deter without causing harm, and therefore, can not legally fall within the definition of a booby trap.

[Buddha443556]

Had someone running my sign over. I dropped two dozen roofing nails around the sign. Seems to work well, they certainly seem to get the message. Though, I did lose two nails.

[crashdive123]

Agreed. Should probably stay away from the flame throwers, claymore's and punji sticks though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDrzMGdYWZc

[dilligaf2u2]

Poison oak! Poison Ivy! Poison Sumac! Just wrap the branch around the pole.

I did this for a solar light that I had to replace a few times. Did Ivy to it and the theft only happened one time more. I even know who took my lights. Neighbor kid lives not far away came down with Ivy poisoning the needed taking to the doc.

I took the Ivy off after that and have not had a problem.

Don

[Sam Reeves]

I'd concrete a post to the ground and nail my sign to that. A deer camera might work. If a Obama nut gets hurt on your property they are bound to sue.

[RobertRogers]

booby traps could hurt a kid, for example.

[Flavor Bear]

For something more safe, how about the tripwire idea, but replace the pepper spray with an airhorn.

[Ridge Wolf]

I'm a big believe in our constitution.

I have a John McCain sign in our yard, I've been a supporter of his for 8 years, had the sign up since January.

It has been stolen three times, including the last two days. Pisses me off. People need to learn that freedom of speech is not just for people who agree with you. It may be a cheap item to steal or destroy, but doing what amounts to a violent act to onstruct someone else's constitutional rights is one of the worst things a true freedom loving american can do.

These people are so lucky I haven't seen them do it, yesterday I moved the sign so it is more visible in the windows, if I ever look out and catch someone, they are going to end up in tears.

But its on now, anyone have any ideas for booby traps?

I read somewhere where a lady wired hers to an electric fence, booya, that'd work, but I don't have en electric fence.

I thought about discretely attaching razors or needles to the sign so if it is abruptly grabbed it'll hurt. I also read where someone put a thin layer of vasoline all over it.

Right now, I'm setting up video surveillance. The election is still months away, this stuff is only going to get worse.

Electric fence idea and anything remotely related to it will land you in jail. However, I would rig up some security lights on a motion detector and wire an audible alarm into the circuit. Anyone approaching the sign and the lights go on and alarm sounds. What you really want to do is to prevent your sign from being stolen, not physically asault whoever is doing it. That might get you into legal trouble too. Surveilance video is fine too if you want to prosecute them but that gets expensive both for the equipment and the court costs, and for what? a sign?

The common sense tactic for all burglaries and trespass is only to prevent the purpetrators from doing what their intent is on your property. To scare them off in other words, or prevent entry. To 'teach them a lesson' is your own ego and macho talking, doesn't make sense.

Just some advice from my many years of experience in Commercial Security.

[Ridge Wolf]

Chris - I recommend steering clear of any "booby trap" that will injure the vandal that may trigger it. There was a story in the news a while back where I guy was tired of his car being vandalized/stolen so he rigged it to shock the vandal. He posted signs, but the idiot still tried to do damage. The owner was charged (involuntary manslaughter I think).

There are probably a host of ideas that will come up, after all we are.......creative. I like the idea of pepper spray with dye. Anything you do should be designed to create maximum discomfort without causing bodily injury.

To every action there is a reaction... i.e. retaliation. I'd be careful even with harmless pepper spray or dye, Crash. All that would tend to do would be to anger the perpetrator. He might even case the joint and could come back and do more damage when he knows nobody is home and we don't know who we're dealing with in this case.

[crashdive123]

To every action there is a reaction... i.e. retaliation. I'd be careful even with harmless pepper spray or dye, Crash. All that would tend to do would be to anger the perpetrator. He might even case the joint and could come back and do more damage when he knows nobody is home and we don't know who we're dealing with in this case.

I'm sure it is a possiblity. I believe that anybody removing or defacing a political sign is a coward to begin with, so IMO the chance of retaliation is low ---- but you are right, there is that possibility. Triggering lights, noise, or a camera would probably not cause retalitation.

On the other hand, I refuse to become a victim, especially in my own home.

[Ridge Wolf]

I'm sure it is a possiblity. I believe that anybody removing or defacing a political sign is a coward to begin with, so IMO the chance of retaliation is low ---- but you are right, there is that possibility. Triggering lights, noise, or a camera would probably not cause retalitation.

On the other hand, I refuse to become a victim, especially in my own home.

Makes me mad too.. therefore my wife, who is my check and balance is always at the ready.

[Ole WV Coot]

No traps, it ain't worth it. Now the poison ivy has potential. Wish I had thought about that myself. Even if their dogs run loose they can take their masters a big surprise. I think I will cultivate some in the hedges for a couple of house dogs that walk a mile just to use my yard. You can run out and say BOO and they can grab their chest and sue. Razor blades, if anyone is old enough to remember fender skirts were used to deter theft and were very effective back then. The poison ivy Don recommended is a great idea, one you could use in a suburban setting. Nice and green vine growing on chain link, not many people would stop to think, I like it. Thanks Don!!

[Aurelius95]

A few years ago, in suburb of Atlanta, a grown man was arrested for stealing George W. Bush 2004 campaign signs from his neighbor's yard. He didn't do any time, but had to do community service. I couldn't find the article in the Atlant Journal & Constitution.

[Chris]

Surveilance video is fine too if you want to prosecute them but that gets expensive both for the equipment and the court costs, and for what? a sign?

Last I checked the tax payers fund the police and prosecutor's office. If I have been victimized and I have proof of who the the person is they are obligated to act, are they not?

Plus, I have most of the video stuff anyways. I'm waiting for 1 part to come in the mail they I just hook up my existing camcorder to my existing laptop hooked up to an existing external hd and I've got a camera that is always on and always recording, and with some cheap $50 software I get motion detection and alarms as well.

I really like the poison ivy idea, question, how long after cutting does ivy remain dangerous? Could I rub the ivy on the sign and have the oils remain potent or would I need to do the entwining thing? I know you can get transfer ivy rashes from rubbing it on your clothes and then rubbing your clothes, but I'm not sure how long (or through how many rains) the oils in the ivy would remain.

Motion detection lights & sprays or horns would not work, the sign is near the sidewalk, it'd go off from people just strolling.

Trigger based ones would, anyone have purchase suggestions?

He might even case the joint and could come back and do more damage when he knows nobody is home and we don't know who we're dealing with in this case.

Working from home, thankfully, I'm almost always here, and as a believer in the second ammendment, I feel fairly safe.

[Chris]

Found this:

Urushiol that's rubbed off the plants onto other things can remain potent
for years, depending on the environment. If the contaminated object is in a
dry environment, the potency of the urushiol can last for decades, says
Epstein. Even if the environment is warm and moist, the urushiol could still
cause a reaction a year later.


"One of the stories I tell people is of the hunter who gets poison oak on
his hunting coat," says Epstein. "He puts it on a year later to go hunting
and gets a rash [from the urushiol still on the coat]."

So... ivy is the plan. I just have to remember not to touch it when I mow the lawn.

[Sarge47]

when I was in my late teens my brother & I were out in our yard when a 9 yr. old from next door, hiding behind our hedge, thought it would be funny to throw an old piece of an electrical circuit board over our fence! He was hiding behind the hedge but we could still see his feet. My kid brother was angry & wanted to confront him but I made motions to stay quiet & then, loud enough for the youngster to hear, said: "Oh, wow! Look Kenny, do you know what this is!" He fell into it & said "No! What is it?" I said: "You see this piece here, all wrapped up with copper wire? (maybe about an ounce, if that) That's the armature & it's made of copper wire! Do you know how much copper wire is worth?" He said "no" & I responded: "a lot! This is worth a lot of money!" As if on cue the kid next door pops up from behind the hedge looking all innocent, asking: "Hey, did you guys find a wierd-looking piece of metal by any chance?" I hid it behind my back and asked: "Why?" He looked all angry & said: "Because we lost it & it's worth a lot of money!" I held it up & asked: "Is this it?" He said yeah, & that if I didn't return it to him he was going to the law! Dispite my brother's protests I handed it back to him with the warning that if I ever found it in my yard again I was going to sell it! After he left my brother asked me why I gave it back to him? I said: "Can you imagine how he's going to feel when he goes to all the trouble of going down to a the salvage yard, only to find out it isn't worth anything? That was to good to pass up!" He never threw anything else into our yard & I never did hear if he tried to sell that piece of crap or not. Probably set it aside to do later & forgot about it!

My point is that the others are right about booby traps. Sadly, the law's view is that the health & well-being of a perpetrator is of more value than any property that might be in danger of being stolen. I would, 1st, post "No Trespassing" signs up where they could be seen. If you lived in Colorado I would add the line: "Survivors will be prosecuted!" along with: "This property protetced by Smith & Wesson!" However, in this case I like the idea of the infra-red trigger that turns on a couple of flood lights as soon as anybody gets in the proximity of the sign. That really freaks people out! I would also run an ad in the local newspaper that reads something like this: "To the idiots who violated my constitutional rights by tearing up the "Pro-McCain" sign in my yard. I just want you to know that I understand why you would do that. If I supported the loser you did I'd do anything in my power to help him/her, including trampling the rights of other Americans, there-by demonstrating for all to see the true ideals that my candidate stands for; ergo no American has the right to "Free-Choice"! Your actions betray your fear! That is so sad.

Running an ad like this will cost a bit, but is cheaper than a lawsuit protecting those who would trample your rights. You might come up with a better ad, but please keep us posted so we know the "411".

[Ridge Wolf]

Well, if the motion detector is activated by passersby, then the lights come on to illuminate the sign which the passerby(es) then read because of the drawn attention to it. More advertisement for your candidate. Hmmm, just configure the alarm part of it to activate at a closer proximity to the sign. Possibly on a second motion detector.