Do you know your neighbors?

Self-Defense & Home Defense
#1

Wisconsin is SaferAtHome (residents ordered to stay at home) starting today. We’re essentially limited to leaving the house to the doctor and picking up groceries or prescriptions. So a lot of us will be spending more time at home than we usually do.

Even though we’re practicing social distancing/SaferAtHome, I’m sure I’ll see more of my neighbors out walking their dogs and doing yard work.

I know some of my neighbors, but not all of them. And I don’t know any of them very well.

How well do you know your neighbors?

Please include approximately how long you’ve lived where you live.

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#2

Michigan went to Lockdown as of Midnight Monday… I’m already home in Missouri and we haven’t done that yet.

We know one set of neighbors well, we’ve socialized with them, shared work with them, loaned and borrowed farm equipment, know his parents (who are just one farm over) and have spent social time with them too. We’ve got two more we are speaking acquaintances with, and one we know but who’s crazy and we generally keep our distance. We’ve been on this farm for 8 years, and we’ve only got 4 neighbors :slight_smile:

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#3

We have been in our neighborhood 8 1/2 years. It’s the longest we have had any address. I don’t know most of our neighbors very well. My wife knows them better than I do, but she’s the social butterfly of the house. Most of our neighbors have lived in the neighborhood a shorter time than us. We might even be the 2nd or 3rd longest tenured folks in the neighborhood. We’re also probably the oldest people in the neighborhood.

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#4

Illinois has the stay at home order too, I go get coffee at least 3 times a day and get my smokes every morning and meet up with a couple guys from my tournament shooting league every night at the target. We usually buy something every night so it looks like we had a reason to be out. The police in my area said they are not enforcing something unconstitutional, so at least we are not totally trapped. It is funny though, in the 2 years the target store has been open, I have never seen it so busy after the lockdown went into effect Saturday evening. The Mobil station has coffee almost as good as Starbucks too.

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#5

Next toy I’m buying is an amazon fire 7 tablet, they have them on clearance for $35.00 and they usually were $59.99 so although I don’t need one it’sa good deal.

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#6

Here in 'bama I know everyone living around our small 8 acre lake. We are a informal neighborhood watch. Since I’m the last house on a dead end street I often get calls about ‘visitors’ who seem out of place. trespassing will get you a visit by 3 or 4 of us checking to see if you have proper ok to fish. We take care of each other.

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#7

I’ve been in my current location for last 12 years. I know my closest neighbors since the day I moved in.
We are seeing each other on the backyards, front driveways, etc.
These days I’m checking in on them every other day, officially to say “hello”, but I want to be sure they are ok and if there is any help they’d need. So far so good, I think their Families take care of them well.

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#8

I have been at my current address in Montana for 3 years. I do not know the neighbors at all. I might get an occasional wave back; I get mostly glares if anything.

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#9

Just shy of 12 years. I know the people one door from me in every direction and nearly no one else in the whole neighborhood. New world order. One is a retired sheriff. One is a green beret. Zombies would be challenged to “take the hill!”

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#10

Going on 3yrs in this neighborhood…it depends which neighbors…I know the ones across from me (two houses) pretty ok…the rest of them are just kind of “friendly wave hi” neighbors so not well at all.

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#11

Dawn, we are a few days into a similar order here in IL. We can go out to get food, medical appts, and fuel… I see a few solitary dog walker’s and joggers as well. One of the indicators that people are taking it serious is how few kids I am seeing. The schools are closed but unlike summer vacation when you see kids everywhere I see very few and they are not in groups.

I know my neighbors and I am lucky to have good neighbors. We watch and feed each others pets when on vacations and watch each other’s houses. It takes years (and probably kids of similar ages) to build that kind of trust but it is a benefit in these uncertain times.

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#12

I have been here for 29 years and have lived here longer than any of the other folks on the cul de sac. We know a few neighbors well and a few more to talk to. Many we just see driving/walking up and down the street.

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#13

Knowing neighbors has died in most cases. Not like when I grew up…you knew everyone on your block pretty much. I live in the city.

Nowadays it’s probably the folks next door on either side of you…if that.

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#14

We do have an extended family effect - our granddaughter works on the farm and I’ve become “Grams” to her BFF and family too. They help out with work on the farm sometimes, and we try to put the BFF’s hubby to work when he’s on lay-off (he’s a welder and his company doesn’t pay anyone for hold-over if orders are off in any week). We had the “we have freezer beef and pork if you need anything” conversation yesterday. They’re now part of “ours”.

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#15

I’ve been in the same place since 1976 with the exception of college and a brief rental. My wife and I bought the house from my dad after my mom died. So, I’ve been here 43 years!
We know the pot smokers (no denying that smell), the speeders, the loud ones, the dog owners and the ones with kids which are all well behaved.
It’s not the same as it used to be. We used to know so many neighbors but people hole in with the AC on. We are always out walking the dogs or playing in the yard. We know the immediate neighbors but that’s it other than the old timers (I am almost one of them).
We have seen a few more people out but the weather isn’t being compliant! (curse you mother nature).
I have been “accused” of being a neighborhood watch of 1 since I am out 3 times a day with the dogs. The title isn’t so bad…

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#16

@Thomas141 - I can still remember most of the family and kids’ names from the neighborhood I left in 1972. Around here, not so much.

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#17

Moved here in June–know the two houses across the street–good people.
Unlike my old cul de sac–knew everyone well–ate meals together, bonfires, etc. Not so much here.

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#18

@Dawn

My next door neighbor (or at least the only 1 I care about) was a pastor of a local mega church. Wonderful man and amazing wife. We volunteered to run errands for them, and in the last week I have had to run people out of their backyard, really late at night. Yes I know shark tank. Them I am willing to go into shark tank for. They are in their 80’s.

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#19

We know our neighbors well. Have neighborhood get togethers a few times a year. We all look out for each other. We have a neighborhood FB group and also text each other.

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#20

I carry everywhere except for the obvious places you can’t, post office, police station, city hall, although I never go there I keep my vehicle registered in Texas, don’t have to buy a city sticker then, refuse to go to a doctor for anything so no worries there. Love my Ruger LCP, and want to get the Kimber Rapide black ice if they ever get any in stock.

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