Room Mates

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satan'sbountyhunter:

I can assure you that it would be a bad idea for your daughter to bring a gun to college, unless you're sure the college allows it. In my past 2 days of googling I haven't found any.
 
Boy that's a tuff one. I can't imagine sending one of my daughters off without being armed. But, it would really suck to get kicked out of school, with a week left before finals or something...
 
FWIW I think that many of the colleges in Utah allow CCW as it's allowed by the state. Also, there are some pretty solid gun safes out there in the 100-200 dollar range that can be lag bolted into studs, yet easily moved by 2 guys when they are empty. While a pistol would be easier to wield in a small apartment, so would an 18" barrel Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip. And believe me, nothing scares off a bad guy quicker than hearing the action cycle on a pump action shotgun. The sound is very distinct. For home defense, I don't think there are many on this forum that would argue the effectiveness of a 12 GA shotgun. Many (myself included) believe they are the best weapon for home defense.
 
I can assure you that it would be a bad idea for your daughter to bring a gun to college, unless you're sure the college allows it. In my past 2 days of googling I haven't found any.
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She won't be taking it to class with her and she won't be living in a dorm room either. She will be living alone or maybe with 1 of her friends and driving a lonely Texas highway when she comes home for visits. I raised her as a single parent, she is my only child. She will have a gun to protect herself ...her safety isn't negotiable.
 
SatanBH,

I congratulate you on taking the iniative to train your daughter to safely use a firearm and to have one to protect herself. I agree with most of the posts in this thread concerning the safety of students on campus.

A college campus is still one of the safest places in America when it comes to violent crime. There are lots of petty crime and typical college age antics but, as a whole, colleges are pretty safe places.

I work on campus and cannot even leave a firearm in the trunk of my car, I am certain that unless the college she attends allows firearms on campus that they will have a similar policy to the SUNY system.

If I bring a firearm on campus I will lose my job and face charges.

If she is caught with one on campus she will be expelled and face charges.

A good lock box in her apartment is a great idea, but review campus policy before advocating that she leave it in her car on campus.

Just my 3 cents on the topic.


good luck and stay safe
 
well done, SBH.

Quite frankly, jrock18, I would not introduce a firearm into this setting until/unless you genuinely trust your roomies not to mess with your gear, or you secure the weapon and keep your mouth shut about it.

My own experience was not at all remarkable. I knew some of my roomates well, knew some not at all. Some I met for the first time the day we moved in. Some could be trusted, others not. All of them were partial to drinking, brawling, consorting with loose women and general riotous living. All of them at one time or another brought other friends and acquaintances in.

One turned out, to my astonishment, to be a low-level cocaine dealer. He found religion when his own supplier was found face down in a pool of his own blood. Who the hell knows what sort of "clientele" he traipsed through that house when the rest of us weren't there?

Another roomate (different house) kept a Remington 870 in his closet. Of course, he couldn't resist a little show and tell. I never messed with it and never saw anyone else mess with it. However, aside from the owner, none of us had any appreciable knowledge of, or experience with, firearms, and given our drinking and other social habits back then, it could have ended quite badly.

Just some thoughts . . .
 
Philadelphia doesn't have preemption over state law in regards to licensed carry though they dearly desire it. State law treats Philadelphia very slightly differently than the rest of the state as the only "city of the first class" (over 1 mil. pop.) in that open carry is not legal without a carry license. Before the early '90s Philadelphia refused to honor any carry licenses but its own, but the legislature very wisely put an end to that. Philadelphia unfortunately has had about 40 years of corrupt and incompetent, even criminal, leadership and is circling the drain as a result. I hope it can pull it together.
 
jrock18,

It was just 4 years ago that I was in your situation, trying to deal with gun ownership around my college roommates. What's more, my roommates have all been rather peace-loving hippies, who drank and did drugs alot, but did not approve of my owning a gun at all. Suffice to say, this situation CAN be handled...

College dorms: OBEY THE RULES!!! If you're not allowed to have a gun, DON'T HAVE ONE!!! At my school, the college police department had a "check" system, where you could bring your gun to them, and they would check it. You could pick it up from them on your way off campus, and bring it back when you returned. Think, instead of your alternative weapons. Sounds like you've got the baseball bat. Think of some projectile weapons, like mace or tazers. Load up on sharp things. And, increase your warning systems: Set up an alarm on the door, cameras, etc. Plain and simple versions of these things can be purchased pretty cheaply nowadays.

Private Apartments: There are LOTS of ways to secure a gun in an apartment. Design your security around your liability: the roommates. Remember, in our particular situation, we're not trying, necessarilly, to secure the shotgun against theft (or fire, or floods, etc...). We're only trying to secure it against tampering by the roommates. All you need is a box for the shotgun that has a lock on it. The box doesn't have to be hardened ballistic steel, it doesn't have to be fireproof, and it doesn't have to require DNA samples for entry. Just a plain old box with a lock on it! That will keep the drunk college kids from accidentally finding it and messing with it.

My solution, for my handguns, was a nice, decorative wooden chest, with a pretty, yet secure, key-locking brass latch. It works fine. Kids can't get in without the keys, so it's a place to secure the guns, if needs be.

For your shotgun, I would recommend one of the cheap, black plastic gun cases (the kind with the egg-shell foam inside), and a couple of padlocks. The case should have little loops for locks, and that will work fine to keep the drunken college kids out for the night. When it's just you, unlock and open the case, so the shotgun will be handy.

Send me a PM if you want to talk more about it. Good luck!
 
Samurai, while overall, your post is well thought out, I have to disagree with you on one thing; the gun "case". In the apartment environment with roomates, I would strongly suggest you DO secure the firearm (whatever you choose) against theft. While you may be able to say you trust each and every one of your roomates, can you say that about every single person that they may possibly bring into your home while you're not there? Chances are there will be parties taking place while you're not home, and we all know that during parties like that, nothing is off limits. As was mentioned earlier in this thread, at one time or another, unknown to you, your stuff will be searched. A plastic gun case with luggage type locks will be stolen if someone thinks there is anything inside that's worth ten bucks. Just my opinion.
 
"there will be times when my roommate/s and I are intoxicated."

You don't need a firearm, you need a change of lifestyle.

Until you're mature enough to be a responsible citizen, you're not old enough or smart enough to own and use potentially dangerous weapons.

Any headline that reads Drunken Student With Gun does not merit my support. The kid, and I use the proper term, deserves to have the gun taken away by an adult, and he has earned the rebuke of society.
 
A college campus is still one of the safest places in America when it comes to violent crime. There are lots of petty crime and typical college age antics but, as a whole, colleges are pretty safe places.

I work on campus and cannot even leave a firearm in the trunk of my car, I am certain that unless the college she attends allows firearms on campus that they will have a similar policy to the SUNY system.

If I bring a firearm on campus I will lose my job and face charges.

If she is caught with one on campus she will be expelled and face charges.
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Please educate me here since you work in that environment. I believe in following the law, obviously...but is there any real chance she will have her car searched in a college parking lot?

Here is the issue: A lot of college girls that are stalked by derelicts are followed home from the college, or from where they work. It may be at these times that they need access to a handgun.

What about a fixed blade knife? Does the college get their underwear in a bundle over that if they are left out in the car? Not trying to hijack this thread, just thinking of other options that may help the O.P. and other freshman college students as well.
 
Hope this helps:

Campus has approx 7000 students, not big by any means but not small either...


http://www.brockport.edu/publications/yrtk/safetyReport.html

Scroll down to

http://www.brockport.edu/publications/yrtk/safetyReport.html#Weapon Law

It shows that there were no weapons violations for the three years shown.

that leads me to believe two possible conclusions:

1. no one has a weapon on campus, or
2. anyone who has a weapon on campus is very quiet about it.

Also, the majority of crime reported is drug/ alcohol and petty crimes.

knives are treated the same as firearms, although I would take a guess that they would just be confiscated in most cases.

There is little chance that her car will ever be searched, but if she ever has to use it on campus there will be some serious repercussions afterward - but she will still be alive after using it, as opposed to the potential downside of not having it.

I still suggest that her best bet is a lock box at her apartment and have her carry it to and from your home when she visits.

IMO after 21 years in a campus environment her biggest threat is a ' friend of a friend' at a party that won't take NO for an answer and try to take advantage of her..knees and pepper spray tend to end those problems quickly...LOL

hope this helps.

Or you can just send her to Upstate NY and she can come to college here!!!!
 
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Thanks for the info. I'll keep it in mind.

Or you can just send her to Upstate NY and she can come to college here!!!!
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Let's see.....west Texas?....New York?....west Texas?...New York?

I am sure can guess the answer to that question. Take care up there.
 
At my campus, they have a three inch (or four) knife rule, and the RA's aren't really strict about longer stuff, as long as you don't have it sitting on the wall or go bragging about it and I'd think that most campuses would be similar. I agree with mike jones, if anything, a knife would probably be confiscated .OTOH a gun might result in expulsion (although i know a few people who hid guns in their dorm rooms). I do not and would not keep a gun in my dorm room, due to the close proximity to intoxicated people, and the threat of expulsion.
I see a fair amount of people with those knife clips on the outsides of their pockets.
 
"there will be times when my roommate/s and I are intoxicated."

You don't need a firearm, you need a change of lifestyle.

Until you're mature enough to be a responsible citizen, you're not old enough or smart enough to own and use potentially dangerous weapons.

Any headline that reads Drunken Student With Gun does not merit my support. The kid, and I use the proper term, deserves to have the gun taken away by an adult, and he has earned the rebuke of society.
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Whoa now, just because someone says they may be intoxicated at one time or another now means that they are no longer mature enough to own a weapon? Hey, I like to drink a few beers now and then, maybe even a Jack & Coke. I never mix alcohol and guns however, so does this mean that I am also too immature to own a firearm because I like to drink sometimes? This is a little excessive in my book. I'd bet that over half the people on this board like to have an occasional alcoholic beverage. It says nothing about their maturity level or abilities with a firearm. Many, too many people are so quick to jump up on their soapbox and start judging the minute someone says they drink a little. Well get down off your high horse becuase there is nothing wrong with it as long as it is done in a responsible manner. The OP has said nothing to lead me to believe any immaturity of the sort. If anything he should be praised for taking the initiative to research the subject and his options by talking to those who have prior experience in the subject. He doesn't need to be belittled by folks who have nothing better to do than sit here and judge others from within the sanctity of their own home.
 
Here's what you need:

Concealable, collapsible, non-lethal, effective.
telescopic-steel-baton.jpg
 
With some practice and a little professional training, you can defeat multiple assailants, knife wielding thugs, and even someone with a handgun, at close range. At longer ranges, you better be able to run fast, and hope they miss.:D
 
They now have biomechanical safes!

These safes read your fingerprint and open quickly and are better than any old key! Their a bit pricy but search em.......your friend cant crack it.....and its faster than a lock.
 
A year ago here at the University of Iowa, if you wanted to obtain a permit to acquire handguns or revolvers, you first had to pass a background check through the sheriffs office, than the University would decide whether or not if would be "safe" for that particular person to obtain the permit if they were a student. One of my good friends was denied his permit because of a couple of bad grades. Seems that a few years back a student shot his professor for failing him. My friend eventually received his permit after a few phone calls.
 
I'm leaning more and more towards the baton. They're cheap and effective, and I'll always have the baseball bat in my dorm room, so it's nice for carry.

Thanks for the defense JAXX, if Tourist would have taken the time to read all of my posts he would have seen this clearly stated:

As far as alcohol is concerned yes I do drink, but I never get to the point of retardation. Also, I would never attempt to handle a firearm with any amount of alcohol in me, not because I believe that 1-3 beers would impair me, but because god forbid something did happen alcohol makes one look negligent.
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