Sharp as a Marble - I did not know that Oreck made self defense weaponry

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I did not know that Oreck made self defense weaponry

When Seconds Count

A woman defends herself with a vacuum while waiting 35 minutes for the cops to show up

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. - A Williamson County woman fought off an intruder with a vacuum cleaner. She was desperate for help, waiting for almost 35 minutes for law enforcement to arrive.

…

"It was really terrible, I had to beat him out the door with a vacuum cleaner," said Amber Brinkley.

And all the while, no deputy at the door.

Thirty. Five. Minutes. The burglar realized that he would not be shot, and continued to work his way around the house until he found a weak point. Heck, he didn’t even have to worry about the cops showing up. Had he gotten in a bit sooner, he could have had his way with the occupants and left with plenty of time to spare.

A 12 gauge blast of 00 buck beats a 35 minute wait on the cops any day.

Now, I don’t know TN law, but if Ms. Brinkley wanted to arm herself here in Florida to protect her daughter and herself, she would have to go through a 3 day mandatory disarmament period because she could be angry. What kind of common sense gun law is that?

Seconds count. Minutes away.

posted @ 1/19/2011 9:18:46 AM

Incoming Links

Another Demonstration of Why You Can’t Rely on the Police « A Geek With Guns on 1/19/2011 1:31:38 PM

Comments

Carl says:

on 1/19/2011 9:31:34 AM

Nope, no waiting period in TN. I live in Williamson County too, and the 911 dispatchers are infamous for not knowing the difference between city police and county sheriff's office. I can't say that I'm shocked with the response time.

PhillipC says:

on 1/19/2011 10:02:32 AM

Actually, the three day period in FL is only for handguns. She could have a shotgun in the time it takes to pick one out and pay for it.

Robb Allen says:

on 1/19/2011 10:15:52 AM

PhillipC, you are correct. §790.0665 specifies the waiting period is 3 days for handguns only.

I have seen people told they will have to wait for long guns and shotguns. I assumed there must be some 'gotcha' in the statutes that make it beneficial for the gun dealer to do so being that I've seen it repeatedly and through different gun shops.

Robb Allen says:

on 1/19/2011 10:18:29 AM

Ah, it's a county thing, that's why

Each county shall have the authority to require a criminal history records check and a 3 to 5-day waiting period, excluding weekends and legal holidays, in connection with the sale of any firearm occurring within such county. (emphasis mine)

I *knew* I wasn't crazy. Well... you know what I mean.

PhillipC says:

on 1/19/2011 10:34:01 AM

Ah, I see. I live in Lake county and shop mostly here and Sumter county, so I've not seen the same thing. One of the things the gun stores here appreciate is that they don't have to make it difficult for a purchaser to get what they want. I've heard it's different in the Tampa and Miami areas, though. Must be a city thing.

CarlS says:

on 1/19/2011 12:02:57 PM

I copied your article to the Director of the Tennessee Department of Safety, with my remarks: "I’m so glad that we have Oreck’s weapons factory here in Tennessee. If ever I am caught in some government building where self-defense is not allowed, I’ll be sure and keep an eye out for the vacuum cleaner. Just in case some armed officer goes berserk; you know how those malicious guns make everyone demented."

ubu52 says:

on 1/20/2011 4:29:19 AM

You know, there were three of them in that house. The vacuum was the best thing they could find? They didn't have any knives? They didn't own a car? (I'm only saying "car" because you guys always point out how deadly cars are.) Ditto with a pool? (You all say pools are incredibly deadly too.)

Didn't they have any hairspray? (Remember the old lady who chased a guy off with a can of hairspray?) No spray household cleaners? No Draino?

It just seems to me, with 35 minutes to kill, they could have found something more lethal than a vacuum (though the vacuum seemed to work, didn't it?)

Robb Allen says:

on 1/20/2011 8:19:52 AM

ubu, I'll illustrate this for you

You have fists. I have a stick.
You have a stick, I have a knife.
You have a knife, I have a spear.

Fists and clubs work the same way, but one gives me a slight advantage because of reach. I can hit you with a club easier than you can hit me with your fists.

A knife has a slight advantage because it concentrates my force into a tiny point (in this case, the edge) and thus can cut, causing less 'damage' than a club hit, but a greater chance of lethality.

Now a spear gives me the same benefits as a club (extending my reach) and a knife (concentrating my force).

In this case, the vacuum kept the lady at a longer reach. It removed her a bit further from the danger area. Had she a gun, that reach is very, very, very far as well as allowing her to concentrate her force into a very small area. This is why it's easier to push a thumb tack into dry wall than it is a quarter.

Draino, hairspray, vacuums, etc, are all improvised weapons. A gun is a weapon whose design makes it useful for situations like these.

Good luck goading the attacker to drown himself in your pool though.

Les Jones says:

on 1/20/2011 1:01:19 PM

A wussy little Oreck - are you crazy? Those things will get you killed.

Real men use Kirbies.

Les Jones says:

on 1/20/2011 7:05:59 PM

Sorry, I shouldn't have gone there. I'm sure no one wants to read yet another Oreck vs. Kirby flamewar on a gun blog.

Robb Allen says:

on 1/20/2011 7:17:53 PM

Bah, my great grandfather used a Sears brand Vac-U-Suck to fight off the Austrians in WWI and by golly, if a bagged vacuum cleaner was good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

Comments have been closed on this topic.