Look up a North American Arms .22 firearm, it’s the smallest simplest firearm that you can buy, literally about the size of a set of car keys. You can hide it in the palm of your hand, accuracy sucks beyond the distance you could throw something so close range only. Don’t like guns, mace or bear spray works. And WHY did you open your door? Open a window to speak to a stranger. And never ever be afraid of nicely saying with a smile, “You are making me uncomfortable, please leave.” If they persist, “I asked you to leave, and you haven’t. I’m armed (or capable of defending myself) and I’d like to remind you that medical care is over an hour away and you’ll probably be gone before paramedics can reach you.” Optional, “Thank you and have a good day. 😊”

Glad your safe Robin. But that's kind of too late saying it.

It’s my opinion you did good. You handled it really good.

Thanks for deleting my comment.

I am 100% on your side, and I hope that you aren't still beating yourself up over this. I know that you have to be careful and keep yourself safe and all that, but you should have an expectation of being left alone! You shouldn't NEED to put out 2 chairs and lock yourself up in your airstream like a prisoner. It's your RIGHT to be safe and free! I think you handled it the way you should have, and I'm glad to hear that you have a means of defending yourself.

Love this.

You nailed it

Be weird, be rude, stay alive. - Ashley Flowers

I like this!

Took me a lot of years to figure this out 😂

💯%

Good point!

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

That's right!

I agree! Praying over her the blood of Jesus

Great tip!!

Wonderful suggestion ❤

Perfect!!

Brilliant!

Thanks for sharing this valuable tip🙏

Exactly!!

Exactly this.

Well put!

Oh I like this. My husband has excellent intuition about such things.

Don’t beat yourself up…you’re a rockstar…

I love this! So true.

So THAT'S the explanation for those feelings I get and when asked why, I don't have the words right then to explain it. Ty!

Even though we should all know this, this statement sent chills and a stark reminder.

Always the first thing I think of. Don't feel like you have to be nice or even acknowledge a stranger. Do what's best for you and your safety!

Is it ok to offer help? I saw 2 girls struggling to change a tire on their car. I was on a bike ride and offered assistance and there were plenty of people around. They had trouble breaking the lugnuts loose and no one offered help. I always carry and an extra tube to help any stranded cyclist help.

yes, and the fact that he kept going on after she told him no is an even BIGGER red flag

⁠@@notanomad9320yes. 😊

Yes! Full timer here with dog too and no other weapons. She definitely kept us safe.

Their hearing is so much better than humans and that 6th sense that they have is priceless. I have and will always have a dog or 2 or 3 that are rescues. LOL 🐶🐶🐶

My Mom was a solo long-haul driver. She carried a S&W 38 and had a full-blooded Arctic Tundra Wolf... nobody messed with her.

@@justonebeliever The 38 is better than the dog but the dog and the 38 is pure gold.

@@pippadawg7037I agree I love dogs but if the bad person has a gun and you just have a dog it won’t be good I got a gun and a dog and I will protect my dog before I let him die for me

Right! If he really had reserved a campsite, he could go back to the office and double check the location

Because we are a prey animal.

Men have intuition too. We use it to avoid uncaring women.

@@osajohnson1957 We are both predator and prey.

@@mysticone1798yes but in her comment “woman’s intuition” refers to the violence from men that’s in our history and dna. You didn’t have to make it a gender war. We worry about sexu al assault and harrassment all the time ,and many of us experienced it starting as girls. You didn’t have to be an asshole and try to cancel out her comment. There was nothing wrong with it. YOU took it personally

No joke - they probably planned to grab you.

Even now it would be better to ask a man than a woman with a kid.

This. So much this!☝️☝️☝️

Mom may have saved both of your lives

Most likely, they were after the kid.

Also a dog could out you when you don't want anyone knowing you are around our inside your ccamper

​@WhaleCommunicators : If your dog is obedience trained , your dog won't out you ... instead , that dog will be quiet & assess the situation , look to you for direction . If things go wrong for you , then your dog will act . I speak from experience . I also have good cattle dogs - no yappy, icky Boston Terrier , ankle biter type dogs . Just my opinion . Good luck to all who read this .😊 9:26

@@brooksequine7621 Agreed. Not just "a dog" but the right dog, properly trained. The logistics of caring for a dog on the road might be really hard to manage but worth considering.

Yeah, I agree. When I’m by myself on the road or at home men usually back off when they see the size of my baby right behind me trying to get a good look at them.

@@brooksequine7621 How dare you insult Boston Terriers, I've had 5 Boston's, they are not icky ankle biters as you say, they are loving lil' critters, they are precious & can be protective to their owner, you just got to train them right & I'm not meaning any pro training either, recently I also had a precious French bulldog Pug mix that I saved her from a life of 18 months of being in a cage & being neglected also right now I have a Rat Terrier & she's one hell of a guard dog, she's very protective of me.

Smart 👍

I agree! Urgh, creepy men give all men a bad rap.

very good point, i would have simply said "sorry can't help you", ask those people over there.

Right! You're plenty nice; no need to be any nicer. Stay safe 🙋🏻‍♂️

he may have and they shut him down so he went looking for help elsewhere.

Good point. I hate it that women must be on guard all too often. It must make life much more selfish and limiting.

YES!!! It's so important to raise people's awareness!

Maybe she's still processing her emotions. , 😕

She did say she was concerned about women thinking her purpose was to make them feel camping alone was unsafe

She felt dumb once she found out there was a close by campground for pay that he may have been reserved at.

Women second guess themselves for everything. The communicative sex has a difficult time just speaking honestly and non-reservedly.

so use a dog bark recording

​@@twilitthey'll know

Um -she's' living in an RV, and staying at campsites. Alarm system, security guard, barking dog outside? That isn't how it works while camping.

That's true ......My Bella is quite loud, lol😅

Should have kept that big knife in your hand and visible while you talked to him!

"Most men" nah... "Decent men" sure, but they are not the majority of men. Especially when it comes to solo men approaching a solo female camper. They get emboldened and aggressive.

Justine - Unfortunately, I'm afraid that's true.

Yes, yes. Playing the part of a helpless man is just so suspect in itself. Most men would approach another man for information if they were legit. This dude had bad intentions, definitely.

Nah. Most men don't have any of that running through their mind at all. In their mind they aren't doing anything creepy. They refuse to believe that life is different for women. As someone who was raised by a lot of women and has daughters I understand that making a woman feel comfortable and not making her uncomfortable is super important. Most men are clueless to that.

Some men have become more overbearing and brave in approaching women. A true "gentleman" would be more respectful.

AMEN!

Absolutely!

Exactly.! It’s not my job to not hurt someone’s feelings in a situation like that I think he was looking for a free meal too

@emily…, -don’t bet on it being a beggar at mealtime!

Always!

Great ideas! 👍

Smart!

Good points! Also (back when I was rving alone), I laid a men's baseball cap and a men's magazine (like a gun magazine, lolol!) on the front passenger seat! Just put SOMETHING to make them think a man is aboard!

Exactly. Girls, especially, are often taught as they grow up to be kind and helpful and not to hurt anyone's feelings... we often have to ignore those lessons in order to stay safe.

Well said.

I have no problems hurting people in order to stay safe.

Better to stay single and alive than married and dead. Can't trust a woman. 😂

I think she is safer with the motion detector. Dogs have to go out, even when you want to stay in, and people can figure out your routine. A small dog won't deter anyone.

@@shastavi I disagree. A small dog is as good an early warning system as any. They don't take up much space. Don't eat a lot. Provide excellent companion ship. But if you prefer a big dog, get a big dog. Either will alert you when they hear ANYTHING out Of place. An alarm can fail. It can be disconnected. Unless you have a perimeter alarm, which requires going outside to create, then, an intruder will get very close before an alarm goes off.

​@@patryott2468or a big dog😢! Namely a German Shepherd, there are a lot of them needing a second chance, because of people not doing their homework on this breed. They are loyal, and very protective. As well as very intelligent, and trainable. They are aware of someones intuitions as well.

Shut it! Solo women are so sick of people recommending dogs as if it's like getting some inanimate weapon you don't have to feed, walk, love and take to the vet. It's a child that never grows up. EVERYONE knows they exist so I don't even know why people suggested it as if solo women have no idea that dogs exist and that they can get one. Solo women who don't already have dogs don't want one!

Agreed.

As a solo male traveler, if I see a solo female I NEVER, EVER try to initiate a conversation with them. If they want to talk to me about me about my rig or something I will be friendly and respond but I always keep in mind that solo females need to be extra vigilant and always give them space.

Yes their arrogance won’t allow it

It's not arrogance, it's commonsense. Learn it.

So much for the brilliance of TikTok!

​@@Jamestown23_common sense left the building a long while ago😮

@@jstsayn9133 Outside of the grocery store, men don't ask women for help. Men help women anywhere. When men knock on the door they will quickly retreat to the bottom of the steps so they don't frighten anyone that answers the door. Standing too close or asking for assistance when other men are around are all red flags.

You might try therapy as well so that you're not trapped for a long time.

Please find a good friend and get out with them…i understand your fear of being out and about alone !

I hope you can get counseling to allow you to overcome your fear. Maybe find a group of women who do day trips/ weekend hikes, etc. I hate to see women missing out on such a wonderful aspect of life.

You absolutely need a firearm. You'll also need to train with it regularly. You are your own first responder! Stay safe❤

Had that happen, man came to the door saying he worked for the utility company and needed to come inside to check something. Luckily my ex was visiting to mow the lawn and he told the man to show us his work order. Guy said "oh, its in our truck with my supervisor. I'll go get it." He never came back. Glad my ex was there as he was a big tall guy. I still wonder if I would have let him in. You have to be careful.

My mom had a wooden screen door. She used to use a hook and eye lock she screwed an eye into the frame and a hook on the door. If the door was hooked you couldn’t open it from the outside. It kept out critters, her mother-in-law and the creepy neighbor

You said that there was a couple to the side looking at him. You told him more than once that you couldn't help him. He could have asked them for help. Definitely a creeper.

Thank you for the tip about engaging. Good to know. I usually yell, "Get away from me!" or "go away!" If someone keeps trying to engage after I've told them "no" in some way.

@@emilyfeagin2673 loll. Her MIL & creepy neighbor

​@@emilyfeagin2673If you can kick a deadbolted door right out of its frame, which I have seen done, I doubt it would take much of a kick to take out a wooden screen door with a latched 🪝. Not trying to be mean, I'm just saying.

She looks a little bit like Roseanne Arnold. Could have some guys interested in her and follow her. Not easy to be in an RV if single and female.

Yes, anyone can be attacked anywhere anytime, but most attackers typically prefer easy targets. The best protection I ever had was a cold attitude toward overly friendly men and a large dog with a hard stare. Her leash has an instant-release trigger on the handle that separated it from her collar with the press of a lever, something I was quick to mention in "casual" conversation. My good girl was a trained security dog who knew she was "on duty" when Mama gave her the command. I'm convinced she saved my life several times and I'd give literally anything to have her back beside me, dropping a slobbery tennis ball in my lap and going crazy at the sight of a Dairy Queen (we did love our ice cream).

I think you are right about not living in fear. It can lead to paranoia. Also, it can be reflected in body language and conveyed to potential predators. In nature, predators are attuned to such displays of weakness as an opportunity. We see this early with high school bullies. "Walk tall and carry a big stick."

Thanks for your service.

I wear mine all the time on my belt loop with a pepper spray attached.

I have my bear spray with me at all times...even when I'm in my apartment. I am a 49 year old woman who lives alone and I don't trust ANY stranger.

Very good point, thank you!

There are documented stories of people using bear spray on humans and still getting beat up. Bear spray works on animals, even wild dogs! But people have a more challenging time with pepper spray.

Solo women are so sick of people recommending dogs as if it's like getting some inanimate weapon you don't have to feed, walk, love and take to the vet. It's a child that never grows up. EVERYONE knows they exist so I don't even know why people suggested it as if solo women have no idea that dogs exist and that they can get one. Solo women who don't already have dogs don't want one!

@@CS-uc2oh little crusty are we? I didn’t say she should, and at least I was polite! Hope you have a better day

💯

GET A GERMAN SHEARED. !!! OR DOBERMAN

Agreed! Intuition is real!

So true and that applies to everybody! Use your 6th sense. Listen to your intuition. It costs you nothing if you're wrong and can save your life if you're right!

All people need to listen to their gut instinct. If more people did a lot of incidents could be avoided. F being nice.

So glad that you’re still here! Quick thinking and immediate action on your part saved your life no doubt.

Wow

Ted Bundy wasn't a pudgy creeper. Don't let the outer appearance fool you. Psychos come in all different packages.

He could have been a camper and a creep!

You got me on edge with that story. I hope it hasn't haunted you.

She said weapon not firearm.

@@DyreStraits being armed doesn't necessarily mean a gun either. Armed with a stun baton or knife are equally valid statements.

@@bruceforsman4812, I’d rather have a gun against a big guy than a knife.

Wow. Thanks for sharing that.

I have found that attitude works on most men/people. My go to is low, firm and gives off serial killer vibes. "not one step closer' repeated over and over like a broken record without changing volume or tone kinda makes them rethink their decisions. No smiles, no how are yah, etc. Just stare and repeat. Helps to have wide unblinking eyes too. It worked on this one homeless guy bee-lining me and my RV at a gas station and suddenly after 30 seconds of this, he decides the trash can needs to be searched. Don't get me wrong, I love helping people out and I do often but this guy was swooping in the second I pulled in like a had a pot of gold or something (a giant old ass rv).

Well Said Girl !!

I had similar in an urban setting. When I unvelcroed the spray the person backed away and said “you won’t need that”. I said that’s up to you. He continued away

💯Love this.

Sember Fi... From a wounded combat Viet Nam vet.... Switch to be a soldier in GOD'S ARMY.... Accept his salvation and get recruited in.... John 📖 chapter 14 vs 6.. Mark 📖 chapter 15 vs 1.... John 📖 chapter 3 vs 16 thru 21.... Ask your phone or computer for these King 📖 James gospel scriptures

@@TheLordsClay I'm glad you found safety.

No way was this guy was a camper.

no guns.

@@roberttemple2521 Not your decision.

Also 1 or 2 pull siren on you at all times so it screams at high descibles so if your mouth is covered you can still get attention

I have a stun gun & personal alarm for just those types of situations. You are a wise person. Enjoy life & be prayed up! 🙏☝️✝️😊

My trainers are law enforcement. They are the best weapons trainers!

Yes! have an escape plan ahead of time

Terrifying!!! Thank the good Lord for your dog!!!

@christimartin8512…. 👌 👍… Really good idea!

I been doing the boots outside for years.

Excellent idea !! It would make a person think twice before doing something bad. Even placing a large dog bowl outside your doorway.

Very smart idea!!!

Great idea

I already enjoy your Dad. He was a very smart man. My Dad passed away 2006. I think about him every day.

@@CB-vg1wq Good dads are always deeply missed. I'm a woman, but back in the mid 1970s when I was a teen, he showed me how to do things, so that I wouldn't be helpless and in need of man's help. He wouldn't let me buy a car until I knew how to change a tire. He didn't want me stuck on some desolate Idaho highway having to wait for a man to come along and help me...as the wrong man might show up. He taught me to hunt deer and elk, which meant the Hard work too, after that bullet left the rifle. The field dressing,, handing and skinning, and butchering. I got my drivers license as age 14 (Idaho). and a few weeks later, he had me backing a Dodge Club Cab truck down a goat trail in the mountains, alone, so I could get to the bottom, then take another road to the other side of the ridge to pick him up. We both had good opportunities to spot deer that way....he walking me driving. Plus there was all the weekends of watching NASCAR Races. : ) Also when I turned 18 and moved out of the house, he gifted me with a .22 revolver for my home protection. I still have it...I'm 60 years old now. : )

Wow... did he ever shoot some innocent woman who came looking for sugar?

@@kwimms That is a distrustful/disrespectful comment towards my dad. : ( We (my parents and siblings) live in a Remote area of Idaho, and that the town. When you get into the mountains, it's even more remote. It's not like we ever parked in a KOA campground. And in the real wilderness...you can hear a vehicle from a distance. But sometimes vehicles break down, and someone might be hiking out, see a campsite and knock on a camper door for HELP..and not for $#$%# sugar. But too, there was always that slim chance that someone knocking might be up to no good. Better to be Prepared, than dead. My dad kept his handgun holstered and on him during the day and at night, he kept it within reach. So in the later part of an afternoon, IF anyone should knock, there might be a good chance he already took his holster off, so he would have to hold his handgun when he opened the other door. Often though, if we did get a visitor, it was usually someone who's truck we recognized...and they just stopped to say hi, before taking their load of firewood down to town. Humans are not the only thing to be careful of...a bear can rip the door off a camper. Not too long a go, this happened to a guy camping. The bear killed him. On KZfaq there is a video about this, showing the damage that bear did. So, another good reason to have 2 doors and a firearm.

RUDE

Don’t feel guilty but next time don’t drop the knife before you go to your door.

No reason to bother a woman that much. Any guy who isn’t a creep (or just not smart$ knows this. I had two guys buzz on my door. I called down from the 3rd floor window to ask “Can I help you?” There was a rash of home burglaries in the area, including the 1st unit in our building a few months prior. I think they were just buzzing apartment doors hoping someone would just buzz them in, since there’s no intercom or cam on the building. But I came to the window. They made up a story about how a friend of theirs lived there. I told them everyone in the building had lived there for over ten years, and I knew them all, and that I was there all day every day and knew who was coming and who was going, and there was nobody by that name there. That told them all they needed to know, and they left. I went to a hardware store and got a sign that said “This building under surveillance at all times.” And put it inside the front gate right by the buzzer panel with double sided tape.

@@CuteBirdAwarenessLeague You go Girl!

she said that. she said he could’ve been a camper but he was also a creeper.

Hope you watch them until they leave and stay alert.❤

Always keep your door locked and a pepper spray on a lighter leash on your belt loop if possible and your phone near....but even then....things happen really fast when they do happen

The downside of not answering tho is that a burglar could think the house was empty and try to break in. We need a voice synthesizer to come across as male and a sound effects machine to sound like big, mean dogs!

Iv'e never met an unkind rv'er.

Yep on approaching a man, since there was men there, that should always be a male default if it is available. Just like I'd expect a woman to approach another woman for help and not some strange man.

@@beverly9her door was open; he could see!

@@beverly9either he was watching or he didn’t until he got up to the door.

​@@beverly9 it may not have mattered to him whether it was a woman or a man. Some people aren't picky

Shame on him for approaching an RV with TWO chairs out, duh. DUH.

Well, I live in a semi-bad neighborhood that has a large fenced-in backyard for my large dog. I have a junky wooden screen door from my kitchen to this backyard and needed some type of lock, so I could get airflow as well. So, I found a lock that is called a "Safety Gate Hook" and there is a lever that tucks in on the hook with a hole so you place a lock through it. So, no one can bust through the screen and release that hook, it's slightly heavy and well-built. I keep the key on the wall near the door. Then I can leave that room feeling safe. It's sold at Home Depot and Walmart!

Amen!!!

Exactly this. A big dog is a lone woman's best friend.

Because he didn't want to steal a tent ... he wanted an Airstream to pull with his truck

@@jake8077 So he could go camping on lot 31...

I thought the same thing. If he couldn’t find out from her, why didn’t he go over and talk to the people who were already standing there?

Right?? Here in a regular house I've had solar salesmen coming up and mostly once told no they are appropriate but I had one who wasn't. I also have several rottweilers (because they rock just all the way around for me and my life). When he didn't go after I told him no, I let the door open a little more to let my big male rotty stick his head through since he was glued to my side the whole time anyway. As he popped his head out and an leveled an intense rotty stare at the guy I said with more sterness, I asked you to leave, and my dog is not pleased, am I going to have to release him? That was enough...he got his butt in the wind very quickly. No means NO

Boots are a great idea.

Men’s dirty work boots were used by me at my house. I have been single for decades.

My bestie always brings mens work boots when we camp!

So, are you saying that women still depend on men, even when they don't have one?

As a 76 year old woman, I travel cross-country annually, taking several months to meander through different states, exploring places I hadn't seen, visiting relatives & friends. I've gone to Alaska and every other state on my own and enjoyed every moment, setting my own schedule. Ramble on,, Girls!

Many years ago my elderly parents were held up in their own home. It was a safe neighborhood but this man obviously saw that my parents were older snd decided they would be a good target to rob. Thankfully after they gave him money he left. But he came in through an unlocked screen door which my parents didn’t normally leave unlocked. They were going in and out of the back door which is when he came. Needless to say they never let that happen again.

A dog makes a huge difference! Even a small one

Sometimes I put... something in front of the door to trip someone up if they're trying to get in uninvited.

Yes Robin, Get a dog. Any dog. Even a small Yorkie would have let you know before the guy was within 15 feet of your door. A bigger dog would have gone thru the screen. I don't have a dog but I will be looking for one right now. I'm going to name him MIKE.

@@ajf5823 I so agree!

People and especially women - I think this goes without saying - NEVER EVER open your door at night to anyone - even a police officer. I'll hand off something by smaller window - but not a regular window. Don't allow them access in and if I can avoid it I won't let them see me so if they don't already know - I'm a lone woman in this RV.

Get a protective dog. It’s like an alarm system. They know someone’s there before you do

I agree with a dog. Wanderlust Tails has a big dog as she travels alone. Plus dogs make great company!

Exactly! When my children were babies a local police officer presented to a group of women. He said he'd never had a problem with breaking and entering in a house with a dog.

I agree 100% I usually have a dog or two, and touch wood, in 60 years I have never been broken into, my last pooch even kept the missionaries away, more than once I've been the only person on my street that didn't get broken into, my boys had views about folks even knocking on my door when I wasn't home and 80 pounds of angry dog hitting the other side of the door who's lock you are picking can put a real damper on the endeavour.

My dog would have barked his head off. He doesn't like men and tends to scare them off. He really sizes people up when we go for walks, too.

I was with you until you started casting spells at the end there...

Hello first time here! I'm a scaredy-cat at heart😱 😨 🙀 so hearing this story caused some consternation. I think you have street smarts and responded appropriately. The would be prowler must have perceived it and moved on. It isn't good to live and fear but plz be prepared.

@@cartoonraccoon2078just keep that in your head and translate it into language that works for you, like… “you got really really really lucky, luck was on your side that day.” Coexist

It wouldn't make you think twice? It would me.

@@floydiandreamscapes5145 agree!

We know we are prey.

@@osajohnson1957physically weaker so must be smarter.

Amen!!!