Why not a moat?

[AndyD]

I was busy this weekend repairing one of my irrigation tanks which is buried at the bottom of our garden and I got to thinking wouldn't it just be easier to dig a moat around the property and kill multiple birds with one stone. I'm sure it would be an eco-friendly solution as well as having obvious security spin-offs as a bonus. Even a smallish moat, say 3 meters across and 2 meters deep would make any opportunist thief think twice assuming he didn't have his Speedos with him. I could even stock it with fish for a little in-house weekend sport (excuse the pun).

The more I think about it the more I can only see advantages. I can't imagine why something so effective and simple would ever have gone out of fashion.

[murdock]

first thing comes to mind...safety...if the thief drowns in your moat...in this country i could see you being charged for murder..."he could have been looking for directions to zim" or "he was thirsty and needed water...slipped and drowned" as the saying goes "only in africa".


i also thought of an idea...installing thin heat wires...connected to a spring loaded switch...if you put any presuure on the wire...it will heat up and glow red...it would serve 2 purposes...1 shock the living daylights out of the crimminal...and at the same time brand him/her...when they get caught...instead of an id parade just look for burn marks...the beuty about this method...no need for huge balls of barb wire fencing...or rows of electric fencing...which is proving to be inadequate as a prevention method...i know kevin is going to disagree...but in 2 of the most recent robberies...where i have had to quote to replace elctrical cable stolen...electric fencing is installed and switched on.

the thin wire would be a cheap option and the best part it is barely visible...installed on the boundry...at various locations on the property installed at neck height and outside your windows you wouldnt even see it at night...the spring loaded switch can activate an alarm when the wire is touched...and if you really want to do some damage...just use a thicker guage wire...i have seen how this method of cutting works in factories.
it would burn right through a blanket...clothing or if they tried a rubber mat...setting off an alarm...and hopefully doesnt kill them.

[tec0]

Upon designing my fictional zombie proof house I let my mind play with the thought of smart zombies able to move around a bit faster and actually plan ahead like in that movie "I am legend" any how I got to the point where I also thought of a moat.

This will slow the Zombie down enough to become an easy target. Then I thought it doesn’t need to be deep, filled it up with oil. This will eliminate the mosquito invasion and if set alight it will turn any zombie into a fireball. Sadly this idea will stick to fiction for now.

The moat idea is a win. However you will need a sound solution for pests like the mosquito and not to mention other harmful bacteria. The upside is you can finally get rid of the lawnmower!!!

[murdock]

and you can get rid of the garden service...which i put money on...is half the breakin problems....they get to check out your property...and how often do you notice new members in the group.

i dont believe people just randomly walk off the street and breakin...like the last incident i heard about...how do they know which rooms to target...in the dark.

[Blurock]

Are we going back to the middle ages where cities were walled and built around a castle with a moat?

So in stead of having rugby, cricket and soccer to to fight and subdue opponents, you can confront them directly and hit the living daylights out of them. This may also help for stress and anger management...

[murdock]

Are we going back to the middle ages where cities were walled and built around a castle with a moat?

we still have kings and queens in this day an age...a huge majority of people have handed in their firearms...so yeah back to stick fighting (baseball bat)...swords and crossbows...and of course for the more modern man...a paint ball gun.

[murdock]

any suggestions of a high powered paint ball gun...i am looking for one a hitech one which has max power and can unload at a high rate without jamming..loaded with hard balls and pepper balls.

any comments about the law and shooting...lost...thirsty...respectable PB's or kids climbing through your window to get your keys to open for their friendy mates waiting outside patiently.

[Dave A]

You would probably need a permit from the municipality, consent from the neighbours, pass a few municipal planning commitees, produce a detailed environmental impact study, develop a detailed health and safety plan - and you'd definitely need to surround your moat with a pool fence. Water affairs will want to know where you plan to get the water from. The municipality will want to raise a special sewage discharge fee on your rainwater yield if you don't fill it up from the municipal water supply (to compensate for the "lost revenue opportunity").

SANS will need to test the surrounding ground water to ensure you aren't contaminating the environment (at your expense, of course). Health department will want to see your pest control contract.

And of course the moat will have to be signed off by a civil engineer.

I feel like I missed something...

[AndyD]

I don't see anything there that a well-placed unofficial financial incentive won't sort out

[murdock]

and if it was a shack in the middle ...no plans and everything is free.

[Dave A]

I don't see anything there that a well-placed unofficial financial incentive won't sort out

That's what I missed

[tec0]

any suggestions of a high powered paint ball gun...i am looking for one a hitech one which has max power and can unload at a high rate without jamming..loaded with hard balls and pepper balls.

any comments about the law and shooting...lost...thirsty...respectable PB's or kids climbing through your window to get your keys to open for their friendy mates waiting outside patiently.

Nope, sadly they are underpowered by design and even if you tweak the hell out if it you will not get the velocity you want. Loading it up with pepper balls and so on may be more painful for the attacker but in the end if they have a firearm you are so screwed…

However I did saw on the net that you get a robotic aiming system that is really spectacular. So if it is automatic at aiming and firing it means you can have mutable paint ball guns firing while you phone the police or get the security. However if you have a moat to complement this system, then those criminals will have one hell of a time in getting in.

[murdock]

Nope, sadly they are underpowered by design and even if you tweak the hell out if it you will not get the velocity you want. Loading it up with pepper balls and so on may be more painful for the attacker but in the end if they have a firearm you are so screwed…

However I did saw on the net that you get a robotic aiming system that is really spectacular. So if it is automatic at aiming and firing it means you can have mutable paint ball guns firing while you phone the police or get the security. However if you have a moat to complement this system, then those criminals will have one hell of a time in getting in.

i have 3 forms of protection

1 st pepper spray...for general purpose like taxi drivers...stuff works like a charm when they piss you off...just spray out the window once you get in front...or through the passenger window works the best.
2nd a small stick...i stick used to hit sharks on the head when they try get onto my fishing ski...sometimes i find it easier just to cut the line.
3rd...a device designed to stop you in your tracks...now this is where i would like to fit the paint ball gun in...and use this device as a last resort

people i have spoken to about using thier paintball guns highly recommend them...but say a couple weeks later they come back.