Hello.....newbie here

[Viking]

I hear all of you telling me to defend myself since I have a stalker AND an ex-boyfriend now.  I am pretty well protected here, though - have a male roomate and a Pit Bull Terrier as a pet as well as many other dogs that are boarded which I spend most of my time with.  The place is very well protected and locked up so I think I'll be okay for a few weeks until my work slows down. 

As far as the laws in NYState, I'm not sure exactly what they are and have to find out more about them.  We are allowed to hunt here, but not sure what the carry laws are.

AFAIK, they range anywhere from "Good" to "draconian". As long as you aren't in NYC you have a chance to get a permit I guess.
According to Wiki:

Rifles and shotguns do not have to be registered in any jurisdiction within New York State except for New York City, which requires registration.

[RaspberrySurprise]

Dogs make for good alarms but don't expect them to be able to protect you, and a room mate won't always be there. As The Viking said rifles and shotguns are easy to get legally outside of NYC, if I remember correctly handgun permits are dealt with by local judges so it can range from not too bad to Byzantine depending on the judge.

Take a look here for more info
http://www.nysrpa.org/nygunlaws.htm

[Chrissy]

The ex had many guns, rifles included, but I don't think any of them were registered .  Since I'm upstate NY, that would be why.  So that's good I shouldn't need permits but will find out for sure.  I may need to get a carry permit, though.  I know when he was transporting them he didn't have a permit.

[Chrissy]

Dogs make for good alarms but don't expect them to be able to protect you, and a room mate won't always be there. As The Viking said rifles and shotguns are easy to get legally outside of NYC, if I remember correctly handgun permits are dealt with by local judges so it can range from not too bad to Byzantine depending on the judge.

Take a look here for more info
http://www.nysrpa.org/nygunlaws.htm

That stalker was afraid of my dog when he came here.  My dog was barking ferociously at him through the door.  I haven't seen him around for over 2 years - no attempts to contact me at all, but I also had a b/f.  I'll have to check out the guidelines for a handgun permit because I'd like to have it at work behind the counter.

[LadySmith]

Chrissy, I'm not trying to scare or badger you, but I'd like you to consider something...

Stalkers focus with an intensity that's not common.
People like you and I get distracted by work, things we have to do, day-to-day life, etc.
With a stalker, his mind is stuck on you, nothing but you, all the time. Indefinitely.

And they're canny. They can come up with ways of getting around all the barriers that they know about.
He knows you have a dog. He's probably imagined a hundred ways to deal with that.
Same thing with a male roommate.

I had an iron security door outside of my front door. Two doorknob locks and two deadbolts.
It didn't stop my stalker from making his appearance in my living room.
He'd removed all four locks...from the outside...so quietly I didn't even hear him.
He knew about them and dealt with them.
He didn't know about the gun I kept under my pillow, though.

[Viking]

He didn't know about the gun I kept under my pillow, though.

Tell her, in full detail, what became of that fool!

[Balog]

Of all the people I know, LadySmith scares me the most. And I mean that in a good way. :)

[Viking]

Of all the people I know, LadySmith scares me the most. And I mean that in a good way. :)

Got hit by a ricocheting shoe?

[AZRedhawk44]

Folks, I think you all are attempting to put a scare into a boogeyman that just isn't there in this situation.

The stalker was reprimanded by my ex boss and is in therapy, so I haven't had any problems with him for a while.

How long is "a while?"  Chances are he's moved on.

Reminds me of a former co-worker that allowed herself to get so worked up over her ex-husband during a divorce that she went to a CCW class in AZ.  At one point the class got derailed into caliber considerations for a carry gun (CCW classes get derailed by all sorts of crap and really should only take about an hour or so if you stay on task... everybody comes with their pet question that just isn't relevant or is easily answered by reading the law and thinking for 5 seconds).  She blurted out: "But the person I have to shoot is really big!"

According to her, everyone in the class went quiet and stared at her for a second, then the instructor talked about justifications for self defense shootings and the difference between self defense and premeditated murder.

Be careful that you're not building "bridges to nowhere" in your mind.  No reason to make yourself jumpy over a person's presence (or lack of presence) to such a degree that your first instinct is to shoot them on sight.

If your life is happy and successful right now, then keep on keepin'-on.  While emergencies don't wait to be scheduled, they're also rare and you appear to have most eventualities covered with dogs and a b/f in your life.  If you enjoy firearms, then get one that interests you when time and finances allow.

Just my $0.02.

ETA:  Oops, just read that you lost the b/f.  Assuming he's not the stalker type (and the fact that you have a male room mate), you're still fine.  I'd still suggest you not focus your sense of security around a male presence, and develop a sense of security all your own, but I think you're A-OK still.

[Perd Hapley]

Oops, just read that you lost the b/f.  Assuming he's not the stalker type (and the fact that you have a male room mate), you're still fine.  I'd still suggest you not focus your sense of security around a male presence, and develop a sense of security all your own, but I think you're A-OK still. 

Messrs. Smith and Wesson are not overly-demanding boyfriends.   

[LadySmith]

Folks, I think you all are attempting to put a scare into a boogeyman that just isn't there in this situation.

I used to feel the same way when people tried to talk me into getting auto insurance when I lived where it wasn't mandatory. 

I do see what you're saying, though. 

[freedom lover]

No, you know what I mean.  Should we tell her about the thing?

What thing? The soda bread or blaming everything on you (I never completely understood that; you're a decent dude even if your humor can be very slightly abrasive.)

And bluestarlizzard, I would never flirt with other womens.  You're the only girl for me. 

What would your wife say if she heard this?

[BlueStarLizzard]

What would your wife say if she heard this?

'thank the lord, i am finally free of him' ?




 

[freedom lover]

'thank the lord, i am finally free of him' ?

If his wife loves him as much as he professes to love her (and Fisty has never shown himself to be a hippocrite in any way) then I doubt it. From what I've heard she doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor. But I might be wrong.

[BlueStarLizzard]

From what I've heard she doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humor.

it take one to know one *raises eyebrow*

[Gewehr98]

Easy, folks...

[freedom lover]

it take one to know one *raises eyebrow*

You're right. I don't. I still can't figure out just how much of your comment about Fisty's wife was meant as a joke and how much was meant to insult him. Was any meant to do the latter?

Easy, folks...

I feel fairly calm.

[freedom lover]

By the way, in case any of you haven't noticed by now I am relatively socially inept.

[AZRedhawk44]

What thing? The soda bread or blaming everything on you (I never completely understood that; you're a decent dude even if your humor can be very slightly abrasive.)

The other thing.

And no... maybe later.  Give her a few weeks to stick around.  I'll say it agin' - Y'all are so desperate when the newbie is one of them gurl-folk.

And double-no... Fistful ain't decent.  Not by a long shot.

[freedom lover]

And double-no... Fistful ain't decent.  Not by a long shot.

I haven't been around as long as you, but he seems to fit my definition. Everthing he says that may seem to be a personal attack is only meant in fun. He does have a sick sense of humor and he can be a bit annoying at times. That's not a good reason to make fun of him, though. I'll admit that I might come close to hating him if I had to deal with him in person every single day, but I have the excuse of being a grump.

[BridgeRunner]

By the way, in case any of you haven't noticed by now I am relatively socially inept.

Really?

[freedom lover]

Really?

There was no call for sarcasm. Alot of people aren't as smart as you.

[LadySmith]

Easy, folks...

In keeping with G98's request, and because he's been working OT around here lately, I'm going to take my little chat with Freedom Lover to PM. 

[RevDisk]

Welcome to APS.  We're a lively bunch, if ya haven't noticed.  But basically decent folk.  Just don't let AJ near your shoe collection. 

I will however second folks' recommendation to pick up something to tide you over.  If you buy a shotgun or whatnot and never need it, wonderful!  But better to have it and not need it, than to need and not have. 

Don't worry too much about selecting the perfect weapon.  Just buy any used weapon that's servicable from a reputable gunstore and you have the rest of your life to find the perfect piece.  Most of us are still looking, ya know.   Heck, I'm looking for a specific weapon that may have never even been imported into this country.  But I make do with what I have and can afford.  Tools are not the important part, knowledge and wisdom are.  I also second pax and Tamara.  Both are absolute fountains of knowledge in addition to being very nice folk.

I'm down in PA and not so much a pistol person.  But if you have a burning desire to travel and/or want a chance to fire an FAL, AK, AR, Uzi, shotgun, bolt gun or a couple handguns, let me know.  I'd offer to go north, but I'm pretty sure NY frowns on most of my particular firearms as most are EBR's.  Unless someone in NH or VT wanted to host.

[Ben]

Jesus H. Christ. Take the personal problems, bickering, and smartass comments offline. Certain of you just came back from an involuntary "vacation" and are on your third strike. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't post. I can help you with that if you can't do so on your own.