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That's some scary-ass shit mate, glad it turned out ok for you. I have a friend that lives here, she is from SA originally, her parents came over to visit and they couldn't get over how quiet, safe and peaceful it was here and they were nearly shocked that she didn't have iron bars on her windows.

Anyway, glad all are OK :)
Crazy. Very happy the story ended with everyone being safe (relatively). Was worried for a while there.
Jesus! Those weren't what I'd call regular robbers.
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Barefoot_Monkey: After checking that the road was empty and well-illuminated I opened my gate and drove my car in. As I was entering I saw headlights at the top of the road so I quickly stopped my car inside and ran to lock the gate, just in case the arriving car contained criminals.
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Pheace: This part in itself was already a completely different world for me. That's what I see in movies, not what my life is like. Kudos on your actions and good to hear you all got through relatively well.
This. So much this.

I've never been robbed myself (I tend to have more of a problem with the police, actually), the idea of needing to be so careful every day is just beyond me. I'd be dead in a week.
I'm very sorry to hear about your experience, but commend you for your quick thinking and bravery, Barefoot.

My family and I were in an armed robbery in 2006, and it's not something I'd wish on anyone.
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MadalinStroe: Jesus! Those weren't what I'd call regular robbers.
Depends on where you live. I don't know a lot about South Africa, but this sounds like something that could happen to you in a lot of countries in South America, like in parts of Colombia, Brazil or Venezuela. Armed gangs who try to get into your house (or stop your car) aren't that uncommon in countries with high poverty. You have a car and a secured house, they starve in a shack outside of the city and have some old scooter (probably not even theirs). That's a whole 'nother kind of poverty than we have in Europe.

@Barefoot_Monkey
Glad you got out of this with just a shock. Reading your story I have to say that I wouldn't want to mess with your dad. Must be a tough guy, fighting off armed robbers with his bare hands. But, please, tell him that he shouldn't do this again!
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Barefoot_Monkey: So in the end we all made it out alive, with no real injuries and nothing stolen. But... wow.
Fuck. I actually got friggin' nervous while reading this. I'm so glad nothing happened. And like the others said - congrats on the quick thinking.
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Barefoot_Monkey: I came home from work this evening. After checking that the road was empty and well-illuminated I opened my gate and drove my car in. As I was entering I saw headlights at the top of the road so I quickly stopped my car inside and ran to lock the gate, just in case the arriving car contained criminals. It did, and they had sprinted toward the gate and arrived just as I had closed it, so I decided there was no time to lock it and turned and ran around the house, shouting. The front door is always locked. I passed the glass patio door, which thankfully was clearly closed with the trellidoor clearly shut.

I ran around the house into an old broken sauna at the back which we used as a storeroom, because it seemed like the perfect place to toss away my housekeys - my family is inside the house so my top priority was keeping my keys from the robbers. Three of them - one with a loaded gun - cornered me in there and tried to overpower me together; fortunately they couldn't. Every time they threatened me or told me to do something or tried to assault me I resisted, stayed exactly where I was, and simply said "Please leave" as loudly as I could. Eventually they demanded my keys and I told them I'd already thrown them in the garden. They got nervous - probably because of all the time that had already passed since the commotion started - and ran off. I hoped that everyone in the house had heard the noise and were safely locked inside, and I hopped onto the roof and waited there (the only thing I could think of to do at that point).

Unfortunately they hadn't realised what was going on, and my father (70) had wandered out onto the driveway. The fleeing robbers tried to attack him from behind, but he fought them off without taking any injuries and they ran out the gate. One fired two shots at him. He dived for cover, and one bullet went straight through his trousers, barely grazing the inside of his thigh.

So in the end we all made it out alive, with no real injuries and nothing stolen. But... wow.
Just...wow. I'm glad you and your family are safe, but what a story.
So, you wanted to say - "I was ALMOST robbed tonight, right?" :p

But glad you and your family are okay. :)
Man thats sucks. Glad you guys where not injured and i hope the police can get those bastards that did this.
I salute your bravery and am very thankful both yourself and your family are okay
I don't know if you are lucky or unlucky.
Lucky that noone was hurt and nothing was stolen.
Unlucky that you was target of a criminal cospiracy.

Happy that everyone is safe.
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CSPVG: I'm very sorry to hear about your experience, but commend you for your quick thinking and bravery, Barefoot.

My family and I were in an armed robbery in 2006, and it's not something I'd wish on anyone.
Only in 2006? What were you doing last night? >_>
Wow, that's some story. I'm happy it all turned out okay. Terrible that you have to live in such conditions.

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AnimalMother117: Good to hear you're safe, that's pretty scary stuff. Good to know there are some people out there who don't believe the "Just do what they say," BS.
It highly depends on the situation. I know someone who got beaten badly because he didn't have enough money in his wallet, and he later made sure he has $100 on him at all times. That was in NY (IIRC) a long time ago.
I'm glad that your family and you came out (mostly) okay! And it seems that you did exactly the right thing in a very tense situation.

If you don't mind the question, is the "throw the keys away" something that people get taught in your area? I'm asking because honestly the idea would never have occurred to me, and even when I read it, my first thought was "Why the keys? Won't they just smash a window if they want to get inside?" But that would perhaps have alerted your family and caused them to call the police? In any case, my train of thought probably shows how utterly lost I'd be in such a situation.

Again, glad you're unharmed!