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.

Elmofongo: I think you should be concerned if the robbers come back for revenge, who knows they might bring Molotov Cocktails and burn down your house or shoot it up with bigger guns.

Psyringe: 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.

Vitek: Luckily you are around to cheer him up. :-)

Elmofongo: Is there any "Victim's protection program"?

Elmofongo: I am serious, the robbers will obviously remember where he lives and seen his face, why would they not hold a grudge after a failed robbery? Is there any "Victim's protection program"?

Elmofongo: I am serious, the robbers will obviously remember where he lives and seen his face, why would they not hold a grudge after a failed robbery? Is there any "Victim's protection program"?

HereForTheBeer: That's some crazy crap. Really glad the you and the family came out relatively okay. Guessing you were up all night from the nerves and adrenaline.

In all seriousness, don't get a firearm unless you're willing to take the time to learn to own and use it properly.