What would you do?

grandpalarry wrote:
All of these sound like a good idea, but all are illeagle and could cause a lawsuit from the parents.
(1) he was outside of your rig, which is public property, he had as much right there as you do.
(2) If he was under the legal age, you could end up in jail.

Other than that it sounds like all the ideas are good.

I would have dragged him into my rig...ground him up and flushed him down the toilet. Then dumped the black tank and flushed it clean. Then in the morning would have had a nice blueberry pancake breakfast with bacon. The gone fishing.

I think you did exactly the right thing. Had you jumped out of the bushes, beat shot, stabbed, sprayed him etc. The ensuing criminal and civil law suit would go something like this.

So Mr Smith why did you Jump out of the the bushes, and beat, shoot, stab and or spray young Joey? ( who buy the way is a wonderfull child) Well he tied a rope across my steps. Did you or anyone see him do that? You, well no. Were you hurt well no.

Now young Joey (wonderfull child that you are) what happened ? Well, (He gasping for breath, and sobbing) I don't know anything about any rope. I was just (pick one) lost, looking for the bathroom, trying to find my dog, etc.

When the crazy guy jumped out from behind the bushes and beat, stabbed shot and or pepper sprayed me.

Like D@M I am no wuss, and have seen some very ugly things. But a lot of this big talk is just that big talk. It just is not worth the risk.

Find who the kids were the guests of the next morning and talk to them, Call the police if you want. But don't ruin your life over something like this

Dave H M wrote:

mr. ed wrote:
Here's another nasty trick: someone folds the assist handle against the door (on many RV's this can be done). The result is that you cannot open your door from the inside. Quite dangerous if you had to exit the vehicle in an emergency. You're REALLY stuck!

The only recourse would be to exit from an emergency window (pretty hard if located in the bedroom of a fiver), try to get a fellow camper's attention or call 911.

I bet that thing would give from one kick backed by my too fat of a butt. :h

True, but you wind up causing damage. Better to get someone to help unless it's REALLY an emergency and you MUST kick the door open. ;)

I probably would have waited for him to return.
But after I yelled at him, I'd have gone back to sleep.

I try not to let the actions of others rattle my cage.
But admittedly, I live at the beach and near a ton of bars/restaurants, so I'm sorta used to dealing with hoodlums.

D&M, you make many good points. Your position is reasonable. But OP used the term upper teen, which I took to mean 17 or older, not 13 - 15, the "goofy" age. It is not the victim's obligation, IMO, to speculate as to this guy's intent. It was a dangerous trap, not an egging. And given OP's recent surgery, serious damage could have been inflicted. The law would have seen it as a serious matter, not a prank.

And I draw an enormous distinction between spraying and killing. We both have been gassed in our younger days and know it's a short lived discomfort. Pepper spray is similar. I've experienced that too in a training situation. I heartily endorse its use in this situation.

Anyone suggesting a gun be even shown in this situation is out of line and risking a life changing event.

But different strokes. I just see more need for consequences. You don't. That's fine.

BurbMan wrote:

Mr.Beebo wrote:
If someone is tampering with my personal property and intending to cause me harm....

Not the same thing....there is NO law in any state that allows the use of force that will cause harm in the defense of property. You are allowed to defend your life and your safety, not your property.

Not sure why everyone is so stoked on revenge and punishment for a delinquent teenager...

Maybe in Ky but in my state,Tx,"theft at night"is a deadly force allowed offense along with arson at any time .
Not saying they were thieves,maybe just stupid.I think that the camp should have sent the campers on thier way since they brought them in.I am of the mind that if I invite you to come over to the park I am camped at then your behavior is also my responsibilty

A good skirt with methylene blue would mark him for several weeks. But pepper spray is easier to attain...and more fun to hear him scream.


He wouldn't have gotten a second bang out before the big dog would have alerted so loud it would wake the entire CG and made him******his pants!

What a jerk. So sorry for your crappy trip in WI.

The original poster did the right thing. Like they say in basketball- no harm, no foul. Stay inside the castle, secure the drawbridge and yell over the wall.

Guns and bullets and toxic sprays, C'mon man! Some of you guys are amazing. Your vacations sound like real fun times. I am surprised at all of you John Waynes that want to kill or maim some kid for doing a goofy thing. And even funnier, some of you even insert your own facts into the incident to legitimize your position. LOL. I would hate to read about what you would do if you thought the kid stealing beer from your cooler. What then? Claymore Mines?

No one knows what the intent of the little goof was. Was he really trying to intentionally kill or maim the OP? Was this some grand plan to lure the OP outside to kill and rob him? If that was Shorty's intent, there are easier, quicker, and more efficient ways to do it. Did he do any damage? Did he harm someone?

Do you really want to ruin a bunch of peoples lives, including your own, over a prank? Do you really want to be the second George Zimmerman? I endorse defending home and hearth and loved ones. But defense of the castle requires a measured response employing equal force. I bet you would have a fit if someone pepper sprayed your kid for toilet papering someone's trailer. Imagine how your wife would feel if someone shot little Johnnie for ringing doorbells.

Back when I was a teenager I was given permission and even ordered by the federal government to kill people and break things in a strange foreign land. I am not a wussy. I've seen stuff that would make a dog puke. And I would do it again if the situation warranted it. But if you have not done it, don't be so quick to want to kill someone. When your enemy dies, a little of you dies too.

Sorry. End of rant.

How is anyone going to know "you" sprayed him with pepper spray? What is he going to do? Call the police at 3 in the a.m. And tell them "i was messing with this guys RV and he sprayed me" ya i don't see that happening. I would have sat outside somewhere and waited and quietly followed him back to his parents RV. Then i would've let them have it!

Booby traps are a felony here. While it may be fun to watch someone stumble and fall, they can be critically injured or killed. U have a right to defend yourself and property. I would have woke the camp host up and have them call police or I would have done it myself.