TO surrender meekly… or fight back? That is the question.
Scottburgh’s Herbie Webster took the latter decision and, thank goodness, he survived. However, his bravery earned him a huge bruise, two broken ribs and a punctured lung.
It’s a dilemma more and more people are having to face as criminals invade Umdoni homes virtually willy-nilly.
In the Websters’ case, one can’t fault the security firm Magma and the SAPS who responded within minutes, but the whole thing could have gone tragically wrong if the baddie’s aim had been a bit better.
It’s difficult to advise anyone what to do in such a situation. Some security experts say that one should just surrender meekly and let the invaders take whatever they want.
“But look down and not at them, indicating that you don’t want be able to recognise them in a police line-up, should that ever happen.”
It’s a judgement call one will have to make on the spur of the moment and based on the situation. If it’s blatantly obvious that the guys just want the loot… and not lives, then give in by all means.
Then again, if we all did that, the criminals would just carry on with gay abandon, safe in the knowledge that their victims will offer little resistance.
Whether one is brave enough to throw caution to the wind, like Mr Webster, and tackle a man armed with a gun is something one hopes never to find out.
But who amongst us have never thought: What would I do?
One almost wants to urge would-be burglars to advertise their intentions before hand, not so that you can alert the police, but so that you can just leave the goods outside for them.
Then nobody gets hurt.
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