Exactly, Greg. And that's why we still have a landline. Here's a horror story that could have been tragic.

Last May my wife and I went out of town. We told the local police "Neighborhood Watch" and left our cell phone number, well, mine, as a contact. I returned home on June 2 and, finding everything fine, called the police station and told them to end the Watch. My wife went on to DC to see her mother.

I heard noises around the house when I was showering or taking a nap, but houses make noise. On June 14 I went to a meeting and turned my cell phone to "silent mode." Afterwards I forgot to change that.

I arrived home around 11 a.m., opened the back door to let some fresh air in (the screen DIDN'T have a lock) and went down to my basement office/cave/den/hole.

I heard some noise, but there's a golf course out back of house so that's often the case. Then I heard the sliding the door between the house and the garage open and close.

Going to the safe, I retrieved a .357 Magnum revolver and was halfway up the stairs when I realized that it was unloaded. Well...have you ever been slapped up alongside the head with a revolver?

The kitchen and garage were clear. So was the dining room and the living room. I heard voices in the rear of the house. Taking up a "slap 'em upside the the head" position I called out in my best Sergeant Major voice, "Alright, who's back there?"

A weak little voice answered, "Police department...."

I told them to come out, both of them, with their hand up and that I was armed. They did, and when I saw the uniforms I laid the revovler down so that they could see me do it.

The Watch hadn't gotten The Word and had found the door open. He'd called the regular cops and then left, who had called my cell phone -- which was, you'll remember, on silent mode. If they had bothered to check the phone book they would have found the landline number. As it is, well, it's a good thing I store ammunition separate from firearms and that I can keep my head in sticky situation (my military training helped there). If it were someone else the town could have lost two of their finest.

I admit that I thought about going back downstairs and getting my smallsword, but I felt speed was more important.

My wife and I had a long, long talk with the Neighborhood Watch program, who admitted that there "had been" problems but that they were "getting them" worked out.

By the way, the landline number was ALSO on the Watch form -- they want it because burglars sometimes actually answer the phone!

Oh yes, there's a plan in place now if this sort of situation ever develops again...but it shouldn't have happened the first time.

I'll pay the little extra for the landline.