So I worked late last night, and got out around 2:30AM.
It had been a long day/night so I decided to stop by the 24 hour grocery store in the area to grab a 6 pack of beer to drink once I got home.
This grocery store is in a wealthy suburb, a really "boring nice area" where nothing ever happens. Of course....
At the grocery store, I found out that the state doesnt allow sales of alcohol between 2AM and 7AM to my minor annoyance and headed back out to my car.
I wasnt parked anywhere odd, near the door under a light. As I walked to my car another car pulled up next to it in the next logical spot and thee people got out, one lady who proceeded into the store, and two men, one skinny, about 5'8" and another probably 6'4" and 300lb+. Now I'm not a small guy, I'm 6' about 230 and very broad across the shoulders. I ride my bike, hike and run for exercise so I'm what I would consider pretty fit. I could stand to lose about 10lbs, but not much more than that. The big guy was big enough that he made me feel tiny, so thats saying something.
I kept walking not thinking too much of it, until I got right by my car and the big guy made what looked like a move to hug my middle.
I straight armed him at the shoulders to stop him and slipped around him putting his friend on the other side of him from me.
I backed up about 4 or 5 steps and held both hands flat out out saying "Woah there, whats that all about"
The small guy started talking fast about how his buddy was drunk, and acting like an a$$, how its his 21st birthday and they were taking him home.
The big guy got his balance back (at this point it made sense that he was drunk as a skunk) and started to advance on me getting obviously agitated saying "Hey, why did you shove me!?!"
I backed up a few more steps turning sideways and checking my 6 (it was clear, the three of us where the only ones within 50 yards). I placed my left hand out infront of myself and braced my footing. My right hand I put behind my body and just outside my rear pocket where my Kel-Tec 380 was. I faced both of them and in a calm loud voice stated "I don't want to have any trouble here with us"
At this point the skinny guy stepped infront of his friend and started pushing him back saying "You dont want this, your drunk and acting like an a$$, leave this guy alone, we're just going in the store, leave this guy alone" etc etc etc.
Overall it didnt get bad, but it certainly had the potential, the things I learned from this were primarily
1. Carry all the time (already known, but certainly driven home)
2. Keep the SA up, I didnt realize the big guy was drunk, until after he lunged at me. I reacted quickly to that, or it could have gone down him right there.
3. Keep your distance, I never should have let the guys get within a range where the big guy could come at me in the first place, but I didnt want to be too obvious that I was watching them and wanted to avoid them as I walked through the lot.
4. If its after 2AM dont bother trying to get beer as in Michigan they can't sell it to you anyways.
Any other lessons I should take away from this? How would you have handled it?
I also remember myself thinking "Man I wish I had the 45" as my hand hovered by the 380
It had been a long day/night so I decided to stop by the 24 hour grocery store in the area to grab a 6 pack of beer to drink once I got home.
This grocery store is in a wealthy suburb, a really "boring nice area" where nothing ever happens. Of course....
At the grocery store, I found out that the state doesnt allow sales of alcohol between 2AM and 7AM to my minor annoyance and headed back out to my car.
I wasnt parked anywhere odd, near the door under a light. As I walked to my car another car pulled up next to it in the next logical spot and thee people got out, one lady who proceeded into the store, and two men, one skinny, about 5'8" and another probably 6'4" and 300lb+. Now I'm not a small guy, I'm 6' about 230 and very broad across the shoulders. I ride my bike, hike and run for exercise so I'm what I would consider pretty fit. I could stand to lose about 10lbs, but not much more than that. The big guy was big enough that he made me feel tiny, so thats saying something.
I kept walking not thinking too much of it, until I got right by my car and the big guy made what looked like a move to hug my middle.
I straight armed him at the shoulders to stop him and slipped around him putting his friend on the other side of him from me.
I backed up about 4 or 5 steps and held both hands flat out out saying "Woah there, whats that all about"
The small guy started talking fast about how his buddy was drunk, and acting like an a$$, how its his 21st birthday and they were taking him home.
The big guy got his balance back (at this point it made sense that he was drunk as a skunk) and started to advance on me getting obviously agitated saying "Hey, why did you shove me!?!"
I backed up a few more steps turning sideways and checking my 6 (it was clear, the three of us where the only ones within 50 yards). I placed my left hand out infront of myself and braced my footing. My right hand I put behind my body and just outside my rear pocket where my Kel-Tec 380 was. I faced both of them and in a calm loud voice stated "I don't want to have any trouble here with us"
At this point the skinny guy stepped infront of his friend and started pushing him back saying "You dont want this, your drunk and acting like an a$$, leave this guy alone, we're just going in the store, leave this guy alone" etc etc etc.
Overall it didnt get bad, but it certainly had the potential, the things I learned from this were primarily
1. Carry all the time (already known, but certainly driven home)
2. Keep the SA up, I didnt realize the big guy was drunk, until after he lunged at me. I reacted quickly to that, or it could have gone down him right there.
3. Keep your distance, I never should have let the guys get within a range where the big guy could come at me in the first place, but I didnt want to be too obvious that I was watching them and wanted to avoid them as I walked through the lot.
4. If its after 2AM dont bother trying to get beer as in Michigan they can't sell it to you anyways.
Any other lessons I should take away from this? How would you have handled it?
I also remember myself thinking "Man I wish I had the 45" as my hand hovered by the 380