My first really bright orange alert situation.

Hello all, first time poster. I hope I get this right.

My girlfriend and I had just finished dinner and were walking toward the concert hall (6:45 pm) so its still bright outside. As we got close to work (about a block away) we met up with a friend and stopped to talk for a few seconds to say hi. As we again start to walk toward the hall my SA kicks in to hi gear as I notice from across the street behind us (I kid you not) four masked men walking up behind us. All of them wearing green coveralls and carrying backpacks. My hand is now on my gun still hidden in my pocket and have now repositioned myself so I can keep my eye on them and any situation that might develop as we walked. Half way down the block I moved over to the side of the sidewalk and stopped. The girls, still talking also stopped and the four men continued on by us. They kept walking into a nearby park and we went to our concert.

After the show I asked my girlfriend if she saw these men and she said no. Looks like she and I will be working on SA together and working out our safety plans.

Were the masks Guy Fawkes or just bandito style or what? Public events are public relations opportunities for some. They probably don't know what they're dealing with.

Just a new member to the forum or new to carrying? eh...whatev. Good SA. Atleast target acquisition wouldnt be difficult with those green masks. Have a nice little chat with your chick about it as well, just so you know she's on the same level as you.

Cheers.

Depending on weather conditions,was it cold enough to warrant ski masks,guys may have been working for the same company and coveralls were a work uniform,If I was a little concerned such as inappropriate dress for time of year I would be calling 911 with description location and direction of travel

You didn't bring the four guys in masks, coveralls and backpacks up until after the concert was over? Let me ask this....was the show a Devo reunion?

Strange... as others have asked, did the weather call for masks, or were they no ski masks?

Four kids about to go play some paint ball?

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Originally Posted by Maxbonecutte

Hello all, first time poster. I hope I get this right.

My girlfriend and I had just finished dinner and were walking toward the concert hall (6:45 pm) so its still bright outside. As we got close to work (about a block away) we met up with a friend and stopped to talk for a few seconds to say hi. As we again start to walk toward the hall my SA kicks in to hi gear as I notice from across the street behind us (I kid you not) four masked men walking up behind us. All of them wearing green coveralls and carrying backpacks. My hand is now on my gun still hidden in my pocket and have now repositioned myself so I can keep my eye on them and any situation that might develop as we walked. Half way down the block I moved over to the side of the sidewalk and stopped. The girls, still talking also stopped and the four men continued on by us. They kept walking into a nearby park and we went to our concert.

After the show I asked my girlfriend if she saw these men and she said no. Looks like she and I will be working on SA together and working out our safety plans.

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You may want to clean up your narrative to make things a bit easier to understand. You mentioned you had finished dinner, so I assume you're leaving your house. But since she's not your wife, you may be at her house, or a parents' house. It sounds like you may be walking on a college campus, but you don't say. That would influence my perceptions. Then, as you are walking to this concert hall (I assume nearby), you suddenly mention you're both near "work". Do you both work at this concert hall? Well, maybe not, because after you talk to some friend, you're back to walking to a concert hall.....

Now there are four "masked men" behind you. What's a masked man? Full face mask? Bandana over nose and below? Balaclava? Guy Fawkes mask? You said you noticed "from across the street" that four masked men were walking up behind you. If they're across the street, how are they "behind" you?

Your narrative tosses in gratuitous details that don't help us understand the scenario (when you had dinner, stopping to see a friend near "work" - a place you do not define, etc.), and then you fail to adequately describe these masked men. Are they dressed identically? You imply they are....

Unless you are a mobster or drug cartel kingpin, I doubt four guys suited up nearby in van with a contract to whack you and your GF. If they looked like the could/would assault you or do others harm, why didn't you mention calling 911? If they were going to rob the local bank, I doubt they'd take a circuitous route through a public park. Again, if it was enough to light you up "bright orange", when did you call 911 to alert the authorities?

In other words, I can't make enough sense of the narrative to render any type of observation. Your post leaves much to be desired.

As someone else observed, you may have gone straight for your gun to help save you and your GF from a potential attack by four doofus rejects from a DeVo concert. It was so frightening, she didn't even know it happened.

Vivid imagination + new ccw = recipe for a disaster.

Oh yeah - when did you call 911 to report these masked men?

his post was plenty clear to me.

you saw something that rang your SA bells and reacted accordingly. who cares what the weather was, whether or not it's a new fashion statement, or what kind of masks they were. going on high alert isn't the same as blasting away at them.

good job.

Welcome to the forum, could they have been performers covered up to prevent recognition?

Good points all. And yes I can be more clear for those that ask. To start, yesterday it was 65 degrees and the "masks" were bandanas and sunglasses.

Me girlfriend and I met downtown for dinner and the restaurant was 4 blocks away from the concert hall. And yes, I work at the concert hall, I was on my way to perform and she was going to listen. And no, I am not a member of Devo :).

As for the men being behind us and across the street, my GF and I had just crossed the street when we met out friend and stopped for a few seconds. In that time the men walked up to that same corner. So when we continued on our way they ended up behind us.

As to me calling 911, well after all was said and done there was no reason to. I live in a city where the motto is "keep it weird" and four guys in bandana masks and green coveralls qualifies. However, while not entirely out of place in this city its not entirely smart to walk up behind anyone wearing masks. My friend is carrying an expensive instrument on her shoulder and I'm in a tux, dinner bell for a bad guy? So if faced with the situation I was in, would you not have perhaps had a hand on your CC just in case? There are so many what if's I/e what if they were playing the "punch out game?" What if they wanted our cash and instrument or worse yet our lives? On the other hand, what if they had no other intention than being different and were on the same street heading the same direction that we were?

There is no question in my mind that being prepared in this situation was correct. Thank you for pointing out the holes in the narrative. I hope this makes it just a bit clearer. I am new to the forum but not new to CC.

Thanks all, keep the questions comming if you have 'em.

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Originally Posted by Maxbonecutte

I live in a city where the motto is "keep it weird".

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Austin or Portland.

OK then................IMO, you acted accordingly and were ready for whatever the consequences they provoked......they went passed, no harm done and carry-on about your business......nice job.

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Originally Posted by Maxbonecutte

Good points all. And yes I can be more clear for those that ask. To start, yesterday it was 65 degrees and the "masks" were bandanas and sunglasses.

Me girlfriend and I met downtown for dinner and the restaurant was 4 blocks away from the concert hall. And yes, I work at the concert hall, I was on my way to perform and she was going to listen. And no, I am not a member of Devo :).

As for the men being behind us and across the street, my GF and I had just crossed the street when we met out friend and stopped for a few seconds. In that time the men walked up to that same corner. So when we continued on our way they ended up behind us.

As to me calling 911, well after all was said and done there was no reason to. I live in a city where the motto is "keep it weird" and four guys in bandana masks and green coveralls qualifies. However, while not entirely out of place in this city its not entirely smart to walk up behind anyone wearing masks. My friend is carrying an expensive instrument on her shoulder and I'm in a tux, dinner bell for a bad guy? So if faced with the situation I was in, would you not have perhaps had a hand on your CC just in case? There are so many what if's I/e what if they were playing the "punch out game?" What if they wanted our cash and instrument or worse yet our lives? On the other hand, what if they had no other intention than being different and were on the same street heading the same direction that we were?

There is no question in my mind that being prepared in this situation was correct. Thank you for pointing out the holes in the narrative. I hope this makes it just a bit clearer. I am new to the forum but not new to CC.

Thanks all, keep the questions comming if you have 'em.

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South by Southwest still going on in Austin?

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Originally Posted by MadMac

Austin or Portland.

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I was thinking Portland too!