Amost drew my pistol, several people around me saw it.

[scott4957]

I'm a younger guy, 26, and I hang out with the younger crowd. I am into cars so we meet up at places like the car wash or drive in and hang out, talk about cars, detail them, ect. Last night we were all at the car wash, about 6 of us, we decided to go to the local Taco Bell for a snack and to get out of the wind. The group of guys I hang out with are very mature and down to earth, over this summer that I've known them there has never been any problems, none of them know I carry, that is until last night.

We were out in the TB parking lot just talking, minding our own business 4 of us guys and a girl. I notice a few hundred yards away was a guy that had walked up and down the street several times, looking over at us, others had their back to him and did not notice. He started walking over towards us at a brisk pace, but I was still thinking he must know someone in the small group of us. He got about 50 feet from us, me facing him, two of the three guys with there back towards him, and one on my right side when he reached behind him like he was drawing a pistol off his right hip, he looked pissed. He pulls out what looked like a 1 foot chrome pipe and I put my hand on my pistol with my shirt over it. He then grabs the other end of this pipe looking object and pulls and it comes apart "like a baton" into what looked like 3 pieces with a short section of chain or something joining them. I reach over with my left hand and pull my shirt off my gun as he gets closer swinging this thing around. He quickly turns away at about 30 feet from us and walks towards the TB backwards, still facing us, not saying anything, but making hand jesters attempting to get a reaction out of someone so that he can use this thing on them. He continues to swing it in the air and put his hands out to the sides as if hes inviting confrontation. I don't think he seen me reach for my gun because one of the guys with us was blocking his view, but everyone in the group saw me reach back and grab it, and got quiet really fast! They soon realized what I was doing and why.

He ended up leaving, and we decided it was best just to leave as well. Some things that stood out after the fact are these: I've been in similar situations, but unarmed, and unlike those cases, I didn't feel nervous, scared, or get that pit of the stomach feeling, I felt very confident almost to the point of cocky, and I am a very humble and down to earth person. I actually blurted out "I would have shot that " or something to that effect, and felt bad about it afterwards, it made me really mad that this guy had done this for no reason, and had made me show my pistol. Even though that was a mistake on my part, part of me is glad this happened for this reason, I had always wondered how I would react to a threat, and if I would be scared or shaking or freeze....none of these things happened and now I know that if I had to I could squeeze off a round without any concerns clouding my decision to protect my self or my family.

The guys I was with were really cool about the situation, they stayed calm and didn't make eye contact with the guy, I just watched him out of the corner of my eye to make sure he wasn't coming back. One guy broke the silence and asked what kind of gun I carried, another asked if I was a cop or security or something, I explained to him I had a CC license. The other said don't worry about it man, lets just take off and go somewhere else, which we did about 5 minutes after this happened. I'm glad they were all cool and mature about it, it made me feel better. Thanks for listening to my story, had to get it off my back and this is the right place to do it.

Scott

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JohnKelly]

Sounds like you did okay. I might have let the others in the group know the BG was there such as saying "what's up with this guy" or something of that nature. That would have alerted them to the potential danger and averted their eyes from you, enabling you to draw (or in this case, not) your pistol.

[scott4957]

Yeah, its was just so quick, as soon as they seen me reach back the guy on my right saw the same thing I was looking at and said something that got there attention and then the rest of them turned around. It was a split second kinda thing because I wasn't thinking anything until he reached back, as quick as he pulled it out and then extended it he was walking away and I took my hand off my gun and pulled my shirt back down. I only hand my hand on my gun for about 5 seconds.

Scott

[KevinInstructor]

Any time you draw your weapon or simply place your hand on the holstered gun consider someone you do not know saw this or you happen to be in the lens of a camera/video. With this in mind I would call the police if this was done during an attack or what simply appeared to be an attack. The rule of thumb is, if two parties call usually the second party needs to play caught up even if they are the good guy.

It's your choice.

Any ways good to hear all is fine and you are safe.

[SonofASniper]

Sounds like everything worked out, and who knows you may end up bringing some of your friends over to our side.

As far as the BG, I would almost have like to have seen the look on his face had you drawn and he realized that he just brought a baton to a gun fight that he initiated. Who knows what motivates idiots to do idiotic things? But I am glad everything worke out fine for you.

[SIXTO]

Crack heads always make things interesting.

Sounds like you did OK given the situation.

[ppkheat]

Did this guy have some beef with someone in your party, or a mistaken identity of one of them? It doesn't really sound like he was just random nuts, it sounds more like he had a score to settle with someone, maybe that someone isn't talking?

I'm glad it worked out for you, and good experience in always keeping your radar on.

[peacefuljeffrey]

Scott, a few things:

- You should have said something to your companions as this guy approached, like, "Head up; anyone know this guy? He's makin' me nervous and I don't like the looks of how he's acting." Your friends could have benefited from not being kept in the dark about the guy's approach. What if he had started swinging for your friend's head? You would have had to draw and fire past your friend who didn't even know what was going on!

- Why are you saying it was a mistake to ready your gun?! You detected a clearly agitated, aggressive weirdo who was carrying a weapon! You would have been remiss if you had just stood there without preparing for defense.

- Did you not call the police immediately afterward to report this guy's behavior? How do you know he didn't leave you guys to go victimize someone else? A phone call could save a life in such a case. Not to mention the fact that if anyone else saw you "brandish" your gun, they might call the cops and then when you get picked up, nothing you say will be believed.

[f8lranger4x4]

Good job man Hine sight is 20/20 and in the heat of the moment you make the best decision you can with the split second you have. You did great man. Good to here things turned out ok.

[TN_Mike]

The one thing I could fault you on is the fact that you did not call the police to make a report of the bad guy. Always do that if you can.

And I would suggest the next time something like this comes up, you warn the people around you.

Other than those, I'd say you handled it quite well. And, now that you buddies know you carry, maybe it would be a good time to talk to them about getting their carry permits as well. If you feel they are good enough for you to be friends with, then maybe they are ready to handle the responsibility of a carry permit. If you hang with them a lot, it would be nice to have some back up in a situation like this wouldn't it?

[Miggy]

The one thing I could fault you on is the fact that you did not call the police to make a report of the bad guy. Always do that if you can.

And I would suggest the next time something like this comes up, you warn the people around you.

Other than those, I'd say you handled it quite well. And, now that you buddies know you carry, maybe it would be a good time to talk to them about getting their carry permits as well. If you feel they are good enough for you to be friends with, then maybe they are ready to handle the responsibility of a carry permit. If you hang with them a lot, it would be nice to have some back up in a situation like this wouldn't it?

+1

And reading your post I see you learned something about yourself and what to change for the future.

[Piglet]

I notice a few hundred yards away was a guy that had walked up and down the street several times, looking over at us, others had their back to him and did not notice.

You must be an very alert person. Several hundred yards is approaching a quarter mile. I'd be hard pressed to detect something like that from such a distance.

He started walking over towards us at a brisk pace...

...He quickly turns away at about 30 feet from us and walks towards the TB backwards, still facing us, not saying anything...

I don't really get the picture as far as his position and movement are concerned, but anyway, that is certainly some strange behavior. So at this point he is no longer closing on you, but backing away from you while still facing you?

He continues to swing it in the air and put his hands out to the sides as if hes inviting confrontation.

He is inviting confrontation as he is backing away from you? Is he saying anything at all at this point?

...I felt very confident almost to the point of cocky...

Though you might be the baddest, stone coldest rock in the box, that smells like bravado to me, the kind of false confidence that comes from assuming that the fight is already won based on an assumed advantage possessed by you (in the form of your sidearm).

Sonof ASniper said:

As far as the BG, I would almost have like to have seen the look on his face had you drawn and he realized that he just brought a baton to a gun fight that he initiated.

Yes, our BG would have brought a baton to a gunfight - and maybe an as-yet unproduced gun or two as well, and on top of that maybe few comrades that our OP was unaware of at that point. Unlikely? Definitely. But impossible? By no means.

I'm not implying that the OP handled the situation incorrectly, or even that he shouldn't have been as comfortable as he was - simply that, in an incident like the one he describes, his stated lack of concern suggests false confidence that could lull him into a deadly complacence.

There is a temptation in situations like that to indulge in a rush of exhiliration at suddenly feeling in control, feeling as though the tables have been turned in your favor due to your forethought and preparedness. It's completely justifiable to take satisfaction in thwarting the plans of someone who means you harm, provided you have reasons to be sure your enemy has indeed been outmaneuvered.

If I were you, I'd maintain a healthy anxiety about all the variables your adversary controls when he initiates contact, even when it seems clear that the field is won.

You handle your confrontations in whatever way works for you. Glad everything ended fine.

[MitchellCT]

I'm a younger guy, 26, and I hang out with the younger crowd. I am into cars so we meet up at places like the car wash or drive in and hang out, talk about cars, detail them, ect. Last night we were all at the car wash, about 6 of us, we decided to go to the local Taco Bell for a snack and to get out of the wind. The group of guys I hang out with are very mature and down to earth, over this summer that I've known them there has never been any problems, none of them know I carry, that is until last night.

We were out in the TB parking lot just talking, minding our own business 4 of us guys and a girl. I notice a few hundred yards away was a guy that had walked up and down the street several times, looking over at us, others had their back to him and did not notice. He started walking over towards us at a brisk pace, but I was still thinking he must know someone in the small group of us. He got about 50 feet from us, me facing him, two of the three guys with there back towards him, and one on my right side when he reached behind him like he was drawing a pistol off his right hip, he looked pissed. He pulls out what looked like a 1 foot chrome pipe and I put my hand on my pistol with my shirt over it. He then grabs the other end of this pipe looking object and pulls and it comes apart "like a baton" into what looked like 3 pieces with a short section of chain or something joining them. I reach over with my left hand and pull my shirt off my gun as he gets closer swinging this thing around. He quickly turns away at about 30 feet from us and walks towards the TB backwards, still facing us, not saying anything, but making hand jesters attempting to get a reaction out of someone so that he can use this thing on them. He continues to swing it in the air and put his hands out to the sides as if hes inviting confrontation. I don't think he seen me reach for my gun because one of the guys with us was blocking his view, but everyone in the group saw me reach back and grab it, and got quiet really fast! They soon realized what I was doing and why.

He ended up leaving, and we decided it was best just to leave as well. Some things that stood out after the fact are these: I've been in similar situations, but unarmed, and unlike those cases, I didn't feel nervous, scared, or get that pit of the stomach feeling, I felt very confident almost to the point of cocky, and I am a very humble and down to earth person. I actually blurted out "I would have shot that " or something to that effect, and felt bad about it afterwards, it made me really mad that this guy had done this for no reason, and had made me show my pistol. Even though that was a mistake on my part, part of me is glad this happened for this reason, I had always wondered how I would react to a threat, and if I would be scared or shaking or freeze....none of these things happened and now I know that if I had to I could squeeze off a round without any concerns clouding my decision to protect my self or my family.

The guys I was with were really cool about the situation, they stayed calm and didn't make eye contact with the guy, I just watched him out of the corner of my eye to make sure he wasn't coming back. One guy broke the silence and asked what kind of gun I carried, another asked if I was a cop or security or something, I explained to him I had a CC license. The other said don't worry about it man, lets just take off and go somewhere else, which we did about 5 minutes after this happened. I'm glad they were all cool and mature about it, it made me feel better. Thanks for listening to my story, had to get it off my back and this is the right place to do it.

Scott

Let me suggest that you talk to your friends now and tell them in the most respectful way that now that they know you carry a pistol, having you and your gun with them is NOT an excuse to start trouble with anyone on the assumption you (and your gun) will back them up.

People you know may do strange things if they know they have someone who "has their back" is armed, and they may try to take advantage of that.

Not saying your friends would do that, but you don't know who is going to get it in their head to act like a fool at any time.

I'm just 3 years older than you and at your age I was carrying too.

I sometimes hang out with friends of friends, and my warning to people I was with who knew I carried was "If you start something and expect me to save your a-- from trouble you brought on yourself, think again.

If someone else starts it and you get into it with them without trying to leave...its on you too.

If trouble starts, we are all going to walk away and leave. If anyone tries to stop us...then it's on.

I'm not your hired gun or your security guard, and if you try to use me as such, you are going to be very disappointed."

So farm nobody has disregarded my warning.

Don't ever let anyone use you.

Don't ever let anyone ask you to come along into a situation they think is going to turn ugly like a bad breakup, custody battle or something like that.

The moment they try to do that they are no longer your friends.

[Ghettokracker71]

I'm 21,and also HEAVILY into cars. (we,too,spend considerable time in parking lots,detailing, chilling,whatever.)So I can easily say I've been in similar social situations,that being said,if I was with my buddies,I would have pointed out the fact he was walking back and worth on the road,so everybody would already be aware.

I'm glad everybody was okay,as far as I'm concerned when the threat made itself apparent, it seems like you kept your head cool,and everybody turned out okay.

[Bark'n]

Good Advice by MitchellCT +1 on that!

Calling the cops is something that is always dependant on the circumstances.

I feel in this case where you in a well lit, public parking lot of a restaurant with several friends present who saw your gun and a possible BG waving a chained multi-piece baton, would have been a good situation to call the police and make a report of the incident.

For one thing, they could have patrolled the area and possibly catch the guy who probably could have been charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

Then another reason is that maybe someone in your group doesn't believe you do have a valid ccw permit and goes home and calls the cops on you.

I mean who's gonna argue with a guy with a gun who "say's" he's got a ccw permit? They may not have said anything at the time because they didn't want further confrontation with a man with a gun. Not saying anything at the time, doesn't mean they believe what you told them.

Lastly, I think it would have been best if you had alerted those who had their backs to the threat to let them know what was going on. I know I would have appreciated it!

All in all, I think you did ok in the way you handled yourself in the face of an unknown subject with a weapon that is menacing you and your friends.

Every time you have a situation like that, there are always going to be some "lessons learned" which will help you in future altercations. I think we've identified a few here, but all in all, you reacted appropriately!

Glad all turned out well!