Reminder of Why I'm Getting a CHP

I'm in the process of getting my CHP here in VA (4th week of what'll probably be a 6 week wait) and today I had a small reminder why I started this process in the first place.

One of my friends went to the bank today and cashed a decent size check. As he was driving out of town, he noticed a car with a couple male occupants seemed to be following him. So, he made a couple of turns off his intended route to be sure he wasn't just being paranoid. After a couple of those, the "tail" was still there. He continued on and pulled into the parking lot of a business. The suspicious car drove past and everything seemed to be ok. However, as he pulled out, the car reappeared (apparently it had driven up the street and turned around). Obviously fully alarmed at this point, my friend proceeded onto the interstate back toward his house (about a 20 min ride on the interstate) with the same suspicious car in-tow. At this point, he decided to call the police who met him on the interstate and fell in behind. Seeing the police, the other car went its own way.

Sorry...not a very exciting conclusion, but still a good reality check. Hearing him tell the story, he certainly felt like the "suspects" had spotted him inside or leaving the bank and were planning to rob him if they had been able to follow him to a semi-secluded location.

While I'm certainly no expert, I think he did the best he could and I don't suppose there would have been much the police could do since no crime had really been committed.

Goblins gone without firing a shot - that's as good as it gets!

Thanks for posting. This is an excellent example of someone having good SA skills. As I was reading I kept thinking I'd drive to the police station. Good thinking on calling the police and having them fall behind to follow. That's another point learned and in my arsenal for SD.

I'm glad your friend is safe and no altercation. :congrats::congrats:

I had an incident in Springfield, MO back in 2000/2001 when I was working till midnight at a Walmart. I accidentally cut a guy off, never saw him, as I got into an access ramp for the loop around town. The guy followed me at high speed all the way across town on the loop, and I decided since the highway patrol station was right off of my exit if he followed me off the loop I was going into the highway patrol parking lot with my horn on.

Fortunately he gave up when I took the exit, but I was very nervous and extra careful at that interchange from then on.

(I didn't have a cell back then. Glad your friend did.)

So many people in condition white would never have noticed...nice alertness on your friend's part.:yup::hand10:

Yeah SA is really what its all about; that and taking the appropriate steps. Calling the PD was very smart. He could have just driven to a police station, but they might have done the same thing as when he parked at the business. With the escort he has to break off the tail and then he loses you.

good SA condition orange, i am always checking my rear view while driving.its a good habit to have.

I might have, just for fun, run up to 100 mph, thrown the car in a "Dukes of Hazzard" slide across the median and gone the other way. If they kept up with me, then...only then would I have called the cops. :rofl:

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... cashed a decent size check ... he made a couple of turns ... the "tail" was still there ... proceeded onto the interstate back toward his house (about a 20 min ride on the interstate) ...

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Am assuming he didn't make it far toward his home. One goal being to never, ever lead them to where you live, at which point you've got a long-term problem of different proportions.

Kudos on your friend for having it screwed on tightly, and for handling it fairly well. Too bad he couldn't have gotten the license plate or had them caught. Seems to me they were tailing a target that seemed a good candidate. Could have ended up bagged and tagged, had he not been watching.

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Originally Posted by CJ810

I had an incident in Springfield, MO back in 2000/2001 when I was working till midnight at a Walmart. I accidentally cut a guy off, never saw him, as I got into an access ramp for the loop around town. The guy followed me at high speed all the way across town on the loop, and I decided since the highway patrol station was right off of my exit if he followed me off the loop I was going into the highway patrol parking lot with my horn on.

Fortunately he gave up when I took the exit, but I was very nervous and extra careful at that interchange from then on.

(I didn't have a cell back then. Glad your friend did.)

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So THAT was YOU!!!

Just kidding. Had a few close calls myself in the days without cellphones.

I am disappointed that the VSP didn't cut that car out of the pack for a little chit-chat. Care to ID the locale?

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Originally Posted by DM2

Thanks for posting. This is an excellent example of someone having good SA skills. As I was reading I kept thinking I'd drive to the police station. Good thinking on calling the police and having them fall behind to follow. That's another point learned and in my arsenal for SD.

I'm glad your friend is safe and no altercation. :congrats::congrats:

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Can't improve on DM2's reply!
Well done and thank you for the report!
Another one for the training file!

CCW9MM Summed it up nicely,

this site is a very good learning tool!
I have always been one to try to get my family & freinds to
up their SA and this site will help immenesly.
For example, I sent just about everyone I know an e mail with the link to the Micky D's smackdown, asking the question,
COULD YOU SEE IT COMING??

WASHINGTON DID’NT USE HIS RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH TO DEFEAT THE BRITISH, HE SHOT THEM


"To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic." Ted Nugent