Situational awareness !!!!!!!

[ENSANE1970]

My fiance's parents live in a, nice community in Virginia. Most of the people who live there, have lived there for 20, 30 years, so alot of them are retired, or around that age. The other night their neighbor, two houses down, came home from the store, was getting out of his car, when a car pulled up two men stepped out, one put a gun in his face and demanded his wallet. The neighbor complied and the scumbags, jumped back in their vehicle and left, luckily he wasn't hurt. He called the police, they said he was probably targeted at the store and they followed him home. It seems most people, walk around in "code white" all the time and don't have a clue, they may be getting sized up, as a potential victim. It seems in the carry community, we are wired differently, my switches won't let me go below condition yellow, one motto I live by, when you least expect it, expect it. I think a little situational awareness goes a long way, some thug picking out a target, isn't going to pick one, that's paying attention, to what's going on around them. They'll move on to an easier target. Am I off base in my thinking ? Thoughts, comments.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[falkon]

You are right on base. I always keep my guard up.

[retsupt99]

One needs to keep using the 'eyes in the back of his/her head'! I watch everybody around me...my wife has learned to do the same thing. My wife will even comment on how some women walk to their cars while on the cell phone...dumb move!

[ccw9mm]

"Radar" (aka situational awareness) is highly critical, IMO. It should be kept turned on, always listened to, and steps should be actively taken to confirm if its messages are true.

On a few occasions, I have been followed and was able to shake the tail to avoid any later unpleasantness. On a few occasions, I've sensed unwanted attentions in a public place, and was able to take simple precautions of changing direction and elevated awareness until the threats had passed. Radar, or situational awareness, is one of those indispensible items of our defense that can literally make the difference between surviving and being a victim. It's the one thing almost completely within our control. It's the one thing in our defensive "arsenal" that can be taken anywhere and everywhere. Failing to listen to it can be catastrophic, to which any of the "condition white" type of stories you've heard can attest.

[bandit383]

Keep a fake wallet...with 1 dollar in it...

Rick

[AKsrule]

If I discussed this stuff with most people at work they would figure
me for paranoid , but I feel safe here.

My vehicle doors are always LOCKED even when occupied.
I scan the area when exiting a building into a parking lot.
Sometimes I even "feint" walking to a vehicle that isn't mine.

I make brief eye contact with anyone who enters my outdoor
"comfort zone" (about 30 ft. ).

I have been known to "vary" my regular driving routes to include
circling a block and parking spontaneously.

If I see you twice while I travel from A to B, you are on my
watch list.

In short , if you catch me unawares , I really AM SLEEPING.

[Gunner69]

Ahhh it is a sad fact that our society as a whole is nothing but a gaggle of sheeple.

[Creature]

Ahhh it is a sad fact that our society as a whole is nothing but a gaggle of sheeple.

Condition White: strive for a society were this is acceptable and possible!

[SonofASniper]

Your right on.

Another part of your arsenal:

When the hairs on the back of your neck start to raise, chances are they aren't doing it to stretch. Listen to your "spidey" sense.

[mocarryguy]

I would bet 95% of the people in life, including myself would have not seen this coming. It is one of those types of crimes that typically happens so fast, you don't have time to react to it. It would be much more able to be pulled off in the city or suburbs where houses are close together and a plethora of activity. Less inclined to happen in the rural area, less traveled, more open space.
Does not mean you let your guard down, but some things are gonna get by you, not matter how cognizant you are. Shame we are reduced to having to live with these types of scumbags in a society.

[TN_Mike]

I do keep checking my rear view mirror. I look for any vehicle that has been with me for longer than normal. I will turn away from home if I see a vehicle that seems to be tailing me.

Still, it wouldn't be hard for anyone to be caught by this same type of thing.

[cherokeetad]

The latest mode of armed robbery in Tulsa is to hit the nice quite neighborhoods. One retired guy got hit in his garage while unloading his car. The BG suprised him and they figure it was a random hit by the BG just driving around waiting for the right situation to occur. The other victim (age 23), was fixing a weed trimmer in his yard when a guy came up and said he was out of gas and could he borrow some. The guy tried to find some gas in his garage but didn't have any so the BG asked for a couple dollars for gas. When the victim pulled out his money clip, the BG stuck a gun in his face and grabbed it . They got in a fight and the victim managed to make the BG drop the gun, but the BG managed to get it back and shot him to death. They caught the BG the next day.
Last year my niece was robbed at gunpoint in a church parking lot on Sunday, with the guy using the same "I'm out of gas" ruse. They never caught him. She didn't get harmed physically but mentally it really affected her. It's tough to anticipate and safely react to every single instance where you might get robbed but situational awareness does help.

[Savage]

By chance are you wiling to let us(me) know what county this occurred in?
I was sized up for what I thought may be the same gas scam this weekend at a local 7-11 after dark. The man approached me and said he had run out of gas and had to get home to Essex county. He had come from a truck parked on the back side of the lot and was nervous and his eyes were scanning the lot as he spoke to me. I asked why he was parked over there instead of the gas pumps and he said that's where he coasted in. This would cause him to negotiate three right turns and one up hill, that's a heck of a coast.
I was carrying as I always do ready to fire with the release of the thumb safety with one hand in my rear waste band on my .45 during the whole episode.
Instead of taking it to the next level as I would have 20 years ago and told him to get a job I opted to tell him that I would give him whatever change I had after exiting the store. I walked around the back of my truck and when I was 10 or 15 feet away I made sure he saw my hand coming off of my pistol and my shirt going back over it. Risky on the legal side but he had a couple others in his truck.
When I came out it was a miracle that his truck was gone considering I was in for less than a minute.
I live in Gloucester County which isn't exactly high in violent crimes. The last shooting was about 18 months ago when a pissed of husband shot his wife's lover 4 times and then threw his pistol in the back of his truck and waited for the LEO's to come take him.
I figure no matter where you are there always a risk. I don't know how your friends parents could have handled this but hopefully they will be more aware and thank God they weren't shot.
I asked for the county in case I have a friend or relative there. I have lived and worked all over the State so it would be nice to know which community they were in.
Keep your eyes open, not everyone has "Spidey sense" as someone posted. I think that even I would have handed over the wallet in that situation depending on the size and the stance of the BG. Gun in face means give up wallet and then shoot as they retreat to me.
Am I wrong here?

[lws380]

Wife and I went to Wal-mart today. Last thing to do was for me to look at watches. Wife was standing about 10 feet from me. She had her purse sitting on the counter next to her. I noticed a guy walking towards her from her back and immediately looked him in the eyes and walked towards both of them. He saw my eyes and did an immediate 180 degree turn around and walked off after getting about 15-20 feet from her back.

He had a rather large afro extremely baggy shirt and shorts. Looks like the shorts were nearly dragging the ground. As i saw him and my wife with her back to him and her purse sitting next top her on the counter, I had the feeling that something was not right.

Watched him from a distance and then told her to head to the check out as we were leaving. Explained to her what transpired and she asked if I was more aware now that I carry. I said more than ever! May have been nothing was wrong, but I had one of those feelings something was not right and glad I had the awareness to see it.

[sarlady]

I never wonder if SA makes a difference. I am sure of it! I avoided being robbed by a BG with a shotgun because I noticed odd behavior and dress in the parking lot. I locked the doors, moved all the employees out of the front of the store and phoned the police. They arrested the BG who had just robbed another branch 25 miles up the road. He had a shotgun w/pistol grip tucked under his jacket.