It is cold as all get out here in Southwest Tennessee (expecting to get some ice and sleet sometime before sunup ) so I drove my teenage son to work and went and got him this evening. I didn't want him driving in case the ice got here early and to his credit, he asked me to do this before I suggested it.
When I went to get him, I decided to fill the old Cherokee up with gas in advance of the weather because I don't want to be out in that stuff having to get into a gas station with all the folks who didn't think ahead.
So I stopped at a station and paid at the pump. As I am standing there freezing and filling up, I see a scummy looking individual walking down the row of pumps. I was facing away from him but I could clearly see him in the reflection of my rear drivers side window as it is darkly tinted.
He was headed my way and I turned around and looked directly at him, obviously catching him off guard as I already knew he was there. he was about 15 feet away at that point (too close) and held up my left hand in the universal stop gesture, and told him to stop and not to come any closer in a loud voice that got the attention of a few other people pumping gas.
He stopped and said something about needing change for gas. I told him I had nothing for him and to move on. He looked at me for a second then put his head down and walked off toward the street and away from the station.
I don't know if he really was just pan handling or he was going to try something, but I got a feeling that it was something more than just looking for change. I always listened to the little man who lives in the back of my head and has good instincts about things. I never ignore him. And this time, he was telling me that this guy was up to something.
I was of course, carrying the G23 under my coat in the Blackhawk SERPA. But I never even had to reach for it. An authoritative voice and raise hand got the job done this time.
Quick thinking. Keeping a cool head, and making an authoritative response usually does the trick.
It is amazing to me, that no matter how much I may be nervous, or "feel" out of control - if I make it sound like I am in control, those around me seem more calm and assured - and less threatened, thereby being less threatening in a tense situation.
I love the SERPA. It is the only holster I will open carry in (which I do a majority of the time here when it isn't freezing out). It is also my most used holster by far. It conceals pretty well, but obviously I don't worry about that too much as TN is an Open Carry State. But with a loose shirt pulled over it, it conceals very well. It is solid as a rock, and holds the gun like it is cemented in the holster until you release it.
Heh, heh...sometimes all you have to do is catch them off guard. Reminds me of what happened to my brother one time. He was handling insurance cases in a really bad part of Little Rock one time and was standing outside his car with his briefcase on the hood and using it for a desk while he was filling out a form. This bad looking guy walks up and says "What's in the case, man?" My brother said he could tell by the way he said it and the body language that the guy was more than just curious, so he assumed a kind of a Jack Nicholson look (like in "The Shining") and said "You want to rob me don't you? I think you want to rob me and now I'm in fear for my life. I think I'm going to have to defend my life, now." At this point he popped the top on the case and reached in. The other guy jumped, spun and did a good imitation of an Olympic 100 yard dash and never looked back. All my brother had in the case was papers.
Good use of the tinted windows. Easier to read people and their actions when they don't know you're watching them. I use the window glass a lot when filling up.
I lived downtown Detroit while i went to school for 3 years and panhandlers tended to camp out at the gas station i frequented, mostly b/c the liquor store was just down the street. To counter this, i would load my 130lb Saint Bernard in the back seat and roll down the back 2 windows when i pulled up to the pump. She usually just lays in the back and with the windows tinted, nobody knew she was in there. As i saw the panhandlers coming my way, i would whistle just loud enough to get her attention. She would then stick her massive head (i can just barely get a 26" choke chain on her) out the window to see what i wanted. The would-be beggars stopped dead in their tracks, usually mumbling some combination of explatives, and moved on to another target. Depending on my mood, sometimes i waited a little longer to whistle...just to let them get a little closer to her. As it tended to be the same people begging, after a while they stopped coming up to my car at all.
Excellent awareness. So many people are concerned about being embarrassed rather than put their safety first (what a world, huh?).
My CCW instructor told his story to emphasize this...he was in our mall and realized that the same guy 'happened' to be in each store he was in, over and over. Finally, he confronted the guy who was, of course, confused. So if it WAS coincidence or if he was up to something, the reaction would be the same, but if he was up to something, he now knows he's been identified pretty well and that the target wasn't a very good one.
Side note...it would have been to his benefit NOT to mess with the guy...he's the only person I know that age with multiple joint replacements who gets contracted to Iraq and other hot zones occasionally. Don't mess with grumpy looking old men wearing vests!
Maybe you were cased, maybe not. But the guy I got tactical training from put it this way. Humans have been civilized for about 4000 years of the 1.8 million we/**** erectus has been on earth. That little voice in your head is the animal instinct that we have mostly forgotten to listen to. You NEED to start listening to it again as man seems to be devolving in what we now call civilization. I've learned to pay attention to that little voice also.
I think you did a great job. My son & I were headed down to Florida a few summers ago and stopped at a gas station when the exact same thing happened. I turned square in his direction and told him to get lost (in so many words). Problem solved.
Terrific on the way you handled it!!!
These guys count on surprise. That happened to me once years ago and I learned a great deal from it. I was in NYC years ago around the early '60's. As I was walking down the street, 2 guys approached me. One was looking to circle around me and the other was coming straight towards me. I lifted up my hand and pointed to the one in front of me and said loudly, "DON'T!!!". They both moved off and I never saw them again. When they see that you're not easy prey they, unfortunately, look for someone who is. Now as I'm an old guy, I certainly feel better armed and living here in Florida as I have my XD 9 SC with me almost all the time.
Naturally I agree that turning the bum away was the safest thing to do but... I wonder if carrying makes individuals more confrontational than they would have been before they began to carry?
Being too confrontational can inflame a situation that might have been better handled with a soft word. I try to say something like, "I'm sorry, I can't help you" and then if the individual advances use the "stop, don't come any closer" hand raised tactic.
I realize each situation is different and in some cases you have no warning. In your description however, you appeared to have some time to consider your response.
MIKE..GREAT JOB!! You noticed the possible danger and acted wisely. It didn't hurt either to know you had your G27 nearby. "An armed society is a POLITE society.":smile:
Well If you are pumping gas you could spray him down, Then shoot him or give him a couple a bucks.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Defensive Carry
5.4M posts
117.5K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to defensive firearm owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about everyday carry, optics, holsters, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!