[P95Carry]

Just musing - how many folks say or think - ''But that'll never happen to me''!! Maybe this is the opposite of that paranoia subject we were discussing.

These are people who as they get pulled out of a car wreck utter - ''But I never thought it could happen to me''! I have never understood what makes folks feel so immune! Might be same with some people after being mugged.

One thing I try and break in folks planning CCW is - exactly this myth. Instead, without having them overly worried, try and establish or impress on them that risks (in life generally) are real, as well as often unpredictable and not person specific. To counter that I encourage con' yellow and an acceptance of ''yeah, that CAN/COULD happen to you''!

Why mention this anyways? Just because it is IMO important that we folks who take responsibility for ourselves do not allow complacency to enter - I doubt it will much for those here but it is something to guard against and discourage in others, particularly those we care for.

Two interesting almost parallel situations - first the guy who has driven for 40 years - no wrecks - and considers perhaps he is under some special protection. Next day he wrecks and is killed. Second, the guy who has carried for decades - feels he has escaped any ''episodes'' all that time - and yet the next day could be ''the day''. We simply do not know.

What is that phrase - ''Hope for the best - but prepare for the worst''! Good way to go IMO.

 

[fotomaker57]

I used to work with a guy that would say "Always expect the worst and you will never be disapointed". I think that could apply here.
Mike

 

[maclean3]

Along that same vein, I try to stay even more aware of my surroundings because the majority of my family live continually in condition white. When we're out together I not only have to watch for threats coming into my "zone" (so to speak) but into their's as well, because they damn sure aren't watching out for themselves like they should be. It gets tiresome very quickly, especially when I know they mostly think I'm paranoid. Whaddya do though?
Jack

 

[rachilders]

I used to work with a guy that would say "Always expect the worst and you will never be disapointed". I think that could apply here.
Mike

Sounds like something I was told that's served me well for over 50 years that P95 has already mentioned... Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Far better to be prepared for the worst and not have it happen than be caught off guard if it does.

 

[rocky]

I think lots of folks are this way. I believe my experiences help me to maintain a condition yellow awareness. I may not be able to be this aware with out the experiences of being assaulted and understanding , hey this could happen to me.

 

[QKShooter]

I have members of my family who have never been out of Condition White.
No matter what I say...they stay in white.

 

[P95Carry]

because the majority of my family live continually in condition white.

Jack - that does indeed make for hard work - very hard work. Fortunately not something I have to do too much tho I sometimes feel my wife is in ''light cream'' - not white but not really as switched on as she should be. I keep at it tho to make sure that now she carries, she does maintain a necessary alertness.

I remember too another situation where I actually think all the time ''it CAN happen to me'' and that is out on the bike. I use that to help defensive riding and trying to not assume anything at all. Every time I get back safe after a ride I smile and think - ''yep - cheated death one more time''! :icon16:

 

[dpesec]

Along that same vein, I try to stay even more aware of my surroundings because the majority of my family live continually in condition white. When we're out together I not only have to watch for threats coming into my "zone" (so to speak) but into their's as well, because they damn sure aren't watching out for themselves like they should be. It gets tiresome very quickly, especially when I know they mostly think I'm paranoid. Whaddya do though?
Jack

Same here Jack. Last night my GF and I were at a client's Christmas Party. Because of the adult beverages there, I wasn't able to have my sidearm. Did have two real big folders :image035: . But I was constantly sweeping the area, man my neck hurts.
She kept telling me to relax, but there were just too many crazies and drunks around.

 

[F350]

I have, a couple times, got to thinking I was being paranoid and started leaving my carry piece behind....then some @hole steps up and proves me wrong.

I have been drilling my wife for years on "condition yellow" and she is starting to "live it", Missouri is fairly recent to CCW and I finally got her to a class and she now has her permit. She was going out a couple hours ago to run some errands, came back into the house saying "I almost forgot my little friend (Grendel .380)". Sure feel better with her out there with more than a cell phone to call for help.

 

[Kompact9]

Chris,

Riding scooters (since I was 12) has made me a rider that believes in having Plans A,B, and C. That planning has encompassed the rest of my life. Like the saying says:

"Chance favors the prepared mind".

During the holiday season, I think condition yellow + (orange?) would apply, especially around shopping malls and such. Seems the BG's think of malls as a target rich environment. In response, some of the malls here have been using the local police department's portable elevated platforms and it's helped. The platforms are manned with offduty officers in uniform and are radio equipped, etc. Has anyone seen something similar in their area?

 

[maclean3]

Chris,

During the holiday season, I think condition yellow + (orange?) would apply, especially around shopping malls and such. Seems the BG's think of malls as a target rich environment. In response, some of the malls here have been using the local police department's portable elevated platforms and it's helped. The platforms are manned with offduty officers in uniform and are radio equipped, etc. Has anyone seen something similar in their area?

They don't do that here but I think it'd be a great idea. I don't do much "mall hopping" as the walking gets to be too much very quickly ... and I HATE crowded places - but for those that do, a greater Police presence could only make things safer.
Jack

 

[David III]

I fully expect "the worst" -- and I don't have any kind of big hope otherwise. I do not intend to mean I am all negative with life, just that I am constantly thinking about the possibility of problems regardless of what I'm doing. Example: I ride Harleys and I completely expect people to pull out in front of me and/or try to run me over. I am getting ready to react before they do it (so when they don't, that's great but I was prepared). After 25+ years of riding big bikes, I still have all my body parts.
Same with CCW. I expect the odd person at night at the gas station to confront me (hasn't happened yet, but again, I try to be prepared).
And, to add to what someone said (sorry, can't recall who in this thread), I've reached the point that my wife and I just won't go to those big parties where everybody's drunk. Makes me too nervous. I'd rather stay home, my wife has a gun, I put mine away, and I'll get drunk.

 

[TonyW]

Along that same vein, I try to stay even more aware of my surroundings because the majority of my family live continually in condition white. When we're out together I not only have to watch for threats coming into my "zone" (so to speak) but into their's as well, because they damn sure aren't watching out for themselves like they should be. It gets tiresome very quickly, especially when I know they mostly think I'm paranoid. Whaddya do though?
Jack

If I've done nothing else right as a father I have at least taught my daughter to be aware of her surroundings. It's funny, when we go to a restaurant or some such we fight over who gets to sit facing the door! lol

 

[IndianaDean]

The lone time in my life I lapsed into condition white was the one time I was robbed at gunpoint, never seeing the guys coming.
That's the only time I'll ever be in condition white, no matter where I am.

 

[Rock and Glock]

Chris,

In response, some of the malls here have been using the local police department's portable elevated platforms and it's helped. The platforms are manned with offduty officers in uniform and are radio equipped, etc. Has anyone seen something similar in their area?

They don't do that here but I think it'd be a great idea. I don't do much "mall hopping" as the walking gets to be too much very quickly ... and I HATE crowded places - but for those that do, a greater Police presence could only make things safer.
Jack

The Texas (DFW Metro Area) cities of Plano, McKinney, Allen, Richardson and others all are using the "Sky Cop" stations. For those of you not familiar with these, they are a small enclosed units (say 8X8 feet SQ) with smoked or mirrored glass on all four sides. They are elevated about 20-30 feet over parking lots, arenas, etc. by either a hydraulic boom or hydraulic scissors. The units are trailer mounted. The officer (see below) stationed inside has binoculars/optics, radio and phone links, and acts as a spotter and "presence" even if not actually seen. I believe that in some cases the command posts may actually be empty, or have only cameras present, but I've never been told as much. I do not know if they man the posts with on-duty LEO's, off-duty LEO's or volunteers.

The posts appear to reduce the use of parking lots by BG's, because several more cities have recently added similar posts. There were a couple of "sensational" news stories in the last two weeks carried in DFW media highlighting recent successes against BG's.

The Departments have also used them at sporting events and the like, and they have appeared to be successful in discouraging after game vandalism, assaults, and other crime.

Hopefully its Police +++++ and BG 0000000000

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: