I think it is time to get my concealed weapons permit.

[Stressfire]

Originally Posted by Ringolevio

But I can't do any of that anymore, because any of those remarks, or just about anything I might say to another driver, would make me, if not the aggressor, at least an instigator

You still could, just make sure you have a very quick exit strategy. I.e. say anything on your list, they are that darn funny, and drive away very quickly, laughing maniacally.

But no, as much as it may suck to have to sit there and take crap and stupidity from people that, if unarmed you would call them on, it is what comes with the territory.

[EMN89]

Dantheman1776
I would not have even thought about shooting this guy even if I was armed, I know that would have been murder.

[Buzzcook]

A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

There is only one "reason" to get a CCW, that's because you want one.

Like the vast majority of scenarios posted here, this one shows that remaining calm and avoiding confrontation is the proper course of action.

[ProShooter]

I'm based in Va. and I'd be happy to assist you with your permit training needs.

Jim

www.ProactiveShooters.com

[EMN89]

Proshooter
Thank you any info is a plus. I have been thinking about getting my ccw permit for a while now.

[Ringolevio]

EMN89: Don't take this personally; my remarks may have been inspired by your post, but are not directed at you specifically.

Addendum to my post "All the things I've said before":

Another thing I've often been tempted to say to other drivers is "Where'd you get your [driver's] license, in a box of Crackerjacks?" [or "...At Sears-Roebuck?"]

We all need to conduct ourselves in such a manner that nobody ever wonders if that's where we got our CCW licenses.

[EMN89]

ringolevio
I did not take any offense to what you said, I agree with the point you made.

[markj]

About 20 miutes ago i had just left the gym and had stopped at a local gas station to get a drink, i made my purchase exited the store and got into my truck, as i backed out of my parking spot a ford taurus whipped through the gas station i had to hit my brakes pretty hard to avoid a collision, the guy looked at me like i had done something wrong and kept going. i hit the gas a little harder than i should have and the tires squeeled a little bit, i put the truck in drive and pulled out onto the road where there is a stop light a short distance away as i pulled up behind the vehicle the drivers door swung open and the man started charging towards my truck, at the same time seeing this i unfastened my seat belt and opened the door a crack in case he tried to swing at me(my windows were open) i could slam the door into him. as he got up to my truck he started screaming at me that he had kids in the car and he was gonna mess me up, i kept my cool and did not say a word i just stared at him and watched for any hint he was going to attack after his little tirade he got back in his vehicle and took off. to my memory that is exactly how it happened an the whole confrontation lasted maybe 10-15 seconds.
thoughts and suggestions welcome.
thanks, Eric.

How would a concealed gun have helped?

[EMN89]

In this situation it wouldnt have helped, but I have been thinking about getting my ccw for a while now and this incident has made me realize how quickly things can go wrong. This incident has also opened my eyes as to how others may view your actions, therefore I have taken a lot from this and I know how to better handle something like this in the future.

[SouthTXCrackshot]

Why would you need a gun in this situation? I dealt with situations like this alot of times. Defending yourself with a firearm and getting away with shooting someone just because you have a CHL is not as easy as you think it is because the biggest hassle you would have is defending yourself in court. Now I could understand if he was beating you over the head with his fists but just a charge to the vehicle? Nope

[OldMarksman]

How in the world does this:

...as i backed out of my parking spot a ford taurus whipped through the gas station i had to hit my brakes pretty hard to avoid a collision, the guy looked at me like i had done something wrong and kept going. i hit the gas a little harder than i should have and the tires squeeled a little bit, i put the truck in drive and pulled out onto the road where there is a stop light a short distance away as i pulled up behind the vehicle the drivers door swung open ... he started screaming at me that he had kids in the car... i kept my cool and did not say a word i just stared at him and watched for any hint he was going to attack after his little tirade he got back in his vehicle and took off.

Lead to this?

I think it is time to get my concealed weapons permit.

[EMN89]

As I have said in quite a few previous posts even if I was armed I would not have used lethal force or even drawn a weapon. I understand what a person must go through legally even when a shooting is justified, maybe I could have chose a better title, what I have tried to explain is that i have been thinking about getting my ccw for a while and this incident has made me think about the what if's like muggings and such. I am sorry if I have confused anyone.

[blkft1]

I dont think your initial post was confusing or your later post's less, I believe there is a little backpeddling in them though, correct me if I am wrong. But,,,thats OK! Sometimes it is beneficial to see another perspective[s] on a particular situation or subject matter, take them to heart. I believe MOST but not ALL law abiding citizens have a change of attitude or thought process when carrying concealed, we or atleast I look for ways to AVOID any confrontational incidents possible. The ability to protect oneself and the ones we love legally thru force of arms is a HEAVY responsibility.

Peace out.

[farmerboy]

I too agree with 99 percent of this. I would of course roll windows up and lock doors but when doing so I would be grabbing my handgun I'n case things went south quick. You can't always rely on law enforcement to take care of everything I'n all situations. Yes call 911 if you can but again if things get really ugly quick you have the right to defend yourself and others.

[Webleymkv]

OK, in reading this a few things are sticking out to me. The OP did not intentionally back out in front of the Taurus nor did he intentionally squeal his tires as he left the gas station. It seems as though its become fashionable to drive a behemoth of a vehicle these days and a Ford F250 can indeed be difficult to see around. Also, squealing tires isn't always as difficult as you might think and, under the right circumstances, can be quite easy. I personally have a Honda Prelude with a manual transmission and even with relatively new tires, I chirp them taking off if I'm not careful.

Now, I can see where the driver of the Taurus could fairly easily (though incorrectly) come to the conclusion that the OP was acting aggressively. That perception, however, does not give him cause to come storming up to the OP's vehicle screaming at him; that sort of behavior is a gross overreaction. If the driver of the Taurus were posting here rather than the OP, we would probably be chastising him (and rightly so) for jumping to conclusions and acting overly aggressive. Everyone who drives a car for any length of time will eventually encounter another driver who we percieve as irresponsible or overly aggressive. Our perceptions, however, do not automatically give us the right to verbally assault and threaten someone.

For those that say a gun would not have helped this particular situation, you're correct and the OP has acknowledged that. What it seems that the OP is thinking but isn't able to clearly convey is that this incident got him to think about the bad situation he could've been in if things had taken a turn for the worse and he was unarmed. As the OP has said, drawing a gun would not have been the correct course of action in this particular incident, but would that be true if the Taurus driver had decided to do more than stand there and scream or if he'd charged the OP's vehicle with a weapon in his hands? No, having a gun would not have helped in this particular incident, but having one that remained concealed would not have been detrimental either. Remember, just because you have a gun does not mean that you have to use it.

My point is this, yes the OP made some mistakes, but hindsight is always 20/20. It does not appear from his posts that he intentionally escalated the situation, but only did so unintentionally. Even given the OP's mistakes, I think we need to remember that the driver of the Taurus jumped to conclusions and overreacted in a grossly overly-agressive manner. In my opinion, the driver of the Taurus bears just as much, if not more, fault for the altercation as the OP does.

[farmerboy]

in my last post I meant grab it and remain conceiled but not brandish it. Unless I had to use it!

[youngunz4life]

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news...d-man-08142011

[Stressfire]

way to resurrect...

kidding

you bring up a good point though, if someone really wants to push the issue, you might not have a choice.

Being in a car however, unless blocked from doing so, retreat is almost always possible if things get hairy.

[Daugherty16]

No, this experience did not call for any action on the OP's part other than apology, drive away, or just lock doors and be silent as he did. But who is to say, next time the other car might have 4 young testosterone-filled thugs in it who want to put a beating or a killing on someone tonight.

In other words, it might have turned out much worse, so i understand the OP's thinking - he feels unprepared to adress the entire spectrum of unpredictable situations that can arise in a moment, therefore is making the transition in his head toward concealed carry. I was there a while back. I'll wager that many of you also had a seminal moment in which you said: in the future, i need to carry a gun.

To the OP: get as much training as you can afford. Seriously. Practice, train, and practice what you trained on. Read. Know the laws. And most of all, think. Concealed carry is an enormous mantle of responsibility that descends the moment you strap on and should NEVER be taken lightly. And welcome to the community.

[tedmac]

He didnt say he would have used it in this scenario. But "what if", the guy was armed? I think that is what sparked the thought of getting a ccw. I mean everyone who has a ccw didnt do so because they thought they were going to be able to talk there way out of every potential dangerous situation. They got the ccw because they may not be able to.

I thought of getting one but here in OH the legislature passed a conceal carrry bill but then added all the places you cant carry. That list is like the NY City phone book. So its pretty much a waist of time because you can only carry on your own property and in a car as long as you dont come near a school, hospital, nursing home, library, lemonade stand and on and on and on.

So I get his point.

[Mello2u]

EMN89's OP reminds me of how some people do not have clue of right and wrong.
It is negligent at best and possibly reckless to drive through a crowded parking lot at a speed where you can not stop to avoid someone backing up into your path. Usually a vehicle backing out can not see the on coming traffic until they clear a sight-line my moving partially into the traffic path.

How many of us have had someone "tail gate" (for example: following 10' off your rear bumper at 50 mph) us and when you slow down they actually follow closer (5' at 40mph)? Then if you tap the brakes to warn them they are following too close they start honking or give you the finger like you are doing something wrong.