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Old October 27, 2005, 02:03 PM   #1
springmom
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The most important self defense weapon: the brain!

I had a very interesting experience this morning at a local sporting goods store, which relateds to tactics and training (especially for female readers) which I'd like to share.

I went to said store in order to buy a couple more magazines for my Bersa Thunder .380. The Bersa was with me, in my purse (today's outfit just did NOT work for concealed carry :barf: ) But whether or not I have my gun in my purse, I am, and have long been, wary and alert in public, and today I think it was a really good thing. I had picked up the magazines (two for now, theyre $14 apiece), some acorn scent and wicks for deer season, and was heading back up the aisle. I was not moving real fast, as I have a hip injury that I'm still recovering from, and I was hoping to find some discounted Astros stuff over in the t-shirts racks.

I always scan to my rear every little bit and saw a very nondescript looking guy behind me. As is my habit, I kept him in view out of the corner of my eye every 5 seconds or so. He was staying to my left side (where my purse hangs) and matching my stride. There was room for him to go around. As I turned toward the checkouts, he stayed with me. I swerved over to "look at" some merchandise on my left, which turned me 90 degrees to the left and enabled me to see him better, and also had me stopped. He stopped. At that point, I turned and looked at him straight on. He did not meet my eyes. Stood staring off looking at nothing, then moved on around me and went through the line beyond the one near me. I got into line and kept an eye on him. He stood in the line, but when it was "his turn", he just left the store, no purchase.

I was ready to pull the gun if I needed to, but the thing is, using the brain, the eyes, and the surroundings meant I didn't need to. I will say, I was VERY alert as I left the store in case he was waiting, and yes, my hand was on my gun in my purse. He was nowhere around and a Harris County Constable was in the parking lot, so I was fine.

But it just goes to show again....always be alert, use your head, stay in control of the situation and surroundings.

Not that I'm some paradigm of total defensive readiness all the time, but this time I was paying attention, and it may have saved me a lot of problems.

Springmom
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Old October 27, 2005, 02:36 PM   #2
azredhawk44
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+1

Props to the moms who pack heat!

+2 to the moms that are alert of their surroundings!

+3 to the moms that do both!
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Old October 27, 2005, 03:44 PM   #3
BreacherUp!
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Springmom, what you descrined is the perfect combat mindset scenatio. Condition Yellow, state of general alert, observing all of your surroundings. Movement to condition Orange, where a specific threat has been identified, and begin setting your triggers and safeties. Your trigger being if he made a move for you, you were prepared to move to condition Red, use of force. However, your safety was met by his inaction, allowing you to move back to conditon Yellow when approriate.
Kudos to you for not allowing yourself to be "one of the helpless."
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Old October 27, 2005, 06:02 PM   #4
FirearmFan
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Nicely done! Wish my girlfriend was as careful!
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Old October 27, 2005, 06:08 PM   #5
Doug.38PR
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Quote:
Argyle: First, I'll teach ya to use this (taps young William Wallace on the forehead). Then I'll teach ya to use this (holds up his sword)
From the movie Braveheart.
Good thinking Springmom.
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Old October 27, 2005, 06:52 PM   #6
blackmind
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Quote:
Nicely done! Wish my girlfriend was as careful!

...echoed



Great job, Springmom. I'm glad there are women like you who are as serious about their safety as it seems the rest of us "guys" are. The stereotype is that moms are just about shopping and herding the wee ones, and have no head for keeping alert for threats from weirdos.

You're a credit to yourself, your family, and your gender (as well as just to honest humanity.


-blackmind
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Old October 27, 2005, 09:34 PM   #7
Mike in VA
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A+ for today's situational awareness drill. Keep up the good work. As noted, the mind is the weapon, everything else is just a tool. Stay sharp, mam'selle.





Edited 'cause Mikee can't type well
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Old October 27, 2005, 09:38 PM   #8
GUNSMOKE45441
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Well Done!!!!
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Old October 27, 2005, 10:09 PM   #9
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Great job SpringMom!
Your follower met every criteria of a criminal stalking prey. You performed marvelously.
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Old October 27, 2005, 10:23 PM   #10
springmom
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thanks, guys!

The one thing I would do differently, in retrospect, is something some of my women friends pointed out.... I should have called the store's attention to this guy. Granted, he didn't end up doing anything illegal, but if he was a creep today, he's probably been a creep in the past and will be a creep in the future; and if the constable had had a word with him and perhaps run a check on him, well, who knows???

I appreciate all the positive feedback. It is a good thing for anybody, male or female, young or old, to be aware of who is around and what they are doing and whether they pose any danger or not.

There was a post from a soldier in Iraq on a totally different thread (about carrying in the shower, LOL!) who said that essentially anybody who felt they needed their gun in the shower was a prisoner of their fear. Without getting into that particular debate, I would like to say that carrying that gun is part of the reason I did feel confident enough to deal with the situation. Of course, it may be part of the reason I didn't think to grab a store employee and tell him "head that guy off, he's a creep" or some such too... but it was handled and today, at least, Creep didn't get whatever it was he was wanting.

May every potential victim he runs into have that same outcome!!!!! And if you pray, please pray tonight for those whose outcomes today have NOT been so happy.

Again, thank you all. I feel about ten feet tall reading y'all's attagirls!!!

Springmom
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Old October 28, 2005, 07:10 PM   #11
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Oshman's needs employees like you

Springmom, they could have used you at the Oshman's in Humble. You may recall that it got "hit" by a couple of thugs that broke the glass cases holding their handguns and took off with $10,000 worth . All in 20 seconds.

I spoke with the guy in charge who was not there at the time and from the LEO's saw in the store video, they had surveyed the store the night before, then on the day of the crime walked in, walked through the opposite end of the sports store, picked up some backpacks and walked over to the hunting/fishing section to where the holsters were. While there, some guys were flicking coins at the handgun display cases to see if any sensors would go off. Once they determined that there weren't any, the glass was broken with a 20lb dumbbell and "poof" they were out the back door with a getaway man ready. I hate to say it but the car had Louisiana plates.

What I don't understand is, of all the sections in the store why was nobody manning the gun counter & why no security nobody noticed them placing holsters in the backpacks.


Still love my 'Stros
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Old October 28, 2005, 07:20 PM   #12
chris in va
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Quote:
(today's outfit just did NOT work for concealed carry )
I think that is quite possibly the most awesome statement I've read on TFL. Usually it's "these shoes don't match my outfit" etc.

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Old October 28, 2005, 10:35 PM   #13
springmom
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Lol!!!

Thanks, Chris. It was just one of those days

I must have missed that Oshman's robbery; when was it???? I expect that the barefaced GALL of the robbers probably froze everybody around there in utter disbelief. Let's face it, that's pretty far-out BG behavior (which, of course, is why they got away with it!)

Springmom
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home on the web:
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"I couldn't hear you. Stop firing the gun while you're talking!" Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun
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Old November 1, 2005, 10:46 PM   #14
Bob F.
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Yeah!

Yes,MOM:
What breacher said! Most excellent.

I always have my primary weapon, ALWAYS! It's right between my ears!

Stay safe.
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