Vehicular Escape Routes

[rmagill]

I drive a truck mostly in a city setting. I normally try to leave more than enough room for me to pull around the vehicle in front of me if necessary. The problem lies in what is around the vehicle in front of me. I have noticed that it is not uncommon for me to be in the rigth lane, a vehilce in front of me in the right lane, and a vehicle next to that vehicle in the left lane making going to the left next to impossible. Occasionally there will also be a vehilce directly to my left. My remaining option is to either drive up onto the curb (normally low enough that this would not be a problem) or onto someone's lawn. My question is.... how many of you end up finding an escape route on a sidewalk (yes, it is empty) or someone's lawn? Or do you end up with only the option of simply driving forwards and backwards until either the BG leaves or another use of force is necssary? Thanks.

[powderedonuts]

Looks like you have no other option.....

Mount a 50 cal in the back and hire a Puerto Rican to man it at all times..................

[Overman]

Try the Grand Theft Auto videogames. You'll look at sidewalks in a whole new way.

[Ares45]

If it's time to go then it's time to go. Forget about the pretty grass or that no parking sign and park bench I'm getting ready to plow. I'm leaving.

[pamick]

"Truck". What kind of truck? What are you transporting that would make you a target? Just a note, if I find you driving over MY lawn, you WILL face a very ugly reaction.

[GUNSMOKE45441]

If someones life is in danger, at that moment lawns would be the least of my worries.

[BerettaCougar]

Slam into the car infront of you, to give yourslef the stuck aspect, draw your weapon and unload on the threat.

[Mikkel]

Hmmmmmm...... a bit paranoid are we?

[Arc Angel]

Generally speaking you should always leave enough room in front of your vehicle to be able to see the tires of the vehicle in front of you. Then, if you need to play, 'bumper tag' put it in low gear and ram forward!

The right lane isn't necessarily the best spot to be in when you're stopped. A right-handed gun can pull up on your left-side; and he'll have a clean easy shot at your head - with much of the noise, all of the muzzle flash, and all of the brass remaining inside of his own vehicle.

If you think you're being, 'tagged' it's often better to pull left than to pull right. (This, also, allows most people to employ a weapon more effectively.) 'One-on-one' vehicular gunfighting isn't especially difficult to respond to; however, when you've got a two man team in the other vehicle with the second guy in the back seat, well, now your work is cut out for you, and real, 'survival art' is required.

I've only known one guy who would, positively, have known the correct response to this situation; many years ago when I asked him this question his terse reply was, 'Get out of your vehicle as fast as possible, put something between you and them, and do what you got to do!'

Sounded good to me, then, and nothing since has caused me to change my mind.

[625]

I too am interested in what type of truck you drive that you feel uneasy.
I had a sweet IROC Camaro back in the days that these cars were some of the most sought out cars by thieves. I was always a little paranoid about being car-jacked. I too left plenty of room between me and the vehicle in front of me. Ended up selling the car because I couldn't afford it and almost lost my license because of speeding tickets.

[buzz_knox]

Hmmmmmm...... a bit paranoid are we?

Given the number of car jackings in the US, no, not at all.

[rmagill]

Its a Chevy S10... I metioned it was a truck to show that driving up on a sidewalk/lawn is an option opposed to me being more of a target. And no, I am not paranoid... things happen when you least expect them, so I make it a habit of leaving extra space just in case something happens, not that I am anticipating it. Kinda like the Boy Scouts... always prepaired.

Thanks for the good responses so far.

[CajunBass]

I used to drive an S-10 doing courier work.

The only thing I ever worried about blocking me in was a meter maid, and a tow truck.

[Nanuk]

When I drive my truck its a '72 3/4 ton Powerwagon, little cars are no problem.

[wayneinFL]

I don't think this is paranoid at all.

On 4 or 6 lane roads with stoplights I don't worry about it too much. Usually all I see are panhandlers. Ok as long as you keep the windows rolled up and doors locked. SometimesI'll eventhrowthem a dollar or two. Unless it's 4 a.m. in Riviera Beach and the guy comes in the car. That's an aggressive panhandler. I ran a stoplight that night.

The little side streets are a little different. I take it with a grain of salt, and realize when people come running out to my vehicle on the side streets they are probably just trying to sell me drugs, but I don't wait around to see what they want. I just leave.

If they were to jump out in front of me, yes, I will drive on the curb, sidewalk, grass, whatever.

[Trip20]

I purposely do not put week killer on my lawn so that it will seem more inviting to someone trying to escape a BG.

Please, demolish my daisies, 'reck my rhododendron, beat up my black-eyed susans, and by all means - crash through my chrysanthemums.

In the words of O'Reilly, "I'm [We're] lookin' out for you."

[Duxman]

As a homeowner - if a civilian were in a carjacking situation - he can wreck my lawn NP. As long as he does not run over my dog.

I agree with the other posts, whether its hitting the car in front of me or gettting into the sidewalk, or someone's lawn, I would be outta there if someone tried to jack me. If I am threatened and cornered, then no choice - defend myself.

[Rickstir]

When I leave work I am on high alert because it is gang banger territory, including their favorite car wash / rap concert spot. I don't pull up close to anything. After 2 miles or so, as I head out into the country I settle in a little. I wait until the next town (6 miles) to gas up or get a soft drink for the rest of my 50 mile commute. A couple of years ago a guy was gunned down for pulling into the wrong stall at that car wash.

[Bob F.]

Don't guess Mickey watches the news. Pretty safe around here. No car jackings, no home invasions. BG's here know better. Occassional murder, usually drug related. But I still leave room on the road, out of habit/conditioning, whatever. And I carry everywhere I legally can.

Stay safe.
Bob

[jonathon]

If only having a loaded gun in the car was an option here... got an old beat up Ithaca M37 cut down to 18 1/2" that would work real nice as a car gun...

That would be your best bet, if its legal.. just have a short shotgun(18 1/2" or greater), with the stock if possible(aiming is hard with the pistol grips).

EDIT

Plenty of spots in that S10 to stash a shotgun in easy reach

[Mikkel]

Well, we have like one "carjack" a year in Norway, but i understand you guys in the US. I guess we walk around thinkin that i wont happen to me or over here no matter what the statistics say about our country.

[pamick]

How might one address random madness?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05166/521639.stm

[Trip20]

Regarding the article posted by pamick:

It seems we're more often searching for what "provolked" a BG to do something horrible... evident by the following quotes from the article. It's just part of that mentallity that we need to "understand why" when more often than not, there's no good "reason" for such acts of violence. Maybe I'm interrpreting this wrong..... I dunno.

Demitras wasn't driving a flashy car -- it was a 15-year-old Honda Civic with 140,000 miles and radiator problems, Firetto said. He wore a modest gold necklace with a St. Christopher medallion and two other pendants.

"There was absolutely no provocation. There was no verbal, no gestures."

His mother, Jackie Demitras-Essel of the West End, laughed when asked if he might have been carrying a wad of cash out in the open. He had five $1 bills in his wallet, she said.

Obviously they're looking for motive as well... but sometimes it seems the tone of such comments are looking for a reason why the BG did what he did, so when found they can slap themselves on the forehead and say "Ah, now it all makes sense!"

What this idiot did was sick, I don't want to understand why per se. I just want the facts, and swift justice based on those facts. Whether or not the victim was wearing an entire suit made from $100 bills is irrelevent.