Close Call.....

[XavierBreath]

All these things add up to maybe nothing - until you add in what Dux called "gut feelings". Whether you call it situational awareness, discernment, gut feelings or whatever you wish, it has served me well for almost six decades and I intend to follow it whenever possible.

Man is the only creature on the earth that rationalizes away his intuition. Intuition is one's first line of self defense. Can you imagine a dog saying to himself "Gosh, I really don't think that stifflegged dog crossing the street in my direction is going to attack me. I think he has a case of degenerative joint disease and he really wants to swap fleas." Trust your intuition, you will live longer. Many people are harmed or killed because they rationalized away their first line of defense.

[2fast2curious]

DadX4....I was not there,but from your first post the situation looked to me that it was not a real threat. However, you said he did not look like a normal homeless and that changes things. And I am sorry to hear about your friend and his family.
PS. That's sad that people can't completly trust each other like that lady who you helped to push her car. There is a reason for that , nevertheless it's sad.
Take care man!

[CopeLC]

I inadvertently scared a woman about two weeks ago. I noticed she had left a set of keys on her trunk as I pulled up behind her at a traffic light. I knew the light was long, so I retreived her keys from the trunk and lightly tapped on her window. I kept the keys in view so she'd recognize them right away. She rolled her window down and I said, "Miss, sorry to bother you. But, I found these on your trunk." She thanked me, but I could tell right away that it rattled her to have a stranger walk up to her car.

I even thought "I'm going to get shot for this" as I got out of my car. That's just my luck anyway. It's sad that people are extremely on edge these days. The disgusting part is that they have every reason to be.

Here's my story:

I went to a department store to pick up my last paycheck. I worked in the optical department in a sorry part of Atlanta while between jobs. I noticed three guys were walking between cars and combing the parking lot. They were peering into the cars as they passed by them. I kept tabs on their positions as I walked briskly up to my car and got in.

I took my eyes off them for a fraction of a second to retreive my weapon from the glove box and tuck it half under my right thigh. I saw one of them in my rear view mirror, another coming up behind me on the driver's side through my side mirror, and the last was coming from in front of me, passenger side. My car was cranked, in reverse, and doors were locked. I could only back up, because I had cars on three sides of me, parked. The guy on my side rapped on my window loudly and put his hands on my door frame. I cracked my window as he leaned his head close enough that I could smell his halitosis.

I said, "If you don't take your hands off my car and step away, I'm going to shoot you as I run your friend over" in the most calm and stern manner possible. I saw his eyes shift to my right hand, where I was gripping my Kimber while still tucked under my leg. He gave me the finger, waved his hands around a bit like something from an MTV music video, said a few choice words that really showed intelligence, and motioned his buddies to back off. I too, gave a description of the incident to the police at a nearby gas station. I don't know what became of the report. The officer didn't seem to care that I had a weapon either.

[Arc Angel]

Well, OK, but just remember that first bullet you fire is, 'golden'. It might very well end up costing you several thousand dollars! I believe the general rule is that you should always stop your car while you are still able to see the tires of the vehicle in front of you; and the pistol should always be on your person - not inside the glove compartment. (Refer: 1986 FBI Miami Shootout details)

As for me? I'd always choose to run first, and fight second; but, sometimes, you can't run. This event doesn't sound like one of those times.

[CajunBass]

Ok. Since we're telling "this happened to me" stories, the only two times I've ever even remotely thought I might have needed a weapon both happened while I was driving.

The first time, a fellow shot around me in traffic, slammed on brakes in front of me, and blocked the road. He got out of his car, and came toward me. Being a lot younger, and even stupider than I am now, I got out of my car, with my nightstick in my hand and smacked it against the palm of my hand. (I was a security guard at the time.) He took one look, got back in his car and left. I had never seen him before, and to this day I have no idea what he wanted.

The last time I got off the interstate and truned onto the access road, about 0030 hrs, and a rather "wild" looking guy comes running out in front of my car waving his arms and screaming something. I slowed down enough to keep from hitting him, and he rather wisely I thought got the heck out from in front of my car. I didn't stop to see who he was, or what he wanted, but called 911. About the time I got the dispatcher on the phone, a county deputy shot by. No lights but in a hurry. I always assumed this guy was running from the deputy for some reason, and he hoped I'd stop and either pick him up, or that he would have taken my car. (With or without me) I didn't have a carry permit at the time, but did have my Taurus 85 in the glove box, where it would have done me no good. It wasn't until later I thought "what if?"

Was I in any real danger either time? I don't know. I really think the first time the guy thought I was someone else. The second time? I don't know. Maybe he was prowling around the houses there and they had called the police. Maybe he was sick or injured? Maybe he had been abducted by space aliens. Glad I didn't have to find out.