Bad guys don't just appear out of thin air.Being the happy-go-lucky sort of person I am (no, really) this is something that I really need to constantly work on. Not so much being endlessly suspicious, but just keeping alert for subtexts.
"He asked me for a cigarette and the next thing I know, he robbed me!"
No...
He was robbing you when he asked for the cigarette. It's just your situational awareness and your ability to manage the initial contact sucked.
"Why is this guy approaching me in the parking lot and not somebody else? Hmmm. Because there is nobody else in the parking lot..."
34 comments:
I once told a large beggar that if he came one step closer I'd douse him with the gasoline that I was pumping into my car. My toddler was in the car, so I could not retreat. Before I told him that he was about to become a gas-soaked SOB, he did not respond to my several increasingly loud verbal requests that he keep his distance. And then he stood out of spray range, cursing me loudly until I got back in my car and left.
There is just no pleasing some people.
tw "clutram" as in, "He certainly wasn't riding the clutram that morning."
But aren't you glad that you now know how to do an Iraqi Speed Reload in case the Goblins come after you?
Had a meth-head knock on my door once, before I had my CHP--I was expecting someone else, so I didn't bother looking first. I think the only thing that kept them from doing anything rash was that I was a third again as tall as them. They made some sort of rambling incoherent excuse that they needed a light for a smoke and left.
Stopped opening the door without looking first, for sure. And was one of the things that made me not only want to start carrying a gun, but convinced me that I needed to.
mikee, I had a simular incident.
A few weeks before my CCW arived in the mail, I was approached by a "kid" while I was pumping gas. He came out from behind my jeep (I had seen him coming, but he didn't know that) and puffed himself up like he was all tough and loudly said "You got any fucking money". I replied "not for you" and started patting my pockets the way one does when looking for a lighter. That was when the (suddenly reformed) nice young man noticed the gas nozzle pointed in his direction. When I asked if he had a light, I thought his eyeballs were going to pop out. He mumbled "sorry, I thought you were somebody else" and ran.
While it doesn't sound like you enjoyed your simular encounter with the begger, I sure did mine. But then again, I was alone. If my kids were there in harms way it would probably be another story.
s
Dang, it sounds like I need to invent a handy self defense flamethrower with a gas nozzle grip and sell it to the public to fight goblins. Should it come with a leather or kydex holster, and maybe some checkered grips?
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! No self defense flame throwers please!!! We will be subjected to a new round of heated debate and endless mind numbing questions on the new sure-to-be "Flame Thrower Forums."
What flame thrower should I get for my girlfriend?
What's the best SD flamethrower caliber? Unleaded, Premium or E-10blend? Should I go old school and procure some aviation fuel?
Are 8 gallon tanks enough? Or should I go with a 15 gallon tank?
No I say. I simply can't take anymore.
"What flame thrower should I get for my girlfriend?"
Doesn't James bond have a flame throwing perfume bottle at some point? The lilac scented would probably be nice.
Dmaned those Kalifornia politicians. They not only force us to get by with low capacity magazines, but they planned ahead and have limited our self defense flame thrower capabilities.
Every gas pump has a state mandated vapor return system on it. You will need two hands to operate the gas nozzle self defense flamethrower supply system. How the heck am I supposed to trigger off the ingnition system if I have to use both hands to operate the supply system.
TJ:
You don't get a flame thrower for your girl friend, you let her pick out her own. But remember, any flame thrower is better than no flame thrower.
Unleaded
15 gal. unless your are carrying concealed, or have small hands, then the 8 will have to do.
But, but, . . . what about using flame throwers on the zombies!?!?
I think it is funny that they mentioned car washes. The last time I went to one, I used the big super-sucker vacuums that they have at such places, and as I was leaning into the floorboards of my pickup with the deafeningly loud vacuum running away behind me, i realized that anyone could walk up behind me and I wouldn't know it at all. Didn't have anyone else with me, so I put the vacuum away and went home, figuring i could vacuum my pickup some other time when I wasn't alone and it wasn't dark as hell.
A week later, a guy was mugged and beaten senseless in almost the same situation at a different car wash.
Situational awareness. If you want to call me paranoid, then fine, I'm paranoid. But I can just about gurantee you that I'll never be mugged at the carwash. If you think that I'm silly for worrying about something with such a low chance of happening, then fine, I'm silly. But I'll never be mugged at a car wash.
Russel1200, I recall the scene you're thinking of, and what Bond was actually using was a standard bottle of spray deodorant from the time. They used to make wonderful flamethrowers if you had a lighter. Of course if you lived back in the country like I did and burned your trash, and someone forgot and stuck one of those deodorant cans in the burnables, life could get exciting. Then someone decided that our spray bottles of deodorant and hairspray were making a hole in the ozone layer, and now we don't have them.
Science. It's why we can't have nice things. (Okay, where's the sarcasm tag?)
Gas is too expensive here to waste on mopes. It would probably cost you $3 in fuel to get one to medium rare.
Gerry
The anti's would of course conflate legitimate defensive gas pump use with freak gasoline fight accident deaths to bemoan America's high Gas Death statistics.
Asking for something before attacking is an old old old robber's trick.
A cigarette, the time, a light, spare change, anything.
It distracts, and put the victim in the servant mental position.
When someone you don't know approaches you with demands, put your hand on or near your gun and ratchet it up to condition red.
Don't know that I'd hit Condition Red in that situation but pretty close to Orange and a half.
Red, TJ.
Strangers who demand something from you are a danger.
You average person will apologize first before begging for something.
"Every gas pump has a state mandated vapor return system on it."
I could design it so that it has a vapor return system disconnect when it's loaded. Anything more than 10 gallons would be labeled as "high capacity" anyways, and thus be made illegal, so I would stick with the 8 gallon capacity and focus on making it sub compact with interchangable backstraps available in multiple colors. As for fuel, well, I can only hope this device would bring back the good ol' days of leaded high test!
Ten gallons?!
For the love of Gaia, I'm sure we can get the job done with just a few ounces of gasoline.
wv: trapses
Frodo mightses be nicely but relationships with hobbitses is trapses my precious.
I carry a flamethrower because a cop is too heavy.
MAJ Mike
Kristopher,
OMG, Stranger danger!!
j/k :)
s
From a Season 1 episode of Justified:
[Raylan sprays him with gasoline from the nozzle.]
DEAN: What the hell?
[Raylan sprays him again.]
DEAN: That's it.
[Dean pulls a gun from his waistband.]
RAYLAN: Whoa, okay, I'm just going to ask you one question: Do you know how a firearm works?
DEAN: What?
RAYLAN: The key word in firearm is fire. When the pin hits the cap, it makes the charge explode, meaning there's a spark, which should be of some concern to a man soaked in gasoline.
DEAN: That's bullshit. That spark's so far away from the gasoline --
RAYLAN: You didn't finish school, did you, Mr. Dean? It's not the liquid that burns: It's the fumes. Now, look, normally, I would've just shot you myself the second you pulled, but I am doing my level best to avoid the paperwork and the self-recrimination that comes with it.
I'm not a hero-type,or a bad-ass,but I have situational awareness.I don't talk to strangers,don't walk down dark streets,I do carry,and I have additional guns in hiding places in my home.I might be called paranoid,but I have never been robbed or beat up.I figure that's worth the trade off.
Chris said...
But, but, . . . what about using flame throwers on the zombies!?!?
Fire does not stop the dead, though you will be able to see your illuminated targets.
Fence off one end of a railroad cut, get a pack after you, close teh door behind them, -then- apply fire.
It's an effective tool for mass disposal, if not immediate defense.
I've been getting better at paying attention to what's going on around me, but as I get better I also become more aware of just how lucky I've been so far...
Couple of times I've had people approach with that 'Spare a dollar or two?' bit; probably standard-issue moochers but...
Most happened after I started carrying, which had caused me to be a lot more observant about such(should have been especially so before, but). One I'm pretty sure, another possible, they were checking me out; then knowing you saw them coming, position and so forth, they took 'No' and went away.
Goober, friend of mine faced-off two teenage freelance socialists at a carwash; they approached just as he put the wand away and started drying, but finding out the intended victim had a pistol in his overall pocket kind of changed plans. Mind you, he's one of the last people I'd choose to rob, but nobody said they were smart.
Dallas, TX, 1998. I was working a pickup job directing traffic at the Dallas Market Hall. During a lull, a tall thin black guy who had been walking along the highway came up to me and asked me for a light. I unconsciously bladed to him, gave a quick smile, and told him that I didn't smoke, and had no lighter. He looked at me for a second, smiled, and said, "Heh. I don't smoke, either." He then walked off.
I checked my six, and thought to myself, "Was he trying to rob me, or hit on me?"
To this day, I don't know.
He approached you in the parking lot because you are a woman and everyone knows that women don't like guns...
Matthew said...
Fence off one end of a railroad cut, get a pack after you, close teh door behind them, -then- apply fire.
It's an effective tool for mass disposal, if not immediate defense.
Animate crematorium! Getting a full burn is also taken care of -- they're self stirring. Brilliant!
Gas is too expensive here to waste on mopes. It would probably cost you $3 in fuel to get one to medium rare.
Gerry
I see Gerry hasn't bought any top-shelf defensive ammo lately -- slide lock is your friend, and slide-lock on a Glock with something like Hydroshock, Golden Saber, or Ranger SXT will cost you more than a gallon or two of gas! {chuckle}
Well, since no one else will say it...
"What flamethrower for Bear?"
Car wash incident:
http://lightingdiscourse.blogspot.com/2012/01/personal-experience-carwash-ambush.html
"What flamethrower for Bear?"
Depends. Do you like your bear - rare, medium or well done?
Funny. The only private citizens who ever walked up and accosted me were two gals and a guy. (at different times) One gal was quite apologetic and wanted a coupla bucks for gasoline to get home. I gave that to her and she did immediately go over and put gas in her car, with effusive thanks to me. The other gal wanted a ride, which I gave her. She later became a pest, calling me on my cell phone all the time wanting to cadge rides or, even worse, socialize and smoke dope.
The guy came up to me while I was sitting in a public park, obviously hitting on me. Not having a badge, he politely apologized and went away when I told him I just wanted to be alone.
The ones with badges are the worst in my experience. They are the only predators who pick on the weak isolated guy and who also have sovereign immunity.
P.s. Mad Mike Williamson has given me a special personal exemption for when he is elected Dictator and the time comes to feed Flarduh voters and Flarduh LEOs into the chipper. I think I have persuaded him to let me act as throttleman on one of the chippers.
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