...just a loaf of bread...

T

The Tourist

Moderator
Like most of you, I'm just a civilian guy, going to work and running errands. I stay in condition yellow, and I have a good selection of combat tools and pepper spray.

I also make foolish mistakes.

During the day, I pretty much wear the same biker trash I wore from 1965. Even while working, no one sems to care, to the point where I have given away my dress shirts and ties.

But at night, just padding around the house, I'll don old crappy black T-shirts, basketball shorts and for the sake of the light colored rugs, just wander around bare-footed.

Here's the catch. This week we are taking care of our younger niece while her parents are taking a holiday respite. (Yes, I child proofed the house.)

During the first night, we realized we were out of ice cream, and while my wife finished dinner, she handed me a few bucks and told me to shag some. The new Copps is less than a mile away, and since her Explorer was still in the driveway, I slipped on a pair of Teva sandals and began the bleary-eyed trip.

While I had the good sense to grab my wallet and drivers license, I took nothing else.

After I bought the ice cream, I walked back to the SUV, and realized that a group of 'banger wannabees where shucking and jiving at the far end of the lot. While no threat to me at that distance, you could hear the music blasting, and I opined a scenario.

What if they had decided to congregate at my end of the lot? Here I am, gray-headed suburban schlepp in sandals and shorts, loading an SUV. Yikes, I might as well have tattoo'ed "prey" across my forehead.

No knife, no gun.

I had gotten off the couch to run an errand. In so doing, I had focused on the task and not the attributes of the task, the time of day, my possible surroundings and my transportation.

I screwed up big time. And the only possible saving grace to my plight was the loud music that shook me out of condition white.

I think we should discuss and debate this all too common event.

(Yes, feel free to kick my azz, I earned it.)
 
I guess growing up in a very high crime area and a few situations when I was young made me realize how easy it is to become complacent and then to become a victim.

I won't say I have never done the same thing because I have....I think most all of us have at one time or another. I just try not to.

That is actually a perfect reason for you to buy a new gun. I really like a S&W 642 or the Kel-Tec P32 or P3AT to drop in my pocket for those quick runs to the store.

No knife
Click to expand...

Just my thoughts on a knife for self defense. I have now been in mixed martial arts that also focuses on knife work (Filipino) and escrima with a prior boxing background I still feel like a knife is an absolute last ditch weapon for me....better than harsh words, but not much. Although knives are like an American Express card for me! I never leave home without one.

Excellent situational appraisal and realization that there is a problem. No learn from your experience. Fortunately it did turn out well!
 
Learn and grow
Click to expand...

That's the point of the tale. We have to learn that condition yellow is a way of life, not just an alternative.

I was just plain lucky.

First, I was too far away from potential danger. And the activity fit our local profile. Drug deals go down here in dark parking lots of reataurants, supermarkets and apartment buildings.

I also knew better.

"Hey, crime can't touch me, I have the tools."

No, I didn't have the tools. I left them in a locked drawer and out in my truck. Heck, my wife didn't even have pepper-spray in her SUV.

And as you pointed out, this is all too common an event, even for the guys here at TFL, who should know better.

Now granted, I don't wish to dress in the well-known mercenary-ready Rambo profile of the stealthy mall-ninja. And I know of at least one person who has a plastic tanto in her shower. That paranoia makes us prisoners in our own home.

But common sense should be a constant part of our day. If nothing else, being in 'yellow' warns us far ahead of time about a danger with which we are not prepared.
 
No, I didn't have the tools. I left them in a locked drawer and out in my truck. Heck, my wife didn't even have pepper-spray in her SUV.

And as you pointed out, this is all too common an event, even for the guys here at TFL, who should know better.
Click to expand...

Are you asserting that anyone who is a member of TFL and who doesn't carry a handgun when they go outside of their home has screwed up somehow?

Stated otherwise, do you believe that TFL members must carry a concealed handgun when they leave home?

Just wondering so that I know how to respond to this Thread.
 
no harm no foul. you're safe and ya learned something and thats what matters.

a couple months ago, my girlfriend and i were lounging around and decided to go to the store for some blahblahblah about 10pm. i had taken off my gun whilst lounging and when we went to leave i put it back on. she said," really? even for just a quick trip to the store?" yup, i said. i carry everywhere that its legal to do so outside of the house, no matter how short a trip it may be. i learned the same lesson you did a few years ago except it was at a movie theatre and they were right near our car. nothing came of it, i just gave a friendly nod but i was very uncomfortable walking past them with my (now ex) girlfriend unarmed. i went into condition orange but there really wasn't much i could have done if they decided to make us into victims. there were six of them and only one and a half of us (she was 5'1", 100lbs). since then, i carry. always.

Bobby
 
After I bought the ice cream, I walked back to the SUV, and realized that a group of 'banger wannabees where shucking and jiving at the far end of the lot. While no threat to me at that distance, you could hear the music blasting, and I opined a scenario.
Click to expand...

Shucking and jiving?:barf:

Wildmaybetheywerehonourstudentswhosecolouryoudontapproveof?Alaska TM
 
I can't believe we agree on something WA

Shucking and jiving?
Click to expand...
:barf:

I guess if you would have had to draw on them they would have said "It's cool,it's cool, lordy, lordy don't shoot!"

I pretty much wear the same biker trash I wore from 1965
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the two guys I drew my .41 magnum on back in '87.
 
I say no big deal. Everyone in the world isnt a deadly predator looking for you to drop your guard so they can rob you and then sack your home. Just relax and live your life :)

I dont CCW, but i plan on getting my permit. And even after I do, I dont think I'll cary every day. I dont feel the need to.

I feel that many of us gun owners read so many crime stories, and play on each others paranoia to the point that we begin to beleive in the boogie man all over again. Only this time, instead of living under the bed, he follows us around, night and day, looking for us to drop our guard. I personally wonder just how long it will be before some over zealous CCW'er gets trigger happy and shoots some poor sap who needed directions, or wanted help changing a flat.

I'm not famiar with these color codes i see being used alot. Me personally, I either feel threatend, or I dont.

Cary if you like. Do what makes you feel safe and comfortable. But most important, just relax :)
 
While some fools disparage the fanny pack CCW carry as "gay" or shouting "GUN", it has one huge advantage:
It's almost impossible to leave it at home while you "just run down to the corner store".

Since you put the gun, extra ammo, wallet/checkbook, keys, etc in the pack, it's actually MORE effort to pull out the money and keys then it is to just quickly buckle the pack on.
For that reason, it doesn't get left and you're always armed, which is the whole point of a CCW license.

Let the fools make fun of the "gay" fanny pack, you'll have the last (relieved) laugh if you ever need a gun while "just at the corner store" better known as a "Stop N' Rob".
 
Well, you learned from your experience. Though from what you described nobody was being accosted at the other end of the parking lot, so it seems as though it was a benign situation, just some young folks hanging out.
BTW...what is "shucking and jiving" ?
 
Last edited:
who is a member of TFL...has screwed up
Click to expand...

By no means, and no insult intended.

However, I was in complete condition white. Had you been there I think you would have admonished me and snapped me out of it.

BTW...what is "shucking and jiving" ?
Click to expand...

It's a slang term that shows my age. We have a newly immerging problem with drugs being sold by gangs displaced from the Chicago area.

If you detect anger in my tone, so be it. Our quiet little community now has cops in body armor. My wife, who is a teacher, now reports the confiscation of firearms. We've had a spate of attacks in our university area.

While you might have that in your area, we have been blessed with a lower rate than at the national level. Now we have some "Four Corner" gang that just moved into Madison, and I'm surprised that we haven't had a longer hotter summer.

I worked hard for 30 years, improved my goals, supported my wife and built us a good life as we reach a time of ease. Now we have a Chicago gang selling crack within a mile of my home.

If you feel my anger is inappropriate, I can ship the guys to your area...
 
O.K., I misunderstood the your post. Sorry to hear about the gang problem.

Don't be too hard on yourself, you can't always be in condition yellow, and you had ice cream on your mind! :)
 
O.K., I misunderstood the your post.
Click to expand...

No prob. Like I say, just say, "Tourist, I disagree/don't understand."

I do think you're right about the ice cream, however. It was that "cookie dough" flavor, really creamy, and for a guy my age it's the top of the day.

More to the point, I wanted to make myself the example of things we all might face. I kind of hoped someone might say, "Yikes, The Tourist almost bit it. Here's where a guy can go wrong..."

I believe we're all on the same side. We should exchange info. For example, we also had a recent thread about a soldier buying cigarettes late at night and off campus.

These things happen. If you remember the goals of Paladin shooting, you'll know that many truly creative ideas came from shooters discussing solutions.
 
Well lesson learned for you, it happens. Funny, it was a very similar scenario that pushed me over the edge to get my permit. Im a fairly big guy raised in the ghetto and have had my rumbles here and there so I can take care of myself prob slightly better than average. it wasn't till i got jumped by 3 guys that I realized everyone has a limit. You can only take on so many guys at once. I got my permit 90 days after I got jumped and have not once left my house without my gun, its been about 18 months now.

Im hoping to never use it, but its nice to know I can if I have to
 
Millions and millions of people do the same thing every day and never have a thing happen to them, nor were they in any danger.

That being said, I do carry almost all the time and feel 'naked' without it, but I have to remember prior to 5 years ago I did just fine without it. Mostly.
 
nor were they in any danger
Click to expand...

To be sure, it's a numbers game. But as they say at Thunder Ranch, "If you look like food, you will be eaten."

Think of how many hundreds of people mill around that parking lot in the course of a day. Most of them in condition white. This is especially troubling in my area, as we just had a very public case of a college girl abducted and then dumped in a CSI style murder.

Most big parking lots are now installing cameras. My gym just finished that project.

It takes but seconds to roll up along side of a patron 'in white,' throw open the doors of a van, and then disappear onto an Interstate Highway.

I let my guard down. This is a debate I believe is important.

Edit: Yikes, fellow forum members wanted to mug me for "Cookie Dough..."
 
I was very late getting out of work one evening in Escondido. As I had 65 miles to get home and 65 miles to get back to work in about 5 hours and it was raining, I decided to get a motel room for the night. I pulled into the bank parking lot and parked the bike next to the ATM machine.

I noticed there was a white car, kinda low-riderish, parked in the middle of the lot with somebody sitting in the passenger seat. I kept an eye on him as I did the machine thing as it seemed a little hinky. As I turned from the machine to get back to my bike, there was a person standing next to me, just watching. Scared the (^^&$ out of me! I jumped back into the kiosk and had my piece halfway out of the holster when he said, "Escondido Police. May I talk to you for a moment?" Turns out it was a stake out based on a tip they had received.

Point is: Don't get so fixated on a percieved suspicion that you forget the rest of the area. Condition yellow to your left and condition white to your right and rear doesn't work.

Pops
 
Some of us just have a hard time adjusting to the fact that things aren't as they used to be.

In 1965, I was still a cell on a lettuce leaf somewhere that my dad hadn't eaten yet. I grew up in the 70's and 80's. I'm in a different stage in life, and the "young" one is my daughter of 9 years old. Its getting harder and harder for me to let her play in the neighborhood the way I used to do as a kid. Back even 25-30 years ago, It was o.k. for a kid to climb the trees in the neighborhood, looking for mangos and avocados and oranges. I did that in a neighborhood that I wouldn't even ENTER with my family these days (other than show them where dear old dad grew up). It's such a stark change, I wonder at how time has flown by.

While bad neighborhoods are replete with their own kinds of dangers, these days predators don't stay within the boundaries of designated ghettos. These days, danger comes in the form of obscure vans parked in front of the mall, pedophiles driving by the ice cream shop, and drifting wierdos passing through the Circle-K. Little kids are getting snatched up off of our streets on a weekly basis, teenagers are getting abducted at Target stores, and gunfights break out in Wal Mart. We'll all have to adjust, and constantly remind ourselves that there is a difference between the reality we WANT, and the reality that IS.

As for shucking and jiving, I think the youngster's loud music served exactly as you said: a wake up call from condition white. I wouldn't put any more stock in it than that, since danger no longer can be profiled- if ever it could be to begin with. These days, you're just as likely to face a saggy-pants thug with a sock over his afro, an Asian college honor student at his breaking point, or a disaffected upper-class white teenager who's played too many video games and wants to go out in a trench coat and a blaze of glory. If the teens won't get you then the crackheads will.

These days you really never know. As tough as it might be to stay that way, it helps to be alert when you go out. While I don't carry every time I go out, I do try to be alert, and pay particular attention to entrances, exits, avenues of approach, and briefly make a snapshot of where I parked and what my actions would be in case of emergency. More than that would be, IMHO, encroaching on my life and my level of comfort.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top