Traffic situation

M

MTAA

Moderator
Let's say your driving home from the range with your firearms secured in the back of your car while driving on a narrow country road. As your driving around a blind turn, as slowly and as far to the right as you can, a disadvantaged urban youth comes ripping around the corner in the middle of the narrow road, and throws a glass bottle which shatters on your car. You stop, he stops and backs up. You exit the car to inspect damage. He approaches swearing at you, and on realizing that you are a larger stronger man, runs back to his car where he verbally announces he is reaching for a firearm behind his seat . Do you go for the secured firearms and shoot him ? Or do you make a hasty exit in your vehicle ?

I just did the latter, what would you have done in that situation (Yes, I know, you wouldn't have stopped :o ) ? I figured he had continued driving, and in spite of the fact that I was saying "calm down it's cool !!" it only seemed to incite this person further. I could of very well been shot, and if it weren't for carry laws, I probably would have...

P.S.

I retract all my statements about Jeff Cooper in another post and I think I might enroll in one of his courses.

[This message has been edited by MTAA (edited September 15, 2000).]
 
Cover, Concealment, distance, time.

1. Not stopping [but you mentioned that already]

2. At the first hint of trouble start seeking a tactical advantage [ie get behind cover, act first, etc]

3. Have you studied the Dade County Shootout? The part about how the goblins aquired some guns and ammo by supposedly killing shooters at local shooting spots?
 
Sounds like you're still here so you obviously did the right thing in your particular situation.

But you still (believe it or not) did not give enough information for anyone who is not you to make a clear decision (where was his car in relation to yours?, Was it light - dark - dusk?, were the roads slick - dry - dirt - asphalt? etc.). The truth is, you could never "describe" a situation like this with enough detail to invoke a singular correct answer.

Flight is better than fight 95% of the time. It's that other 5% that gets tricky. Congratulations on a job well not done! Glad you're still here.


[This message has been edited by JJR (edited September 15, 2000).]
 
Discretion is the better part of Valor, I will always back off if I am unarmed(and most of the time if I am armed), have an escape route, and don't have to worry about collateral damage (wife and kid).
 
I Agree that getting in your car and driving away was the better choice, I ask you what would have done if the Idiot followed you? If he pursued you and started shooting,could you get in the trunk in time??

What do you mean by this statement? "I could of very well been shot, and if it weren't for carry laws, I probably would have..."

Do you mean if you were carrying you would have defended yourself? or that because of the carry laws where you live that meant the BG did not have is weapon on him? :confused:
I always have ammo in my carry gun when I leave the range, I believe that I will NEVER need my gun to defend myself,However that is why I train and train.......Just in case.
 
Well, lessee...

I always have a loaded sidearm accessible to me in a car, even though the laws in the socialist paradise of Wisconsin forbids it.

Shhot, shovel, and shut up, if need be.

But I'd have taken his license # and turned him in later.

------------------
"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." - H.L. Mencken
 
Thanks for the responses. Excuse the brevity, I was on my way out of the house when I wrote this, so I'll try to elaborate.


"2. At the first hint of trouble start seeking a tactical advantage [ie get behind cover, act first, etc]

For the most part that's what I tried to do. imagine a windy narrow road, I'm driving an older Bronco, he was in some small pinto/Mustang II type deal. We are both faced in opposite directions. While I was inspecting the damage to the driver's side of the vehicle, he reversed so that his rear bumper was directly opposite to mine by about 10-20 ft.
He gets out of the car and charges (He was some skinny looking crackhead no more than 5'6) me, looks me up and down wide eyed, I looked at him PO'd and before I can say anything, he ran back to his car and started in with "I'm gonna shoot you honkey muthableepa" ect. ect..

This is where it gets tough, my guns and ammo are in the back of the Bronco which would of meant I would have had to roll down the window, unzip my range bag, load up my weapons, all while he was about 10 ft. from me and suggesting all sorts of nasty things he was going to do to me with his gun. I opted to move around in front of my car's hood, which provided the most amount of cover, and yelled at him to "chill out, calm down" ect to no effect. Normally one would expect that he would of left it at that "I proved I was the tough guy ha-ha", but my speech only seemed to incite more language and bravado from the BG. I completely expected him to come at me with his gun (if he had one) and run around my car to dodge bullets. At that point If I had a gun I definitley would have shot him, he wasn't giving me much opportunity to leave and I knew that running around to the driver's side door, entering my vehicle and starting/leaving would have exposed me. Well, I took the risk and fortunately didn't get capped by whatever .22 he probably hid behind his seat.

I hope that explains the situation a little more in depth. What pissed me off the most is that I felt like I had no out. As much of a Dildo as this guy was, I didn't want to have my life ruined because I shot him, yet If I go back to the situation, I was literally trapped behind my cars hood and the open road ahead. I don't know how I can explain to you guys any better but I truly thought I was going to get shot by moving around to the driver's side and exposing myself. And you don't know how frustrating that is when you have a capable weapon within a few feet.

From now on, trips home from the range are going to be different, not only for my own safety but also because Glamding brought a whole new perspective to my attention. What if I got jacked ? Or what if he had charged again and I ran away, leaving my car and weapons ? Then the BG could of used guns legally registered to me to commit more crime ! Now that pisses me off. If it's in your vicinity, make sure it is loaded and readily accessible God forbid you need it.
 
Like the others said, since you're here you made the right choice. The extra time used getting into the trunk may have made you a former member of TFL :(. Keep in mind also, he may have a couple hundred foot pounds of energy in his hand. You have a few tons of energy under your foot. Had he come up from behind the seat with a gun, backing up is another option. One of the tactics used in my area is for two cars to sandwich you between them so you have no route of escape. I told my wife if it looks fishy, screw any possible damage to the car, put the foot to the floor and head for the nearest police station.

[This message has been edited by RAE (edited September 16, 2000).]
 
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