I was reading bob.a's thread about his gas station encounter(http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=441655) and it reminded me of a similar situation I encountered myself.
I live in a small town, less than 4000 people in the city limits. It's a rather poor, country, rual, area in Ga. The racial makeup is about 50-50 white to black. The younger black population like to throw big parties with a lot of people coming from out of town because of the DJ's ect. Some of the clubs don't let out until real late (3ish) while some let out at midnight. Usually when the earlier clubs let out all the black people will hang out/loiter at the gas stations & parking lots in the middle of town. Generally this is no big deal, they don't block the streets & they're spending money at the gas stations.
I'm self employed, so I have the luxury/curse of being able to go through spells of night owling/early birding at my own discression. One night during one of my night owl phases I decided I wanted a Coke Zero at about 12:45am. I had just recently blown the head gasket in my Jeep...so I borrowed my mothers car. She has a little black lexus sc...
So here I go bebopping my way down the road. When I get to town I notice the Flash Foods is overrun with the club crowd...So I decide to go to the coke machine outside of the grocery store down the road. As I turn by the gas station, I notice a middle aged black fellow staring. No big deal, it's a nice car...So I get to the Piggly Wiggly parking lot and turn in. I ease all the way down to the drink machines and park. I get out and start pumping dimes into the machine when I notice a car pull in and head my way. The car parks in front of my car and out gets the fellow that was at the gas station staring when I went by. Guy walks over to the machine 6ft from where I'm standing, never acknowledges me, and starts trying to put a dollar in it.
I thought it was strange that he didn't do something or say something to acknowledge the fact that we were the only two people there and standing only 6ft away from each other. Hell, he didn't even look in my direction. I suddenly got the feeling that he had followed me there under some sinister guise but was second guessing himself after discovering I was probably not an easy target.
I didn't get the vibe that his primary objective was to hurt me, but I did feel like he was trying to muster up the courage to rob me. I didn't know what to do...I was armed, had a G29 IWB under my shirt. I was not afraid or panicky, but I knew I needed to do something to project strength. So I squared off on him, looked him dead in the eye, and said somewhat sternly "Damn, I love Coke Zero". lol. When I saw his eyes all I saw was sheer panic...That guy was fixing to rob me. He was just chickening out. I think my decision to woof at him a little bit may have shaken his confidence enough for me to get out of there without the shtf.
That look he gave me at the coke machine was a far cry from the arrogant one he gave me as I originally drove past the gas station...
What'd I do wrong? What'd I do right?? What's the criminal psychology in situations like this???
I live in a small town, less than 4000 people in the city limits. It's a rather poor, country, rual, area in Ga. The racial makeup is about 50-50 white to black. The younger black population like to throw big parties with a lot of people coming from out of town because of the DJ's ect. Some of the clubs don't let out until real late (3ish) while some let out at midnight. Usually when the earlier clubs let out all the black people will hang out/loiter at the gas stations & parking lots in the middle of town. Generally this is no big deal, they don't block the streets & they're spending money at the gas stations.
I'm self employed, so I have the luxury/curse of being able to go through spells of night owling/early birding at my own discression. One night during one of my night owl phases I decided I wanted a Coke Zero at about 12:45am. I had just recently blown the head gasket in my Jeep...so I borrowed my mothers car. She has a little black lexus sc...
So here I go bebopping my way down the road. When I get to town I notice the Flash Foods is overrun with the club crowd...So I decide to go to the coke machine outside of the grocery store down the road. As I turn by the gas station, I notice a middle aged black fellow staring. No big deal, it's a nice car...So I get to the Piggly Wiggly parking lot and turn in. I ease all the way down to the drink machines and park. I get out and start pumping dimes into the machine when I notice a car pull in and head my way. The car parks in front of my car and out gets the fellow that was at the gas station staring when I went by. Guy walks over to the machine 6ft from where I'm standing, never acknowledges me, and starts trying to put a dollar in it.
I thought it was strange that he didn't do something or say something to acknowledge the fact that we were the only two people there and standing only 6ft away from each other. Hell, he didn't even look in my direction. I suddenly got the feeling that he had followed me there under some sinister guise but was second guessing himself after discovering I was probably not an easy target.
I didn't get the vibe that his primary objective was to hurt me, but I did feel like he was trying to muster up the courage to rob me. I didn't know what to do...I was armed, had a G29 IWB under my shirt. I was not afraid or panicky, but I knew I needed to do something to project strength. So I squared off on him, looked him dead in the eye, and said somewhat sternly "Damn, I love Coke Zero". lol. When I saw his eyes all I saw was sheer panic...That guy was fixing to rob me. He was just chickening out. I think my decision to woof at him a little bit may have shaken his confidence enough for me to get out of there without the shtf.
That look he gave me at the coke machine was a far cry from the arrogant one he gave me as I originally drove past the gas station...
What'd I do wrong? What'd I do right?? What's the criminal psychology in situations like this???