splinter MBA
Inactive
Right, just to clarify. He was much bigger than me. I'm not sure what my response would have been if he was my size. I just remember thinking that his arms were bigger than my thighs.
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Your Advice Saved Me From An Attack
- Thread starter splinter MBA
- Start date
blackxpress
Inactive
Some of you people need to learn how to read a post before you start hammering a guy with smart alecky comments. He said the guy was 260-280 lbs. NOT 160-180 lbs. Personally I wouldn't give a rip how big he was. If he came running toward me with evil intent he'd get to hold a few rounds. And, to the OP, well done man. Glad everything worked out for the best.
This is what most people don't understand. When you are in your car you never know when you might hit a detour or have your car breakdown or unexpectedly stopped. You don't know when a crazy will take exception to what you do. Having someone follow you is very aggressive to me because you know he in intends something.
But don't lead him to anyone's home. Go someplace where there are a lot of people if you can.
But don't lead him to anyone's home. Go someplace where there are a lot of people if you can.
Model12Win
Moderator
So glad everything is okay! You did the right thing!
born2climb
New member
If I think someone is following me, I NEVER go to where I was originally going, be it home, friend's or family's home. I will take a roundabout way to throw them off. Stopping invites confrontation.
Dragline45
New member
Had a similar situation.
I was driving down a 2 lane road, pulled into the left lane to pass, and the guy sped up and cut me off. I pulled back into the right lane, and there he goes again and cuts me off so I cant pass. I finally was able to pass him, and at an extremely high speed I might add, and he ended up following me. I pulled into a gas station after being followed for 5 minutes to see if he actually was following me, and he pulled up behind me in my parking space and blocked my exit. I locked my doors, cracked my window to see what he had to say, and grabbed my pistol and held it out of sight next to my right thigh. He proceeded to tell me I was driving like an A-hole, even though he was the one playing games not letting me pass, and said he was guna kick my ***. When he grabbed for my car handle, I pulled my pistol into sight and layed it on my lap, and told him if he didn't leave I would call the police. He then said "you are lucky my 3 year old daughter is in the car or I would kick your ***", and left. This really surprised me that one, he was driving so erratically and playing road games with his daughter in the car, and two, that he parked his car horizontally behind mine, leaving his 3 year old daughter in the car, and then proceeded to try to pick a fight with me. The fact that he would put his daughter in harm like that blew my mind.
Guys like this are scum, and are best left to rot in jail like the animals they are IMO.
I was driving down a 2 lane road, pulled into the left lane to pass, and the guy sped up and cut me off. I pulled back into the right lane, and there he goes again and cuts me off so I cant pass. I finally was able to pass him, and at an extremely high speed I might add, and he ended up following me. I pulled into a gas station after being followed for 5 minutes to see if he actually was following me, and he pulled up behind me in my parking space and blocked my exit. I locked my doors, cracked my window to see what he had to say, and grabbed my pistol and held it out of sight next to my right thigh. He proceeded to tell me I was driving like an A-hole, even though he was the one playing games not letting me pass, and said he was guna kick my ***. When he grabbed for my car handle, I pulled my pistol into sight and layed it on my lap, and told him if he didn't leave I would call the police. He then said "you are lucky my 3 year old daughter is in the car or I would kick your ***", and left. This really surprised me that one, he was driving so erratically and playing road games with his daughter in the car, and two, that he parked his car horizontally behind mine, leaving his 3 year old daughter in the car, and then proceeded to try to pick a fight with me. The fact that he would put his daughter in harm like that blew my mind.
Guys like this are scum, and are best left to rot in jail like the animals they are IMO.
blackxpress
Inactive
Some people take on a completely different persona when they get behind the wheel. In driving school they call that the "critical parent" personality. Dude thinks he's the best driver on the road and it's up to him to correct everyone else's driving "mistakes." He uses his vehicle as an instructional tool and it never occurs to him that he's the one that's endangering everyone else. If you pull in front of him he'll ride your bumper and flash his high beams to try and give you a driving lesson. Eventually he'll cause an accident and when the officer writes him up he'll think he's the one that's being mistreated. It really is a mental illness and a dangerous one at that. Dude's probably a perfectly nice guy when he isn't driving.
OP don't be too hard on yourself about what you should have done. Every one of these situations ends up in mind review and I would think almost everyone says "Well, I should have done this or that." These things are never played perfectly. The point is you did what you thought was right at the time and you and your family are alive because of it. Good on ya. Learn from it and move on!
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" The past is where the lessons are learned. The future is where the lessons learned, are applied."
I heard this from a teacher long ago. It made sense then and makes sense now.
kilimanjaro
New member
You did right.
The first thing you did right was decide to carry. Don't let anyone second guess you for that.
The second thing you did right was not shoot him, although the choice was clearly his to make, not yours, when he was within arms length of you.
I would not have let him approach me inside my car, either. If he was armed, your family would be in the line of fire as well as you. Getting out was the right thing to do.
The third thing you did correctly was to call the police. Hopefully they will find this individual and arrest him. He needs to learn appropriate behavioral patterns.
The first thing you did right was decide to carry. Don't let anyone second guess you for that.
The second thing you did right was not shoot him, although the choice was clearly his to make, not yours, when he was within arms length of you.
I would not have let him approach me inside my car, either. If he was armed, your family would be in the line of fire as well as you. Getting out was the right thing to do.
The third thing you did correctly was to call the police. Hopefully they will find this individual and arrest him. He needs to learn appropriate behavioral patterns.
born2climb
New member
Dragline45 said:"I finally was able to pass him..."
Not criticizing how you handled it, but if I ever encounter an erratic driver, I want them IN FRONT of me. I can always slow, stop, turn off...once I'm in front of him, I lose the initiative. As to your encounter, I figure his daughter remark was an excuse to get out of an altercation. If he'd been as bad as he thought he was, her presence wouldn't have mattered. Glad it turned out okay though.
To the OP...
Ya done good...You have lived it and now lived through it.
I know you have replayed this 1,000 times (X10) in your head but try to give yourself a much deserved kudo.
Honestly I guarantee you that there are a large percentage of people carrying that would have never pulled their weapon from being frozen with fear.
Ya done good...You have lived it and now lived through it.
I know you have replayed this 1,000 times (X10) in your head but try to give yourself a much deserved kudo.
Honestly I guarantee you that there are a large percentage of people carrying that would have never pulled their weapon from being frozen with fear.
Theohazard
New member
I'm glad everything worked out well: You and your family were safe and you didn't have to shoot anyone. I did want to comment on one part of your post:
The advantage of a belly band is that you don't need to have a belt; I use mine when I'm wearing gym shorts or sweatpants. Also, it holds the gun tighter to your body than most IWB holsters and your shirt can be tucked in over it if needed. Another nice thing is that it keeps your undershirt from getting untucked. The disadvantage is that the gun is not held quite as securely as with a form-fit holster and it can be a little restricting on your lower stomach area. But it's still plenty secure; I can only imagine it falling out if I took a long tumble down a hill or something.
You can wear a belly band so your gun is on your hip. In fact, for most men's body types this is how it works best: When I wear a belly band, it sits less than an inch higher than the waistband of my pants and the gun is at the 3:30 - 4:00 position, just like when I carry with a regular IWB belt holster.splinter MBA said:Originally, I wanted to carry with a belly band, but I read here that carrying on the hip was a faster draw.
The advantage of a belly band is that you don't need to have a belt; I use mine when I'm wearing gym shorts or sweatpants. Also, it holds the gun tighter to your body than most IWB holsters and your shirt can be tucked in over it if needed. Another nice thing is that it keeps your undershirt from getting untucked. The disadvantage is that the gun is not held quite as securely as with a form-fit holster and it can be a little restricting on your lower stomach area. But it's still plenty secure; I can only imagine it falling out if I took a long tumble down a hill or something.
splinter MBA
Inactive
I appreciate all the comments and support. I haven't told a lot of people about this incident because a lot of people don't know I carry, and I like it that way. It's good to hear from other people who know what it's like to carry, and know the responsibility.
I've learned a lot, but I think the biggest thing I learned was how I reacted to the fear. It was hard to snap myself out of the disbelief and take action rather than just stand their like an idiot.
Great comments.
I've learned a lot, but I think the biggest thing I learned was how I reacted to the fear. It was hard to snap myself out of the disbelief and take action rather than just stand their like an idiot.
Great comments.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
I've learned a lot, but I think the biggest thing I learned was how I reacted to the fear. It was hard to snap myself out of the disbelief and take action rather than just stand their like an idiot.
Stress Inoculation is one of the most important principles in surviving a threatening and/or lethal force encounter. It's also one of the hardest to simulate. This situation will work to your advantage because every time you experience something, the less it will effect you the next time. God forbid there IS a next time but, if there is, you'll be better able to handle it.
A few live fire training classes would do wonders for you too. As many as you have time, money and interest to take.
Like the others, glad it worked out the best way it could have.
You know, being caught with your back to your own door might not have been as much of a mistake as you think. Yes you couldn't back up, yes you had your back to the wall.
Now understand that tactics are one thing, but both yours and your attacker's minds are working and they are working on an almost animal level, because no matter how much we try to fool ourselves, we are still animals.
When that guy saw you reach for what he recognized as a gun it put a whole new light on the situation. When you told him to get away from you and your family it reinforced that light.
He had you cornered, pinned against a wall, and you were no longer just some jerk on the road, you were cornered, protecting your family, and you were unsheathing your claws. Psychologically you were the classic cornered animal that he had no doubt was ready to fight with deadly force if pushed any further.
Tactics may govern the situation you have to fight in, but the psychological situation determines if you are even going to have a fight.
You did good. Yes you could do better. If you get really good, you won't ever have to fight at all.
You know, being caught with your back to your own door might not have been as much of a mistake as you think. Yes you couldn't back up, yes you had your back to the wall.
Now understand that tactics are one thing, but both yours and your attacker's minds are working and they are working on an almost animal level, because no matter how much we try to fool ourselves, we are still animals.
When that guy saw you reach for what he recognized as a gun it put a whole new light on the situation. When you told him to get away from you and your family it reinforced that light.
He had you cornered, pinned against a wall, and you were no longer just some jerk on the road, you were cornered, protecting your family, and you were unsheathing your claws. Psychologically you were the classic cornered animal that he had no doubt was ready to fight with deadly force if pushed any further.
Tactics may govern the situation you have to fight in, but the psychological situation determines if you are even going to have a fight.
You did good. Yes you could do better. If you get really good, you won't ever have to fight at all.
If you know they are angry and they are following you, don't lead them to your home or the home of someone else you know. Even if they drive on, they may decide to come back later to settle up. You get to pick the terrain for the confrontation - use that to your advantage. A gas station with video cameras to provide evidence maybe? Is a police station or court house nearby according to your nav system or smartphone?
I've suggested this myself- going to a police station. But for the sake of argument there have been people killed at police stations. For example, a young woman was chased into the Plantation, FL PD parking lot, and was murdered immediately, before police could respond.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2008-04-27/news/0804260292_1_police-officer
Suppose there may not be the level of police protection you expect, and you have to use your firearm before the police can respond. Without knowing what happened, they will likely assume the guy shooting is the bad guy. This could hurt you legally as in the following story. Or the police might shoot you.
http://www.fox16.com/news/local/story/Waller-found-not-guilty/d/story/dalJWO1BKk-HpcWLFtt1rg
If you go to a police station, it would definitely be a good idea to call police to let them know you're coming. Maybe they will be ready for you. If not, be ready to defend yourself, but make sure they know you're the good guy.