Your opinions please > what do you think of this situation (and what would you do)?

G

gkbikers

Inactive
Some years back, another couple, my wife, and I were leaving a large motorcycle show in downtown Atlanta. It was held at the Omni and we were headed back to our vehicle in the Omni parking decks. It was warm, even though it was fall. The temperature was about 70 degrees and it was dark, but not late.

We reached the elevators in the parking deck, pushed the button, and waited and talked. Somewhat suddenly, two young men appeared. They came from the parking area, not from the breezeway leading from the convention area. While we were all dressed in short sleeve shirts (even the women), these two guys had sweatshirts or jackets on. They had hoods pulled closely around their heads, hands in their pockets.

One guy stops on one side of our little foursome (the four of us, our friends, my wife and I, were standing facing each other talking) while the other guys circles around and gets behind me. At this time, no one else was around except the four of us and our new "friends."

How do you folks read this situation?
 
Honestly, it would depend on what my gut tells me.

Logically, I would have to look at it as a possible threat. I'd try to keep moving, attempting to keep track of their location, and make sure that my weapon is available.
 
That screams "mugging" to me, at first glance. Kind of ballsy of them to think they can take on four people, though they were probably only counting the guys.
 
My hand would be on my weapon, and I would turn to keep an eye on the person behind me. Depending on my gut, I might say hello to the person behind me and ask them what kind of bike they have or how they liked the show.
 
Comment to your friends...
"I don't think that BBQ pork was a good idea. I think I'm gonna hurl!"
Then turn around toward the guy who flanked you with a distressed look on your face.

Guaranteed to make him move half a dozen feet away.

And keep him apprehensive! :D
 
"They came from the parking area, not from the breezeway leading from the convention area."

If its night, 70 deg's outside & your riding a motorcycle @ 55mph + it can get fairly chilly, I usually wear a jacket at those temps if I am out riding.

I dont know if you are a rider or not, but for those of you who arnt, the body parts that get the coldest are your hands & face (cheeks, ears & nose especially) that might explain their hands in their pockets, and the hoods up over their heads.

Anyway that's how I would have assessed the situation.
 
Interesting responses!

Now, I'll finish the story.

By the time the second guy walked behind me, red flags were waving in my head. I was armed and I casually put my hand on my weapon (in fanny pack on strong side). About the same time, the other guy with us began to reposition himself to better defend against the guy on his side, but again he did nothing overt, just kind of shifted his feet and position as we continued to talk.

About this time, another group of folks walked up the breezeway and soon joined our merry little band. The elevator opened and we ALL got inside. The two hooded guys got off at our floor, but were out first. As our party of four emerged from the elevator, the two hooded guys had already disappeared . . . nowhere to be found.

When we four got in our car, I asked if anyone had thought anything about what just happened. Three out of four of us thought we were about to get "mugged." One of us was oblivious. Of the four of us, two were LEOs; two of us were armed.

Thank God nothing happened.

While these two could have been on bikes, they must have forgotten where they parked, because they came from the parking area, got on the elevator and returned to the parking area again . . . different floor. The breezeway was LONG and even if they had run down the breezeway, we would still have seen them when we got out of the elevator.

PS

Yes, all four of us ride bikes. And all of us thought it was warm for the type of jackets/sweats they had on, bike or no bike.
 
As described; orange - as soon as they appeared - with any change in positioning necessary to make sure the womenfolk were not caught inbetween. Attain a grip, and as soon as they started to split up face the circling attempt.

To two armed thugs, two men and two women might appear as simply as four unarmed sources of cash, credit cards, checks, watches, jewelry and maybe even a ride.
 
Hi LAK.

This encounter happened very quickly. The two men walked up from the parking deck, where they were hidden from view by the parking deck walls until only, say, fifteen feet from us. They immediately split up, one taking station on one side and stopping, while the other continued to the far side of our group, stopping behind me.

Orange? Yeah, bright orange and turning to red . . . until a bunch of other people showed up and (probably) spoiled their plan.

I just thought this experience was a good one to illustrate how quickly things can happen and the process of a situation unfolding.

Thanks all.
 
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