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Situational Awareness. I am certain I was almost robbed.

DJEEPER

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
407
Location
Yorktown, ,
Preface: I rushed out of the house and realized I forgot my pistol about half way to work. I didnt have time to turn around and get it so I just kept going. This is probably the first time without it...and will be the last time. Mistake #1.

This was a good wake-up call with no harm done. Without a keen eye on what was being set up, this could have been much worse. Situational awareness and keeping my head on a swivel probably saved me from a bad situation.

After work (2200) I was gassing up my jeep and noticed a younger black male riding a bike very slowly out of the shadows and eyeballing me hard. He never dropped eye contact. This sort of put me on the alert and I grabbed my big heavy flashlight in the center console and put it on my drivers seat, next to where I was standing.

Next thing I know a 40ish year old black guy is coming up along the other side of the pump line, just out of my view, but I saw his shadow. He popped up around my pump and quickly introduced himself and held out his hand, taking a couple steps towards me.

I told him to stop and to give me a little space. He held his hands up and said "yeah man yeah man, no problem i respect that you go space man, no problem man etc etc etc"
He was still standing there with his hands up and after a few seconds and I sternly said "hey man, look, i need you to just back up and leave me alone."

He said "ok man yeah man no problem man i respect that i know man aiight man" and turned and walked away to the next parking lot over which was Waffle House.

At that point I felt like I was in a bad place so I just put the pump handle up and drove out of there. Now... up until this point I was thinking it was just some tweaker looking for a handout or something. But, as I was pulling out of the gas station, I noticed the same guy coming from the Waffle House parking lot to a parked vehicle on the side of the road with the lights on. He jumped in the back seat and they drove off.


After talking to one of my police officer buddies he said that this is a very common set up where you have the frontal distraction (the handshake guy) and the guy who comes up from the side or back and pistol whip the victim then rob them. Then the nearby vehicle is the getaway.


I feel like an ass for not helping someone, but that is just the kind of mentality that these people prey upon. I will stop in an instant to help someone who drove into a ditch or needs a jump or something.... but this just had a stank about the whole situation.
 

Red Dawg

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
399
Location
Eastern VA, with too many people
Glad you had good SA....Funny how that crap happens too..The one dang time you forgot your tool box...
Something I have kept as a tool while fueling...I keep the nozzle in my hand while fueling. If someone appraoches the way that guy did, you can stop flow, and pull it out and hold it like a gun. If SHTF 40 cents of gas in the face can save a life...
 

Red Dawg

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
399
Location
Eastern VA, with too many people
I agree sir...Had you had it open, no doubt, they would have chosen more wisely..

IT also threw him/them off when you were firm, and not a "wuss"..Headed for easier pastures to glean..
 
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wylde007

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Messages
3,035
Location
Va Beach, Occupied VA
That's probably one of the more hair-raising accounts I have ever read. It sure is a good thing your spidey-sense was tingling.

And this is exactly the kind of thing that makes me loathe my own employers for disarming us. Sure, it is UNLIKELY that we will be victimized, but the chance of one in one million is still a chance. I can't get that through the HNIC's skull.

Dammit, we need a real, honest-to-goodness parking lot bill.
 

peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13,551
Location
Valhalla
You did well Djeeper!

I'm surprised you don't have a resident Jeep gun or two though. I have a rifle, double barrel shotgun and 44 mag that live in mine.
 

Maverick9

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
1,404
Location
Mid-atlantic
IANAL and I am glad the OP is safe, but I would be VERY CAREFUL about actually spraying someone who is a potential assailant with gasoline. After all it's just a threat of a robbery, not exactly life-threatening and the person (hypothetical) hasn't done anything yet.

It just seems likely to get the intended victim in a lot of trouble. Now, threatening to do that, maybe. To me, and it's just a hunch, you'd be better off shooting them, though again, unarmed, it's tough.

ISTM that the knowledgeable criminal could probably make a good living out of carefully threatening people, making sure they (the BG) are visibly not armed and getting away with significant crime. Conversely, we, the LAC, the potential victims have to tread very carefully (it's a shame).

Again glad you are safe, OP.
 
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skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
I agree sir...Had you had it open, no doubt, they would have chosen more wisely..

IT also threw him/them off when you were firm, and not a "wuss"..Headed for easier pastures to glean..

For the umpteenth+1 time - that thing on your belt is NOT a magic talisman that will keep the bad things away.

While we are still waiting for the verified report of an OCer being targeted because of their OCd handgun, it is still possible that an unban entrepeneur will not even notice you are carrying - until it might be too late. Situational awareness should not turn on or off depending on if you are carrying or not - as the OP's story clearly demonstrates.

While I think the OP did good (heck, they are here to tell us about the incident) I'm wondering about their command prresence and command voice.

I told him to stop and to give me a little space. He held his hands up and said "yeah man yeah man, no problem i respect that you go space man, no problem man etc etc etc"
He was still standing there with his hands up and after a few seconds and I sternly said "hey man, look, i need you to just back up and leave me alone."

I'm personally in favor of unambiguous commands: "Stop!" "Step backwards." "Step backwards now!" It does not matter if I want space or if he has bad breath or is just ugly. And there is nothing about my wants or needs - just plain do it - now!

Again, not a criticism of what the OP did. Just some thoughts on what might work better.

stay safe.
 

half_life1052

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
270
Location
Austin, TX
using your environment

Glad you had good SA....Funny how that crap happens too..The one dang time you forgot your tool box...
Something I have kept as a tool while fueling...I keep the nozzle in my hand while fueling. If someone appraoches the way that guy did, you can stop flow, and pull it out and hold it like a gun. If SHTF 40 cents of gas in the face can save a life...
Adding to that -- tossing a lit zippo lighter to the perp will give you space and time to get out of there. In a perfect world you will also have a screaming alpha. The cautionary notes elsewhere about waiting until there is an actual threat has merit but waiting too long to react with force will put you on the losing end.
 

Phoenix David

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
605
Location
Glendale, Arizona, USA
Glad you had good SA....Funny how that crap happens too..The one dang time you forgot your tool box...
Something I have kept as a tool while fueling...I keep the nozzle in my hand while fueling. If someone appraoches the way that guy did, you can stop flow, and pull it out and hold it like a gun. If SHTF 40 cents of gas in the face can save a life...

Will that work with all that vapor recovery crap they have on them?
 

IanB

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
1,896
Location
Northern VA
Beware of strangers in the dark offering a hand(shake).

The common tactic is you shake their hand and they never let go. Now, they have your dominant hand firmly grasped and you cannot get away, only option is to fight or submit.
 

2a4all

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
1,846
Location
Newport News, Virginia, USA
Beware of strangers in the dark offering a hand(shake).

The common tactic is you shake their hand and they never let go. Now, they have your dominant hand firmly grasped and you cannot get away, only option is to fight or submit.
Good job, DJEEPER!

I've had that happen to me, too. In my case, the guy came from behind in a busy gas station in daylight and got close enough to touch me, but didn't. You're essentially trapped between your vehicle and the gas pump.

He asked for some money for gas. My sudden reaction caught him a bit off guard, and given the other folks standing nearby, he backed off. I even brought up that scenario at a NNPD Town Hall Meeting. They were cautioning people to be aware of their surroundings.

As for the lit Zippo, not a good idea. Unintended consequences, etc.

As for the dominant hand being grasped in a handshake, we Southpaws have the edge.
 
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DJEEPER

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
407
Location
Yorktown, ,
I have a habit, while pumping gas, I keep the driver side door open and stand in-between the pump hose and the door with my back on the jeep. It keeps anyone from coming up behind me.

Luckily, this allowed me to observe everything that was happening and if someone did happen to charge me from the flank, they would have an obstacle to get around first which could buy me precious second.


This situation sucked. Its a horrible feeling when you know you are about to get into a fight.
 

mpg9999

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
410
Location
, Virginia, USA
I have a habit, while pumping gas, I keep the driver side door open and stand in-between the pump hose and the door with my back on the jeep. It keeps anyone from coming up behind me.

Luckily, this allowed me to observe everything that was happening and if someone did happen to charge me from the flank, they would have an obstacle to get around first which could buy me precious second.


This situation sucked. Its a horrible feeling when you know you are about to get into a fight.

It also keeps you trapped. I usually stand behind my vehicle when I gas up.
 

mobeewan

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
652
Location
Hampton, Va, ,
I too work for a company that does not allow guns in the parking lots. Although I quit smoking years ago, I carry a bic lighter in my LF pants pocket and one in my coat or vest pocket. If I have to stop and fuel up on the way home at night, I always have my left hand in one of those pockets just in case. I get approached by people at night bumming money or wanting a ride. If always planned that if things started to go sour during an encounter I would point the nozzle at them and ask them if they would like a light.
 
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skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
You do realize that it is getting harder and harder to find Bic-style lighters that are not childproofed - meaning you have to keep your thumb on the valve switch or it goes out.

Tossing an unlit lighter may buy you a second or two as the BG laughs.

stay safe.
 
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