Interesting situation yesterday

[slow06]

I think you did well to stay calm.

In situations like that I try to kind of wander around so I can scan around me without turning my head away from the main person. I'll walk past my car if I'm in a parking lot, act like I don't know where I parked ect.

I try to stay alert. My wife thinks I'm crazy.

[Jose]

That's pretty damn scary. What was his demeanor? Was he panning with his eyes, looking around at all?

His demeanor seemed fine to me but that's not to say he might not have been up to something malicious. I'd like to say I can usually read people pretty well but I've had ex-GF's flip out on me and I wasn't expecting it. And certainly I can probably say he couldn't read me either so maybe that's why he didn't try to pull anything.

if you're not a little paranoid in this day and age, you're a fool...

keep an eye out, put mom on alert... maybe try to go with her to visit for a while if you can swing it?

staying calm and alert is always the best bet IMO... your gut feeling told you not to be aggressive, and it worked out just fine

Amen to that! Some of my friends think I'm a little crazy for carrying a gun so much but I tell you what, I'm the first one they call when they are having trouble (which is also a bad thing I guess to). Ya the first thing I did when I left there was call my mom and warn here. And I said if she went by there by herself, not to stop if there is no one else there. I'm sure she won't listen to me though.

meanwhile, I would have straight up said, "what's up with the towel man? you're freaking me out" with my hand on my pistol

LOL! That's what I should have done!

I've done the hand on gun thing a few times. If someone is approaching me I'll do that and tell them to stop. If they don't stop you know what's next.

Fortunately I can say I'll live and learn on this and definitely take a different approach the next time. The few times I go to the car wash over by my house I always have some "local" stop and ask me for change or to wash and dry my car. I need to start taking a different approach there as well.

my hand goes to the pistol multiple times a day!

call me paranoid if you want, I'll be alive to hear it

Again, amen to that!

I asked a very similar question a while back and was ridiculed into the ground over it.

Ya I remember that post. Wasn't it on The Back Porch? That was probably why it got out of hand.

I'm had that happen to me in the parking lot but the dude had a magazine. Now that I've started carrying the last few months it puts my mind at ease a little bit.
But I still always look around me in the parking lot I always scanned to the side and behind me like every 10 seconds. I don't think because I'm paranoid I'm just being realistic about how the world is today.

But that was pretty damn weird.

Certainly carrying a gun changes ones perspective on things.

[helosailor]

That's a weird situation all around. Panhandling at any cemetery, but especially a National Cemetery is beyond low. And if the towel was to make you think he had a weapon, it obviously worked...to an extent. I would definitely make the staff there aware of the situation (maybe not mention that you were carrying), so that they can be on the lookout for the guy.

[Cooter]

I think you did well to stay calm.

In situations like that I try to kind of wander around so I can scan around me without turning my head away from the main person. I'll walk past my car if I'm in a parking lot, act like I don't know where I parked ect.

I try to stay alert. My wife thinks I'm crazy.

your wife won't think you're crazy if you guys ever get in a sticky situation

I've noticed that my wife accepts my paranoia more and more over the years as shit happens to her.

I'm a boyscout at heart. Be prepared... plan for the worst, hope for the best.

[Jose]

Maybe he's found people who are in a more vulnerable mental state may be more likely to be generous at that point in time.

Very odd to be concealing his hand, I can't think of a good reason to have a towel draped over your hand while walking up to somebody.

True. I've heard of a lot of robberies occurring at cemetery's as well as people are more likely to not be paying attention and to also leave the vehicles unlocked. I remember reading a story a few months ago about a DPD officer having her personal vehicle robbed while she was stopped at the cemetery.

Odd. Good thing for you that you are very aware of your surroundings. He probably didn't expect someone like that. Who knows what was under that towel. Glad you didn't have to find out.

Me to. I still think he might have been up to something though but something made him change his mind. I'll have to see if I can look up the crime stats for there.

tunnel vision is a bitch and its not easy to train for every situation, especially one that catches you at a weak moment. Which is probably what he was preying on.

Ask your mom if he has approached her, maybe to sell flowers, candles, statuary, etc.

Ya totally my fault. I know the section I was in was completely empty and someone would have had to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time to get to me. But I'm usually pretty good about my situational awareness and I kicked myself for letting it lapse briefly.

When I talked to my mom she said she had never had anything like that happen to her before and I'm going to try and keep it that way.

I think you did well to stay calm.

In situations like that I try to kind of wander around so I can scan around me without turning my head away from the main person. I'll walk past my car if I'm in a parking lot, act like I don't know where I parked ect.

I try to stay alert. My wife thinks I'm crazy.

Ya depending on the situation I will do the same just to see if anyone is following me. Mostly at night and in areas where there is little to nobody around.

[Trip McNeely]

I'm a boyscout at heart. Be prepared... plan for the worst, hope for the best.

That is ALWAYS my motto for everything and anything. I live by it.

[YALE]

I've got the old lady doing perimeter sweeps when we engage a stranger. I stay polite and focus on him, and she pretends to ignore us and take a look around for other people approaching.

[Probie]

if you're not a little paranoid in this day and age, you're a fool...

That x1000000000000000

I've had a few friends and my mom ask me what I'm doing when I just casually look around and behind me when I'm walking. I also don't like people I don't know standing behind me. I truly believe paying attention to my surroundings has gotten me out of at least one bad situation.

[Cooter]

That x1000000000000000

I've had a few friends and my mom ask me what I'm doing when I just casually look around and behind me when I'm walking. I also don't like people I don't know standing behind me. I truly believe paying attention to my surroundings has gotten me out of at least one bad situation.

it's probably gotten you out of countless situations that you didn't realize were "situations"

[Probie]

it's probably gotten you out of countless situations that you didn't realize were "situations"

That's exactly what I was getting at. I'm sure of at least one, but I don't know how many more.

[CJ]

That's exactly what I was getting at. I'm sure of at least one, but I don't know how many more.

Are old enough to conceal carry yet?

[Probie]

Are old enough to conceal carry yet?

Nope, and I don't. That makes it that much more important.


My boss told me it's better to leave the house with a loaded mind and an empty holster. Quick thinking and being aware of your surroundings can get you out of situations long before you need to go to guns.

[CJ]

I was about to say, awareness is about all you can do right now, hehehe. Nothing wrong with that, just got to thinking.

[Probie]

I was about to say, awareness is about all you can do right now, hehehe. Nothing wrong with that, just got to thinking.

6 more months.

[Frank]

Could have been a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy fan.

<golf clap>