Last Night I was going back home in a small minivan loaded with tools, I had been doing remodeling work. I was very tired and very weak. I have a medical condition that leaves me quite weak if I work too hard and do not eat. My minivan has a defective fuel gage and I lost track of how much fuel I had, I was at an underpass, and called a freind for help by bringing me some gas. I was not armed as I had left my sidearm in the safe, and rushed out. A young fellow stopped, he looked 17 or 18, blond hair, blue eyes, 6 foot tall, stunningly handsome, he seemed more like a clothing or bathing suit model. He asked if I needed gas, he offered me his 5 gallons of lawn mower gas, and to come get it from his Ford E-350 conversion Van. So, away I went, when I reached for the gas can, I felt a sharp blow to my groin that almost knocked me unconsious, and I was vulnerable, unable to defend myself except maybe to draw the sidearm that I had left at home. The guy, had me by my neck and it hurt terribly, and he seemed about to re-enact a prison rape scene, and vulnerable, half pinned down and exposed, he had me by the privates and it hurt exceedingly, leaving me as weak as a puppy. He was remarkably strong and athletic and I was very weakened having not eaten anything all day. Lots of cars were passing and I had a freind on the way and told him so, he was already very nervous and pulled me out of his van and pushed me to the ground and I scraped my hands. This is horribly embarrassing to relate or admit, however, it is the last time I ever leave home unarmed. So pardon me if I want to cuss out people that say I need not be armed. And no, I did not call the Police and be further humiliated, as a Retired Police Officer, I will see him again one day as his purely Evil but handsome fawning young face is permanently etched in my memory. I will not call 911 until after.
Good. I will gladly go. If it had happened to you, and I hope it never does, as you get older, you might not want people to be so harsh to you.
LOL!!! doubtful. you got attacked, it happens, call the police and let the professionals deal with it. if you go to prison they will kill you, as you're an ex-cop.
Thankfully, the Police in Portland treated me as one of their own the last time I had to use my sidearm a year ago. This was just too embarrassing to report.
That sucks. I hope things work out for you. I’m currently on a 3 day road trip for work. One of my job sites is a military base and I had to leave my gun at home. It would be nice if they had a system to check it in and retrieve it when I leave. I’m disarmed all week for a 2 hour job on an army base.
I recommend locating a range or gun store near where you work and leave your gun there, being unarmed means being a potential victim.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to find a place. I’m already working 12-14 hour days. I do field service all over the US. I guess I could keep my hotel room an extra day and keep it there, but it’s hard to justify spending an extra $100 to store my gun and work wouldn’t pay for it. Technically, I’m not supposed to have a gun in the company vehicle, but since they forced me into a company car and I know that most of my management also carry, I’ll ignore the policy and not push the issue with them. I’m not breaking the law, just company policy.
At one point I had a similar postion, and was using my personal vehicle, they at first did not check vehicles, later, they implied they might check personal vehicles at random. I helped change that policy. Truth is, often, where there is a will, there is always a way.
and if the bad guy gets you from behind, you can still be a victim even with a concealed gun. you had some bad luck, it happens
Anyone can be ambushed. It happened to me once, an unseen bad guy coming up from behind with a gun; I owned the gun he had for nearly 30 years. Anyone can be hit and killed by lightning (I have known personally of two). Anyone can die in a car accident. In any potentially dangerous activity no one can guarantee their safety 100% but they can improve their odds. I have done and still do activities that can be dangerous such as sky diving, several hundred drops (some into jungle canopy) and hang gliding. In the latter, the stats are 1 in 560 flights results in death and by that measure I should be long dead. Against bad guys you can increase your odds by developing situational awarness and rather than a profile of being a blissfully unaware victim in waiting. Even President’s surrounded by armed men can be killed. Jeff Cooper suggested a way of conceptualizing situational awareness. What’s your point?
I have a friend who was ambushed from behind by a bad guy. He was a man who knew what he was doing and had lots of street experience. He walked away from the ambush without a scratch. His assailant.... not so much. If you are willing to maintain the right mindset, you can and will prevail. Too many people actively choose to be sheep.
It's amazing when people are categorically unable to accept facts contradictory to their preconceived notions.
Some people refuse to understand you have a better chance Armed than unarmed. Then resort to tauting and flame baiting and insults. I posted this account in the hope others might not fall into the same trap. The insults and comments vary little regardless if you are the victor or the victim.
Well now, there had been at least two threads that have been dedicated reports of those successful in actually defending themselves with a gun. Match those numbers with those where a criminal took away a gun and used it on a victim.... and you wonder why you aren’t taken serious?