I was in a similar situation in New Orleans in the 00’s. I lived in a rough neighborhood and always had a pistol in my car (extension of your domicile in Louisiana).
It was after dark and I was walking to my car with a friend who was loud, oblivious, attracting attention, etc.
I saw a guy walking towards us and got a bad feeling. As we got into my car he crossed the street in our direction, looked like he was reaching for something in his waistband.
I got in, locked the door, opened the console and put my hand on the grip while making eye contact. The guy was maybe 3 feet from my car at this point.
The guy looked at me, looked at the position of my hand, put his shirt back in place and kept walking past us.
An acquaintance of mine was shot by a robber a few weeks later trying to bargain with the guy.
I don’t know what the laws are in your state, but I might have saved my own life and my friends by being extra cautious that night. Better to err on the side of caution.
Hi Adam:
Everyone’s response seems to be in agreement that you did the correct thing, especially the situational awareness you exhibited. I wondering about one thing, at the risk of being unfairly critical. Upon seeing the moped approaching you in a very unusual manner it seems that your initial reaction was to reach for your weapon to prepare yourself for the worst case scenario. Would it have been possible for you to move off the car and retreat to a more protected position? I’m just curious if there were alternatives (if they existed in that moment) that could have been taken before reaching for the weapon. If you didn’t have a weapon, what do you think would have been your response? I run these scenarios thru my mind constantly,
I appreciate your questions, they are good; and I hope my answers can be as good. So the whole scenario lasted about 7 seconds. My first thought went to worst scenario. Looking back, I could have honked, or flashed my brights. If I didnt have a weapon, since my car was still on, I would put it into drive, incase bad things came my way. Looking back, I dont think I had time to exit the vehicle, but you bring up a good point. Your car is a death trap, use it or get out of it.
I dont think you were critical or unfair; these are questions I’ve asked myself since. And hey, welcome to the family! @Alan39
Enjoyed your response, well thought out in my opinion. Seven seconds doesn’t give you much time to consider a dozen options especially when your life may be threatened. I have to admit that I obsess about these scenarios endlessly and fear that if I am ever confronted with a life threatening attack, I will be so busy analyzing and thinking that I will not prevail. I have been told by two individuals who had to use deadly force to defend themselves that the entire encounter was over in 4, 5 or 6 seconds. Bang, bang, bang . . . as fast as you can count. I admire your quick preparatory reaction. Thanks for getting back to me. I do enjoy being part of the family.
Alan
ndgun in my had at 50ft. As you know Sao Paulo is one of the most dangerous cities in the world my father got mugged with a whole buss loaded with commuters at lunch time. I would say proper response is appropriate depending on the city my situational awareness meter is hi on orange in SP where in Florianopolis its white or yellow at best. You did the right thing . It’s not paranoia if they’re out to get you.
Situational awareness is always a good thing and being prepared without over reacting shows your training is paying off. Having been in a similar situation myself, I applaud your actions. Don’t try to second guess your response as the name of the game is self preservation and no one can protect themselves or their family if they’re not alive. Awareness, reaction, restraint and confidence will serve you well in the self defense scenario.
I’m from São Paulo, SP, Brazil and had my fair share of watching criminals shoot and kill victims with my own eyes. I even saw a criminal shoot at my dad once. I live in FL now. You’re not wrong. It doesn’t matter where you live in the world. You can live in the safest city of the US and the risk of something happening is not zero and the consequences can be forever, if it happens.
I see any situation “out of the ordinary” as a threat but I don’t usually go straight for my gun. What I actually do is practice a lot at home (dry fire and unholstering the gun as fast as I can with different types of clothes so they don’t get in the way). Now I can unholster and fire the first shot in about a second. I make eye contact with the criminals so they know that I’m not like the rest of the people that are distracted and to show that I’m not afraid of them (that worked a few times even when not being able to carry), but I don’t go for the gun right away because I don’t want to alert the criminals that I have a gun so they don’t come shooting already. Some people prefer to even fake that they have a gun because some criminals can go away because of that, but that’s a dangerous game when the criminal you’re facing is one that don’t mind dying.
Take it for what it is. I’m just describing what I did in Brazil to survive and do now.
