KiltedClaymore
Member
oh, and neviander, Arizona does too. but a rifle is long and bulky, not lending it'sself to quick deployment in a confrontation such as this one.
scary little jaunt to safeway
- Thread starter KiltedClaymore
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To whoever said he "overreacted"...what could he have possibly done to make you say that, other than posting about it on THR? He catered to the panhandler/bum in EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.
Also, hardware is great, but I don't care if you have a kubotan, a rifle, a knife, open-carried oleoresin capsicum and an open carried 44, you need to just figure out how to not be in a (highly questionable in a legal sense) position of talking to someone who you would stab if they reached their hand out to grab you...
Also, hardware is great, but I don't care if you have a kubotan, a rifle, a knife, open-carried oleoresin capsicum and an open carried 44, you need to just figure out how to not be in a (highly questionable in a legal sense) position of talking to someone who you would stab if they reached their hand out to grab you...
KiltedClaymore
Member
oh, that would result in me removing the knife from my pocket and doing all i can to make it inside the store (then calling cops). if he actually got ahold of me to pull me in, thats when the knife would have been used. maybe i failed to express that. sorry all.
IndianaBoy
Member
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I have had characters like that try to 'talk' to me before. It is generally an attempt at something nefarious even if they are simply sizing you up.
I have no inclination to talk to scum after everything that has been going on in and around Columbia lately. I am no longer polite.
I have no inclination to talk to scum after everything that has been going on in and around Columbia lately. I am no longer polite.
I've also become fairly impolite (or, at least, unsociable) in certain public situations. Maybe it's that I'm older now and have more to lose, but I don't see any real value in having conversations with folks rooting around in dumpsters. I agree that it sounds selfish, but I don't know what I'd hope to gain from an exchange like that. How could our interaction possibly enrich *both* our lives?
Having said that, I can think of many things he'd stand to gain. Most of those come at my expense, in varying degrees starting with a dime and ending with my life. If it's a situation where someone needs a hand, I'm glad to help. But in cases like yours, you have to ask yourself "Why has he initiated this interaction?"
Someone at loose ends like him needs to maximize his gain and minimize his loss. In other words, he doesn't have the luxury of striking up a new friendship with a complete stranger that you and I enjoy. Therefore, his intent is to gain something in some way. My prediction is that 99 times out of 100, that gain comes at your loss.
When in a similar situation, ask yourself what it is that you are prepared to lose, and then deal with the situation accordingly. If it's a couple bucks for a guy walking down a hot street holding a gas can, stop and give him a buck or two if you like. If it's a fellow who wants "a couple bucks to get food", same deal. But be aware that in both cases, you run a risk of losing more than you might want to, and so that's why you have to stay prepared and make the decision to engage well beforehand if possible.
Lately, my unsociability has taken the form of actively discouraging the type of encounter that you had. I feel that in the long run I'll be better off for it, and I no longer care to meet new people who have less to lose than I do. I've met interesting people and been in interesting/fun situations in past random public encounters, but I have no desire for that sort of thing any more. Which means, following the above, that I stand to not gain because I don't wish to meet new people and get involved in new situations. But that's an OK choice for me, because what I could lose is much, much more than anything I could possibly have gained.
Having said that, I can think of many things he'd stand to gain. Most of those come at my expense, in varying degrees starting with a dime and ending with my life. If it's a situation where someone needs a hand, I'm glad to help. But in cases like yours, you have to ask yourself "Why has he initiated this interaction?"
Someone at loose ends like him needs to maximize his gain and minimize his loss. In other words, he doesn't have the luxury of striking up a new friendship with a complete stranger that you and I enjoy. Therefore, his intent is to gain something in some way. My prediction is that 99 times out of 100, that gain comes at your loss.
When in a similar situation, ask yourself what it is that you are prepared to lose, and then deal with the situation accordingly. If it's a couple bucks for a guy walking down a hot street holding a gas can, stop and give him a buck or two if you like. If it's a fellow who wants "a couple bucks to get food", same deal. But be aware that in both cases, you run a risk of losing more than you might want to, and so that's why you have to stay prepared and make the decision to engage well beforehand if possible.
Lately, my unsociability has taken the form of actively discouraging the type of encounter that you had. I feel that in the long run I'll be better off for it, and I no longer care to meet new people who have less to lose than I do. I've met interesting people and been in interesting/fun situations in past random public encounters, but I have no desire for that sort of thing any more. Which means, following the above, that I stand to not gain because I don't wish to meet new people and get involved in new situations. But that's an OK choice for me, because what I could lose is much, much more than anything I could possibly have gained.
Halo
Member
You might have inadvertently stumbled upon a shooting gallery. If he had marks from pumping smack into his arm he was almost certainly sizing you up for any cash or valuable he could get -- expensive habit and all that.
fiddleharp
Member
So far, I haven't read all three pages of this thread, so if somebody already covered what I'm about to say, please forgive me.
Has it occurred to anyone that this guy was just a homeless mental case in whose mind it made perfect sense to stop a stranger and talk nonsense?
I've been a longtime volunteer at our local homeless coalition/soup kitchen. I run into all kinds of zany characters. Many of them are mentally ill. Fortunately, almost all of them are entirely harmless.
In the original post no mention was made of his appearance other than being a "guy" and something about needle tracks.
From what little information I was able to gather, it sounds doubtful you were dealing with a mugger, just a nutcase.
Has it occurred to anyone that this guy was just a homeless mental case in whose mind it made perfect sense to stop a stranger and talk nonsense?
I've been a longtime volunteer at our local homeless coalition/soup kitchen. I run into all kinds of zany characters. Many of them are mentally ill. Fortunately, almost all of them are entirely harmless.
In the original post no mention was made of his appearance other than being a "guy" and something about needle tracks.
From what little information I was able to gather, it sounds doubtful you were dealing with a mugger, just a nutcase.
KiltedClaymore
Member
he didnt look like a nut. actually, he was dressed kinda normal(then again, i dont dress myself in "normal" style). a yellow (god-awful color in my oppinion) wife beater and tan shorts. neither item were dirtier than one would expect "casual relaxation" clothes (like the stained but dead-comfortable pair of jeans we all own) to be. sneakers and tube socks in the area of footwear. all fairly normal for a warm arizona evening.
he did set down a can of steel reserve to come "chat" with me, so he may have been a drunk. who knows, it was just unnerving.
he did set down a can of steel reserve to come "chat" with me, so he may have been a drunk. who knows, it was just unnerving.
alde
Member
At what point would the OP determin this? After he has a knife in his ribs or been pulled down to the ground? When you have limited info you need to react with you instincts and not try to be polite because he may just be some guy with mental problems.
BruceRDucer
Member
Hey Kilted, luckily you came away okay.
/
That's the time to keep walking, and say "Nope, nope, nope, got no time to spare." and keep on truckin.
Here's the idea. It's the people you don't even know who typically attempt to assert some form of vague SOCIAL OBLIGATION.
I mean, after all, just because the guy says something, does not mean we are obligated. Blow them off as quickly as you can. Don't let them hold you up.
Looks like he might have been gorfing on dope anyway.
/
That's the time to keep walking, and say "Nope, nope, nope, got no time to spare." and keep on truckin.
Here's the idea. It's the people you don't even know who typically attempt to assert some form of vague SOCIAL OBLIGATION.
I mean, after all, just because the guy says something, does not mean we are obligated. Blow them off as quickly as you can. Don't let them hold you up.
Looks like he might have been gorfing on dope anyway.
ezypikns
Member
I've decided it's OK to be a jerk.
When someone like that approaches or calls out, I keep right on walking. Of course, I'm also keeping this individual within sight, and loooking out for any buddies he may have stashed around. DON'T be afraid to be unfriendly.
When someone like that approaches or calls out, I keep right on walking. Of course, I'm also keeping this individual within sight, and loooking out for any buddies he may have stashed around. DON'T be afraid to be unfriendly.
First off, you don't know what diseases were in those handshakes. There is no reason at all that you have to be friendly to a person like that. When a stranger tries to enter your defensive circle, I suggest putting up your hand in the universal "STOP" sign and giving a firm, "That's close enough." Never let him touch you.
KiltedClaymore
Member
well now, its a good thing im up to date on all my shots. and even though my immune system is tough as nails, i gotta agree with that comment.
BruceRDucer
Member
Well, you've probably already got Cooties...
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