Always be aware of your surroundings!!

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Axis II

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I gave this some thought today and I'm very bothered by it. IMO this could have turned into a very serious situation and I was too complacent to see it until today.

I was in a hardware store (the one that sell's a lot of cheap tools) last night and I'm looking at crescent wrenches when an man about 60yo walks over to me and says "you know these things are absolute junk"!! I said oh, yeah? He begins to tell me how "they make cars so tight now days you cant get a wrench in there". I agreed and got that "there is something off with this guy feeling" so I politely said have a nice day and walked away. He then grabs the pack of wrench's off the wall and gets louder and says "yeah, complete junk I tell ya and repeats himself once again about how tight cars are". Moments later he re appears behind me and is holding a pitch fork and says "hey, how much do you think this weighs"? I replied I'm not sure and he lifts it up and says hold it and tell me. I said oh, I don't know maybe 10lbs. He took the pitchfork back from me and says "do you think I could fend of a vicious dog with this"? I said sure, I guess! The man then begins jabbing the pitchfork at the ground as if he's attacking something and says "yeah, I think that would work. I mean feel how heavy that thing is and sharp too"! He says "how big a dog do you think I could use this on"? I said sir, I'm not really sure and attempted to walk away. He then says "man these things are pointy" and shows me the points and says "feel those. yeah, those are sharp huh"? I said oh, yeah, really sharp and he follows me and says "yeah, I bet if a big dog came after me I could take this and jamb it right down in its back with these sharp points and then twist it and push and break its back"! The whole time he is making the motion with the pitchfork inside the store.

I kind of blew it off as just some crazy guy messing with people or a little out there and then it dawned on me. What if he attacked me and my friend with the pitch fork? What if he attacked customers with the pitch fork? Shortly after he bugged me with his nonsense he was asked by the manager if he needed help in which he declined. He then found another customer and began talking mumbo jumbo to him also but no pitchfork this time. I paid for my stuff and left the store. I am really bothered by it today that it took me almost a day to realize that I put myself in harms way and never had a clue! I thought it was some harmless old man just looking for someone to talk to. Thinking back on it most of the day today I wish I hadn't of been so close to him or allowed him to get close to me with the pitchfork, wish I had contacted a manager sooner or maybe the local P.D. I also thought to myself how could I have prevented it if he would have used it against someone? No firearms allowed on school property so I was disarmed that day. Never take anything for granted guys!!
 
I used to work with a guy that over analyzed everything when he got his CCW, you remind me of him as do many people that make this type of post. Did it occur to you that you could probably pick up just about anything in a hardware store and use it to defend yourself?

There are crazies everywhere, most are harmless, some are not. But, you don't always need a gun to deal with them.
 
joed is right, you don't always need a gun to deal with them. You can shine a tac-lite in their
crazy eyes. It will blind them long enough for you to exit stage right.

I wonder how many people spend hundreds or thousands on EDC guns, but their EDC light is
some 50 lumen dollar store POS?
 
Dibbs said:
joed is right, you don't always need a gun to deal with them. You can shine a tac-lite in their
crazy eyes. It will blind them long enough for you to exit stage right.

I wonder how many people spend hundreds or thousands on EDC guns, but their EDC light is
some 50 lumen dollar store POS?
Click to expand...

You made my day with the tac-lite, really glad I wasn't drinking anything. Absolutely right that a lot of people using junk lights.
 
I would’ve walked away from that guy immediately. My being polite and friendly looking isn’t an actual invitation to conversation. It happens a lot. You can really tell the ones who don’t get enough attention.

If it’s someone I’m not into talking with (or being talked at), I give a very weak almost sarcastic smile and just walk away.
 
Situational awareness comes in many forms.....the old guy and the pitchfork reminded me of an incident with Mrs Rembrandt. I had made some foolish comment and she gave me a look that could have been every bit as lethal as a pitchfork, that's when I exited and slunk to the basement hiding in my reloading room.
 
joed said:
I used to work with a guy that over analyzed everything when he got his CCW, you remind me of him as do many people that make this type of post. Did it occur to you that you could probably pick up just about anything in a hardware store and use it to defend yourself?

There are crazies everywhere, most are harmless, some are not. But, you don't always need a gun to deal with them.
Click to expand...
I think I carry my CCW gun maybe 3 times per month so wasn't concerned too much about that aspect. I threw the ccw part in there for those who would bring that up and why i didn't have it with me.
 
You are correct.....but your awareness needs to be better than after the guy walks up to you. Hard to believe the guy was discrete until he got in your face. I try to keep my distance from other customers unless I know them. If I see any behavior that does not seem normal to me, I keep a close eye on it until I am sure it's alright. One needs to keep from being distracted too, like keeping your phone in your pocket and not staring at what's on the shelf for extended periods of time. Situational awareness, like handgun accuracy, takes practice. One doesn't have to get paranoid tho either. Sounds like the old fart was more of a threat to himself than anyone in the store.
 
My EDC light is a Fenix that maxes out around 300 lumen. Good enough for my needs. I was raised to treat older people with the utmost respect, so even if crazy I am polite.
 
Did it occur to you that you could probably pick up just about anything in a hardware store and use it to defend yourself?
Click to expand...

Robbed from a different metaphor but, if the only tool you have is a firearm, every problem looks like a target.
 
buck460XVR said:
You are correct.....but your awareness needs to be better than after the guy walks up to you. Hard to believe the guy was discrete until he got in your face. I try to keep my distance from other customers unless I know them. If I see any behavior that does not seem normal to me, I keep a close eye on it until I am sure it's alright. One needs to keep from being distracted too, like keeping your phone in your pocket and not staring at what's on the shelf for extended periods of time. Situational awareness, like handgun accuracy, takes practice. One doesn't have to get paranoid tho either. Sounds like the old fart was more of a threat to himself than anyone in the store.
Click to expand...
I would tend to agree about not paying attention and him being more of a threat to himself. I was a hair worried he may hurt himself or maybe going home to kill his dog or someone else's. I have dealt with people with mental illness a few times in my line of work and they generally are good people with some problems but last night was probably the craziest thing i have ever been asked. I too watch everyone that acts suspicious but I had a lot going on last night and very tired, so i wasn't on my A game. Last time I saw him was by the compressors and floor jacks and within say 2min he had the pitch fork and was on the opposite side of the store behind me.
 
jmorris said:
Robbed from a different metaphor but, if the only tool you have is a firearm, every problem looks like a target.
Click to expand...
When I was 21yo and first started carrying I slightly had that mentality. I have since calmed way down and really see no reason to even carry a firearm anymore. Now had this guy had other motives and began attacking someone with the pitch fork I would have rather had something other than a sledge hammer that would fall apart if I picked it up and swung it.
 
.455_Hunter said:
Sounds like a typical senile old coot.
I would be more concerned about who is chillaxing in the parking lot with his homies.
Click to expand...

Senile at 60 yoa??? All is lost for me!!!

Living in rural area we tend to have interesting conversations with strangers when in the Farm Supply store. It is not uncommon to get asked and ask for advice from strangers.

Actually his questions where not unusual for living in the country. Pitchforks are handy tools and most likely to be the weapon closest at hand. I fact I need a new pitchfork so I will be sure not ask how much it weighs.

Senile at 60 though? Maybe that is why cute young ladies just smile at me when I talk to them.
 
BSA1 said:
Senile at 60 yoa??? All is lost for me!!!

Living in rural area we tend to have interesting conversations with strangers when in the Farm Supply store. It is not uncommon to get asked and ask for advice from strangers.

Actually his questions where not unusual for living in the country. Pitchforks are handy tools and most likely to be the weapon closest at hand. I fact I need a new pitchfork so I will be sure not ask how much it weighs.

Senile at 60 though? Maybe that is why cute young ladies just smile at me when I talk to them.
Click to expand...
I live in the country and had this store been in the country I would have though eh! This town was in a very richy area which i find kind of odd they even have this sort of hardware store but that's neither here nor there. Closest farm land or country is 40min south of this location. My school just so happens to be close to there so that's why I was there. Stranger advice also doesn't bother me. I was okay when he said the crescent wrench was junk and how you cant use them on cars because I agree 100%. It became odd when he grabbed them off the shelf in an upset manner and repeated himself.
 
So what was the threat that has you so worked up? Nothing you stated indicates he demonstrated any actions that could be construed as dangerous. Maybe he is a bit addled and was looking for a little attention and the dog story was his attempt at conversation. You state that he started a conversation with another customer minus the pitchfork so if he was trying to intimidate someone he would have kept the pitchfork. Much ado about nothing.
 
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