Awareness on vacation

[printcraft]

A story on keeping alert.

I took the family down to Florida for a vacation before the kids got back to school.
Left central Indiana on a Friday afternoon trying to get as far as possible
the first day, can't really drive all night with kids. We were in southern Tennessee
when we pulled off an exit to stop for the night about 10:30 pm.
I and my wife are both CCW lifetime holders in Indiana.

Went to a hotel to check for a room, area looked alright but there was a bunch
of loud 20 somethings outside that had been drinking. Decided not the best place for the family.
Jumped back in the truck and began to pull out of the lot, crappy green Toyota of some sort pulls next to my door.
My window is 1/2 down... hand slides down to my Smith 649 in my door. Wifes down to her SP101 in her door.
Bear in mind this is 10:30 at night, skinny dude with the mullet asks me for money for gas.
Said he just left the children's hospital and is trying to make it home.
Now, the guy has a woman in the front seat and 2 kids in the back. I help people when I can
but this was red flag for me. Said sorry nicely and left the lot,
got on the highway, put my foot in it for greener pastures down the road.

Along we go for another 10 or so miles, girls have to use the restroom so
the next exit we get off to go to the travel plaza. The wife and I have been discussing the event with
the mullet guy, I've heard the no gas/childrens hospital scam before, he brought the kids along to throw
people off that he was not a threat, scumbag. Basically spotting travelers knowing that they have cash
and looking for a mark, open you wallet to give him a $5 and he sticks a gun or knife in your face and your out.

Anyhow, I was in the gas all the way to the exit, remember about 10 miles,
(kids have to go hurry dad) Get out of the truck 649 goes in front pocket.
Walk the Wife and 2 girls to the door of the plaza to do their business. Go back to the truck and get the
boys out and take them up. I wait outside by the truck. Scanning the parking lot guess what I see......
crappy green Toyota setting behind the pumps.

Guy followed me down the Interstate... now I had been talking about this guy with the wife for the
last 10 minutes and like a bad penny up he pops. I was beside myself, guy pulls up and proceeds to park
a spot down from my truck and eye me up. He starts to get out and I've had enough, shirt gets tucked behind my grip.
He gets the "Hey buddy not a great idea look" Woman gives him a shout.
Scumbags eyes get wide and he's in the car and out of the lot in a flash.
I was not trying to escalate the situation but none verbally
tell the guy keep clear and stay away from me and my family so don't flame me.

Jump back in the truck and put a bunch of miles behind us, head into Georgia late for the night. But now all is well with a great vacation to Florida.

 

[critter]

ALWAYS pay close attention to your 'spidey sense'! If you happen to be wrong, no harm, no foul.

 

[bowl443]

I don't know if this guy actually followed you or not, but I'm not gonna tell you that you're being paranoid either.

Several years ago I was approached by a fellow at a gas station that was asking for money. He had apparently run out of gas and needed money to make it to Houston to see a sick relative. I blew him off. My friends made some comments about how I was stingy, mean and all that.

A couple hours later and a few miles down the road, guess who I saw at another gas station, giving out the same sad story.

That's what the beggars do, go from place to place looking for someone with too much money. I don't think this guy was going to slash you once you gave him some money, but I wasn't there. Most of them are harmless cowards anyways.

 

[Travlin]

Revealing your gun like that can legitimately be questioned. Having a woman and kids in his car could indicate he is probably just going to ask for money, not make a serious attack. But you never know.

Your wife and kids were now out of the car so you couldn't drive off this time. You were separated in three locations, they didn't know about the new problem, and your wife wasn't there to back you up. He has already harassed you once and possibly followed you. You were targeted because of your out of state plates and family. He seemed to be getting ready to approach you again. So yeah, my warning flags and adrenaline would be way high. Would a verbal warning be enough? What could you say? He ought to know better by now without one.

We weren't there protecting our family, you were. You had to decide what to do. Legally you could have a problem, but personally I think you did very well. Glad it turned out okay for you all.

 

[quatin]

I don't know if this guy actually followed you or not, but I'm not gonna tell you that you're being paranoid either.

Here's the 99% ruins it for the 1% story. I've been stuck in awkward situations too. If the situation didn't give me the creeps I may parked in front and paid for $5 of gas at a pump with the clerk. Since you saw the guy at another station, he probably was just out scamming. When you're traveling intra-state highways, it's sometimes hard not to follow someone. I've went on trips where I see the same car for hours and then we both manage to pick the same gas station to fill up on.

 

[Treo]

I don't know, in Colorado what you did would have got you a brandishing a weapons charge, that said it worked. The guy backed off. pan handlers are getting more agressive these days I've run into a couple that pushed it right to the edge of strong arm robbery. ( my standard response is " I'm married my wife don't (sic) let me have money). I think I'd at least got ready to draw but I probably wouldn't have brandished the weapon to try to intimidate him.

 

[TallPine]

in Colorado what you did would have got you a brandishing a weapons charge

Well, if you were open carrying to start with ... ????

 

[Treo]

Well, if you were open carrying to start with ... ????

Open carry's legal here & I'm thinking had the OP been OCing the second confrontation would never have happened.

 

[conw]

I guess your kids were still inside using the restroom? If not, why not just get out of there in the car instead of exiting your vehicle.

It could well have been a coincidence (like other posters pointed out), and you were in the wrong brandishing either way.

This kind of situation is why I carry pepper spray. I would have gotten my pepper spray out (if the kids were still not in the car) and said "If you don't get away from me something bad is going to happen."

 

[texas bulldog]

i'm not going to get on you for the potential brandishing. i may well have done the same thing depending on how serious a threat i thought he was. still, it might have gotten me in trouble here in texas where there's no OC, so i'd have to really think it was serious.

 

[printcraft]

a couple of things

I don't know if this guy actually followed you or not, but I'm not gonna tell you that you're being paranoid either.

As stated the guy had to be within sight distance of me not minutes behind,
and ending up at the same station Why? because I noticed him watching me from a little distance off as soon as the family unloaded. Also
(The girls were running out of the truck because I had already made them wait for the stop for at least 20 minutes prior.)
He then proceeded to come over after I was alone.

I guess your kids were still inside using the restroom? If not, why not just get out of there in the car instead of exiting your vehicle.

Kids and wife inside the rest-stop. I was outside the vehicle at the stop. I get out of the vehicle at each stop.
Especially at NIGHT. They know to let dad check out the situation first.
I was already out of the vehicle when I noticed him, had I had the presence of mind (vacation) I might have
seen him ahead of time and WOULD have beat it out of there in a hurry. I will not start a confrontation.
I was NOT in my truck when he pulled up. I did not exit my vehicle to confront him. HE exited his vehicle and proceeded
toward the front of his vehicle with his eyes fixed on me. He was not going toward the building. There was nothing in the front of his vehicle but weeds.

Open carry's legal here & I'm thinking had the OP been OCing the second confrontation would never have happened.

I do open carry here in Indiana. I carry concealed too when a bit more discretion is advised.
I was never out of the truck in the first instance when he confronted me and asked for the cash, so even if I were OC at that time he would not have seen it.
I was in the process of leaving the hotel lot and in a pinch area he rolled up at the stop.

in Colorado what you did would have got you a brandishing a weapons charge

I did not touch my weapon.. never left the pocket,
I know it's a point of contention, but I feel if the sight of a grip can be a
deterrent then I'll open carry more often.

Good thing I did not have my Chihuahua on vacation with us,
Lord knows the trouble I might get in for brandishing a dangerous animal.

 

[Treo]

I did not touch my weapon.. never left the pocket

This is irrelevant because it didn't happen in Colorado, but in Colorado you don't have to touch the weapon you don't even have to show it all you have to do is indicate that you have it. When you pull it it becomes aggravated menacing.

Nobody got hurt, no harm no foul but I would have told the guy to back off before going to the gun.

 

[Carl Levitian]

You did good, printcraft. Your family stayed safe, and nobody got hurt. Best of all kind of finish.

I wouldn't worry about the brandishing thing. Too many lowlifes know how to get too close to you, and then its too late. Their betting on you not wanting to break the law, so don't play thier game.

Roadside rest area's are a red alert hazzard. I've had problems on I95 in southern Virginia and the border of North Carolina. Don't take chances.

 

[printcraft]

Nobody got hurt, no harm no foul but I would have told the guy to back off before going to the gun.

Yes, I had already had a discussion with him.
I was polite when I told him sorry and no on the first encounter.
I felt with the following me (I do believe he followed me, the time frame and
his actions were not in concert with an accident) and the fact
that I have a duty to protect my family and myself, that I acted
but not overreacted.
I guess if I had been a jerk and told the guy to (insert non Highroad language here)
then that might have gotten my position across the first time.

His actions brought out my defense reaction.

 

[hceptj]

I think you did great...would have done it exactly that way myself (and have before).

 

[LegalAlien]

All's well that ends well!!

I hope you enjoyed your FL vacation and hopefully you did not go to anti-gun Mickeyworld or Universal Studios.

 

[Tokugawa]

You did fine.

 

[printcraft]

I hope you enjoyed your FL vacation and hopefully you did not go to anti-gun Mickeyworld or Universal Studios.

No trip to the land of the mouse or unsolvable studios either.

Tampa - Bush Gardens, Clearwater (kids tried to drown me , up to CrystalRiver to swim with the manatees.
Beach time and relaxing. The rest of the trip was smooth no troubles.