held up at gunpoint Saturday night!

[Tried'nTrue]

I, at least, will say "well done." Nothing gripes me like people saying "you should've complied" or "your stereo's not worth your life," or, "don't check your mail that late." Blah blah, it's all the rhetoric of victims. No thanks. It's my stereo. Furthermore, it's my decision when I check the mail. It's my life, and it won't be dictated, abridged, or altered by scumbags. If you live in fear, you're not living at all. Until I have a wife and children, I'm not going to be scurrying around like a mouse because some jackass thinks he can threaten me. Cheers, mate.

Lew, first off, thanks for the well-wishes
Secondly, I think you've hit the nail of this thread on the head in your post, summing it up in the sentence

It's my life, and it won't be dictated, abridged, or altered by scumbags.

Exactly. To allow scumbags to dictate our actions and even our words is the heart of victimhood. Now, I do believe that prudence and wisdom play into this equation, giving us greater opportunity to not "die before our time". That's why those of us who are able to carry concealed guns do so - it is a prudent measure towards personal safety in our day and age. To bring the idea of prudence nearer to home, if I'd have known that a gun was going to be pulled on my bro and I, of course I would've driven past the post office. In a manner of speaking, "Duh."

I lost my stereo to the thieves, but I was not a willing victim in that matter, relatively trifling though it was. Furthermore, and incomparably more importantly, I did not sell out my younger brother to the would-be murderer as the true holder of the truck keys. I was not made into a willing victim nor did I put my brother into that role.

There are those who obviously disagree, but I am even more firmly convinced that victimhood has been programmed into us and it will only aid, never deter, evil people. It is no mere coincidence that firearms are becoming such a social taboo are subjected to ever-increasing restrictions world-wide.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That's fine, if you have a phone in the car. Not everyone does

Have a phone in your pocket -- they're dirt cheap (less than the cost of a box of ammo.) A cell phone is as necessary in a tight spot as a spare magazine.

 

[Q-Lock]

"Do not have the mentality of a victim." - Tried'nTrue

Perfect! Not too "macho," while still having a level head about the situation.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

You walked away, and you don't have to spend $100,000 defending yourself in a civil suit. You won.

Not in michigan, come oct 1.



If this had been me, I'd like to think I'd have called the police as soon as they continued to pace me once I slowed down. Keep them entertained until the cops catch up, and then get the hell out of the way. The erratic driving is enough to tell them that you think the other driver is drunk, which usually gets a good response. I've called the cops while driving to report obvious drunks a half dozen times, and a couple times I've seen a cruiser pass me within a few minutes, hopefully looking for the guy.

I never disarm if I'm going to a post office. Concealed means concealed, rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6, etc.

 

[pharmer]

Like everyonelse said YOU WON! Only thing you did wrong was GETTING THE MAIL AT MIDNIGHT. Ain't nothing in my mailbox that won't wait till tomorrow, usually bills. Joe

 

[Tried'nTrue]

Ain't nothing in my mailbox that won't wait till tomorrow, usually bills.

Well, when ya put it that way, I think I can go for a few weeks between each mail check!

"Do not have the mentality of a victim." - Tried'nTrue

Perfect! Not too "macho," while still having a level head about the situation.

Thanks, Q-Lock. Let's hope I don't hafta put that into practice in such a situation again!

 

[joab]

All call phones whether activated or not can call 911

Get an old one and put it along with a $10 WalMart charger in every vehicle.
Whether you can afford service or not and whether you have an activated phone or not.

There used to be a program here that gave old donated cell phones to DV victims for that reason.

Get one from a friend or parent when they upgrade or for some reason decide to throw one out.

Like I said I have one dedicated to each car plus the one I usually have in my pocket.

 

[Tried'nTrue]

All call phones whether activated or not can call 911

Get an old one and put it along with a $10 WalMart charger in every vehicle.
Whether you can afford service or not and whether you have an activated phone or not.

I didn't know that, thanks for the tip That's wise advice.

 

[DoctorWho]

What to do

They sell pre-paid cell phones for around $20 now.
And I used to buy a cheap $20 phone card each month,
911 is still free, but You have to understand You may not reach the right 911 dispatcher on cell phones in some places that are Bi-State or Tri-State areas.

If You have CCW, and are in a remote area, be careful.
I like to wear a long Navy coat, and sometimes, in remote areas, I will put My compact CCW .45 acp handgun in a pocket, many times You will have a window of opportunity to almost pre-empt an attack by a bad guy,
It has happened to Me where I knew what they were up to, and took steps to not be in a place where they could attack Me.

I have been there and back many times,
My CCW license and piece and eye glasses are a real part of My life, and I go very few places without them, even the WC.

BTW: If You Dress to look Cop-ish, the Bad Guys tend to leave You alone more often than not.

 

[mountainclmbr]

To those criticizing the victims of this incident I am deeply ashamed of you. You should be able to go to the damned post office whenever you want. The agressive driving described happens to me all the time. Should I give up my life for them? Should I drive in circles screaming? Should I have ESP to know which are dangerous to me today? I go about my business and can defend myself legally except when I go to those states where the criticizers seem to commune(ize).

And call the cops??? Who's bright idea is that? I've had numerous occasions for that and (in 46 years now) have never had a timely response. Unless you call 1.5 hours (the leo record for me) to be adequate. Every time they have been extremely rude and condescending while not doing their jobs while I was trying to be extremely polite. It is like the post office times the drivers license office for the total responsiveness to me. I even had a home invasion and the cops told me that if they had to write up a report they would take every gun in my residence because they had been in the vicinity of a crime. The cops and the crooks seem to be competitors for my money from my observations.

So, take an interest in protecting your self. You are the one who cares the most. The crooks certainly, and the cops probably don't care what happens in your life as long as they can extract money from you.

To those who criticize these teens, please post all things that have gone wrong or disappointed you in your life so I can throw some big, flaming stones your way. You won't like it, but it is the GOLDEN RULE by the way, so no whining at my flames on your life story. You started it by the way!

 

[Guntalk]

>>Really, a knife or bat really doesn't bother me much.<<

May I suggest a wakeup call?

Even a small person who knows what he or she is doing with a knife can kill you in less than a second.

I just finished a week at Gunsite last week, shooting video with several instructors and rangemasters. Many of them have decades of experience in Border Patrol, special operations, etc. The only thing that really gets them wide-eyed and looking scared is when talking about someone with a knife.

You came out of this okay, despite making a number of mistakes.

You may want to use this as a jumping-off point to get training. A number of your posts indicate a lack of understanding of this subject, the nature of threats, and the reality of personal safety.

Be thankful for the second chance.