I was "fake" robbed yesterday

[lloydkristmas]

I've been a lurker for a while, now I joined, mainly so I could tell this story. Yesterday I'm in the parking garage (I'm a senior in college) at my university, and something very strange and disturbing happened. I was "fake" robbed. I just made up that phrase, but thats what we could call it I guess.

It's approximately 3-3:30 in the afternoon, I'm done with class, and I'm in my truck getting ready to head home. I climbed in the truck, started the car, and started adjusting the A/C, putting my backpack in the back seat, etc etc. My passenger door flies open and before I know it, a black guy is leaned inside my car. His hand moves toward me and I see a shiny object. This is happening so fast I barely had time to react. He said something like "Bitchh gimme your wallet". I jumped, then reached for the knife that I keep between the seat and the center console. I then realized that what he had in his hand was a cell phone. He goes "haha just playin fool, gotcha!" then walked back over toward his group (or should I say troop) of buddies. They were all hooting and hollering at this point, because whatever he had done was apparently hilarious to them.

I was still sort of shocked, but alert and keeping an eye on him. I had no idea what just happened, or if something else was going to happen. I called the campus police who arrived quickly, but of course they were already gone. The officer took a statement and passed word on to the higher ups, and it becane a big deal pretty quickly. From what I have heard, they are pretty sure they know who did it (because of some parking garage camera footage) and are dealing with it accordingly. The police are still in contact with me about taking further action and pressing any sort of charges, etc.


I couldn't believe this happened. I was still on edge long after they left. I have a HK USP .45 but its my only handgun and I dont like to carry it in my car in fear of break ins and such. I tend to leave it in my house. Like I said earlier, I carry a knife in my car, but I'm starting to think that isnt adequate.

I'm absolutely furious at this point. Seeing those guys just laughing and hooting after this "fake" robbery was ridiculous. I just got done reading the thread about kids with BB guns, and this only serves to reinforce what I already know. Youth these days are so much more corrupt and dangerous than they used to be, and no longer can we treat them like little children. There have been way more incidences of black on white crime and violence in my city (Waco) than just this one, and its getting to the point where I dont feel safe anywhere unless I'm packing. I've watched them stalk girls out into supermarket parking lots, break into cars, steal bicycles right off of campus bike racks, etc. One carful of these pieces of crap even shot up a local house with an AK47 clone. Why? They just wanted to. They didnt even know the people. We're dealing with human garbage here.

I dont know what I'm looking for with this post really, just some advice on what to do for the future I guess. I try to stay alert, and I have some weapons, but what do you guys think?

That idiot is lucky he didnt get his face slashed open, and I'm glad it didnt come to that, but now I almost wish I could have done more. Somebody needs to take a stand before this sort of thing gets worse and worse.

 

[SVT93]

My sister lived in waco, her house was robbed a number of times, not the safest places.

 

[lloydkristmas]

Yea I can't wait to get out of this crap-hole. It's like the Wild West out here.

 

[lloydkristmas]

I wish. If I could go back I certainly would have had a gun instead of a knife.

 

[chipperi]

I don't care if they are black, white, yellow, purple, or polkadot. Entering my car with an unknown shiny object with the words gimme your money would have most likely ended with a 230gr Golden Sabre in their brain bucket!

If they keep it up one of them will eventually die.


....and welcome to The High Road

 

[TexasRifleman]

I dont know what I'm looking for with this post really, just some advice on what to do for the future I guess.

Oh I think you won't have to worry long. This is Texas. They will try that trick one too many times and catch a face full of .45 and the problem will be self solving.

In the meantime, take the usual steps of keeping your situational awareness up when outside your home, all that personal safety stuff.

If your car has power locks see if you can program it to only unlock the driver door etc.

 

[CountGlockula]

If that dude had something shiny-gun or no gun, I wouldn't hesistate for my adrenaline rush to ignite and bash his skull in.

Self-defense training my friend is key.

 

[lloydkristmas]

It's too bad its on campus though, where I cant technically have a gun in my car. Any advice on a cheap reliable gun that I could keep in my car for just this kind of thing? Like I said, Im hesitant to keep the USP in there in fear of break ins. Im thinking like CZ52, Makarov, Sigma, somethin that will simply go boom every time.

 

[ABTOMAT]

If he keeps pulling stunts like that in Texas I'm guessing he'll disover that a real gun beats a fake gun.

 

[chipperi]

The police are still in contact with me about taking further action and pressing any sort of charges, etc.

Just another thought...Keep on them don't let campus police sweep it aside or keep it quiet. Remember they are campus police and are therefore paid by the campus. The college's only interest is their safety stats so parents send their kids there.

 

[AntiqueCollector]

I suspect he only stopped and tried to make it sound like a joke when he realized you had a weapon and wouldn't be robbed easily. Most people would of been too frightened and quick to hand over their money to notice the cell phone on time.

 

[lloydkristmas]

I have a feeling youre right. He moved before I could have given him a steel facial though, so it was pretty much over before it began.

 

[RoadkingLarry]

if you can't carry on campus then think pepper spray. Imagine the dolts response had he gotten a face full of that. Of course it maight have escelated to violence with his posse there with him. So have a big can of spray...

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Yes, you can have your weapon in a school parking lot if you have a CHL, by Texas law. The school may prohibit it, but the law does not. Personally, I'd choose getting expelled over getting dead.

I promptly left Waco when I was done with Baylor. I'm sorry for anyone still there.

 

[ilbob]

Just another thought...Keep on them don't let campus police sweep it aside or keep it quiet. Remember they are campus police and are therefore paid by the campus. The college's only interest is their safety stats so parents send their kids there.

The cops at the local JC got caught cooking the crime stats real bad a few years ago. Of course, there was no disciplinary action taken. Thats the problem with toothless laws.

 

[Cougfan2]

After reading some of the posts here about situational awareness, I've started making it a habit of surveying the area around my car with my head on a swivel. If there is someone near and I have to put something in my car I do it quick and get my eyes back on the subject. As soon as I get in the car, I lock the doors, even before I start it or put my seatbelt on.

I carry a Sig 232 .380 in a Bianchi bag and have also got into the habit of having the zipper almost all the way undone so I don't have to fumble for it if I have to reach for my pistol quickly.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Quite frankly, it's one of those BS domination games that some people play.

It is not a joke or a game. It is an anti social act of uncommitted violence, a test, and a gateway.

The domination games take the form of "joke", as in your case, or some other form of symbolic violation. Even though the violation is symbolic, it is a violation nonetheless. The message in all cases is "I can dominate you in some way, and you have no recourse".

They used you to "count coup" and gain status, at your expense.

It is, however a degenerate and cowardly form of counting coup. The plains Indians would gain status by touching a fully armed and aware warrior in a condition of maximum risk to themselves. The greater that warriors renown, the greater the actual risk taken, and the greater the honor gained. Warriors of renown did not take well to being whacked everywhere they went, and so their responses weren't always temperate.

These cowards, however, are operating in conditions of minimal risk to themselves, by ambushing people from behind, and they do not recognize their own degeneracy.

The last time I encountered this sort of thing was actually in the workplace.

A junior engineer I did not know well unwisely decided to try to assert some dominance by swinging a slow motion karate chop at me, which I rightly ignored as rude behavior, until he had the temerity to actually touch my neck and announce, "instant death".

The message was, "I can kill you; I am your master".

At that point, in full view of my boss, witnesses, and the CEO, with a smile and a calm, even voice, I informed him that if he ever touched me again, I would at the very least break his arm and charge him with assault.

People get really scared and confused when you make simple, unadorned promises of violence and legal complications in conversational tones while smiling.

 

[kd7nqb]

Well had this happened to me I would proboly be in an awful emotional state right now. Guy throws open my door threatens me with a shiny object, the guy ends up with sever rounds of .40S&W in him. I would feel awful if I had shot somebody who threatened me with a cell phone as part of a "prank". I dont even want to know how cops in Portland would handle it.

 

[CraigJS]

What good would a gun do over your knife? He had the "drop" on you before you ever saw him.. You need to be more aware of your surroundings, he caught you in "condition white". Doors unlocked, attention diverted, your knife where he also may have stopped you from pulling it out. If you have pockets in your door, put some OC spray or another blade in there. That way you're ready from either side. Your safety starts long before you reach for any weapon. Very glad your safe though!!

Be safe.

 

[chipperi]

The cops at the local JC got caught cooking the crime stats real bad a few years ago. Of course, there was no disciplinary action taken. Thats the problem with toothless laws.

Here in TN any violent crime or fatality on campus requires campus police to notify the local police to prevent cover up. This law comes from a death at ETSU that was immediately pronounced an accident though doubtful.

 

[Zoogster]

The irony is thier whole crowd, and parents, would have been crying for the court to throw the book at you for thier innocent friend just playing around who was ruthlessly gunned down by you, the homicidal maniac with a gun illegaly on campus.

As others have said it may have actualy been a real robbery and a last minute decision to make it a "joke" because he wasn't really sure about going through with it this time, or felt you would resist. For all you know his "friends" just "pumped him up" to go rob you and he "chickened out" at the last moment. Thug peer pressure at its best.
The next person might not be so lucky.

 

[gunsmith]

This really should be moved to Strategy and tactics

Always lock your car doors, and try to be aware of groups/individuals that may pose a threat.
I feel this was a real robbery attempt.

The last guy who tried a similar thing with me, I followed him and got the cops on him.
He had outstanding warrants and got busted for them.

 

[Cougfan2]

I dont even want to know how cops in Portland would handle it.

I Portland you would be labeled as one of those gun nuts with a CHL who was just looking for someone to shoot. Oh.........you'd be a racist too and the Portland Police would have a community conference so people could say why we must eliminate CHL's and prosecute vigilante's like you to the fullest extent of the law.

Enter Jesse and Al to stage a march down Albina Ave.

 

[Siderite]

I agree with Zoogster - with the group a short distance away, performing the indicated response to someone saying "Bitch gimme your wallet" who has an apparent weapon would likely result in them saying that he had only been asking for help, or some such similar excuse. It would get ugly fast - they'd probably win the race to call 911.

As for what to do, I agree with those stating to be more aware. In parking garages, I make sure to check 6 o'clock to ensure I'm not being followed, and will check both sides of the car before entering. Once inside, lock the doors, start the engine and put the car in reverse. This gives you the option of being able to move if someone comes up at that point - while you are buckling in, turning on lights, etc.

Stay alert and stay safe.

 

[springmom]

This really does belong in S&T.

First off, if it is illegal for you to have a gun on campus, then it is illegal. That does not mean you cannot defend yourself, nor that you must be an easy target.

1) Why on earth was your passenger side door unlocked? It should not have been. When you get in the car, lock your doors. Windows should be up and all doors should be locked when you get out, so that when you get IN, all you have to do is lock your door.

2) Did you see these guys when you got in your car? If not, you probably should have done...and the moment you saw them, your eyes should not have left them until you were in your car safely locked.

3) You froze. Most of us will, when assaulted. There's just too much info coming at us out of left field, too much unexpected. Some self defense training might help with that, though.

4) You were in a weapon; you were sitting behind its wheel. Never underestimate the ability of your car to get you the heck out of Dodge, as well as being a weapon in its own right. Wonder what Mr. Funny Man would have thought had you gunned the car into reverse with him halfway out of it?

5) As others have said, do NOT let campus police sweep this under the rug. Keep at it (politely) to ensure that they are in fact working on it. Most likely they'll want to stomp on these guys hard (NO college wants to make headlines for having violence!).

6) If you're going to keep a knife for self defense, learn how to use it. Training is important.

Glad you are ok.

Springmom