I was "fake" robbed yesterday

[RockyMtnTactical]

Strange... He probably has no idea how dangerous it is to do such a thing... or he probably wouldn't have done it.

I'd be pissed at the guy.

 

[sm]

geekWithA.45's post # 45 nailed it!

Some call this "flirting" or "coming on" or "checking out the dance floor".

-It is history, so take the history lesson and learn from it, as to not repeat it.

-Guns, knives are fine and dandy, just everyone "defaults" to Hardware.
Software is the key.
Change where one parks, how one approaches a vehicle, and gets into vehicles and leaves quickly and safely.

I don't care if a legal CCW area, or No CCW area. Get in - get gone.

-Problem 2.
Some forget about this problem.
Jury of peers, and let us be honest, just what are these "peers" going to consist of?

I sorta doubt the jury pool is going to be comprised of THR members.

The accused is not really going to have much say over who these peers are.
It might be folks that don't agree with one's politics, gun ownership, self defense, ideology. Not everything is going to come out in Jury Selection.
Pepper spray may even be "thought of" as being a bit too "harsh". Even after the Lawyer, and Judge explains the law.

-Think.
Can of brake cleaner, Aerosol foam window cleaner, inexpensive cologne/perfume, Clipboard, ... sitting on the seat, or near is not a uncommon item in a vehicle.

"Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury/Grand Jury/ College Campus Review, the accused was frightened and felt in serious danger and harm. He/she used a $1 clipboard from the Dollar Store to inflict the injury which caused this person to leave the interior of his/her vehicle when the door was jerked open"

One learns from history, even that of others...

 

[Wheeler44]

Well said Steve.

That's why I keep a hammer or roofing hatchet handy in the cab of my truck. I sometimes work construction and I never know when I might need it.

 

[LightningJoe]

Grab the cellphone and throw it as far and and hard as you can. Try to make it land on asphalt.


See what develops. Sometimes you have to make your own fun.

 

[thorn726]

i hate people like that , totally asking for serious injury.
what if you got him with the knife??

had a similar incident in SF once, walking along, i hear some nonsense behind me, turn around and this guy is moving around like some kung fu artist making weird sounds.
i turned so fast i startled the idiot, so i just left it at that and kept walking after looking at him like "gimme a break loser"

i really felt like giving him a kick in the face as he was in a great spot for it when i turned, but i let it go.
point is, idiots playing tough guy games usually aren't, but if they get hurt bad, they totally deserve it.

 

[Brian Williams]

It's like the Wild West out here.

The wild west was not as wild as the East during that time. Study how many murders were in the east per 1000 compared to the west.

 

[Gord]

-Think.
Can of brake cleaner, Aerosol foam window cleaner, inexpensive cologne/perfume...

Hmm... death by patchouli. On a college campus. There's a certain poetic justice to it...

 

[Leanwolf]

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


No, not at all.

In the "Ol' Wild West," a wannabee bandit like that numbskull would fairly quickly have found himself dangling by a rawhide necktie from the high limb of a nearby oak tree.

And so would his buddies.

Back then, people could and did, fight back.

L.W.

 

[zxcvbob]

It's too bad its on campus though, where I cant technically have a gun in my car.

In close quarters like that, I think a knife trumps a gun. Maybe you just need 2 or 3 knives so you can always get to one of them.

 

[Claude Clay]

you were 'supprised'..... not a + for awarness................train more in that area.....anything.....ANYONE w/in 20 feet of you N E E D S to be eyed. it has been said that only two types of people dont break eye contact: LEO ( them that carry) or other BG's.Keep allert.....make them always wonder.

 

[cpttango30]

Might try looking into some Stick Death Anti-Auto Theft deivices.

Not to make lite of what happend.

http://www.stickdeath.com/2004auto.html

There has never been any violance at the college I attend but, I have been asked to walk a few ladies to their car after some of my night classes.

 

[Orthonym]

What *is* it about parking garages...

Which induces teh creepy in one? Or attracts creepy people?

I mean, I think one might be subject to attack from more directions in an open-air car park, but I and reportedly others seem to feel a bit strange going into one of those places.

(enclosed, multi-level parking garages, whether above ground or not)

What is it? The acoustics? The lighting?

The psychically oppressively low ceilings? The general ugliness, to attract evil people and evil thoughts?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Strategy & Tactics

Looks like it's been moved and seconded that we take this discussion over to S&T.

Any objections?

EDIT:
There being no objections . . . click heels three times . . .

 

[strambo]

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

The citizens in the area might have a problem...but the cops I know (who work N. PDX) would be stiffling a laugh. They loved it when an old man shot a home invader in the head awhile back. The police in Portland aren't the problem...

I've had people do this stuff to me before, usually just the "flinching" crap but once I started my draw stroke when I thought it was about to be a car jacking. It doesn't make me mad though...why should it? It's just a matter of mindset. They aren't victimizing me in any way. The better they are at making me believe there is a threat, the more likely they are to get killed. Making people scared for their safety isn't a very smart thing to do unless you intend on following through.

They rely on the fear of the unwary to prop up their ego...and unwittingly rely on the reflexes and judgement of the trained to stay alive. The funniest part is when the Grim Reaper brushes thier shoulder in the form of an encounter with someone in the process of accessing a gun (or a knife in your case), unless you actually shoot or stab them, they just laugh completely clueless.

There is no need to feel "victimized" by this (unless you were truly helpless), just look at it as a good training exercise. Make sure to keep doing what you did well, and improve the areas where you were lacking.

 

[kurtmax]

I normally put my vehicle into gear and take the parking break off first thing (well, after locking, which I do as I close the door). That way if some fool comes up the the vehicle it's go time.

I imagine if some fool managed to open my vehicle door and I proceeded to run him over it could be quite effective....

 

[BullfrogKen]

on parking garages . . .

Its the dense concentration of people that make them attractive for the victim selection process. They're also secluded from public view of the streets, and businesses around them. Each level has a set number of entry/exit points. They're protected from the elements, allowing the criminal actor to loiter for a long time in relative comfort, out of the sun, wind, and rain. Hell . . . I can't think of a better place to go set up for a robbery . . .


In some states' justice systems, parking garages are regarded as known places of predatory criminal activity.


If you think you're upset now . . . think how upset you'd be if he and his buddies robbed you "for real", and walked away scoffing and joking with each other.


I'm glad you're OK. Welcome to THR.

 

[lloydkristmas]

Sorry I hit the Dallas Stars game last night but I'm back now...I dont know what the cell phone was for, probably just to make it look like he had a weapon at first glance. And yeah, I'm at Baylor, and I would be in trouble if I had a weapon in the car. I mean, no trouble is worth my life, but at the same time, I'm thinking that if he did have a gun, there wouldnt have been much I could do at that point, whether I was armed or not. I certainly wouldnt attempt to draw. In such close quarters, I could have probably used a knife just as effectively as a pistol.

Many have suggested a can of pepper spray, which I started carrying after a similar incident (or several) happened on the same campus. Black kids from the local high school would run up to the windows of cars at stop signs and pour drinks on people, try and take their phones, etc. I figured that as satisfying as it would be to put a bullet in little Demetrius Jacksons face, there probably wouldnt be much grounds for lethal force use. I opted for pepper spray instead. I recently gave my can to my girlfriend though, and I dont think it would have helped any more or less in this fake robbery situation.

Thanks for the replies guys, keep em coming.

 

[hso]

If you're in college and don't want to let the issue of off-campus punks acting out on campus go unnoticed write a well reasoned short letter to the college paper. Don't rant and froth about AKs and gangs and such. Simply say that you're concerned that the campus isn't as safe as it should/could be and cite what happened to you as an example. Point out 2 other examples you know to have occurred (don't flood them with a batch of points because it turns into a long list no one reads). Don't go on about defending yourself. Let the letter be the documentation of these events so that others may get interested in the issue.

You've been given some good points to ponder. Why did you have your door unlocked so someone could enter your car? How did you get to your truck without seeing a gang of punks? Give up the idea that a gun/knife/stick would have been of any damn use to you. You weren't of any use to you at the time. You froze, just like almost everyone would have. That's why prevention is so important. Most of us would have startled and froze for a moment. Awareness is essential in seeing conditions that may put you at risk. Avoidance is important in keeping those risky conditions at a safe distance. You see a gang hanging out you go the other way and call the campus cops and report a group of non-students lurking in the parking garage.

A student at the University of TN in Knoxville was murdered in a parking garage by a transient in recent years. Parking garages make easy hunting grounds because the BG and victim are somewhat concealed compared to open air parking lots. Access is uncontrolled, it's easy to monitor comings and goings and trivial to hear cars entering and leaving. Access is through specific choke points. Ideal for the predator if they're not patrolled.

Please send some information on where we can read about the other incidents you mentioned.

 

[geekWithA.45]

. I figured that as satisfying as it would be to put a bullet in little Demetrius Jacksons face, there probably wouldnt be much grounds for lethal force use.

That may indicate an unnacceptable amount of blood lust.

I understand violated and I understand anger, but you've got to master it and gain perspective for your own sake, and the sake of everyone else.

 

[lloydkristmas]

Perhaps you are right. I still remember the kids name, probably wont forget it either. Haha who names their kid that anyway?

If you think the comments are excessive, a mod can feel free to alter them.

 

[buck00]

I'm absolutely furious at this point. Seeing those guys just laughing and hooting after this "fake" robbery was ridiculous.

This was an attempted robbery as someone mentioned. He was bluffing to see if you handed him your wallet. You didn't- so he "played it off" as a joke, but in reality he was hoping for you to cough up some money.

There have been way more incidences of black on white crime and violence in my city (Waco).

Do you have data on that? This is The High Road and I would tone down the "blacks today are out of control" type of theme. I am by no means Mr. ACLU, but I don't want to be a part of a forum that begins to head in this direction.

That idiot is lucky he didnt get his face slashed open

No- you're lucky you weren't beaten senseless. You let your guard down (mistake one) then you froze up (mistake two). You didn't go for your knife, you didn't hit the guy- you were totally at his mercy. I imagine you feel frustrated and disrespected- while that sinks in, focus on being better aware of your surroundings as you get in your car next time.

 

[GRIZ22]

This was an attempted robbery as someone mentioned.

It could have been he saw your knife and decided to make it a "joke" when he saw he stood a chance of getting cut. I don't know about Texas law but many states would consider this an armed robbery attempt.

I dont know what the cell phone was for, probably just to make it look like he had a weapon at first glance.

Those posting many of the other responses say in the same circumstance they would have shot this holdup man with "something in his hand". Maybe many understand better now when the police shoot someone with something in their hand that turns out not to be a weapon.

 

[lloydkristmas]

Well I'm looking on our University's newspaper website for information about the crimes I mentioned, but I cant seem to find it. I'm thinking now that it was sent out it one of those campus wide mass emails rather than published in the paper. Any search for crime statistics in Waco TX, or Baylor University more specifically will hopefully have some decent info.

 

[riverdog]

I agree that no weapon or can of mace would have helped because he caught you unaware. Situational awareness (SA) is critical to personal defense. He caught you in Condition White when you should have been in Yellow walking into the garage transitioning to Orange when you saw and became aware of that gang. They probably pegged you as easy and they were right. If you had appeared to notice them and would not have been caught off-guard the incident would probably have not happened.

But then the campus police wouldn't have gotten your 9-1-1 and been made aware of the situation. Just think, by getting caught in condition white and calling 9-1-1 you documented the issue and made the campus cops aware they had a problem. So maybe this was a good thing -- once. Don't let it happen again. You don't need a knife or a gun, just pay attention to the world around you. You might consider martial arts training.

 

[Nix]

i stabbed, and then got sued by what at one point was my best friend. i was asleep on my couch and he snuck into my apt (ground floor came in through window in other room) and grabbed my ankle. before i was even awake i stabbed him in the shoulder with a metal pen (first thing i could find... one of those ballpoint things... damn thing went in really well)

he tried to sue but it got dismissed.

people need to realize NOT to screw with people. he's lucky i fell asleep on the couch and not in my bed (pistol under pillow)