I was "fake" robbed yesterday

[James T Thomas]

street smarts

I agree with so many here that it was an attempted robbery. He knew full well that if things had gone wrong; the police showed up, or he would be arrested shortly after, that he could beat the rap.

Defense attorney: -To you. "Did you actually see a weapon?"

Defense attorney: -To the defendant. "What did you have in your hand?"
-Reply: "A cell phone."

It may also be that this was a "rehearsal" robbery rather than fake.

 

[akodo]

I don't thing the presense of the cell negates the attempted robbery. While it may be possible for him to say he just had his cell in his hand at the time, and wasn't trying to imply it was a weapon, but that just moves it from armed robbery to regular robbery.

Be that as it may, my believe is that killers and criminals don't just pop up, they leave a trail of escalating behavior. It is quite possible this was just a kid taking a few steps down the wrong path, with a clean record. Then really a good scare of being approached by the cops, questioned, going to trial, etc, is gonig to do a lot even if he ends up pleading down to community service, or gets off.

On the other hand, a guy caught a few times spraypainting stuff, arrested for underage drinking and driving, a shoplifting beef, and other general petty stuff, that is going to play in on how likely his story is going to be believed by the cops when they decide to haul him in or just talk to him, the prosecutor when deciding to push charges, the judge/jury, etc.

 

[akodo]

Second though, more along a tatical line.

I drive an older car, and it doesn't have one of those remote activated from a distance unlocking keychains, however I have driven lots of cars that have them. I have never paid that close of attention to it. I know that after starting up the car it autolocks the door(s), so I have never actually had to check. However, do most of these devices unlock just the driver's door? or both (or all 4) doors? If it unlocks both, is that what this kid was noticing and exploiting?

 

[rhubarb]

With a concealed handgun license in Texas, you my carry a concealed handgun in your car or on your person in publicly accessible areas of schools, i.e. parking lots and sidewalks. The way my instructor explained it was that he could take his little princess to elementary school, walk her up to the door and hold it open as she walked inside.

I don't know about non-licensed carry in a car. It's certainly legal on the street, but maybe not on campus parking lots.

My solution to this danger is to lock my doors as soon as they're closed and put the car in gear, even if I'm not pulling out right away. It seems to me that the best reaction to most attacks while in a car is to put the pedal to the metal.

 

[pdowg881]

akodo-some remote entry locks have a one click system to just unlock the drivers door, and a double click to unlock all doors.

 

[JWarren]

This thread burns me up. I've been holding off posting on it because my emotions could get the best of me. It doesn't burn me up what YOU guys write, mind you-- it's the nature of the thread.


Let's cut through the over-analytic BS on this.


There IS a counter-culture in our society that has always enjoyed "intimidating" and causing the general polulace to feel "threatened."

It's always been this way, it seems. The costumes just change.


This isn't the first time I've read about the whole "sticking something up to someone" and "fake-robbing" them.

As has been alluded to on this thread, it is likely a Dominance thing. It is an Intimidation thing. It is a Humiliation thing.

And there is an added bonus that they may get some money out of it if you just hand over your wallet.

I don't thing the presense of the cell negates the attempted robbery. While it may be possible for him to say he just had his cell in his hand at the time, and wasn't trying to imply it was a weapon, but that just moves it from armed robbery to regular robbery.

No offense, but COME ON....


A guy jerks your car door open and forcfully jabs a cell phone into your ribs. What kind of person in polite society does either of those things for any purpose OTHER than an attempt to dominate, intimidate, humiliate, assualt, or rob you? He's not all excited about finally getting Amp Mobile and just HAS to show it to you.

Give me a break. It's not selling here. I don't mean to be brash, and I am not "attacking the poster of that quote." I am, however, attacking that line of thinking.


We all know clearly what what going on here. Part of the ills of society today is that we DO CONSTANTLY use excuses for behavior, over-analyze situations like this, and give the benefit of the doubt to those who do things such as this.


And we are SO concerned about being PC that we will overlay practically ANY situation where situational awareness is called for with some garbage about "Profiling."

Now, I don't know any factors in this case that would be "profiling" characteristics. It doesn't matter. Thugs come in all flavors. But if I am in a parking garage and I see ANY group of guys hanging around without an obvious reason, my spidey-sense is tingling. And it still would if they were all dressed in business slacks with wool jackets.

I mean serously... I'd worked with a lot of parking garages in my past. When you go in, you go to your car and get gone. They have never been high on the list of places to "hang out." You see people "hanging out," it should be a question mark for you.


Situational Awareness is the worst mistake in this situation-- aside for the mistake of nature that this piece of garbage was ever born. Parking garages should be HIGH on the list of places where situational awareness is peaking off the charts.

When I worked downtown in New Orleans, I knew a LOT of people who carried IN THEIR HAND a .38 snub-nosed revolver while walking to their car in the garage every day. (I know-- this was on campus. I am only illustrating.)


-- John

 

[Daggertphi]

You said that you can't keep a gun on campus, but are you sure about that? I live in oklahoma, and during orientation my freshman year we were told that we couldn't have them anywhere on campus, but state law says that our cars can have guns in them as long as they are locked. Not sure about texas, but that's how it is here.


M

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I don't thing the presense of the cell negates the attempted robbery. While it may be possible for him to say he just had his cell in his hand at the time, and wasn't trying to imply it was a weapon, but that just moves it from armed robbery to regular robbery.

No offense, but COME ON....

I don't get it. Some people were postulating that since no real weapon was involved, it's not a robbery. And that poster was correcting that idea by saying it just wasn't armed robbery, but still robbery.

Why did that simple factual correct evoke such an emotional response? Come on?

 

[akodo]

I don't thing the presense of the cell negates the attempted robbery. While it may be possible for him to say he just had his cell in his hand at the time, and wasn't trying to imply it was a weapon, but that just moves it from armed robbery to regular robbery.


No offense, but COME ON....


A guy jerks your car door open and forcfully jabs a cell phone into your ribs. What kind of person in polite society does either of those things for any purpose OTHER than an attempt to dominate, intimidate, humiliate, assualt, or rob you? He's not all excited about finally getting Amp Mobile and just HAS to show it to you.

Give me a break. It's not selling here. I don't mean to be brash, and I am not "attacking the poster of that quote." I am, however, attacking that line of thinking.

HELLO!?!

I was agreeing with your view of the incident!

Other people stated that due to absence of a gun, it wasn't a robbery. My statment is that I believe the law treats a real weapon or a fake weapon as armed robbery. If the guy gets the right people to believe that he wasn't really trying to make the cellphone seem like a gun the IT IS STILL ROBBERY.

None of this relates to the use of deadly force of the person targeted. This simply relates to possible criminal charges 3 months down the road.

 

[Erik]

"It's like the Wild West out here."

Sounds like just a little more Wild West is needed if you ask me.

 

[JWarren]

Akodo,

I think I failed to mention that I posted before my first cup of coffee this morning.


I missed the word "negates."


Yep, you and I are in complete agreement, it seems. Sorry for misquoting and responding, my friend.


-- John

 

[lloydkristmas]

JWarren,

I agree 100%. I am so tired of PC and "profiling" and all that crap they throw at us these days. If this story goes to the papers, I bet I will have Sharpton and his troop protesting outside my house because, after all, they were innocent kids playing a game. And then he would call me a racist. Then he would call the whole police department racists for helping me in the investigation.

You're not the only one who is tired of this "dominance" game. I've seen them in the cafeterias late at night crowding around girls and guys alike, just messing with them, trying to embarrass and humiliate them. I'm so tired of watching and not being able to do or say anything in fear of being called a "racist" or something else.

But you know what comforts me in the end? The fact that I am going to school, and I'm one more year away from dental school, a six figure job, a nice home, a stable family, and everything else that these clowns will never ever have a chance at. I guess the situation perpetuates itsself in that regard. I've never been a believer in natural selection and all that stuff, but I think that as long as people like us take "the high road" so to speak, we will prevail, and in the end, they will realize that all their dominance games and attempts at humiliation were all a waste of time, because they still lose.

In the meantime, the USP stays with me at all times, campus garage or not, I dont care anymore. I wont be a victim, and I wont watch while someone else becomes one.

 

[JLStorm]

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.

I always loved Texas

The truth as so many others said, is whether you had a knife or gun, you were screwed because he already had a gun or knife (as far as you knew) pointed at you.

On the other hand, if you happened to be carrying and you whipped out a pistol, the look on his face and the scream you would have heard would have been priceless, however, his group of friends probably would have dented the crap out of your car as you were pulling away. There is strength, pride, and stupidity in numbers it seems.

I believe that all of the death threats I ever received while working were always some thug or connected guys son in front of a group of his peers. Luckily as it turns out, I dont believe any of them were serious...just puffing up their own feathers as it were.

 

[Green Lantern]

Second though, more along a tatical line.

I drive an older car, and it doesn't have one of those remote activated from a distance unlocking keychains, however I have driven lots of cars that have them. I have never paid that close of attention to it. I know that after starting up the car it autolocks the door(s), so I have never actually had to check. However, do most of these devices unlock just the driver's door? or both (or all 4) doors? If it unlocks both, is that what this kid was noticing and exploiting?

I can just speak for 2003 Subarus. One click unlocks the drivers door, another one unlocks all doors. You can turn the horn chirp off an on, but not the cabin light coming on...(I think. Offhand I don't even recall if the lights flash or not! )

To the OP, count it as a great lesson in "situational awareness." And while behavior by your uninvited guest warrants him a Darwin Award, consider that he WAS at least smart enough to pick a "gun-free" zone for his foolishness....!

 

[lloydkristmas]

Haha well he is welcome to try again, because my car is no longer a gun free zone.

I wonder what would happen if I was robbed at knife-point in a parking garage and I used lethal force on the robber? Would they try and charge me? Or would the community rally in support like they did for those two Border Patrol guys that eventually got pardoned? The only time I would ever have to use a gun would be if my life was in danger, and by that point, I dont give two shiits if they try and charge me with something. At least I'll be alive.

 

[Regolith]

If it was a good shoot, and the DA didn't have a bug up their rear, you probably wouldn't get charged. You might however get expelled from the school for violating their campus weapons policies.

Also, IANAL, etc etc.

 

[lloydkristmas]

I wouldnt mind getting expelled if everyone knew it was for an honorable reason. I can easily finish my education elsewhere. Am I wierd for considering expulsion worse than living with the fact that I killed some guy? Because I think it would be worse.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

Kinda funny you mention that. In terms of absolutes your life is worth more than an education. In your societal view it may be better to die at the hand of some thug than be kicked out of a school that doesn't support your rights anyway. I have some family pressure to get a college education, but it's not enough to let me be robbed, beaten, or killed for it. School can wait, thugs with knives, guns, or a cell phone combined with a threatening gesture can't.

 

[Green Lantern]

INAL - but if the guy with the knife was far away from you, you'd probably get charged (esp. if you could have gotten in your car and drove away).

But if the guy with the knife hopped in your car - that improves your legal standing a bit, I'd say!

BTW - Er, what 2 border agents were pardoned? Ramos and Compean were still behind bars, 'less I missed something...

 

[Dorryn]

I would feel awful if I had shot somebody who threatened me with a cell phone as part of a "prank".

I wouldn't. Dont threaten people: its a simple maxim that more people should follow at peril to their safety.

 

[lloydkristmas]

Ah ok I thought they were pardoned. They should be, at least.

He was definately "in the car" enough for it to be considered a righteous shoot, though.

 

[the naked prophet]

Springmom, you mentioned training. Since I am in grad school and both take and teach classes on campus, I can't carry a gun, but I can carry a knife or other weapon. When I have asked serious questions about knife training, I was dismissed as a ninja-wannabe. I've never been able to get a serious answer either from instructors or any forum on the topic of knife training. Do you have any suggestions?

 

[riverdog]

I'd suggest martial arts training and consider a knife to be just one of the tools. IMO a knife is a great survival tool, but it's not a good defensive tool.

 

[40SW]

Attempted robbery, definitly not. This punk will eventually end up dancing with a high velocity slug.

 

[Mtnvalley]

TNP: I'm not Springmom, but can suggest a few different videos on knife-fighting and defense, as a good starting point (though I too am on the shallow end of the learning curve with knife work).

Look for titles from Michael Janich (Fighting Folders is one that comes to mind), as well as the relevant videos within Kelly McCann/Jim Grover's Combatives or Inside the Crucible series.

They don't teach fancy Filipino systems or the like, although Janich's system gets a bit more intricate. It's street-oriented stuff, and McCann/Grover's stuff in particular is pretty straightforward and results-oriented.