Plan2Live
Member
In putting this post together I realized it could be and maybe should be broken into three posts but I decided to keep it together in one post. My three points are; 1. Encourage more people to post their close calls, 2. Bring up the difficult choices of a concealed carrier on a first date, 3. Describe my close call as a learning tool for others.
I learn a lot by reading posts in this section and the feedback given by members in the after-encounter analysis. I encourage others to be more forthcoming so we can all learn more from these encounters.
Here’s what happened. I meet a woman I think I want to spend more time with. I ask her to join me for an afternoon out. This is our first date, I know very little about her or her opinions. Bringing up the fact that I often carry a firearm probably isn’t the best topic to tackle prior to that first date. Because of that and because we are going to the Museum, which posts a non-30.06 circle and slash sign on the door, then going to a restaurant that serves alcohol (a no-gun zone in SC) I decide to leave my weapon in my console. She lives 45 minutes away and volunteered to make the drive and meet me in the Wal-Mart parking lot. We left her vehicle there and took my vehicle on the date.
After an enjoyable afternoon we headed back to retrieve her truck. I insist on topping off her gas tank since she made the effort to drive. I had her drive over to the gas pumps and I pull in behind her, lock my truck and begin filing her tank. It’s about 4:30pm, there are a fair number of people at the pumps but as I scan the area while pumping gas I notice a man walking directly toward us. Her filler neck is in the usual place on a pickup and the man stops at the tailgate and asks us what we know about geese. My alarm bells go off. He is now between me and my weapon. As he launches into this story about earlier that day, some geese were over there in the grass and when he walked by they were chasing him and pecking at him. I quickly scanned the bed of her truck, no boards, sticks, bats, or anything else that could be used as a weapon. I scanned him for lumps, identifying marks, general description and began watching his hands and eyes. I also did a quick 360 scan looking for accomplices. These are all tactics I see reinforced here often. He edges closer. Not finding any other weapon I withdraw the gas nozzle from the filler neck, do a physical 360 rotation so the hose is not between the two of us and I bring the nozzle to draw retention position and generally point it in his direction while explaining to him that geese are territorial and that he was in their space. I explain that lots of animals, and some people, are like that. He gives me a once over, looks at the gas nozzle and says something like “oh, that explains it”. About that time another guy walks up from behind the row of pumps to my left, geese guy greets the new man and they turn and walk away.
I put the nozzle back in it’s spot on the pump, take my receipt and turn my attention back to my date who is standing there looking at me and she says, “what just happened?” I reply nothing, nothing at all. I thank her for the day, we hug and she drives off.
So what did happen? Maybe it was nothing but I think it was an interview. Maybe it was just going to be a panhandle. Regardless, I didn’t like it and I didn’t like the fact that I was unarmed. I don’t know what the right answer is about bringing up firearms too quickly with a new woman of interest but my lady friends tell me don’t go there too quickly if you want a 2nd date. But I do know that we can all take lessons away from situations like this so I am risking the criticism and airing it out. Feedback?
I learn a lot by reading posts in this section and the feedback given by members in the after-encounter analysis. I encourage others to be more forthcoming so we can all learn more from these encounters.
Here’s what happened. I meet a woman I think I want to spend more time with. I ask her to join me for an afternoon out. This is our first date, I know very little about her or her opinions. Bringing up the fact that I often carry a firearm probably isn’t the best topic to tackle prior to that first date. Because of that and because we are going to the Museum, which posts a non-30.06 circle and slash sign on the door, then going to a restaurant that serves alcohol (a no-gun zone in SC) I decide to leave my weapon in my console. She lives 45 minutes away and volunteered to make the drive and meet me in the Wal-Mart parking lot. We left her vehicle there and took my vehicle on the date.
After an enjoyable afternoon we headed back to retrieve her truck. I insist on topping off her gas tank since she made the effort to drive. I had her drive over to the gas pumps and I pull in behind her, lock my truck and begin filing her tank. It’s about 4:30pm, there are a fair number of people at the pumps but as I scan the area while pumping gas I notice a man walking directly toward us. Her filler neck is in the usual place on a pickup and the man stops at the tailgate and asks us what we know about geese. My alarm bells go off. He is now between me and my weapon. As he launches into this story about earlier that day, some geese were over there in the grass and when he walked by they were chasing him and pecking at him. I quickly scanned the bed of her truck, no boards, sticks, bats, or anything else that could be used as a weapon. I scanned him for lumps, identifying marks, general description and began watching his hands and eyes. I also did a quick 360 scan looking for accomplices. These are all tactics I see reinforced here often. He edges closer. Not finding any other weapon I withdraw the gas nozzle from the filler neck, do a physical 360 rotation so the hose is not between the two of us and I bring the nozzle to draw retention position and generally point it in his direction while explaining to him that geese are territorial and that he was in their space. I explain that lots of animals, and some people, are like that. He gives me a once over, looks at the gas nozzle and says something like “oh, that explains it”. About that time another guy walks up from behind the row of pumps to my left, geese guy greets the new man and they turn and walk away.
I put the nozzle back in it’s spot on the pump, take my receipt and turn my attention back to my date who is standing there looking at me and she says, “what just happened?” I reply nothing, nothing at all. I thank her for the day, we hug and she drives off.
So what did happen? Maybe it was nothing but I think it was an interview. Maybe it was just going to be a panhandle. Regardless, I didn’t like it and I didn’t like the fact that I was unarmed. I don’t know what the right answer is about bringing up firearms too quickly with a new woman of interest but my lady friends tell me don’t go there too quickly if you want a 2nd date. But I do know that we can all take lessons away from situations like this so I am risking the criticism and airing it out. Feedback?
