OK, what would you have done?

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2nd Amendment

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I left the house about an hour ago to come back to the office. When I turned on to the street towards town there's a car following this girl walking down the side of the road. It's raining, visibility sucks and I can't see much but for some reason it seems...wrong. So I go down to the other end oif the street and turn around.

Car is stopped, guy is out next to the girl. He jumps back in the car and drives off, turns around in my parking lot at the front end of my property and heads back. I pull in the lot, can't make the plate on the car so I sit and fire up the Suburban's lights(KC's everywhere) when he pulls back up with the girl. I can see the car, then her walking ahead of it and him pulling up again. Again nothiung much seems to be happening. Then she heads into the cornfield on their right, in front of me at about 200yds, and he gets out.

I pull back out and when I turn onto that street again he's back in the car and drives off. I drive by and can't see her so I follow him up till he pulls in a drive to turn around again. I block him and again try to get the plate and make of vehicle. No go, and I can't get the spotlight on him. This is also when I realize I've left the .45 at home and literally have nothing, not even a pocket knife or tire iron. SO I pull off, he backs out and heads back. I go down a bit and turn around again in another side street. Another truck does the same behind me, so obviously I'm not the only one that thinks something is up.

When I drive back he again is out of the car and she is on the street. Again he gets in the car and drives back to my place to turn around. At this point I try to get her into the truck and to the police station. She's crying but flatly refuses. I can't just haul her in the truck against her will so I again pull off, follow him into my lot and he again ducks out. The other truck pulls by him and stops, but then drives off.

OK, enough. I don't have a cell phone and have no idea what I am dealing with so no way am I driving up to my house and leading what might be either merely an upset teen or a complete loon on Meth to my kids. I make a beeline into town, forcing him to drive off again in the process, and call it in.

So I'm now sitting here feeling like I just abandoned a girl to God knows what. With no means of contacting anyone and no weapons available at all should I have stayed? My gut says yes but common sense says no. I could have stuck myself in a harmless situation of two pissed off teens. I could have put myself in front of a crazy whose size and state of mind I know nothing about... I do know if something bad goes down I am going to feel like a complete piece of crap, to put it very mildly. I'm frankly disgusted with myself and am not certain even why.
 
You're a better man than I!

Even if I had a weapon, I probably would have just driven right on by, probably muttering something about 'crazy white trash co-dependant loosers'.

Depending on what action I may have seen, I may or may not have even bothered to call 911. Heck I rarely even call in auto accidents unless I actually witness the crash.

I guess I'm just an uncaring s.o.b., but I just don't give much of a crap about other people and their array of problems.
 
My first guess was yeah, couple kids having a spat, drive on. But it's cold, it's raining and something set off my alarm bells. It's also Friday night in Methland and when she made for the cornfield... I remember a couple girls getting out of my car in a hissy and none of them ever felt the need to slog thru the mud at nite in the rain to get away from my male chauvinist self. :scrutiny:

Ya know, Wolf, that got me to thinking. If I had had any means of defense other than my hands I would have stopped and forced the issue. Like I say, it just did not feel right. So let's say the way it happened is the guy was drunk but harmless and nobody got hurt and wouldn't have even if the cops did not show up. Right now I still don't know. Now let's say I stopped and didn't even pick up the pistol, just left it in the seat.

Now I'm in the middle of what would have been a relatively harmless domestic dispute. Except now, of course, the guy has another male present whom he feels an instinctual need to best in some way. Or maybe she does that bizarre(to me) thing of immediately siding with the guy regardless of what he is or has done or might do and guess what? Now I get to be the bad guy, and an armed one to boot.

About 60 scenerios running around in my mind and several of them leave me wondering if it was not perhaps a good thing I was unarmed. :confused:
 
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I WILL comment. You did something! That's good. Could you have been better prepared or done more? Sure. We all think of better strategies after the fact. That's how you do better next time.

The mistaken impression is that without a gun you are powerless. Reality is that you do what you can with what you have. You had the presence of mind to realise something JDLR (just doesn't look right). You followed up on that in the best way you could. You were there, a visible presence, a witness to anything this jerk intended to do. I guarantee that made a difference.

I'm going with the teen lovers theory. It makes the most sense. Visible persistant presence kept his behavior in check. You probably protected both of them.

You went above and beyond with your offer to transport the girl away from the area. This is risky for reasons that don't need to be explained. In my mind, the fact that she refused your offer of help, puts all further consequences on her shoulders, not yours.

If I may ask, why no cell phone? In this day and age I can't think of a reason not to have one. The benefit of instant access to help is worth $40.00/mo. Even an inactive phone can dial 911.

You did what you could. Sleep well tonight.
 
I have two businesses. I'm in the Chamber of Commerce. I've let myself be dragged into several groups, the wife manages the largest grocery store in miles and miles. When I had a cell phone the thing never stopped ringing. We had no privacy at all unless we turned it off and then you wonder, is someone trying to get hold of me about something important?

It's been years since I worked in any position where I was likely to be in any confrontation or situation where I needed to contact someone and would not have a phone or other means of communication handy. In fact, so long ago there were no cell phones period. When we dumped our cell I literally did not expect that, with no more traveling than I do, I would ever need one in any importaqnt situation.

Another thing I have to actually consider now. Oh joy.
 
Boy can I sympathize with your reasons for no cell. I personally can't stand them but concede that they are a necessary evil and sometimes they are actually useful. I'd get a cell, and be very selective in who gets the number. Mine is on silent more than ring. The voice mail is handy. And that way it serves me when I need it and otherwise does not intrude on my life.
 
We had no privacy at all unless we turned it off and then you wonder, is someone trying to get hold of me about something important? -2nd admendment

Why don't you get a cell phone and set voice mail up on the cell phone? And check it regularly for messages.

The way I see your situation once she refused your help, all other consequences is on her shoulders.
 
The other responders pretty well covered the responses.

I don't have a cell. Don't want a cell. Am thankful that I can drive along wherever I go without having to talk to somebody to whom I would rather not talk.

I NEVER, however, go anywhere without my shootin' iron.
 
I have never understood how people can not disipline themselves to not answer a cell. That is what voicemail is for. In this day and age the tactical/SD effectiveness of a cell phone makes it worth while for me.

Perhaps you could get a cell and not give the number out. Just leave it in the truck on the car charger? I also keep a pocket knife on me, and one in each vehicle for just such things. Not that 3 inches of steel is gonna help much against a speed freak, but it is better than nothing, (Especially here in the PRK with no CCW.)

It sounds like you did good, most people probably wouldn't stop even if they noticed it at all. Good on you. Hope things turned out ok for the girl. Did you ask her if she wanted you to call the cops?
 
Everybody grab something that won't take offense and hold on . . . . .

And here we are. Fifth floor, Small Appliances, Ladies Delicates, Strategies and Tactics. . .
 
I can't say for sure what I would have done, as I wasn't there to guage the situation for myself. However reading your post I would have to say You did the right thing in the way you handled the situation as you saw it, and my take on the subject is more then likely it was a "lovers spat" and if not the girl made the decision to handle it on her own when she told you she didn't want the ride you offered.
I would also recommend getting a cell phone for both you and your wife, nothing says you have to give the number(s) out to anyone, but they are one more usefull tool to have and potentialy can be a lifesaver in any number of given situations.
 
Long story, but learned some things!

About six months ago I was involved in a similar situation. I was coming from a buddie's house and noticed a car in the parking lot of middle school. Since it was 9:00 p.m., it struck me as unusual. Then the passenger door opened and a man jumped out and began walking away. Struck me as odd...

Driver pulled through and began following the passenger, who was on foot. I drove passed and went to the next intersection, were I pulled into a service station and turned around. Something just wasn't right, and since we were only a few hundred yards from my friends driveway, I did not want to leave the situation until I knew all was well. :scrutiny:

As I passed the vehicle/walker I could tell the driver was a lady, which struck me as even more weird...usually lovers quarls have the woman leaving. I could also see the man had something in his hands, but couldn't tell exactly what it was. Since I am the "paranoid type" anyway (Condition orange, anyone?) I proceeded to the schoolparking lot a turned around again, thinking a lovers spat and that was that. When I made it back to the service station, the car and the lady were in the lot, along with a long gun hard case lying on the ground. Uh, oh...

I pulled in and scanned the area as I grabbed the Glock. I didn't see the passenger/walker, so I rolled up to the vehicle and put down my window. The lady was crying and trying to get her cell to work.

"Everything, O.k.?" I ask
"Yes... no" as I eye the gun case...."my husband has a rifle and he says he's going to kill himself".

911

Lady drives off in direction of friends house.

Called it in, the dispatch asks my name etc., but never asks were I am. She does ask were the man w/gun is. I say "up the road" and begin looking for road signs to give her info.

She says,"On Hwy 17 , headed North or South?"
I think, how does she know...my cell phone is GPS encrypted and she activated the "Emergency Mode" allowing her access to all my personal information, as well as location by GPS, etc.

:eek: That freaked me out. I suppose it was good in this situation because a few minutes later a Deputry rolled up right to me, but it felt so BIg Brother if you know what I mean...

Anyway, eventually they found the guy back at his home and after a long standoff he surrendered without hurting himself or anyone.

Here's what I learned:
1) Cell phone is a interesting piece of equipment. I recently had my wife's phone upgraded to a GPS phone for the same reason...she can be located if she has her cell phone on her person. I found out it doesn't even have to be on for them to track it. I thought that was just in the movies, but it turns out its real life.

2) Having the gun in my car gave me a measure of comfort so that I was willing to stop and help. I have now purchased a weapon (inexpensive Kel-Tec 9mm) just to keep secured in the car so that I always have a weapon in the vehicle. If I have my Glock, then its a back-up.

3) Helping is generally the right thing to do, unless the situation is already violent, then assess each situation.

4) I played "what if" for the next two or three days, just like you are doing. HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS 20/20!!!!!!!!!! Second guessing is not always a bad thing, but berating yourself for action is not appropriate. You willingly risked yourself for another...isn't that the definition of the greatest form of love for your fellow man?

In addition: Based on your description of events, you did the best you could with what you had, cased closed.

I am just proud you were gentlman enough to stop and help the lady out. Makes me proud to be a gun owner. We are a strange lot.
 
Lots of "maybe's" in what took place, bottom line, you saw something that did not look right....and took action. Your presence of mind...was your weapon, and your choice to be a positive solution / option...and not just another blind person on the street. Every father would have thanked you...for doing the same for his daughter. Hats off to you !!!!
 
We have cell phone service: Tracfone. Costs us about $10 per month for each phone. We also picked up some phones and car chargers from the local thrift marts and put one in each car. They will call 911 without service. The inactive phones cost us about $5 each to put in and no monthly fees. Those are the phones I use to call in drunk/raging drivers.

We carry, but I also have a C9 in each of the cars, hidden away but accessible. I might be a little paranoid, but I spent too many years in condition orange to be able to shuck off all that training.

Pops
 
Every father would have thanked you...for doing the same for his daughter. Hats off to you !!!!
Click to expand...

This is the key. This is why I also stop to help whenever something doesn't seem right. If it were my wife/girlfriend/daughter/mother in trouble, I sure as hell would want somebody to take note and see if they could help.

Good for you 2A. You're a sheepdog and you did what sheepdogs do. You kept an eye on the sheep and made sure there were no wolves around.
 
Well, in the end it turned out to be exactly what we figured: Two drunk teens having one of those lover's spats that seem so important at that age(and with a liberal application of Jack, Jim or MD20/20). Maybe I did over react but regardless I'm glad it wasn't something worse.

As for the phone thing, I'm going to get one of those pre-paid jobs just for this reason. Thx for the suggestion, Stickjockey. I have to admit, even if it's only once every few years that's enough to justify having some form of communication handy.
 
Heh, the other night, this guy in a jacket that you'd have to be crazy to wear, with eyes the color of egg yolks, muttering to himself and holding himself was staring at this woman I was waiting for the train near.

She was.. well endowed... and compeltely oblivious.

I watched him stare at her for about 10 minutes, then put myself in between the two and made long stern eye contact with him.

He got on the next train.

She never knew, talk about condition white.
 
I with the 2nd Amendment fan club on this one- I think you did just about everything possible. Without a cell phone, though, I'd have called the authorities as soon as I could get to a phone.

As far as not having a cell phone, I can't say that I blame you.
 
Spoon

Good idea on having a pistol secured in the car at all times. Next time I have some spare cash I think I'll take your suggestion.
 
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