Ol Spiffy Almost Got Mugged~!

[sturmruger]

What everyone else said here is correct. Any old cellphone that you can get to power on will call 911. If you dislike extra bills think about getting a prepaid phone. Prepaid phones tend to have a lower cost per month and allow you to call other people if you need asistance like Wild. Do you still walk everywhere when it's -20?

 

[R.H. Lee]

Not to beat a dead horse spiff, but you really need an autombile. How anybody could live in a place as inhospitable (not to mention crime ridden) as Anchorage apparently is needs transportation. Hey I live in beautiful temperate central CA and have two vehicles, one a 4x4, and it almost never freezes here, let alone sloppy snow/ice on the ground for months at a time.

If you drove most places rather than walked, a lot of these encounters would be avoided. If there's some reason you can't or won't drive, please ignore the above and I'll go back to minding my own business.

 

[spacemanspiff]

well the main reason i have held off buying a car is that i'd like to get some of my debts paid off. currently i spend most of my money making credit card payments, and to add in the cost of insurance and gas and maintenance would make me even broker than i already am.

doesnt help that WA keeps suggesting cool guns i should buy.

so my resolve is this: i cut back on my 'fun money' spending. if i stop doing fun things, i could have all my debt paid off within 6 months. and then i would have quite a bit of funds released to have a vehicle, nothing fancy, just something to get me to and from work and the range. in fact, i could probably do without walking to and from work as i live near the office.

 

[Frohickey]

Lots of good lessons to be learned here...

Nice thread. Lots of good lessons to be learned here from Spiffy's encounter with a street urchin.

1) Carry a Surefire, or some other bright light.
2) Carry a cellphone.
3) Drive, instead of walk.
4) Don't let anyone get too close.
5) Obey your Spidey-sense.

 

[torpid]

So Spiff...

Are you Lopez?

 

[spacemanspiff]

hey es-saay, throw me the wire-cutters and i'll answer yo question, holmes.

 

[TallPine]

The nice thing about Anchorage is that is so close to Alaska
(other than that ... )

I can see why you don't want a car, Spiff. They are just another hole to throw money into that cuts into the gun budget. Danged insurance can cost more than the car.

It's a damn shame someone can't walk down the street and be left alone.

A Surefire might be bright, but a 4-D Maglite is long and heavy

 

[Azrael256]

but i guess the OC is probably a better deterrant.

Without sarcasm, I say: Get a couple friends handy, wet a towel, take off your shirt, go outside, and have somebody give you a shot in the face.

Thinking about it, after you said "leave me alone," I would consider any aggressive move he made after that to be assault. Approaching you like that certainly justifies OC, and I wouldn't vote to convict you if you had drawn your pistol. I think it's justifiable and while an escalation, not to a degree that puts you outside your right to defend yourself. Individual choice, I guess. You can only retreat *so far* before it is no longer practical.

 

[mack69]

Re:

Spiff...Stuff like this just happens...and as all prior to me have said....you walked away without pulling your firearm shook up but safe and thats a good thing.....Last week I was working in my garage...as per usual I had my 1911 holstered under my garage coat. I had just finished cleaning one of my SKS's and wanted to dump the rags etc in the outside trash. I opened the overhead door and walk to the side of the house where the garbage cans are. Just as I grabbed the top 3 young men come strolling down the side walk from my yard. Apparently they were as shocked at my appearance as I was theirs....My hand was on the butt of my gun in a flash tho still concealed. They jumped..mumbled something to between themselves and took off down the street. I stood there darn near shaking at what ALMOST happened. Though I did not draw down on them I was scary close...Closed up things and went back inside. The next morning I noticed the tracks in the snow that came from the back neighbors place where they jumped the fence so they didn't have to walk all the way around the block to get to my street. Figure they were local kids or friends of my neighbors kids since the tracks came from there. But I never saw much of their faces since it was colder than a well diggers....ummm shovel and they were wearing hoodies. Glad I never presented...though I was on my own property while armed and that is not illegal here in Illinois ....yet!!! I am sure presenting and or shooting would have been another story...glad you survived.....mack

 

[Sawdust]

Spiff,

Lot o' good info here; I have just a few things to add.

Suck it up and get out of debt. I did the same thing about six years ago (took longer than six months, too) - the peace of mind is priceless.

Get the OC spray - it would have been perfect in this situation. I carry FoxLabs...wicked-hot stuff.

If you use a cell phone less than twenty or so minuts per month, consider getting a TracFone (www.tracfone.com). Cheap enough to have one on the nightstand and one for carrying. I buy the non-fancy reconditioned Nokias and load 'em up with a years-worth of minutes...again, good deal if you don't spew with WA trying to grind him on pricing.

Finally, *never* let anyone get close to your gun side; twist away and offer your support side...with a load of OC.

HTH,

Sawdust

 

[DakotaSig]

Spiff, since you walk everywhere, maybe a cane or staff would be in order?
Personally, I think I would give someone a poke with a cane before I used OC. Just another option to create space and it is already in your hand.

 

[Itote]

Spiffster,
Glad your still with us bro. Damn scary thread. Just goes to show, ya never know.

 

[gtd]

I'm not a cop, so . . .

. . . those very restrictive rules do not apply.

Guy scares the crap out of me, with two backup people stalking in a pickup truck, and they won't back off, they'll be looking at a drawn gun. Not pepper spray, not wimpy commands, not a little sign that says "I already told you to back off", but a drawn gun.

And there's no "21 feet rule". The minute I think I'm in danger in a case like this, the gun's out (discretely), because too close is too close. I don't want to get cut. "I just want to touch your hand?" NO!!!!!!!

If that isn't enough to convince them, the "BAM" will be coming from me.

He touched and said "BAM". That was way, way, way too close. You, my friend, almost forgot the cardinal rule: go all the way home every night.

 

[Cosmoline]

Outsiders may not know, but this is Spenard we're talking about. Home of some of the weirdest people in a state filled to overflowing with odd ducks. You can't just throw down and blow away someone because they want to touch you, especially not in that area.

I stay in Spenard all the time, and my line for drawing my gun is very different there than it is out in the sticks. That said, I'd probably have drawn when he went from saying he wanted to touch me to reaching for my firearm. You can't shoot him for trying to touch you, but touching the firearm is too close to trying to take it, and that's really close to imminent danger of death. You just have to be careful not to blow away some odd but essentially harmless nutcase. Just like you have to be careful not to run them down when the loons walk right out in front of your car.

 

[Wildalaska]

Home of some of the weirdest people in a state filled to overflowing with odd ducks

And Spiffy, Carebear and me and SWMBO all live there

WildevenwithahaircutimstrangeAlaska

 

[TrybalRage]

I don't know fellas, like I said before, a person can occupy the 6 inches in front of your face, making faces and ooga booga-ing the whole time, and I really dont see a whole lot that you could do.

If this is just some kid getting his rocks off by screwing with people, hosing him down with OC or drawing on him could be assault, especially if he's got half a brain and a lawyer.

This '21 foot rule' just does not seem to be a realistic street scenario. Sorry. Just how I see things.

And someone said that after asking him to leave you be, you would consider that assault. Sorry again. The only time that assault could even be considered would be when he slapped your hand. If he is standing inside arms length but not touching you, there is no court in the country that would call that assault.

The only thing that I can realistically say in this scenario is 1) never turn your back, and 2) be ready for when he does make a move. Unfortunately with the legal system we have this is the only way I can see you not being held liable for something.

Flame away

 

[what42]

I think when he got that close I would definately draw.

If I was asked, he was moving his hand inside his jacket/pocket and I thought he was going for a weapon.

I wouldn't shoot unless he actually attacked but one must be prepared.

 

[spacemanspiff]

i wouldnt flame you trybal.... i think that if the exact same idiot tried to do the exact same thing to 10 different posters here, there'd be ten different outcomes.

and while i did make some huge mistakes on my end, the most important thing is that i didnt get injured/killed, nor did i have to jump to using deadly force.

And Spiffy, Carebear and me and SWMBO all live there

aside from swmbo's unnerving taste in men, shes probably the most normal of us all.

 

[Dorian]

Mexican robot on the Blue team.

don't you pay attention?

He's on the purple team now.

 

[TonkinTwentyMil]

As Neocon, Carpetbagger, and others have suggested, this was probably a classic situation for the use of O.C., because when this dude pushed the proximity envelope, his behavior merited a non-lethal response. I doubt you'd have gotten any legal repercussions from hosing him (except in the most liberal jurisdictions). Besides, it sounds like if you DID spray him, you could have just walked away.

There was another HR thread a week or 2 ago about O.C., and I posted several cases where I used O.C. (effectively) and tear gas (ineffectively). My experience has been -- when you walk the streets of ANY city at night -- sooner or later (at least about every 2-3 years) some pre-assault situations will cross your path. Most can be diffused via awareness and judicious use of O.C. I like my Surefire flashlights, but I'd go for the O.C. first, every time. A cell phone? With most urban police response times running 10-15 minutes? you'll be a s**t stain on the sidewalk by the time they arrive.

Frankly, unless there are witnesses abounding, I see no reason to stick around after dropping some street punk(s) with O.C. -- and then dealing with cops, the punk(s) 's lawyers, and wasting your own hard-earned money on your own legal defense team... money that'll buy more ammo and a nice gun collection. This strategy works best if your looks/dress is Vanilla Anonymous, so they can't readily I.D. you later. As guru John Farnam says, it pays to fly below the radar.

Overall, you did pretty good here, and we can all learn from this one.