Tweaker at the Chinese Restaurant...

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N003k

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This was actually the closest to an incident I've had since I started carrying, and I think I handled it well.

About an hour ago me and my fiancee were in a take out Chinese restaurant waiting for our food to be ready. I sat facing the door and noticed a man that looked...off...coming towards the place, and decided to stand up. Turns out he was supposedly a recently released convict from NY trying to get to a city about a 20minute ride away. Claimed the bus dropped him off here, and his metro card wasn't good in CT. Kept going on and on, eventually asked for bus fare.

The whole time he was shaking uncontrollably, claiming he was just nervous, etc. I kept him a bit away, watched his hands the whole time, and acted sympathetic, and ended up apologizing and saying that we didn't have any cash. He bought it, and moved on to try other people. The owner of the restaurant then told us this was his third day in telling the same sob story. Ended up calling the police, giving as exact of a description of him as possible, and went home when our food was done.

Didn't have to make a gesture towards my gun, or any other weapon, just acted along with him. So, given that, how'd I do?
 
Didn't have to shoot him is a good thing in my opinion. You were aware of his demeanor and you were prepared should the need arise. Well done.
 
You were able to talk a possible threat down without anything escalating at all. I'd say you did well.

However, if he had bad intentions, you standing up to meet him could make you appear as a threat and therefore his first target...not exactly a good thing. I probably would have remained seated so as not to draw attention to myself or those I was with. It would also give you the element of surprise if things got worse.
 
allaroundhunter. While that might be. Personally I have a ton more options if I am standing then if I am seated//likely with limited directions I can move. If I am standing I can move things AWAY from my family, I can move myself out of way, I can use chair,table to gain time/distance. (plus folks tell me I look intimidating) One needs to use tools available.
While I wouldn't stand to confront him. Nothing wrong with standing, asking if order is ready. I do find I am not in mood to "converse" with folks like that anymore. They get a "No, no leave me alone" type response. I don't want to hear sob story "lies"
 
larry_minn said:
allaroundhunter. While that might be. Personally I have a ton more options if I am standing then if I am seated//likely with limited directions I can move. If I am standing I can move things AWAY from my family, I can move myself out of way, I can use chair,table to gain time/distance. (plus folks tell me I look intimidating) One needs to use tools available.
While I wouldn't stand to confront him. Nothing wrong with standing, asking if order is ready. I do find I am not in mood to "converse" with folks like that anymore. They get a "No, no leave me alone" type response. I don't want to hear sob story "lies"
Click to expand...

I completely agree, I was just trying to say that I would not stand up with the sole purpose to address the subject. (but unlike yourself, my whole 5'9" are hardly intimidating ;))
 
Fair enough on the not standing, to confront. I actually did let him come to me, I just saw him coming towards the building, walking across the parking lot, seemed suspicious to me, suppose it's hard to explain exactly why, was just a gut feeling off the bat. I stood before he entered though. I also figured it was more likely to have a negative ending if I just told him to buzz off or something, I'm not sure if he was just getting on something, or just coming off of something, but he was definitely experiencing the effects of SOMETHING. I didn't want to become his target by saying the thing that set him off.
 
Props for eyes on his hands. Hands kill. His eyes can't.
Also standing is the right thing. As mentioned, you have more options and it may act to back him away. Just an opinion, standing isn't going to escalate a situation, but sure puts you in a better situation to respond to a threat.
Good job.....
 
If you don't go to prison or the morgue, you did good.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of the saying that "A good plane landing is any one you walk away from." That's a pretty minimum standard of "good"--we'd all like a better landing or better SD encounter than that bare minimum.

But that doesn't change its essential truth.
 
I had something similar happen in the Cleveland Amtrak station a few years ago.

I just gave the individual my best Josey Wales stare and in a monotone said, "I've got nothing for you." He went back to scaring the female passengers in a hurry. It probably didn't hurt that I was wearing an NRA Pistol Instructor ball cap and reading Ayoob's Digest book on concealed carry.

He got unceremoniously ejected by an Amtrak cop about five minutes later.
 
However, if he had bad intentions, you standing up to meet him could make you appear as a threat and therefore his first target...not exactly a good thing. I probably would have remained seated so as not to draw attention to myself or those I was with. It would also give you the element of surprise if things got worse.
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Remaining seated would make you less mobile, more vulnerable and possibly MORE of a target.

His "feelings" would mean less than nothing to me. It's my ability to effectively evade a potential attack and respond effectively that matter.
 
You did fine.
I too would have gotten to my feet gun or no gun because of the very way you described his tweaked out demeanor.
At least this way if push came to shove you are positioned to fight back or flee.
Who called the police,you or the business owner??
 
Whether or not I offend someone is a distance secondary concern when compared to the safety of my family. I would have stood up even if he were close enough to notice it was in response to him.

If he was "off" enough for you to notice at that distance, he was definately a possible threat. Major annoyance at the least.
 
I carry and need a cane. So yes I would have stood up. A cane can be deployed to give distance, block, strike, or coupled with my grizzled, bearded, hard stare it says, " not today Skippy"
 
Thanks Doc.
I just spit coffee all over my screen.
I can just picture you or someone just like you rising up from the Chow Mein,cane in hand,snarling like all of us old geezers can.
 
Didn't have to make a gesture towards my gun, or any other weapon, just acted along with him. So, given that, how'd I do?
Click to expand...

Why would you have to gesture toward your gun? The guy told you a sob story and finally asked for fare and you declined. Absolutely nothing in your story indicated that there was ever even a remote need to do something like gesturing toward your gun.

You did fine for handling a non-threat event. Apparently everyone in the place did fine as well during your visit and when the guy had come previously. It sort of reminds me of Kramer taking on and defeating karate opponents of the same belt. Sure, they were potential threats...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t8xwpW8gJQ

You were able to talk a possible threat down without anything escalating at all.
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LOL, the possible threat wasn't talked down. The possible threat wasn't up. N003K simply dealt with the guy as a lot of us have with any person who comes in to bum change. He acted strange, might have been jonesing, but he never presented himself as a threat.

However, if he had bad intentions, you standing up to meet him could make you appear as a threat and therefore his first target...not exactly a good thing. I probably would have remained seated so as not to draw attention to myself or those I was with. It would also give you the element of surprise if things got worse.
Click to expand...

That would be one way to look at it. The other way would be that remaining seated limits your abilities to respond to a threat.
 
Showing my ignorance here, but what (who) is a 'tweeker'?

Is it a go-fast like amphetimine or a laid-back like valium?

salty
 
Meth users are tweekers. 1000 yard stare, nervous, erratic movements, they don't sleep for days-weeks. Someone showing those symptoms would be a very probable threat. They are unpredictable. That is the hardest thing to watch for and react properly to. They can be very emotionally unstable.
 
Thank you Sir.

I had a visual image of 'tweeker' as laid back Jack Nicholson/tense Anthony Hopkins movie characters chatting about the choicest cut of meat.

Thanks,

salty
 
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