Was I probed

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joab

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My wife and I were trying to find some tea cups for my aunt tonight in Vietnam Town.
The store we were going to only had parking in the back which forced us to walk through a large alley type corridor between two buildings, about 20 to 30 yards wide.
The building next door has an alcove where an addition was built onto the building where a group of three between jobbers were hanging out.

As we got out of the car I noticed them and decided there was nothing to worry about because one was in a wheel chair and we were in full view of the busy street that the storefront was located on and the other two didn't look imposing along with the fact that I really needed to get those tea cups and get back home.
So much for the set up.

As we got out of the car i heard one of them say something about getting a cigarette from him.
Then "Hey dawg what's up", "Hey dawg what's up" which I ignored.
Any favor asked of me from a stranger should begin with "excuse me, Sir"

One of them started approaching us with a $ bill in his hand asking for a cigarette.
I told him "This is my last one", indicating the one I was smoking

He kept approaching offering $5, I kept walking and shook my head
He kept offering, now much closer. If I had kept walking he would be in a position immediately behind me within a few feet so I turned an faced him and told him as non threateningly forceful as I felt necessary
"Look I told you this is my last one"

Now he is offering me $5 for the one I'm smoking, The whole time staring intently at my wife, which really pissed me off, and seemingly trying to circle around behind me.
She was doing a good job of keeping me between the two of them and heading for the store entrance.

I finally bowed up and told him that I didn't want his $5 and to go away ( in a bunch of colorful words) and took a step toward him. He skirted off, told me he didn't want my "busted ass" cigarette anyway and headed back to his mouthy partners.
This is about the time I noticed the way too muscular calves of the guy in the wheel chair

When I made it to the front of the corridor I noticed a 7-11, where they sell whole packs of cigarettes for less than $3, less than 50 yards from where we were.

We returned to our car and left without going to the store because my smarter than me wife was afraid that if we went inside they would do something to the car or hide behind it and wait for us.

Is this some new kind of mugging technique that I have not heard of.

Offer a guy $5 for a half smoked cigarette to get close and smack him in the head as he reaches for it.
Or was it simply some bum trying to get close enough to asked for a handout

I think I handled him ok but I have decided to add some pepper spray to my wardrobe.
All I hand today was a knife and a gun
The guy's hands were in full view the whole time and he never actually made a threat.

I'm 6 foot and 225 lbs he was about 6'1" and about 175
His moves were amateurish and not at all the fluid movements of a predator that I have seen before. I was never intimidated, but I am too old to fight with my wife with me.
 
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I'd say yes, you were probed. I think the fact that you stopped, turned, and confronted him is what saved you. Offering you $5 for a smoke? No way. That just reaks of set up.

And leaving right away was a good idea too. Like your wife said, they may have keyed it up while you were gone just to get back at you.

1+ on the pepper spray.
 
IMO - Yes you and the wife were being "cased" as I refer to this.

I commend you for the way you both handled this situation and worked as a team. You both listened to your respective gut instincts, and responded both individually and as a team to handle this situation.

Is this approach new? Not really, just another variation perhaps.

I smoke also. Whenever approached for a smoke, a match, or both. I am being "read".
May just be someone at college, only known by sight, still the approach - we are "reading" each other.

I call this type of thing a "Buddying Up of Shared Interests". Smokers are not the only folks.

Gravitating to like kind. Complete strangers, will attract to each other , or gather together.

Ladies will ask to borrow a nail file, emery board, be it in a office setting, in public, restrooms.
Ladies also ask for a smoke or a light. Not uncommon for some student to leave theirs inside during break, we all have bummed a smoke or a light. I have been approached by ladies as I entered/ exited a public bldg.

Most folks are too trusting, BGs know this, they also know how like interests lower the defense of many.

You mentioned the muscular calves of the person in a wheelchair, crutches and canes "lower" the defense mechanism as well.

I do not need a cane, I have one I sometimes use when I cannot CCW. I have had folks ask what happen, offer to / actuallycarry my packages/ groceries out to my car - all sorts of things - total complete strangers.

Teams are good. I have been cased by some very good teams. In a business, in a building, in public, and the most dangerous - an elevator.

Attractive ladies with low cut blouses, short short skirts. Ladies using a kid, oh yes, kids, giving a fussing, a spanking. Well dressed teams , rough looking teams, even a rough guy, pretending to be stalking a well dressed lady.

Anything to divert my attention to allow the rest of the team to gain advantage.

Once someone is inside your personal space - your vulneralbitity is way high.

Assume nothing, trust nobody, listen to your gut always ,watch all hands, have an escape plan, teamwork with family/ friends, codewords...

Elevators, one has to really be careful, stairs can and do offer options. A Lady, extremly attractive may instead be a black widow, next floor two well dressed guys enter the elevator.
My gut said "get out now", I made my way to the elevator floor buttons, hit the next floor, and took the stairs out of the building.
I was correct in doing so.

Especially anywhere there is NO CCW sign...be very aware of being Probed.
Fed/State buildings, parking lots, decks, and even paths on city streets.
The BGs know the law - they can "read" people. They can make a LEO, and they will take advantage of someone - civilian upset about having to do business with Fed/State .

Thanks for sharing - good reminder for us all.

Steve
 
Were you packing? CCW?? Knife? Anything??
Click to expand...
Knife and gun
Switchblade clipped inside the front pocket of my Farrah expandable waistband holiday feast pants and a .38 concealed at 4:00.

I just didn't feel justified, at anytime, doing more than moving my hand to my thigh below the knife
 
Exactly. But you had some confidence knowing you had some backup besides your wife ;), course my ex-wife would be backup enough, she'd bore them to death.

:evil:
 
Methinks you were a half a step from being jumped. Your agression saved your butt and your Wife's dignity. Most of those types are cowards and only will attempt an attack on someone who will not try to defend themselves.

The moment you move toward them its another story. I had a lot of these twilight thugs up before the judge in my younger days and it was always fun to see their bravado on a darkened street and how they wept openly in the daylight of a morning courtroom after a night in the clinker.

The only problem is, you never know who is the coward and who is the real deal that needs the business end of your aggression. Keep yourself tuned you did good.
 
Joab, nice work. Those jokers aren't going to try anything with you as long as you don't give them grounds to sense that they are at some sort of an advantage. My guess is that the way you reacted to the guy in the wheelchair probably scared him, and he backed off accordingly. You can now look back on the experience and verify what it is you're made of. Nicely done. :)
 
Nice job!

Handled well. With, I might add, the extra disadvantage of having another than yourself to think about in a confrontation. Good call on your part for keeping your head, your wife also for thinking about her position if things began to escalate. Good work.
 
And i thought you were talking about being anally probed by aliens from space.

Science has reached the end of what can be learned from ANAL probing.
 
Bopleo said:
And i thought you were talking about being anally probed by aliens from space.

Science has reached the end of what can be learned from ANAL probing.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought when I saw the title of this thread. I've never been the same since my abduction...
Biker
:evil:
 
Biker said:
That was my first thought when I saw the title of this thread. I've never been the same since my abduction...
Biker
:evil:
Click to expand...
Would you perhaps say that you're a bigger man because of it....?

:uhoh:
 
Definitely a good job. I've seen similar instances and agree that you were being checked. I smoke like a chimney and would never offer $5 for a cigarette. Especially when there is a grocery store within walking distance.

Three lowlifes, one unnecessarily in a wheelchair and one offering a ludicrous sum for a smoke? That adds up to trouble for the weak. Glad you were strong.
 
Joab, you showed confidence which is a warning sign for the predators. If any mistake was made it was not returning to the car and driving off. I am not being critical here but if things went bad and you could have retreated what would you actually shot them over, tea cups? I've done worse and will not bore you with details. I teach self defence and awarness courses and have been asked several times what would you do if you walked out of Walmart and thought someone was casing you. My reply is simply walk back in. Keep this in mind. It is hard to retreat when you know you probably don't have two. With your bride present your first thought needs to be "her" safety. Just a comment you handeled the situation well but you have to agree it "could have escaladed.
Jim
This reminds me of a fishing trip I took with my father when I was a child. We were bedded down for the night, I in a chevy two station wagon my father and a friend in lounge chairs outside. This was in the mid 60's when bikers meant a whole different thing. I was awoke at 2 in the morning by several bikes parking about 100 yards down the gravel road from us reving there motors. Two ran by and then on their return trip stopped at our camp site. I saw one walk over to one chair while the larger of the two walked up to my father. He approached my father and reached down while at he same time my father who was covered with a blanket simply drop the blanket down to his waste. I was behind this so I didn't see what was going on but I knew dad was armed. What happened was dad exposed a cocked and locked 1911.. I saw the man reach for my father then immediatly recoil apparently seeing the firearm when he dropped the blanket. Dad said what the **&*&*^ do you want. He stammered out something about a cigarette. Dad said we don't have any then proceeded to light one up. Needless to say they left and left us alone. Not saying that is how you do things , just reminded me of this incident.
Best regards
Jim
 
Jim
I have one disagreement with you.

When he started his approach the car was much further than the storefront on the busy highway.
Proceeding was the best option.

The mistake was made when I didn't get back into the car at the first "hey dawg"

As far as the story about your father
I will admit that I wanted to drop the cigarette and crush it out with my foot to accent my point, which of course would have forced him to escalate to save face

I have always believed that sometimes the best way to deescalate is to stand your ground and even push back a little.

Stamping the cigarette out, I think, would have constituted picking a fight


As far as the possibility of it escalating with out the cigarette stomp.

Wheelchair boy was much younger bigger and better built than I am, if those calves were any indication.
I did keep my front towards the other two guys but never actually considered them a threat until I noticed his calves.
At that point it was over.

I may or may not have drawn on the front man if it had suddenly turned sour because I honestly did not give the gun a second thought.
My first response would most likely have been a punch.
If I had underestimated him and we ended up in a wrestling match I probably would never have given the emaciated Dorian Grey looking guy or wheel chair boy a second thought which it turns out would have been a terrible mistake

So many things could have gone so wrong that I feel a little foolish about the whole thing

But you don't know how bad I wanted those teacups
 
Definitely probed. Good work on keeping the goblin in check. I was in a similar situation where I once had a pedestrian ask me if I had a cigarette when I was on my bike at a red light.
 
Joab you were there not me. As I indicated I am far from being able to judge someone else on "backing down" I have done some foolish things. The point I wanted to make was if you can retreat do so. I know some times you do not want to and frankly sometimes you don't. If you were closer to the building then that would be your secure position. Just remember your bride, they don't always understand how men problem solve tactical situations. If it was left up to me I would never retreat unless sure death for me would be the outcome, but I have to admit, I in my younger days didn't mind walking the line. As far as fighting I have sometimes gotten in some serious knoockdown dragouts and forgot that I even had a weapon. I like choke holds, and grabbing them by their long hair and beating there heads into the car trunk or what have you. Good talking with you.
Jim
 
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