RetiredUSNChief
Member
Has anybody here actually been to Paris on Bastille Day?
I have. Back in the late 90s...and I observed even then that there were armed people on tops of the buildings all around the Arc de Triomphe and there were armed people walking around. At least some were armed with automatic rifles.
These people are ready for trouble. They train for it. And, especially in today's environment, they expect it.
No matter how you look at it, from the perspective of pedestrians a truck running down a crowd of people happens in seconds. And the closer you are to the actual event, the less time you have to react offensively because you're more concerned with getting the heck out of the way.
And if you're close, but not in the path...the truck is still moving vary fast relative to your position.
The further you are away from the actual event, the more likely you are to involve innocent people in any offensive act you may take during the pandemonium.
Having a concealed weapon on you may or may not help. But in an environment such as that, your tiny handgun is going to be of far less use than many would think against such an attack. The driver is armored somewhat in the cab, the truck masses several thousand pounds, he's a darn small moving target in the cab, and the truck just can't be easily stopped with a handgun. Or a rifle.
Add to this the fact that the reality of life in Paris, and France in general, means that a bunch of armed soldiers/police intermingling with, around, and above the citizens who are actively involved in seeking out and neutralizing any threat. ANY THREAT. A truck running down people. A sniper in a building. People maybe leaving behind suspicious packages/backpacks. People pulling guns.
People pulling guns.
From my point of view, France is darned lucky this guy didn't have the truck full of explosives, nails, ball bearings, and jellied gasoline.
Try your handgun on that.
I have. Back in the late 90s...and I observed even then that there were armed people on tops of the buildings all around the Arc de Triomphe and there were armed people walking around. At least some were armed with automatic rifles.
These people are ready for trouble. They train for it. And, especially in today's environment, they expect it.
No matter how you look at it, from the perspective of pedestrians a truck running down a crowd of people happens in seconds. And the closer you are to the actual event, the less time you have to react offensively because you're more concerned with getting the heck out of the way.
And if you're close, but not in the path...the truck is still moving vary fast relative to your position.
The further you are away from the actual event, the more likely you are to involve innocent people in any offensive act you may take during the pandemonium.
Having a concealed weapon on you may or may not help. But in an environment such as that, your tiny handgun is going to be of far less use than many would think against such an attack. The driver is armored somewhat in the cab, the truck masses several thousand pounds, he's a darn small moving target in the cab, and the truck just can't be easily stopped with a handgun. Or a rifle.
Add to this the fact that the reality of life in Paris, and France in general, means that a bunch of armed soldiers/police intermingling with, around, and above the citizens who are actively involved in seeking out and neutralizing any threat. ANY THREAT. A truck running down people. A sniper in a building. People maybe leaving behind suspicious packages/backpacks. People pulling guns.
People pulling guns.
From my point of view, France is darned lucky this guy didn't have the truck full of explosives, nails, ball bearings, and jellied gasoline.
Try your handgun on that.