Lapse in Awareness

[theRiot84]

Greetings board,

I have enjoyed reading the board for sometime now. I thought I'd post an explanation of a recent lapse in my awareness and ask for advice.

I have had my CHL for about 4 years now (coming up on renewal time) and typically carry whenever/wherever I legally can do so. I have yet to have any issues while carrying until just recently. I took a trip to a local gunsmith to have a couple of my long guns worked on. On my first trip, I left in such a hurry that I had forgotten my weapon. This rarelly happens. However, on my second trip to the gunsmith to pick up my guns, I remembered to grab my weapon.

After placing my guns into the backseat of my truck in the parking lot, I turned around to find a man standing no more than 3 feet behind me peering over my shoulder. Needless to say this took me completely off guard. The shock of the moment caused me to gasp loudly and my vision even seemed to blurr for a second. The man appeared to be hispanic and didn't seem to speak any english. He stood there with his hand up continuously moving his finger in a motion as if he was pulling a trigger for what seemed like quite a while. He then began to speak and I have no idea of what he was saying. He was well inside of 21 feet from me and all I was thinking was I was in serious trouble if this guy springs on me. I was between him and my truck with the doors open, so virtually no room for me to move. I carry my pistol on the back side of my right hip. I remember turning my right hip away from him but could not decide whether to move my hand onto my gun or not. I did not want to instigate an attack if it wasn't his intention. I began to repeatedly holler for him to back away while motioning my left arm to visualize my demand. However, he just seemed intent on saying whatever he was saying and didn't seem interested in my demand. This lasted for what seemed like quite a while, but was probably a mere few seconds. He finally slowly turned around and walked away.

I consider myself to be generally aware of my surroundings, however not so in this case. I can vividly recollect walking out of the establishment to my truck and can't for the life of me figure where this guy came from. Looking back, I don't "think" he had the intention of harming me. But who knows. After the man disappeared down the street, I went back into the shop to tell the shopkeeper about the incident. Another lesson learned, pay attention to details. I found that when the shopkeeper asked for his description, I couldn't give him an accurate account, even though the incident happened just minutes before.

I would appreciate any feedback on how I could have better handled this situation as well as any tactical advice that can be offered in how to get the upper hand in this type of situation. Thanks.

theRiot

[ELB]

That nice little jolt you got when you found someone standing right next to you will probably do more to sharpen your awareness than any number of advisory posts.

Your situations are ones I have encountered, and have been actively working on, partly on my own and partly with some other folks that I train regularly with. This will give me a chance to organize some of my lessons and thoughts, so grab a cup of coffee, I will probably eat up a couple or three posts with this.

"Be Alert!" or "Maintain Situational Awareness" are nice phrases, but they describe a state of being, not an action. They are right up there with "Be Careful" (that works great on kids, doesn't it?).

How do you get to that state? You might want to analyze the way you do things, look for the gaps or places where you tend to lose "awareness," either of you gun's location or who is around you, and then figure out what actions you can take to mitigate this.

For example, you probably look both ways before crossing the street without even consciously thinking about it. You weren't born with this action as an instinct, your mom and dad drilled it into you when you were a brat (or you probably would not be here). It wasn't enough for them to tell you "Be careful crossing the street!" They had to show you how to be careful crossing the street, give you some actions to be able to implement "Be careful crossing the street!" Probably something like "Look left, look right, look left again." (Or is it look right, look left, look right? I always get mixed up so I look both ways several times. )

Some people on the forum have said they perform a "cross" before they leave the house to make sure they have all their stuff. They touch all the places they should have something, the motion making something of a cross. Gun, flashlight, wallet, knife, or whatever. I think this is an excellent idea, and one I am working on, because I have also launched out of the house without my gun, when I was distracted by an unexpected event.

[ELB]

As far as situational awareness on the street, you might take a look at what you do -- or don't do -- when you walk around, especially at transition points. I have been surprised by people being right outside entrances, or moving up close to me when I am getting in or already in my car. Luckily for benign purposes.

So I made it a procedure that when I approach a doorway, I look to both sides of the other side of the doorway repeatedly as I move through it, kind of "pie-ing" the angles (but quickly, and w/o my gun out). It was a pain in neck at first, but now it is pretty much second nature. As I walk down the street or across the parking lot, I occasionally step to the side and turn 90 degrees so I can see who behind me. (This is much harder to remember because there is no trigger, like a doorway, to remind me. I get a feeling of uncomfortableness if I go too long without looking around, tho.)

A friend of mine recently taught me a little technique or procedure to be better "alert" with respect to people when I do see them. Every person I look at I try to do the same thing, to ingrain it in my mind. He had a mnemonic for it, which I have already forgotten, but roughly it goes like this: Hands shoes shirt eyes hair hat. Look at the hands -- can I see them? do they have a weapon in them? Shoes -- do they match the rest of the person? A uniform (e.g. police or security guard) with those athletic shoes that light up when you walk probably says something is wrong. Shirt (really, shirt/jacket/coat) -- is it appropriate? Hoodie on a warm day? Eyes (and face) -- what at they watching? Me? Hair -- again, does it match the rest of the person? long, short, bald? Hat -- wearing one? appropriate (e.g. uniform)? None of this by itself is means something is wrong (except weapon in hands) but together it may mean something, and mostly it gets me to actually pay attention to the person for a moment -- and will help me describe him later if need be.

The human brain works with abstract models of the world, and we often see what we expect to see. This allows us to not get bogged down in detail, to recognize patterns, to think big thoughts and plans quickly. We see the forest, not the trees. Temple Grandin, an animal behaviorist who has autism but also a PhD, has some great insights on this. She thinks "normal" people are amazingly "blind" because they miss so many details that an autistic person like herself picks up on immediately. (Unfortunately, this means autistic people can get sidetracked by those details -- they see the tree, but never comprehend the forest).

So we can miss important details. When you walk out of the store and expect to see the same parking lot with your vehicle in it, that is what you will see unless there has been a huge change. You won't see minor details, like people loitering around, unless you force yourself to look at them. I find this a big problem for myself, and try to consciously counteract it, but it can be difficult.

Also part of my strategy is to recognize that I am human, it is very hard to stay in a state of awareness all the time, and I could very well be unpleasantly surprised very close up. So I practice empty hand defenses against knife and gun as well, I do not depend solely on being able to immediately access my handgun or to have the distance and time to employ it.

[ELB]

As far as your specific situation with that guy

...a man standing no more than 3 feet behind me peering over my shoulder. .... I was between him and my truck with the doors open, so virtually no room for me to move.

Looks like three options to me: 1) Get in truck and close the door; 2) Suddenly push past him to get some space; 3) Stay put, ride it out, and see what happens.

Him ignoring the shouting and arm signals is troubling -- doesn;t matter if he doesn't speak english, those are pretty universal signs to go away. He may not have been entirely in his right mind -- not crazy, necessarily, but impaired by drink, drug, or some unfortunate mental condition. As long as he was giving no other signs of trouble, I would not have acted against him (e.g. pepper spray or push him away), I probably would have done my darndest to get in my truck and lock the door. Hard to tell, there is a lot of detail and (mis)perception in a situation like that this is hard to bring to a forum post.

I do train with some guys in Austin pretty regularly on situations like this where it suddenly turns bad --- for instance, if your new friend there had suddenly produced a weapon and/or attacked. We also work on the SA bit, and some tactics to avoid getting to the 3-feet-away-and-no-where-to-go situation. If you are anywhere near Austin, we are always looking for new training partners.

[speedsix]

...I guarantee you I'll be more aware and alert after reading that...thanks for sharing it with us!!!

[RoyGBiv]

...I guarantee you I'll be more aware and alert after reading that...thanks for sharing it with us!!!

+1. Experiences are the best teachers.

Maybe it's a good idea for anyone living in TX to learn a little Spanish too.
Stop: Alto or Pare
Don't come any closer: No te acerques más

[theRiot84]

Thanks ELB for your responses. Very good read. I will certainly work on some of the techniques you mentioned. It is certainly difficult to train yourself to snap out of your own little world. Ironically, I'm always preaching to the girlfriend to be aware of her surroundings. Whoops. Seems I need to work on it as well.

The cross technique to check for everything sounds great. I've actually done this myself in the past, however never as a habit. I'll be working on that as well.

A bit more explanation on my position, my truck is an extended cab. I was on the passenger side with the front passenger door open, so that I could open the rear panel door which opens out like a suicide door. So basically I was between the open doors. Looking back, I had wondered about how I could have gotten into the truck quickly. Maybe close the rear door with my left hand, in order to keep my shooting hand free and keeping an eye on the problem, before getting into the passenger side and closing the front.

theRiot

[kjolly]

Experiences always makes you stop and think. Key secret is to keep on thinking. Don't walk around in distraction or fog. Very important to check your surroundings before entering and leaving cars. Mt gunsmith's shop is next to a liqour store in a strip mall. Always makes me very self concious when carrying guns in or out of smith's.

[The Annoyed Man]

ELB's excellent and detailed analysis can be simply expressed in Jeff Cooper's color codes (WIKI SOURCE).

The color code, as originally introduced by Jeff Cooper, had nothing to do with tactical situations or alertness levels, but rather with one's state of mind. As taught by Cooper, it relates to the degree of peril you are willing to do something about and which allows you to move from one level of mindset to another to enable you to properly handle a given situation. Cooper did not claim to have invented anything in particular with the color code, but he was apparently the first to use it as an indication of mental state.

• White - Unaware and unprepared. If attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be "Oh my God! This can't be happening to me."
• Yellow - Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation. Your mindset is that "today could be the day I may have to defend myself". You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary. You use your eyes and ears, and realize that "I may have to shoot today". You don't have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow. You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don't know. You can remain in Yellow for long periods, as long as you are able to "Watch your six." (In aviation 12 o'clock refers to the direction in front of the aircraft's nose. Six o'clock is the blind spot behind the pilot). In Yellow, you are "taking in" surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. As Cooper put it, "I might have to shoot."
• Orange - Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has your attention. Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you do not drop your six). Your mindset shifts to "I may have to shoot that person today", focusing on the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status. In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: "If that person does "X", I will need to stop them". Your pistol usually remains holstered in this state. Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to. If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.
• Red - Condition Red is fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. "If "X" happens I will shoot that person".

While I try to live in Condition Yellow, I'm not perfect at it, and I find that as I get older, it becomes more difficult to maintain. But, lacking the ability to physically fight my way out of a situation, and lacking the ability to run away (which is a perfectly acceptable response if you go home alive that day), it is the one discipline that I have to depend on......and it is exactly that, a discipline just like any other discipline. "Disciplines" in my view are things that we won't naturally do if left to our own devices, but that are good for us in some way or other—i.e. food discipline, Bible study discipline, work discpline. In the case of mental alertness from a self-defense perspective, Condition Yellow is the displine that will help to keep me from ever having to go to guns—which should be my last resort. So in that sense, the discipline of Condition Yellow is a moral discipline.

In my particular case, I am actually too infirm to train for combat. I do use a gym regularly (3x per week) to maintain some conditioning, but that is in a very measured way, and doing an exercise routine that is designed to accommodate that infirmity. So for me (and this should be true even for people who are physically trained for combat), my first line of defense is trying to be aware of my surroundings and to notice the little things because I don't have the "luxury" of being able to muscle my way out of anything, and I really don't want to ever have to shoot my way out of something.

So although I already try to live in Condition Yellow, threads like this are valuable to me because they serve as reminders. My first reaction on reading it was, "HAVE I been in condition Yellow lately?" It causes me to reexamine my routines. I live in a very quiet neighborhood, and we have a quiet house. Last night, around 1:30 or 2:00 a.m., our dog suddenly barked at something outside our bedroom on the back patio. He doesn't usually do this. My wife heard whatever it was that made him bark and described it as a rustling noise. His barking woke me up, so I didn't hear what caused it. There is nothing distubed out there this morning, so it was likely just the wind rustling the BBQ cover or something like that.....maybe a neighborhood cat. But I remember laying there for a moment, a little dazed, and thinking "should I be grabbing my gun? Should I get up and go look?" But the dog settled down after three quick barks, so I stayed in bed. I sleep with a C-PAP machine, and I wear earplugs when I go to bed to block the noise of the machine, so I pretty much have to rely on a dog that will bark to alert me.

To the OP, and this is just a suggestion, but if my dog had been in your truck, that guy would have never gotten that close without a lot of noise and fuss. The noise and fuss would have been an alarm to me, and most likely, a deterrent to him. Maybe taking a good sized dog possessed of an authoritative bark along for those errands would contribute to your general perimeter security? I realize that isn't going to always be practical, but I try to do it whenever possible......and the dog likes those trips too. Any chance to get out with the boss and go for a ride.....

[Oldgringo]

We are never more exposed than when we turn our back to the world to put something in, or take something out of, our vehicles; and, this usually happens where?

[speedsix]

...bullseye...every year there're stories of strongarm and armed robberies at the malls/grocery stores here...one local grocery's had several gunpoint robberies of money, car and money, and even groceries, car, and money...a female was smashing elderly folks' hands with a hammer as they opened their cars at the mall and taking what she wanted...

...not so dangerous is on the home end as you unload IF you park outside where you can see a ways around you(good lighting)...but I've been surprised there haven't been a lot more robberies/home invasions when folks open the garage door and drive in, then put the door down while their back is to the world...not knowing if someone rolled in under the door and was in there with them...it'd be easy to do unseen...mounting large convex mirrors high on the wall of the garage you're facing would give you a clear view of anyone doing that...and you could remain locked in the car...back out or deal with it right there...

[blackdog8200]

We are never more exposed than when we turn our back to the world to put something in, or take something out of, our vehicles; and, this usually happens where?

And it gets worse this time of year.

Head on a swivel. Pumping gas is a good time to get hit as well. Head down, wallet out, keys in the ignition, purse in the seat.....

I work in the hood and everyone around me in the gas staions gets "evaluated and prioritized" for possible action.

I always keep the rules for a gunfight in mind:

Anonymous

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap – life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you’re probably not moving fast enough or using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on “pucker factor” than the inherent accuracy of the gun. Use a gun that works EVERY TIME. “All skill is in vain when an Angel blows the powder from the flintlock of your musket.”

10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

11. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. Have a plan.

13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won’t work.

14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

16. Don’t drop your guard.

17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.)

19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gun fight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with anything smaller than “4″.

25. You can’t miss fast enough to win.

[RoyGBiv]

An oldie but a goodie...
#21 always cracks me up, then makes me contemplative.

[ELB]

So number 24, as written, says to use only very small caliber guns...

[wheelgun1958]

11. Always cheat, always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.