2 situations I was in...
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:03 pm
I don't have my permit yet, but as I have been going through this process, a couple of incidences came to mind. One, I believe I handled very well, and the other, I literally did everything single thing wrong and it scares me that I could have been so stupid at the time.
#1. I was 17 when this incident happened. As I was driving home one January evening, it was raining outside and pretty chilly. As I made the first turn into my neighborhood, I see a young woman waving her arms around. I continued to drive past for a moment until it registered with me what she was doing. I looked in the rear view mirror and realized something was very wrong. She was in pajama bottoms, with no shoes and a t-shirt, soaking wet and was on her knees slapping the ground with both hands. I threw it in reverse, got out of the car, looked her over for an injury of some sort and she practically flew onto me. I held her back with one hand and asked if she was okay. The only thing she did for 5 minutes was scream "PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE! PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!! PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!" I told her to sit down in the passenger seat of my truck, gave her my carhartt to wear and immediately called the police. At this time I pretty much realized she was EXTREMELY hysterical and probably EXTREMELY doped up. Among the crying and yelling, I could make out "They're going to kill my aunt" Things just got real. I had her stay in my truck as I tried to calm her down. About 2 minutes later, a car with four young men passes by, her eyes get as wide as dinner plates as she points to them and screams "THERE THEY IS!!!!!!!!!" and points directly at the car.
Timing on the part of the police could not have possibly been better. As soon as the car passed my truck, LEOs pulled up and I pretty much did the same thing she did. Cops stop the car and there were some individuals wearing jewelery shortly thereafter. I never found out anything more about the case than what I already knew and the police did not have me give a statement 
I kept my cool, did my best to take care of the girl and I would like to think, possibly prevented any harm to her.
#2 File this one under lessons learned, as well as days I should have bought a lotto ticket. I was 19 at the time. Typical college freshman, thinking I'm invincible and that since mom and dad aren't here, I now am always correct. Me and some friends went to a local dance hall/bar to dance and try to meet girls. I wasn't having much luck at either at the time and decided to get back to the dorm early. I had not been drinking. I stand around outside waiting for a minute to see if any of my friends were going to come out shortly. Over near me a little ways, I see a verbal argument break out. A guy, probably around 23, is yelling and hollering at some people, who I then realized were his friends and one who probably wasn't. He was drunker than a skunk, of course, was pushing a guy who was trying to restrain/talk sense into him while trying to get at a guy who was not making the situation any better. He then took a few swings at his friends (I guess that's what they were?) What did I decide to do? Walk up to see the fight of course! I kind of stood behind a pillar poking my head out to see whats going on. This persists for a couple of minutes when he says it. The words that should have made me get out of dodge. "I swear to God I'll get my gun and kill all you!!!!" Immediately after that, his (drunk) friend assured everybody he did not have a gun, which is why my 19-year old brain decided that he automatically did not have a gun and I was safe behind my pillar. He kept making the same remark over and over. I guess I stood there to be a competent witness if anything happened or to intervene if needed. Only one problem. I might not have been around to give a statement to anyone because I didn't call the police. They all eventually walked off, the guy still shouting and very belligerent. I walked to my truck, drove back to the dorm, and proceeded to tell the story to my roommates. I didn't ever even think about this incident again until I started looking into CHL stuff when I remembered it and my blood ran cold. In hindsight, I should have gotten much further away from the situation (around the corner of/inside the building ) and just called the police while first and foremost ensuring my safety. Lessons learned, glad it didn't turn out worse than it did.
#1. I was 17 when this incident happened. As I was driving home one January evening, it was raining outside and pretty chilly. As I made the first turn into my neighborhood, I see a young woman waving her arms around. I continued to drive past for a moment until it registered with me what she was doing. I looked in the rear view mirror and realized something was very wrong. She was in pajama bottoms, with no shoes and a t-shirt, soaking wet and was on her knees slapping the ground with both hands. I threw it in reverse, got out of the car, looked her over for an injury of some sort and she practically flew onto me. I held her back with one hand and asked if she was okay. The only thing she did for 5 minutes was scream "PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE! PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!! PUH-LEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!" I told her to sit down in the passenger seat of my truck, gave her my carhartt to wear and immediately called the police. At this time I pretty much realized she was EXTREMELY hysterical and probably EXTREMELY doped up. Among the crying and yelling, I could make out "They're going to kill my aunt" Things just got real. I had her stay in my truck as I tried to calm her down. About 2 minutes later, a car with four young men passes by, her eyes get as wide as dinner plates as she points to them and screams "THERE THEY IS!!!!!!!!!" and points directly at the car.
Timing on the part of the police could not have possibly been better. As soon as the car passed my truck, LEOs pulled up and I pretty much did the same thing she did. Cops stop the car and there were some individuals wearing jewelery shortly thereafter. I never found out anything more about the case than what I already knew and the police did not have me give a statement I kept my cool, did my best to take care of the girl and I would like to think, possibly prevented any harm to her.#2 File this one under lessons learned, as well as days I should have bought a lotto ticket. I was 19 at the time. Typical college freshman, thinking I'm invincible and that since mom and dad aren't here, I now am always correct. Me and some friends went to a local dance hall/bar to dance and try to meet girls. I wasn't having much luck at either at the time and decided to get back to the dorm early. I had not been drinking. I stand around outside waiting for a minute to see if any of my friends were going to come out shortly. Over near me a little ways, I see a verbal argument break out. A guy, probably around 23, is yelling and hollering at some people, who I then realized were his friends and one who probably wasn't. He was drunker than a skunk, of course, was pushing a guy who was trying to restrain/talk sense into him while trying to get at a guy who was not making the situation any better. He then took a few swings at his friends (I guess that's what they were?) What did I decide to do? Walk up to see the fight of course! I kind of stood behind a pillar poking my head out to see whats going on. This persists for a couple of minutes when he says it. The words that should have made me get out of dodge. "I swear to God I'll get my gun and kill all you!!!!" Immediately after that, his (drunk) friend assured everybody he did not have a gun, which is why my 19-year old brain decided that he automatically did not have a gun and I was safe behind my pillar. He kept making the same remark over and over. I guess I stood there to be a competent witness if anything happened or to intervene if needed. Only one problem. I might not have been around to give a statement to anyone because I didn't call the police. They all eventually walked off, the guy still shouting and very belligerent. I walked to my truck, drove back to the dorm, and proceeded to tell the story to my roommates. I didn't ever even think about this incident again until I started looking into CHL stuff when I remembered it and my blood ran cold. In hindsight, I should have gotten much further away from the situation (around the corner of/inside the building ) and just called the police while first and foremost ensuring my safety. Lessons learned, glad it didn't turn out worse than it did.