Glad I was carrying

[Trinitite]

Sounds like a car jacking in progress to me.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=xk9r2QeTeYY[/youtube]

[rayman70]

I was robbed of my class ring by 4 thugs in that McDonalds restroom in 1988. I walked by the 4 guys sitting at a table next to the restroom door and didnt pay them any mind. (I was 18 and stupid). They followed me in and demanded the ring or get a beat down. I was at a stall about to unzip when i heard one say " yo man, give me that ring!" I turned around and the guy grabbed my wrist and jerked my arm toward him. I jerked my arm back a said, "here you can have it." They took it and left. I was just gratefull they didnt want my wallet also or beat or injure me. The ring wasnt worth it. Thats a very bad area to be at any time of day or night.

[03Lightningrocks]

I might have shot the guy. Sticking his hand in my door and trying to open it would have put me on extreme high alert. That is allowing him to get too close in my humble opinion. I can't really say for sure unless I was in the situation. My instincts determine many of my initial reactions. If he didn't appear to be much of a threat, I may have reacted less aggressively. If he appeared to be a thug that might actually be a threat, I would have blasted him right off the door. The exception would be if he ran off before I squeezed the trigger. I still would have been worried about him coming back with a better angle or a gun of his own so I would have driven out of that trap as quickly as I could. The drink order would have been forgotten about...LOL.

I cracked a bum on the head with my thermos in downtown Dallas about 20 years ago. The guy came up to me bumming money and I very sternly shouted..get the blank away from me. I guess my response agitated him. He reached out and grabbed my shoulder with one hand and was reaching up with the other. I clocked him good. The guy initially went down like he was dead and I thought, Oh crud...I think I just killed him. He then jumped up almost as quick as he fell and took off running. I started to go ahead and get on the bus when two cops came up. One asked me to wait while the other took off after the bum. He drug the bum back and asked me if I wanted to press charges for assault. They had seen the whole thing and were planning to arrest the guy...LOL. I had to get to school and told them no. Plus I really didn't want to waste my time trying to put some bum in jail. They drug him off on foot somewhere around the corner and I got on the next bus and went on my way.

[KD5NRH]

You went to the McDonald's at Peirce and Main?

You went to Houston!?!?

[03Lightningrocks]

You went to the McDonald's at Peirce and Main?

You went to Houston!?!?

No Kidding....I think you have to be three levels crazier than everyone else in Texas to live in Houston. That place is a real gem. I worry non-stop about my son going to school there. I would probably worry no matter where he lived.

[Rugrash]

Yeh not such a great area to be in. I always have my FOX Labs OC in the car with me and would've prolly gone for that before my gun...

[rdcrags]

Your report is almost word for word as reported about 3 years ago on another forum. Same place. Same actions. The guy in the car worked at the hospital near there and said that he goes to that eatery only in a pinch. The vagrant could still be the same one as last week.

Ralph

[DoubleActionCHL]

Not to sound like a broken record, but I, too, think you did a great job. Yeah, I think the window should have been rolled up, but everything turned out ok and you'll know better next time. The fact that deadly force was justified doesn't always mean it's the best course of action. Knowing when NOT to shoot is as important as knowing when to shoot. Good job. Stay safe!

[03Lightningrocks]

Talking to my son about this story, well I was actually warning him to watch out for this kind of approach, he ask me why you were sitting at the drive through with the passenger window down? I said I didn't know. I rarely lower my passenger window. Especially in the heat of summer. Heck...the last time I lowered my passenger window was for self defense after my buddy decided to cut one. I thought about opening the door and throwing him out, but was able to suck the smell out his window before it had a chance to melt my dash board..

Anyway...It seems like leaving the passenger window down would make it easy for a car jacker to reach in and open the door.

Your report is almost word for word as reported about 3 years ago on another forum. Same place. Same actions. The guy in the car worked at the hospital near there and said that he goes to that eatery only in a pinch. The vagrant could still be the same one as last week.

Ralph

PS...weird how that same bum is still hanging out there after three years and still using the exact same techniques. Someone should do something about that guy.

[boomerang]

Talking to my son about this story, well I was actually warning him to watch out for this kind of approach, he ask me why you were sitting at the drive through with the passenger window down?

I thought he said his driver side window was down because he was a car or two back from ordering.

[03Lightningrocks]

Talking to my son about this story, well I was actually warning him to watch out for this kind of approach, he ask me why you were sitting at the drive through with the passenger window down?

I thought he said his driver side window was down because he was a car or two back from ordering.

Yeah...I don't know where I got the idea he said passenger window . I just read his post again...oh well...oops. I must have been thinking a bum couldn't squeeze between the order board and the car door. So sorry...I should be beat to within an inch of my life for that mistake.

LOL...I hate long stories. I missed the part about him being a car or two back also.

[txbirddog]

You went home to your family. Done good!!

[DoubleJ]

Yeh not such a great area to be in. I always have my FOX Labs OC in the car with me and would've prolly gone for that before my gun...

Hmm. SplachBack from OC leaves my eyes burning and my nose running.
SplashBack from .45 ruins my upholstery.

man, the dilemma...

[maximus2161]

I am glad you are ok and didnt have to use your weapon. Hindsight is 20/20. Its easy to say what someone might do different after the fact. Had I been in your situation...sitting there I might have done the same. I have have been approached by pan handlers, vagrants, whatever....basically people bumming money. My line is usually always the same. I very politely say something to effect of "I'm sorry I am not able to help....I dont carry money." That usually ends it right there and they go away. I do NOT give money to beggars. I do however donate to charities. The reason why I dont give money is because sadly there are those who make a nice living bumming money. Its a racket most of the time I think.

I am not saying NOT to help people. If I can afford it and I see someone hungry I'll be happy to buy them food. But I am not giving money to someone on a street corner that will possibly go use it for beer, wine, or who knows what. I just think vagrants approaching people on a corner or a gas station, parking lot, etc is unsafe.

I'd had a guy who hot me up at gas station and my wife and son were in the truck waiting on me. This guy approached me...asked for money...I was polite but he refused to go away and kept inching closer to me and began displaying visible signs of anger to the point I felt threatened and that he intended me and/or my family harm. Luckily, when I told him he needed to do an about face and walk away he took me seriously. Always do the If/Then scenarios in my head...basically its IF he does this, THEN I do this.... kinda thing. A proper mindset and plan has saved my bacon more than once.

Ok off my soap box!

[A-R]

Just getting around to reading this thread. Incident reminded me instantly of my college buddy who was car-jacked at gunpoint at the Burger King on OST @ 281 just east of the Astrodome area back in the mid-90s. Similar situation, except escalated quickly to the more "sinister" intentions y'all have been speculating about in this thread. One guy approached my buddy's car from passenger side asking for something, before my buddy could answer a 13-year-old pressed a chrome-plated .357 revolver to the side of my buddy's head (his car was in same spot as OP - two cars behind the order box). My buddy was ordered out of the car (thankfully, in hindsight), the 13-year-old jumped in driver's seat, his accomplice in passenger seat and they drove off.

HPD or Sheriffs (can't remember) picked them up later that night/early morning after they'd robbed a convenience store and fled in my buddy's car and basically wrecked it.

I have also been accosted by extra aggressive panhandlers. I have even flashed my gun toward one (pulled back jacket to reveal my gun); he was backing me into a corner in a parking lot near my truck and did not leave when I shouted at him to "back off". I got in my truck to drive off and he wouldn't move; making himself a human roadblock so I couldn't back my truck out of the parking space (I started thinking of my buddy's experience above and wondering if this was first step in a car-jacking). Showing the gun sent him on his way hollerin about "that ain't right - I'm calling the cops". That was years ago, also in Houston area, and I regret that I never did think to call LEO afterward. I was just glad to be out of the situation and on my merry way. Now that I think about it, he could have called the cops to report me and I might have had some explaining to do (or worse).

Anyway, I think the OP did very well all things considered. In addition to the minor quibbles about rolling up the window and calling LEO sooner, I might also caution to be sure to always check your surroundings in these situations - this guy could have had "friends".